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Restaurant Talk: Benji's French Basque Restaurant on Rosedal
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Posted by nwv_admin Wed Sep 15, 2004 09:45:00 PDT
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An artist's rendition of a modest house in Ossès in the Basque Country hangs in the entrance of Benji's French Basque Restaurant on Rosedale Highway.

Brothers Benji and Rene Arduain have come a long way since they left that home decades ago to come to America. Today, they're the co-owners of Benji's, a fine dining establishment famous for its sauces, scampi and chocolate soufflés.

On April 17, 1992, Benji's opened in Rosedale to instant success. But Benji admits he didn't always foresee a career in the restaurant business.

"I came to America on March 8, 1968. I went to San Francisco because my brothers were there," said Benji, one of six boys in the family. "I wasn't very interested in cooking and worked as a gardener at first, but then I started working in French restaurants." He worked for two and a half years at La Bourgogne before moving to Bakersfield in 1971, where he worked in Basque restaurants.

In 1986, after many years in the business, he decided to open his own place on Union Avenue. When the Union location became too cramped, Benji relocated to the Northwest. At that time, he was joined by brother Rene, who came on as the chef -- a chef with an impressive background.

Rene, too, had spent time at La Bourgogne, which means "the orange field" in French. He cooked for government officials and dignitaries at the Menlo Country Club in Redwood City, and worked with Rene Verdon, the executive chef of the late President John F. Kennedy, at Le Trianon. Before moving to Bakersfield, Rene served as head chef at Fleur De Lis in San Francisco for 10 years.

Rene's experience equals excellence, and Benji notes that both regulars and newcomers continue to remark on the creamy sauces, which cover everything from the pickled tongue to the salad and are the result of using special stock and seasoning for eight to 10 hours.

Benji's favorite dish is, appropriately, Benji's steak with mushroom garlic or pepper cognac sauce ($21.75 on the dinner menu).

For lunch, light eaters may go for the plain set-up, which includes items like French bread, butter, salsa, soup, beans, vegetables, salad and French onion soup for $7. Other diners may opt for entrees like the beef or lamb dip ($7), frog legs with garlic or lemon sauce ($10.50), veal medallions with creamy mushroom sauce ($12.50) or filet mignon with port wine or pepper cognac sauce ($16), all served with salad, French fries, butter, salsa and French bread. Lunch specials are also available.

The dinner set-up is similar to the lunch set-up, but vegetable soup, fresh marinated tomatoes and pickled tongue are added to the $10 spread. If you're craving an appetizer, it's a chance to enjoy escargots ($7). According to the Arduains, the most popular dinners are the scampi with garlic lemon sauce ($19) and the rack of lamb with garlic potatoes ($21.75).

Children under 10 tend to prefer the set-up ($6) or beef raviolis with Basque tomato sauce ($8).

If you save room, Benji's dessert menu includes baked Alaska ($4) and their renowned Grand Marnier, raspberry, chocolate and lemon soufflés ($5.50).

For longtime customers, Benji's is a second home decorated with their good friends at adjoining tables and French berets, Basque dancing pictures and bota bags on the walls. For those sent over from nearby hotels like the DoubleTree, it's their first taste of the French Basque experience.

But more than anything, says Benji, "It's a family place." A 200-year-old clock from Ossès keeps time while Benji and Rene, along with sister Bernadette, nephews Philippe and Eric and niece Stephanie Duhart, are hard at work. Brother and former bartender Jean Louis passed away eight years ago.

Benji's wife, Erin, and daughters, Christiane Camou and Natalie Arduain, are also familiar faces in the restaurant. At night, both brothers retire to their respective Northwest homes.

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