A French Valentine's

The Saturday before Valentine's Day my wife and I planned to go out to eat at  in Little Neck. I made a reservation two days in advance to ensure that my wife and I would get there early enough for their twilight prix-fixe menu that runs from 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. on Saturdays.

Again, like more than a few restaurants on Northern Boulevard, I didn't realize that there was a parking lot around back of the place until I saw the sign on the front. We didn't park too far, though the snow banks did make for a tricky parallel parking job.

Walking through the foyer into La Baraka is like getting swept away to a small French cottage across the Atlantic. Once inside, our jackets were hung up in a closet and we were taken to our seats. There were quite a few people at tables already, with every seat filling up by the end of our meal.

The walls, stucco with wood beams, reinforced the French cottage feel — and since it was Valentine's weekend, there were hearts all over the place and flowers on every table.

Before looking at the menu we were both set on ordering from the Twilight selection — but when I saw the couscous royal on the menu I quickly changed my mind. This entree is semolina cooked by steam, served with beef, lamb, Tunisian sausage, chicken, vegetables in season and chickpeas seasoned in cumin. 

My wife stuck with the Twilight Menu and ordered bœuf bourguignon  — a classic French dish consisting of beef cubes cooked in red wine. For an appetizer, she ordered the spinach quiche, as well as a salad.

While we waited for our food, the restaurant filled up and we watched the owner tend to his guests, taking orders, explaining dishes, serving wine — even de-boning a fish for one table. 

Our salads came out first and were quite large. The veggies were fresh and crisp. I normally don't remember the salads I order, but this one stood out.

Next came the appetizers and again the portions were generous. My appetizer turned out to be a chickpea salad and a triangle of spinach pie. My wife's spinach quiche was too much for her, so I ate what was left. Again everything tasted fresh and delicious.

When our main course came out I was excited to see my couscous dish served in a tagine — a pot used to serve North African-inspired dishes. When the tagine was placed in front of me the first words that came out of my mouth were, "There is no way I am going to finish this." The meat and couscous, cooked to perfection, was piled above the sides of the tagine, and after the salad and appetizers, I thought finishing this would be impossible. 

My wife was just as excited about her dish. Bathed in wine sauce, the beef included a side of Ratatouille that had my wife wishing for more. 

For dessert, I had chocolate cake, with my wife opting for the chocolate mousse. I was expecting a small sliver of cake but instead got a large slice. My wife had trouble finishing her mousse — but the desserts were so satisfying that we triumphantly cleaned our plates.

After our desserts we called it a night, with our tummies full of yummy food and our hands holding boxes full of leftovers.

If you are looking to go out for some delectable food and friendly pampering, I highly recommend a visit to La Baraka.

La Baraka is located at 255-09 Northern Blvd. in Little Neck. Lunch hours are Mon.-Sat., 11:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.; Dinner is served daily from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.