Restaurant: 301 Bistro Location: 301 Hartz Ave. #103 Danville, CA Phone: (925) 820-6996 Price Range: $14.95-$25.95

Number of visits: 1
Last visit before review: December 27, 2002

Randy had: Baby mixed salad & endive; lamb shank (over rice), almond florentine (caramel banana, pastry shell with banana crème brulée and caramel sauce), crispy avocado appetizer.

Jeff had: Baby mixed salad & endive, chicken breast with au gratin potatoes, caramel apple cheesecake.

Rating 10 (of 12) Excellent

Jeff says: The baby mixed salad & endive was interesting and well presented, but very small. It was about 3 bites. It was good with the walnuts and gorgonzola cheese. The dressing wasn't overbearing. I usually don't like chicken breast because it can be dry. This was flavorful — moist on the inside, crispy on the outside. The au gratin potatoes were like large pancakes with plenty of cheesy sauce. The caramel apple cheesecake was good. It came with a dollop of whipped cream on the side. I couldn't taste any apple, though. The caramel sauce made it very sweet; it would have been fine without it.

Randy says: The salad had a lot of shaved gorgonzola, but was good. The lamb shank was very tender, as one would expect from braising. It was moist, had minimal fat, and the lamb taste was very mild, not gamy. I didn't notice the almonds in the almond florentine, but the banana crème brulée was very creamy and richly banana-y. The caramelized bananas on the side were interesting with the peel still on the bottom and the caramel on top. I especially liked the fresh berries on top of the brulée. I thought the fried avocado wouldn't be very good but I was surprised. We had to try the crispy avocado since it's the specialty of the chef and very unique. While it wasn't my favorite dish, it was much better than it sounded. One order is plenty for the table.

Jeff says: I don't like avocado so didn't enjoy the crispy avocado, but tried it. Randy's lamb had a subtle lamb flavor and wasn't bad. The banana crèm brulée was very rich and sweet. There was a basket of bread with sliced french rolls and giant semicircles of flat bread, like egg matzah but a tiny bit sweet.

Randy says: I had a bite of a few of the other desserts. The lemon Charlotte was like a lemon cream cake. Th lychee ice cream was very pleasant and the mango sauce was zesty and wonderful.

You wouldn't expect to find creative, high quality food in a shopping center in Danville but that's what you'll find at 301 Bistro. White tablecloths, red curtains and mirrors provide the decor that make the place look like an Asian restaurant gone haute cuisine. Our waitress was very attentive and professional. There was also a hostess (owner?) who made sure we were happy with everything. The menu is pricey, but the 3-course sunset dinner menu (Sunday-Friday 5-6 p.m.) which includes choice of starter, main course, and dessert for $19.95 is your best bet.