Archive for the 'French' Category

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Fraîche – Los Angeles (Culver City)

Published by Gastronomer on January 3, 2011 in Culver City, French, Italian, Los Angeles and Restaurant Review. 14 Comments

Ben Bailly, one of my favorite chefs in Los Angeles, recently left his post as the executive chef of Petrossian in West Hollywood to helm the kitchen of Frîache in Culver City. Chefs move up the ranks and change jobs every day in L.A., but rarely do I feel compelled to check out their new digs straightaway. However, with Chef Bailly things were markedly different.

Chef Bailly is something of a culinary darling among me and my food blogging comrades. Aside from being a very good chef, he always goes above and beyond to make us all feel like our sites, photos, and commentaries are more than just silly hobbies. This mutual respect between diner and chef has garnered him a fiercely loyal following, myself included. It’s kind of amazing how far a little kindness will go on the Internet. [Take note, Red Medicine.]

The Astronomer and I, along with the lovely Diana Takes a Bite, dined at Fraîche a month after Chef Bailly took over the kitchen and revamped the rustic French and Italian menu. Diana arrived moments before we did and was sipping on a cool glass of wine when we greeted her at the table. She was careful not to nibble on the bread, butter, and olives until I had taken a proper photo. Whatta gal!

Even though we were planning on a booze-free meal, sommelier Paul Sangoletti insisted on providing cocktails and wine pairings for our party. We started off with three market-driven libations featuring (left to right) beets, red grapes, and basil. The grape-infused concoction with vodka and elderflower syrup was too strong for me, but the ones with beets and basil were just right. Sipping on seasonal cocktails makes drinking feel so virtuous!

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Ludo Bites 6.0 at MAX – Los Angeles (Sherman Oaks)

Published by Gastronomer on December 7, 2010 in Asian Fusion, French, Los Angeles, Mexican, Molecular Gastronomy, Restaurant Review and Sherman Oaks. 13 Comments

Three days before the sixth iteration of Ludo Bites came to a close, The Astronomer and I finally scored a table due to a last minute cancellation. It was a bit of a nightmare driving from Pasadena to Sherman Oaks during rush hour, but a little traffic couldn’t stop us from experiencing Chef Ludo LeFebvre’s latest creations.

We arrived a little frazzled, but on time for our 6:30 slot. Krissy seated us immediately and presented us with the evening’s menu and a wine list. The tables were packed quite cozily in the dining room, but I didn’t mind because my neighbor to the right was the incomparable Jo of My Last Bite—I love how she brings good cheer wherever she goes. My neighbor to the left was sporting a DSLR camera and a little cell phone light, which helped to forge an instant bond between us too.

With so many enticing dishes on the menu, we decided to forgo adult beverages to save precious real estate. I was also thinking about forgoing bread, but thankfully, The Astronomer talked some sense into me. To start, we shared a warm baguette served with smoked butter and sardine-Laughing Cow cheese ($5). The bread and butter were both solid, but the highlight upon the wobbly plank was the sardine-laced Laughing Cow cheese. Fishy flavored cheese? Yes, please!

About midway through the bread course, the Vietnamese-style hamachi ($15) arrived. The presentation was reminiscent of the confit pork belly with Thai-style choucroute from Ludo Bites 5.0. However, the flavors and ingredients in this dish were much lighter.

Tucked underneath the jicama slaw were the most pristine slices of hamachi. Lightly dressed in a nuoc cham-like dressing, the plate was brimming with fresh, clean, and bright flavors. This was definitely one of my favorite dishes of the evening.

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Ludo Bites 5.0 at Gram & Papa’s – Los Angeles (Downtown)

Published by Gastronomer on October 23, 2010 in Downtown, French, Los Angeles and Restaurant Review. 9 Comments

I was one of the poor saps that Open Table kicked out of its reservation system while trying to snag a table to the sixth iteration of Ludo Bites. Since it doesn’t look like I’ll be experiencing Chef Ludo Lefebvre‘s latest and greatest creations over at MAX anytime soon, I will have to take comfort in reminiscing about Ludo Bites 5.0 instead. Consider this a trip down memory lane through the strongest and tastiest Ludo Bites to date…

Truth be told, I failed to score a table to 5.0 as well. The Astronomer and I luckily snatched up a canceled reservation via @FrenchChefWife, who tweets about such matters daily during every Ludo Bites run. We arrived a little before 9 PM and were seated soon after. Our table offered an unbeatable view of the open kitchen. With an animated chef like Ludo manning the stoves, a front row seat is a must.

Our first course was a vadouvan naan bread with salted coconut butter ($4). No one can touch Ludo when it comes to elevating butter to the next level. He deserves an honorary Ph.D in buttery infusions.

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French Comfort Cuisine (and Poutine) by Chef Benjamin Bailly

Published by Gastronomer on September 28, 2010 in French, Los Angeles and West Hollywood. 12 Comments

As the head chef of Petrossian in West Hollywood, Benjamin Bailly (@ChefBenBailly) is encouraged by management to highlight caviar, foie gras, and smoked salmon in nearly all of his dishes. During a previous meal here, we were served an avalanche of fish eggs. Whether mounded atop little blinis or served in a fashionable tin with King crab meat, the amount of caviar gracing our table was enough to satisfy even the most demanding of Russian tsars.

While cooking with the world’s finest luxury products is hardly a chore, these ingredients tend to limit the kitchen’s range. At the encouragement of a trio of food-loving pandas [Kung Food Panda, Two Hungry Pandas], Chef Bailly exchanged his usual high-end creations for homey comfort foods during one evening in late August. For a single dinner service, the dishes coming out of Petrossian’s kitchen were no different than the ones served in the Chef’s home.

Dinner began with a glass of bubbly and two fried “snacks.” The buttermilk fried frogs legs were meatier than expected and expertly fried. The nearly equal ratio of meat to batter was definitely a plus. Laced with fresh tarragon and tart relish, the tartar sauce was a lovely complement.

The second “snack” to arrive was truffle pomme (potato) croquettes with parsley and Parmesan. The silky innards were spiked with truffle oil and enrobed in a golden crust. The standout texture reminded The Astronomer and me of the bitchin’ croquettas we hoovered up in Spain.

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RH at the Andaz Hotel – Los Angeles (West Hollywood)

Published by Gastronomer on June 29, 2010 in French, Los Angeles, Restaurant Review and West Hollywood. 13 Comments

I had the pleasure of being a tourist in my own town this weekend as a participant in the Dole California Cook-Off. As part of the festivities, The Astronomer and I packed up our bags and moved into the Andaz West Hollywood. We fueled up at RH the night before the big competition. I’ve been wanting to sit down for a meal here ever since the restaurant received three-stars from the Los Angeles Times, but never found myself in a hotel dining mood. As a guest of the Andaz, the timing finally felt right to see what the buzz was all about.

Headed by Chef Sebastien Archambault, RH serves southwestern French cuisine with an emphasis on California ingredients. As we skimmed the cocktail and dinner menus, a plate of crudite arrived for us to nibble on. The vegetables were snappy and colorful, while the dressing was creamy and herbaceous. The Astronomer made a noble effort to find pleasure in eating the radishes, but we ultimately couldn’t finish them.

Since we were staying fourteen floors up rather than twenty miles away, The Astronomer and I indulged in a cocktail each. I went for a muddled strawberry and lime concoction called the 405 Crush ($12), while The Astronomer ordered a French mojito laced with anise ($12). Both drinks were well-balanced and properly potent. It was unbelievably fun getting giggly over cocktails without having to worry about driving home safely.

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