Mimi’s Cafe in San Mateo, Calif. offers a tasty assortment of French dishes with many unique flavors.

Located among a collection of stores at Bridgepointe Shopping Center, Mimi’s Cafe is a cozy sit-down restaurant that serves a variety of foods from sandwiches and salads to calamari and salmon.

I ordered the Artisan Baked Brie ($7.29) as an appetizer, the Saint-Malo Pasta ($12.79) as my main course, and the French Onion Soup on the side ($2). The rest of my party ordered items such as the Pot Pie Nouveau ($10.99), the Mimi’s Original Slow-Roasted Turkey plate, and the Pasta Carbonara à la Mimi’s ($10.79).

The appetizer and side dish arrived first, along with a free basket of bread that contained two slices of carrot cake and two small rolls of sourdough bread. The bread was warm and seemed freshly baked, making a nice addition to the meal.

The Artisan Baked Brie was beautifully placed on the plate, with long slices of baked Brie cheese and two scoops of apricot chutney on top. Included on the side were slices of green apple and two long pieces of French baguette croutons, which were used to dip into the cheese and apricot mix.

This appetizer was a different and completely unique menu item, and tasted fairly good. The presentation was the highlight of the plate, and made it enjoyable to eat.

The French Onion Soup was filled with an overwhelming onion and garlic flavor. The onion aroma was a bit too strong for my taste, so the soup wasn’t as enticing as I hoped it to be.

Next, the waiter served the Saint-Malo Pasta. This spaghetti plate was the best dish in the entire meal, and was flavored with delicious spices along with a ring of mussels and two slices of French baguette croutons on the side. According to the menu, the pomodoro sauce was supposed to be spicy even though it was not. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the dish because of the zesty flavors it contained.

There was only one server attending to us throughout the meal, but she was very attentive and returned frequently to check back on us.

Overall, Mimi’s Cafe was an enjoyable experience for my whole party, and I would recommend it for others to try. Although this restaurant may be a bit expensive for the average group of high school students to go to, it is perfect for those looking to have a nice meal with family.

French style food can be a new and interesting experience for many people, and Mimi’s Cafe would be the perfect place to begin.

Price: $$$

Service: 4.5/5

Food: 4/5

Location: 2208 Bridgepointe Parkway, San Mateo

Telephone: (650) 574-8767