Corvallis, Oregon - Les Caves Bier & Kitchen

Les Caves Bier & Kitchen is located at 308 SW 3rd Street in downtown Corvallis, Oregon. I've eaten there three times now. The decor has a homey bar feeling. It made me smileand feel relaxed all three times as I entered. It has a certain elegance while maintaining an inviting, laid back feel. The wait staff is attentive without being intrusive. They are helpful and willing to accommodate guests dietary needs.
My first meal at Les Caves Bier & Kitchen was breakfast. I ordered French Toast served with I. P. A. (India Pale Ale) syrup. It was delicious and perfectly cooked. My husband had the Chicken & Waffles. He enjoyed his breakfast as well. I tasted his waffle and found it very tasty. Even the coffee, River Mudd by Pacifica Organic Coffee, was quite good.
My second meal at Les Caves was brunch. I ordered the Orchard Waffle, scrambled eggs, and a drink called the French Toasted. The delicious and perfectly cooked waffle was served with cooked apples. The scrambled eggs were nothing special, but were cooked well. The French Toasted consisted of Stoli Vanilla Vodka, coffee, maple whipped cream, and a dusting of cinnamon. While I normally don't like to have alcohol with brunch, this drink was worth breaking my rule. My husband ate the hot pastrami  sandwich. He cleaned his plate without a complaint.
My third meal at Les Caves was dinner on Valentine's Day. They were running a Valentine's special. Order three courses, and get dessert free from their Valentine's Day menu. We split a bier bread pretzel that was quite delicious. It was served with a beer cheese sauce and spicy mustard. The beer cheese was was good, and my husband enjoyed the mustard. I'm not a mustard fan, so I didn't try it. We both had the mushroom tartlet as first course. It was quite tasty. The crust was puffed pastry. The mushroom filling was cooked nicely and tasted good. The arugula salad was simple but not particularly outstanding; however, neither of us finished it. I wish I had ordered the dressing on the side as I usually do. The dressing was a little overwhelming for my personal taste, but my husband seemed okay with it. I ordered the handrolled gnocchi served in a browned butter sauce for my entree. It was supposed to be served with beets and blue cheese, but I don't like either so I requested a change. They left out the beets but substituted parmesan cheese for the blue cheese. The gnocchi was well prepared and tasted good but was a little much without a vegetable or something to break the monotony. I think the gnocchi with mushrooms from the regular menu would've been much better. Perhaps those who like beets even liked this version. My husband's entree, Roasted Afton Farms Breast of Chicken was a little dry. He described the creamed leeks as having a slimy texture at first. He also thought the entree included too many potatoes. For the dessert course, I ordered the Warm Triple Chocolate Brownie served with blood orange ice cream and toffee topping. My husband ordered the Belgian Chocolate Torte served with poached cherries. The brownie was a little dry and had so many nuts cutting it was difficult. The ice cream was quite tasty and toffee topping was good. The torte was a dark, bitter chocolate that tasted good, but my husband thought the cherries were pickled instead of poached after tasting them. Overall, the dining experience was good but not great.
The atmosphere and the staff at Les Caves create a very enjoyable dining experience. The food is good but could be better. I applaud them for using local produce and products as much as possible to create a dining experience that is healthy, environmentally friendly, and varied. The menu could be a little friendlier to the vegetarian diner, but overall I like the idea of this restaurant. Les Caves is definitely worth giving a try. I particularly enjoy their breakfast, and I want to give their dinner a second try.
 

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