Rick's French Bistro: classic food, modest prices

Thus, at Rick's you will find dishes whose roots extend to regions as various as Normandy, Burgundy, Provence and the Southwest. The menu reads like a mini tour of France. But if most of the dishes are familiar, they are also very well prepared.

Physically, Rick's is unprepossessing. Stuck at the tail end of a strip mall on Siesta Drive, it's easy to miss the red awning with the restaurant's name on it, or the single outdoor table with the iconic red-checked tablecloth.

Inside, there's a small dining room with a scattering of tables, topped with red-checked tablecloths, of course. Scenes from France dot the walls, along with other bric-a-brac. The room has a slightly faded and lived-in look that adds to the comfort; come on in, relax, have a glass of wine.

For appetizers, diners can turn to old favorites, such as Onion Soup ($6.95) or Escargots de Bourgogne ($9.95), snails in butter, garlic and parsley.

With summer already at full blast, some might prefer lighter dishes. The Salmon Salad with Crème Fraiche ($10.95), for example, provides a tasty antidote to the hot weather. It's very simple. A small mound of chopped salmon sits atop some lettuce. A dab of crème fraiche -- the French version of sour cream that is creamier and less sour -- lubricates the salmon and adds a tangy bite. After that, it's a sprinkling of fresh chives and it's done.

The treatment emphasizes the taste of the salmon itself without distraction, and it's really good.

The Paté Campagne au Cognac ($7.25) takes a similarly direct approach. A slab of pate rests in the center of the plate surround by a few cornichons, those tart French pickles that traditionally come with this dish. The paté has a rather silky consistency, not as coarse as country style -- compagne -- normally is, and while you certainly can detect the flavor of liver, it is muted, an undercurrent. A bite goes down smoothly, allowing a mixture of tastes to linger on the palate.

Main courses feature dishes that would not have raised an eyebrow 50 years ago: Beef Bourguignon ($19.50), the classic beef stew; Poulet Sauce Normande ($18.50), chicken in cream sauce with apples; Foie de Veau Sauté à la Lyonnaise, liver as it's prepared in Lyon.

In its subtitle, Le Canard du Chef Michele ($24) refers to itself as a cassoulet with a small "c," perhaps as a way of distinguishing itself from the traditional Cassoulet, the long simmering casserole of white beans, goose or duck, sausage, and pork or lamb. But whatever it's calling itself, the dish is superb.

Two duck thighs, white beans, and some chunks of sausage challenge one another for attention. This is rustic fare at its best, bold and hearty and not made for people watching their diet or cholesterol count. The duck is dark and succulent, and its fat insinuates itself into the beans, intensifying their flavor with the assistance of a dusting of thyme.

The Côte d'Agneau au Fines Herbes et Raisins ($24) follows close on the heels of the duck in terms of preparation, the lamb chops cooked to pink perfection, juicy subtly seasoned by the herbs.

A Chocolate Mousse ($5.50) could stand with any I've had in France, while a special of Crèpes au Grand Marnier ($7.50) used puckering orange rind to play off the sweet liqueur, which in turn was soaked up by the well-turned crèpes themselves.

Service was very good. The wine list is small, French, and will provide partners for all the dishes.