After reading some reviews on Yelp, B decided he wanted to take me to try Bouchees Bistro in downtown Long Beach. From their website, the concept:

bouchees bistro, designed by Chef Tony Zervas, is designed to provide gourmet casual meals with premium ingredients to today's fast-paced society. Using his extensive experience to create approachable dishes based on a combination of new and classic sandwiches, bouchees bistro provides you with top-quality dishes that can be enjoyed in our comfortable surroundings, on the road, or taken home.

bouchees bistro - French for "small bites", offers design your own mini burgers which allows the opportunity to explore the extensive combinations of gourmet toppings and sauces. Smaller portions and more options enhance the dining experience by providing more flavor combinations. Freshly ground meats, golden sesame rolls and gourmet condiments are all prepared in house by our kitchen staff. Additional specialties include jumbo lump crab cakes, baked macaroni and cheese and a variety of fresh homemade cupcakes. bouchees bistro strives to provide the best product it can produce by starting with the perfection of basic preparations. Our goal is to create simple, fresh, and delicious food without preservatives and additives.

Overall, I liked this place. The prices were reasonable, and the ambiance was nice. I guess I would describe it as artsy and modern. B and I split a small crab minestrone, 2 mini applewood bacon chipotle cheeseburgers, 2 mini turkey and shitake mushroom burgers, and a side order of parmesan and herb french fries. It didn't look like a lot (except for the fries), but it was definitely fulfilling. I was a little skeptical of the mini burgers, but each bite was packed with flavor. The soup and fries were rich in flavor, too. My only gripe was the service. When we got there, there were probably only about 2 other tables being served. Soon after, those customers left and it was just us 2 but the time it took to get our food was as though the restaurant was packed. Perhaps the wait felt worse than it was because I was starving, or good gourmet just takes some time, but it just felt a little excessive. Luckily, the food made up for the wait and I left satisfied. Too bad for me, it's not down the street!

posted by che @ 11:38 AM