Cuisine:

• Coffee Houses
• French

Cafe Massilia Description:
This little boîte in downtown Monrovia serves some of the best bistro cooking in the area. Massilia was the Roman name for the city we now call Marseilles, and owners Chris Giovanelli and Philippe Laurentz have lined their bistro's sultry dark red walls with images of the Mediterranean. Red and black linen and vintage lighting complete the scene at this spot convenient to theaters and shopping. The dinner menu offers many predictable, but quite nicely executed bistro dishes, beginning with garlicky escargots, moules marinière, and a particularly pleasant salade Lyonnaise. Among entrées, trout is presented with both beurre blanc and bordelaise sauces, while a rendition of steak au poivre is flambéed with a generous coating of black pepper and drizzled with a relatively light Cognac sauce. The owners are true enough to their native cuisine not to even offer Marseilles' signature bouillabaisse, since the fish required to make it truly authentic are too difficult to find locally. A selection of modestly priced pastas is offered as well, and desserts include profiteroles and a satisfying tarte Tatin. The wine list is not extensive, but includes reasonably priced offerings from most major French viticultural regions.


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