A flicker to some, forever to others. For us, a fantastic opportunity to get our juices flowing at Café Presse.

The front room is fun, but we like the elbow room and more relaxed atmosphere of the tables in the back. We also appreciate the helpful and unrushed service. One hour is what you’ll wait upon placing your order for the famed roasted chicken. Time for us to kick back with our demi-pichet of wine, whimsically ordering whatever whets our appetites: the simply elegant salade verte, the smooth-talking chicken liver terrine with dried cherry compote, the magnificent mussels with bacon, spinach and saffron cream (everything’s better with bacon).

But….oh, the chicken. At $26 for two people, it comes divided on a couple of plates. That’s a good thing, as we normally fight for the rights to the dark meat, but this time we were beholden to the breast. With skin as beautifully brown as the accompanying fries (which could have been crisper, but that’s just a minor complaint), we couldn’t wait to pierce it with our knives, creating that crackling sound. Skin is good. And beneath it, the white meat glistening–this chicken was the star of the show.

Such a star that Café Presse also serves it cold with mayonnaise, just like you’d eat it out of your refrigerator the next day. But, dreams of leftovers were fleeting, as we couldn’t stop marveling at the moistness, eating until just the bare bones were piled on the plates. And lest you forget, this is the sister restaurant to Le Pichet, so we somehow saved space for the must-do chocolat chaud. From start to finish, we’d be hard-pressed to find a better way to while away the hours than at Café Presse.

Originally posted at Seattlest (where “we” = me) on February 18, 2008.

There’s a lot of scuttlebutt this week about Crémant. The place is popular. I like the atmosphere and the food is good, though many people have reported some problems with the service. I wrote about their roasted marrow bones a few months ago, but I’m also remembering their intriguing version of nicoise salad, pictured here. Interesting plating and quite pleasing; it was a shared dish, and I wanted more. Now I’m wondering what will be on their menu in the future, as word is that Mike McConnell is in as owner, and chef Scott Emerick is out. Still waiting to hear the true story of what happened, as some prominent restauranteurs have been commenting in response to Nancy Leson’s write-up in the Seattle Times.

I’m also saddened to learn about the imminent closing of Union Square Grill. My last visit there coincided with the Seattle Cheese Festival, and I enjoyed a five-course meal of dishes featuring cheese, including a delectable king crab and chevre ravioli. It’s a shame to see Union Square Grill go after nearly two decades in business; you have one more month to get your last meal there, as service will stop on February 15, making way for The Lost Lady American Cantina. (Do we need more Mexican food?)

Sadly, you can expect more and more closings in the days and weeks ahead, so now’s the time to go out and support your local favorites. And keep an eye on the Seattle Weekly, where Jonathan Kauffman (my favorite local restaurant reviewer) and his team are keeping track of many of the closures.

Crémant recently launched an “Egg-centric” brunch service (weekends, 10-3), and in addition to some good-looking egg and potato dishes (each month’s menu will feature different types of eggs from different farms), you can order Roasted Marrow Bones with Parsley Salade. Or you can have marrow bones, as we recently did, for dinner. Mmm…unctuous. These bones had nice width, making it easy to scoop out the marrow, which appreciate a hit of salt. If you’re feeling particularly festive about marrow, join Crémant for their Halloween and All Saints’ Day celebration when they feature “Bones and Blood” on the menu. (Blood represented by Choucroute Garnie: Sauerkraut with Blood Sausage, Boudin Blanc and Pork Loin.)

Meanwhile, Monsoon has just started an “Alive @ 5″ happy hour, running 5 until 6:30 weekdays. For five bucks a pop, you can sample eight different food items, six types of wines, and a handful of desserts. We especially enjoyed the Crispy Oregon Country Spare Ribs, which, like marrow bones, are roasted. But these are then fried in peanut oil, which can withstand a high temperature and therefore create excellent crisping. The ribs have wonderful flavor; we believe we detected cayenne, five-spice, and certainly a healthy amount of salt (which makes these bites cry out for beer) in the batter.

Cross-posted at Seattlest, where “we” = me.

Chef Thierry Rautureau’s plates are edible, artistic canvases. Very visually stimulating with wonderful flavor combinations. The meat dishes were particular strong. We’re fish lovers, but found some of those dishes, like the seafood trio, just a little too subtle. Exceptional, though, was the roasted sturgeon. Was it that always-beloved bacon in the heirloom tomato ragout that gave that dish a boost?

Rover’s offers a delightful dining experience for people with the pocketbook to afford it. Refined food, spectacular service, and a cheerleading chef with talent. And if you’re penny-pinching, you can check out Rover’s for lunch on Fridays only. True—you’ll still need a bunch of pennies, but for a special occasion, Thierry suggests adopting a European attitude for the day: Leave work early, then enjoy a special lunch and leisurely afternoon off.

(Photos reflect the order of the menu. Scroll over for brief description.)Cross-posted on Seattlest, where “we” = me.