So I've been invited to dinner at a french cafe for tomorrow night. I have been wanting to indulge lately so Im tempted to get a croque monsieur (cheese and ham sandwhich), but I was wondering if anyone eats many of these foods and what I should go with for a good but low(er) calorie meal?

http://www.thelittledoor.com/lndhome.html#

The Roasted Saffron Salmon and Moroccan Lamb Stew sound as though they would be lighter (not being fried and all or coming with fries for that matter) and I think that they would be spiced enough to really be an exotic sort of treat.

I'm a weather influenced eater so if it was rainy/cold that day I'd totally go for the lamb, but if it was nice outside hello sunny saffron salmon.

~PaniAnia~

I second the saffron salmon. But, let us know what you end up going with- that place looks to die for. I wish they had one here, I adore French food! Good luck!

Whew! This is the newer French food, rather than the old, traditional, formal expense account French restaurants that I'd feared on your behalf.

I'd order the dorade (or daurade, as it's rendered here). It's a lovely Mediterranean white fish -- though theirs is likely farmed in Israel -- and it never has that mud taste that tilapia sometimes has. And I don't get to eat it very often, whereas salmon is everywhere.

I'd also ask about the vegetable of the day. I eat more vegetables at home than I ever manage to do at restaurants. Most of them just add a little bit as garnish to complete the meal, though beautifully prepared & carefully thought out. I'm used to eating more of them than that.

For lunch, this place is a treasure. Can they open someplace here in NY too? I want to see what the green lentil salad that they call a "deli salad" is like. I just got a big bag of French lentils & am looking for a good recipe for them. I don't want to put them in soup; I want them to be the star.

Me, I'd have the salade nicoise; it's one of my favourite things to eat but no-one beats the French at making it!

The restaurant is sort of French-Moroccan, and TO DIE FOR (I haven't been to the cafe, but have eaten one amazing meal at Little Door).

I'd agree that fish is a good bet, but they really do excel at Moroccan-seasoned stewed dishes, so I might go with the lamb stew. It might be a bit oily, but so might the fish, you know?

Most of all, enjoy. They really make phenomenal food there. I can still remember that meal. Yum. Drool.

So today was my Little Next Door meal. For breakfast I kept it low cal with a corn tortilla, egg beaters, a tbsp of guac, salsa, and sour cream, and coffee at 166 calories so I could have some wiggle room at lunch.

I ended up getting the greek salad with grilled salmon.
"Greek
Spinach, shaved fennel, sun-dried tomato and feta cheese topped with toasted pine nuts and garlic croutons"

I left off the feta, and croutons. I had a slice of french baguette dipped in a bit of oil, the salad with spinach, fennel, tomato, pine nuts and the salmon. The salad was very oily and so was the fish, the fish was good size but thin.

Heres how I counted:
Small slice of bread 100 cal
Salmon 211 cal
Pine nuts 30 cal
Spinach 40 cal
Fennel 7 cal
Olive oil for cooking the fish and the dressing and bread (2 tbsp?) 252 cal
Sun dried tomato 100 cal

So total of 740 for the salad and bread slice.
Sound reasonable?
I asked the waitress what the dressing was and she said balsamic vinegar and oil, or lemon and oil, and I think the one mine had was lemon and oil.
Great meal, and amazing atmosphere, but not worth those calories. Luckily I avoided the amazing looking macarons.

Great job! I think your calorie counts sound very reasonable. I'm glad you enjoyed it, even if it wasn't really worth the calories. Still, I think you made a great choice considering some of the other menu options and sweets.