City: Delray Beach, FL

Category: Restaurants

Telephone: (561) 265-0600

Address: 253 S.E. Fifth Ave.

Description: Think of the French Riviera, with a splash of Greek, Italian, and Moroccan, and you’ll have an idea of the cuisine at La Cigale. The owner, Francis Touboul, is a native of Marseille. And your meal can be a wonderful combination of all the nearby influences to his hometown. For example, you can start your meal with an arugula Salad, topped by sliced prosciutto, shaved Parmesan, and champagne vinaigrette. The jumbo shrimp provençal entree is served with sautéed spinach, roasted plum tomatoes, white wine garlic sauce, and a touch of Pernod liqueur. The seafood crepes are filled with scallops and shrimp, and garnished with sautéed spinach and a lobster sauce. Also excellent is the wild salmon en papillote, cooked in parchment paper and surrounded by julienne vegetables, asparagus, truffle butter, and rice pilaf. You must try the beef bourguignon cooked in red wine, with pearl onions, bacon, mushrooms, and mashed potatoes. And, with French/Mediterranean cuisine, you have to leave room, of course, for the dessert.The decor at La Cigale is stunning. It’s a collection of the abstract brightest wall art you’ve ever seen, running along the entire length of the walls and painted on them, rather than hanging on them. Large round lights hang from the ceiling. The bright-orange cloth napkins and dark-wood chairs stand out against the gleaming white tablecloths.