Restaurant Toulouse, Saugatuck, Michigan

French cuisine. That's what it's all about at Restaurant Toulouse. The interior of the restaurant is simple but elegant. But there's a charming little outdoor patio too and that's where D and I dined.

It was early evening on a Sunday in July. The weather was what they call a "chamber of commerce" day. Blue skies, sunshine, warm but with a gentle breeze. Perfect for patio dining.

The menu is in English but the food was all French. Since D and I are dessert lovers we opted to skip an appetizer and because we would immediately be driving home after dinner we skipped the wine too. After a lengthy look at the menu, D decided on bouillabaisse and I opted for the "Summer Delight". Summer Delight is a pasta dish with grilled chicken, "exotic mushrooms", red peppers, and summer squash in a light creamy garlic sauce.

We started out with a bread basket of crunchy French bread with herbed butter. As we waited for our entrees to be served we listened to the very pleasant music of a local musician who played the guitar and sang sing-along songs... Sweet Caroline, You've Got a Friend, etc. There was a nearby table of 8 who were happily inebriated and enjoyed singing along with gusto. It was fun entertainment.

Our entrees were delicious! D's bouillabaisse was chock full of seafood in a tasty but not spicy sauce. There was some heat in it from the Andouille sausage though.

My Summer Delight was certainly delightful! The chicken was tender, the vegetables fresh, the pasta done just right. It was just yummy :-)

I was hoping that the dessert menu would feature something with lavender but it didn't. We chose to share a piece of flourless torte. It was rich and creamy and a nice sweet ending to our dinner at Restaurant Toulouse.

D and I both agreed that we'd return to RT again but not before we explored some of the other eateries in Saugatuck. Perhaps we'll return in the fall. Restaurant Toulouse is a very romantic setting indoors or out. Go there with someone you love!

Oh and ladies, there's some nice eye candy in the ladies room...