"You’re at Routier for simple and balanced Californian-French dishes, minus the stuffiness of an old-school bistro. Everything is served atop vintage floral plates that could have been plucked out of an episode of Antiques Roadshow (if you’re lucky, you’ll get the dessert plate shaped like a flower, petals and all). No two are the same, so you can fill at least one awkward silence with your date by comparing fleur de lis rims." - julia chen 1