One of the great simple pleasures of traveling abroad is stumbling upon a restaurant frequented by locals, followed closely by bathing in gelato and loudly explaining why everything in America is better. Replicate that feeling with today’s Groupon to Luc's Bistro in Poway. Choose between the following options:
- For $15, you get $30 worth of dinner fare.
- For $10, you get $20 worth of lunch fare.
Luc's executive chef, Philippe Verpiand, presents lunch and dinner menus teeming with classic comfort dishes and French-inspired Southern fare. Patrons begin gastronomical endeavors with truffle-oil-and-parmesan french fries ($4) or organic beet salad with spring mix, blue cheese, and walnuts ($7.75). Dressier than a typical sandwich in a tuxedo T-shirt, the lunchtime veggie panino houses fresh mozzarella, roasted peppers, eggplant, tapenade, and basil sauce ($7.75) inside its cushy carbohydrate jacket. Atop a bed of sautéed veggies and mashed potatoes, a red-wine sauce saturates braised chicken thighs ($11.25) and fork-tender beef short ribs ($17.95), and Atlantic salmon takes comfort in the company of crab ravioli, coconut-cauliflower cream, and curry oil ($14.95). Luc's specialty mac 'n' cheese with mozzarella, parmesan, blue cheese, and peppered bacon ($9.95) is available for both afternoon and evening noshings, and when used as a breakfast of leftovers is both a delicacy and a thoughtful belated Mother's Day gift.
Luc's Bistro
The concept of the South in evidence at Luc's Bistro is expansive, including not just down-home American comfort foods but historical influences from French, Creole, and Cajun cuisines. In an airy room that's a little fancier than the location tucked away off busy Poway Road might suggest, servers deliver plates accented with spicy touches such as paprika mayo or peppered bacon. Breakfast bites include Cafe du Monde beignets and eggs benedict with ham and homemade hollandaise. For a lighter lunchtime offering, diners might try the crab-cake sandwich or simply suck the helium out of a balloon. Dinner entrees range from Atlantic salmon to old Southern standbys such as country-fried steak and shrimp and grits.