I don’t have much of family and my communication with them is nill. But my partner Lisa Morton’s family are really great people and I enjoy spending time with them. This last Sunday, Lisa and I took her mom and boyfriend (yes, they are living in sin in their 70′s) to one of our favorite restaurants in California, the French restaurant Le Chene. Located in the horse country of Aqua Dulce, this place serves absolutely wonderful French cuisine.

Housed in an old, semi-stone building just off of a two-lane, backcountry road, Le Cheine was started by chef Juan Alonso in 1980. It takes its name from the large amount of wonderful oak trees in that area. The restaurant is open and airy. There’s a patio and a large garden out behind the building. Many’s the time I’ve wandered around sniffing the air after an incredible meal at Le Chene.

Of course, the place was packed for mother’s day and we had a good wait. But once we sat down and got our meal on the table, it was all worth it. I don’t know how their kitchen is able to consistently cook superb meals especially on very busy days, but they do it. In the 10 years I’ve been coming to the restuarant, I’ve never had a poorly prepared meal. It’s the kind of restaurant that gets the little things right. Like the small, baby carrots that came with the Pork Loin. These simple vegetables were actually the highlight of the meal they were so well cooked and well seasoned. And the fact that the cooks are able to get it right even while being harried with order after order just amazes me.  A fantastic meal for less than what we would have spent at a four star French restaurant in LA or Santa Monica.

Lisa had her traditional crab quiche. Her mom had regular quiche lorraine. Ed (her mom’s boyfriend) had his Egg’s Benedict and I had Pork Loin with Apples. Since the place has a wonderful French Onion Soup for an appetizer, I had that to start with. They bake their own French bread, which is crunchy and superb.

Our only regreat was that we couldn’t stay for desert. But since Lisa has a big book deadline coming, we had to get back home soon after the dinner. The drive back provides a lot of sight-seeing fun and it was a perfect day weather wise: clear and not too hot.

What a great day!