“Are you bringing the cream puffs?,” Cliff asked hopefully. Then drolly, “Don’t bother coming if you’re not.”

So prized are the cream puffs of Patisserie Chantilly that I believe my dinner party stock value has tripled because of them. (But I want you to love me for who I am!) 

——-
Open the door to the chic bakery and ZAP! You’ve stepped over the threshold to Shinjuku or Ginza. Suddenly, everything FEELS different.

You walk up to the case and peer inside. Jeweled edibles present themselves and you wonder whether it would be too embarrassing to order one of everything. But, being in the know, you know there is only one thing to order: The Cream Puff.

In the past few years, Los Angeles has been living through something of a cream puff boom, spearheaded by the arrival (invasion?) of Beard Papa, the Japanese chain.  Beard Papa is the Toyota Corolla of the cream puff world–high volume, flabbily non-descript and perfectly fine for those with low thresholds for gastronomic satisfaction.  

Sometimes, however, the grass IS greener on the other side of the fence. In this case, the greener side is in Lomita and takes the form of a taut, disciplined confection handcrafted by Keiko Nojima, the reigning master of the Los Angeles cream puff. 

There are three forms that temptation can take–vanilla custard, black sesame and the newest–chocolate. Black sesame is the most original flavor with kinako sweet soybean powder sprinkled on top and honey swirled into the black sesame cream. It is simultaneously earthy and transcendent. Custard, their bestseller, is refined, adult and completely addictive. Comparing it to the Beard Papa version is like putting an elegant geisha next to a gum-chewing bar girl. No comparison. Chocolate is high quality and a welcome addition to the trio. But somehow not as original as black sesame or as satisfying as the traditional custard. 

No matter what, these are glorious things and your dinner parties will never be the same. 

Patisserie Chantilly
2383 Lomita Blvd
#10
Lomita, CA 90717
(310) 257-9454
www.patisseriechantilly.com

Sandwiched between more casual fare, Orris is the type of place you could easily miss. It looks like a posh izakaya, a single room of close-set tables and some counter seating, pleasantly packed and respectfully low-key. A big, chiseled Okinawan (a man you could mistake for Beat Takeshi’s gangster brother) lords over the open kitchen: this is Hideo Yamashiro, the owner and chef.

Yamashiro (known by L.A. foodies as “Shiro”) is also the owner and chef of Shiro in South Pasadena. With Orris, he hones in on the sublimity of the small plate. He shops for his own ingredients daily, then serves up French-Japanese fusion cuisine, one of the many great gifts to come out of “the creative capital of the world.”

The four of us ordered two dishes each and split them all. Our first dish, the albacore lettuce cups, was gone in a crisp flash, leaving a tang of aioli and jalapeno. Our next plate came just as we finished the first, and was Yuri’s favorite: tuna tartare, accented with pignoli nuts and quail eggs.

The warm snapper carpaccio, a thin layer of white fish pressed to the plate, was third. Seasoned Szechuan-style and drizzled with bean paste, the flavors played together so well we could picture them holding hands and graduating from charm school.

We polished off the curry-infused shrimp (sprinkled with Okinawan sea salt) and free range chicken karaage. We wanted to bottle the perfect dipping sauces and sell them on eBay for millions.

The basil-marinated black cod was delicious, but not a showstopper (we still prefer Andre Guerrero’s): Shiro’s smoked salmon croquettes, however, were. These perfect little specimens -– perched on top of potato cakes, and topped with onion, chives, creme fraiche, and salmon caviar -– are so good you don’t even want to chew.

While we mulled, glassy-eyed, over dessert –- a flourless chocolate cake with coffee gelato, a raspberry wonton with cream sauce -– Shiro set aside his big chef’s hat, sat down at one of his own counter seats, and rested, with some red wine and a small plate of cheese. He looked serious but tired, massaging his temples, like he’d been cutting marble all day.

We asked our waiter to pay our compliments to the chef. Shiro grinned and bowed graciously. Forget Hollywood, we thought: here was an artist, right in the heart of Sawtelle, with good manners to boot.

Orris
2006 Sawtelle Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90025
(310) 268-2212 (no reservations accepted)

A sister restaurant to the one on La Cienega, and situated beneath Romanov Restaurant, Prana Café is a welcome addition to Studio City (even if some of us miss the Albano’s Pizzeria place it supplanted).

Indoor seating is along the west wall, opposite the closed in but windowed kitchen, is reminiscent of the old Out Take Café layout. Subtract the irritatingly squeaky swinging doors to kitchen and it’s very comfortable to dine inside.

The decor is pleasant and warm, featuring large, live bundles of lucky bamboo along the wall. Comfy wicker arm chairs face the chocolate brown leather banquettes, offset by thin cream and brown striped fabric. The ceiling is painted a deep red hue with sculpted paper light fixtures in cream giving a soft light overhead. Add the sun flooding in from the front outdoor patio, set back from Ventura Boulevard, and you have a really cosy vibe.

Their menu offers sandwiches, salads, burgers and wraps, all ranging within $7 to $14.00. You can get breakfast items all day long, including buttermilk pancakes ($7), “crispy” french toast ($9), homemade granola ($7) and scrambles (rather than omelettes) ($9-$12).

Their eggs benedict include classic ($12) and smoked salmon ($14). I was especially impressed with the hollandaise sauce that accompanied my crab cake benedict ($16). Everything on the menu is made in-house, and it shows. Arriving on a huge, square ceramic platter, you get two toasted muffin halves with a crab cake and poached egg on each. The yolk is delightfully runny, as it should be, and there is no trace of nasty vinegar. Smothering that is the divinely thick and golden hollandaise sauce; a perfect blend of the piquancy of lemon juice with the rich yolks and butter. The crab cake is quite fishy but good and meaty, speckled with corn kernels and tiny pieces of red pepper. This meal also comes with a giant and golden hash brown, severed into a curious semicircle, which makes me wonder where the other half got to (not that I needed it!) I found the hash brown to be a bit too oily and too darkly fried, but then again, I am not a hash brown aficionado. At the center of this platter is a delicate little nest of alfalfa dressed with a tangy vinaigrette.

The Mediterranean Wrap ($13) is an inspired blend of slightly spicy shrimp with the crunch of fresh cucumber and the tang of yoghurt. It comes with french fries that are perfectly salty and crisp, although you can opt for salad greens or fruit.

The chef gives us a sample of the crepes that will feature on the menu of the Russian Tea Room, opening next door to Prana Café later this month. The French Connection is a little on the crispy side and stuffed with soft, ripe banana slices and smooth chocolate sauce. Savory as well as sweet crepes are already available to patrons of Prana.

The only weakness here is the coffee, which arrives in a large, attractive glass mug. The latte is, understandably, milder than the cappuccino. But the cappuccino is too bitter and the foam too airy. At Prana Café they would do well to employ experienced baristi who are expert at creating the necessary microfoam for a milky espresso drink worth returning for.

Owner Mikayel Israyelyan seems to know what he is doing, having found success with the elegant Republic Lounge on La Cienega as well as the opulent Romanov upstairs. As my dining companion observed, “You certainly never walk away from any of his places feeling hungry.”

There’s no higher praise than that in my book.

Prana Café
12229 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604
Tel: (818) 301 7616

Open for breakfast and lunch, daily.

In a rather savvy cross-promotion (actually, a no-brainer, when you think about it…) the delightful ice-cream parlor and café on Beverly, Milk, teamed up with the Got Milk? people (namely, the Cali Milk Processor Board) to host an open house last night.

I spotted a handful of fellow bloggers, including the gorgeous Kristy of Best of LA and met Javier the teenage glutster who is going to have to change his blog name any day now, once he ‘comes of age’ - lol

I met the gal who writes Mikey Hates Everything and she even came with two - uh - robot dudes in biz suits…

I also got to catch up with the dashing and daring Eddie Lin of Deep End Dining fame.

A few people asked after you, Jonah, but the words ‘new baby’ and ‘Westside’ seemed to explain your absence (!)

Over the past year, Bret Thompson (former Corporate Executive Chef of the Patina Restaurant Group, Michelin trained, and now owner and executive chef of Milk,) has been tantalising the palates of Angelinos with his delectable treats at Milk. Through this unique partnership with the Got Milk? campaigners, Thompson has adapted and now shares the secret recipes to some of Milk’s most divine sweet desserts – from the ever-so-popular Milky Way Melt (which I did not sample) to the pan-Latin-inspired Berry Tres Leches, which was out of this world!

Bret’s recipes can now be found on their really cool little site.

Other yummy desserts that were being passed around were:
mini ice-cream cones with a fantastic banana & dulce de leche filling and dipped in crisp caramel;
a petite meringue ice cream sandwich;
malted milk shake with teeny choc-covered malted balls within;
a feather-light cornbread cake with raspberry filling and kernels of corn that was truly sensational
also an elegant plastic goblet of a creamy, dreamy and lightly spiced pumpkin squash soup with smoky toasted pepitas on top;
and of course the Berry Tres Leches, which has to be hands down the best version of this classic Mexican dessert I’ve ever tried.

The cake is infused with berries until it is purple-blue and then layered with white cake. The custard parts are not too sickly sweet at all (as is sometimes the case) - it’s simply perfect. Topped with fresh berries and you have a winner. I got to chat with Bret about his Berry Tres Leches dessert, by the way. He explained that it was tough to perfect the genoise or French-style sponge cake part of this delectable dessert so that it doesn’t collapse under the weight of all the three milky ingredients, namely evaporated, condensed and fresh milk.

I also talked to Steve James, the head honcho of the (actually two-person) Got Milk? team and learned how the Got Milk? campaign was created, about fifteen years ago. Legend has it that apparently some creative minds from the advertising firm Goodby, Silverstein and Partners – who they’ve been with ever since – were waiting outside the conference room door, ready to make their pitch. They’d surreptitiously filmed people in their own office reacting, with varying degrees of frustration and anger, to deliberately minuscule amounts of milk left in almost empty containers. They had the campaign and strategy all worked out but no punchy, hooky catch phrase. The team were brainstorming right outside the door, saying, ‘But we need something really simple, like, I dunno, ‘Got Milk?’

Such goes the legend of one of the most enduring food-related ad campaigns you can name.

It was a really fun event.

TIP:

Feast on superb Italian fare at Angelini Osteria across the road, then walk to Milk for dessert.

Milk
7290 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 939-6455

I was extremely happy when we were seated right next to the window. Although it has been unbearably hot, if you’re sitting inside a nicely air-conditioned restaurant, it does seem like a nice day outside. We really liked the ambiance of the restaurant, and since we were right by the window, we enjoyed the natural brightness of the sunlight at our table. A server came over right away and greeted us and spoke a little French to me. I love him dearly for not laughing in my face as I completely butchered the French language. Since he was kind enough not do that, my friends were fairly impressed with me. Oh yes, he made me look good.

When it came to ordering, we were so hungry that everything looked good. We were also getting distracted by some of the other diners who were just served. We came really close to saying, “We want what she’s having.” I happened to remember that birthday girl #1 enjoys escargots ($7.50), so this became the first dish we decided on. The escargots here are really excellent. We all agreed that they were cooked just right, not rubbery which some restaurants make the mistake of doing. We also enjoyed all the garlic with the butter. Some French restaurants make escargots with a creamier sauce, which is fine. I believe, however, if you can cook escargots properly, you don’t need to create a sauce for it because diners will enjoy it with just butter, garlic, and perhaps a bit of parsley. The only thing we needed while enjoying this appetizer was some bread so soak up all that lovely garlic, which we got upon request at no additional charge. This really was a great way to start our meal.

For our entrees, we decided to order one dish we knew was a favorite here, the Quiche Lorraine ($8.50). I am incredibly picky about quiches. There is nothing worse than hard, dry quiches. The quiche at Bistro de la Gare is just the opposite. My friends and I kept saying how the Quiche Lorraine was surprisingly creamy and fluffy. At first bite, I thought it was going to be too salty for my liking. We suspect that my first bite had a huge chunk of ham and possibly some bacon because the rest of the quiche was absolutely perfect. Our other savory entree was the Panino au Poulet ($8.50). This sandwich caught me a little off-guard. When served, at first glance, I thought it was just chicken in a French roll. Upon closer inspection, I realized that I didn’t actually see the chicken or anything else for that matter because the French roll had no opening. Once you bite into it (or cut it into 4 parts the way my friends and I did it), all the great filling is indeed inside. The grilled chicken was moist, the onion was nicely caramelized, and the pesto was a lovely touch.

We also ordered the “Frenchy” Toast ($7.95). We wanted something to contrast the savory entrees. In addition, we definitely wanted to order something from the Petit Dejeuner menu, which is available only on Saturdays and Sundays between 10am and 2:30pm. The French toast was crisp on the outside and soft inside. It was sweet enough without the maple syrup, but how can one say no to maple syrup, especially when it’s staring at you in the little container on the side? Also, the fruit on the side makes you feel good that you’re having a balanced meal. Personally, I would have loved a little more pecan, but seeing how I was the only person at the table who felt that way, maybe Bistro de la Gare shouldn’t change a thing. We were pretty full at this point, and while the “Frenchy” Toast would have made a nice dessert for us… We had to have a peek at the real dessert menu.

Everything on the dessert menu looked tempting and was priced at either $5.95 or $6.95. I knew we would definitely be ordering the Creme Caramel (Flan), as that is one of the favorite desserts here. I couldn’t recall if it was the Chocolate Mousse or the Chocolate Tart that the locals loved. Our server quickly jumped in and said it was the tart. We were on the fence about the Profiteroles, which is basically cream puffs filled with vanilla ice cream instead of cream, topped with some chocolate sauce. Birthdays only come once a year, so we went for it. Our server also understood my really, really bad French and got the fact that we were celebrating two birthdays. He brought over candles for our guests of honor. After lots of photo taking, we finally dug in. The flan really was very well done. The texture was firm enough to retain the right shape, but overall very soft, which is my favorite consistency for flan. The chocolate tart was very fudgey, which explains why so many people enjoy it. It’s a very simple dessert, but a bite goes a long way. The profiteroles were also good, but truthfully, I’ve had better. The trick to profiteroles lies in the pasty puff. There was nothing wrong with how Bistro de la Gare made it, but it just lacked that “je ne sais quoi” that was present in everything else we ordered.

At the end of our meal, I looked over the bill and thought there might have been a mistake. Considering how much food we had and how good everything was, I expected our meal to cost more. It was very affordable, and each of us was happy with our dining experience. Birthday girl #2 told me that she still trusts me for now when it comes to trying new restaurants since I’m the foodblogger. Apparently, writing for lafb has given me some credibility. She says she will continue to take my word on restaurants until I lead her to a bad one. Thank you, Bistro de la Gare, for making me look good and helping me keep my title as foodie/foodblogger for another day.

Bistro de la Gare
921 Meridian Avenue
South Pasadena, CA 91030
Phone: (626) 799-8828

Hours:
Wed-Fri Lunch 11:30am – 2:30pm, Dinner 5pm – 10pm
Saturday Breakfast & Lunch 10am – 2:30pm, Dinner 5pm – 10:30pm
Sunday Breakfast & Lunch 10am – 2:30pm, Dinner 5pm – 9pm

[photo from their website]

I occasionally like to imbibe a cocktail or dine in a hotel. It feels extra glamorous and I can pretend I’m a traveller in a foreign land. So when a visiting friend suggested we meet for lunch at the Hotel Intercontinental, on Avenue of the Stars, I jumped at the chance to put on a pretty frock and heels (despite LA’s pre-emptive June gloom – okay, I added a chic cardie, aka sweater) and tool over there.

The Park Grill dining room at the Hotel Intercontinental is surprisingly unpretentious. Diners can relax in the clubby atmosphere of the dining room, with its gay, striped carpeting and comfy, upholstered armchairs.

Beyond the large, glass french doors lies the garden patio, where I’m sure we would have dined had it been a sunny day. It’s an attractive and intimate little garden and the umbrella’d dining tables skirt an expanse of lawn. Apparently this is a popular venue for weddings.

The menu offers a decent range of two soups, several salads and sandwiches, a few hot meals and desserts. My dining companion went for the great sounding watermelon and spinach salad ($15). This came out as a kind of log cabin of sticks of watermelon with a mass of baby spinach, chunks of chevre and candied walnuts in the middle. On either side of the ‘cabin’, the long, rectangular plate was attractively drizzled with the mango dressing as well as cross-hatched drizzles of vibrantly ‘kermit’ green basil oil. Now, while this looked impressive, in fact it’s a little tough to get the dressing off the plate and onto your food. But the baby spinach was also lightly dressed and sprinkled with black sesame seeds (love them!) so this wasn’t an issue, just a tiny bit irksome.

She also ordered a prosciutto and arugula pizza ($19) that was, shall we say, extremely disappointing. Suffice to say, upon reflection, one probably shouldn’t go to a hotel and expect them to have a roaring pizza furnace…

I opted for the ‘Bento Box’ ($35) as it gave me four small courses with two options per course. It arrived all at once, on a large, white, square ceramic platter with four smaller square dishes within.

The soup was the soup du jour; a chicken broth with a hint of lime, neat cubes of breast meat and finely chopped vegetables. Delicious! Of the two salads, I went with the wild rocket salad. It was studded with candied walnuts (actually, too many…), sweet slivers of dried pear, and a couple of teeny little heirloom tomatoes. The rocket was generously dressed with a rich balsamic vinaigrette that was perfumed with white truffle oil. Rich and satisfying. I couldn’t imagine a whole bowl of it; it worked really well as one small course of four. It also came with two batons of plain but toasted crostini.

The ‘entree’ portion of this bento was one of their cooked entrees, and I would recommend dining at the Park Grill for this dish alone. A small but sufficient hunk of Chilean Sea Bass, beautifully cooked, was resting on a bed of ‘forbidden’ black rice that actually looks dark red. The modest portion of fish was served with two gorgeously braised and grilled wedges of endive and a sprinkling of soft greens. It was superb!

For my fourth course I went with the plate of fruit over the pastries, and I was glad I did. A sprinkling of blueberries, boysenberries and raspberries were complemented by a slice each of honeydew melon, cantaloupe, orange and pineapple. All the fruits were exquisitely ripe. This was a perfectly balanced, filling and delicious meal.

I noticed they are doing a special buffet for Mother’s Day. I definitely think hotels are the ideal place to pamper the grande dame in your life. I’ve already raved about the exquisite afternoon tea at the Peninsular Hotel.

But the Hotel Intercontinental might be just the place for a family gathering. If it’s a nice day, you can dine outside and the kids can run about on the grass. There will be a band performing soul, jazz and Latin music.

The buffet menu is pretty extensive and has something for everyone. Highlights from the menu include:

Kid friendly choices such as wild berry mini pancakes, triple decker peanut butter sandwich, mini BLTs, mini nutella and banana club sandwiches and baby sliders.

Assortment of miniature breakfast pastries and a seasonal sliced fruit display. Egg dishes include omelettes by request and crab eggs benedict with paprika hollandaise.

There are salads such as mushroom and shrimp salad with green papaya, multicolored heirloom tomato salad with bocconcini and aged balsamic reduction, ahi tuna salad ‘a la nicoise’, grilled marinated artichoke salad with Asian beef and so on.

In addition to a sushi and sashimi display, there’ll be shrimp, mussels, oysters, clams and crab claws. Pasta dishes include truffle gnocchi with sage and brown butter or wild mushroom risotto.

Barbecue items include prime rib eye steak, citrus marinated organic white salmon, and baby lamb chops marinated with whole grain mustard and lavender. Loads of grilled and roasted vegetables, such as parmesan grilled corn on the and roasted vegetables with fresh cilantro and lemon oil.

Assorted cakes and desserts, including panacotta, tarts, pies, cookies, brownies and blondies and even a sweet crepes station with fresh fruit sauces.

This gastronomic spread will cost $68 for adults and $34 children 4-12, (with no charge for children 3 and under).

Happy Mother’s Day!

Park Grill, Hotel Intercontinental

2151 Avenue of the Stars,
Los Angeles
Front Desk: (310) 2846500

[FYI – Validated valet parking was $6.00]

Tarzana has a lovely European-style café restaurant that is one of the best kept secrets in the Valley. The only reason I am telling you about it because I want it always to be there, but please don’t tell everyone you know or we’ll never get a table!

Located right next door to the Corbin Bowl, in the corner of a large mall, is Nona Café and Restaurant, a little slice of the Mediterranean that offers some truly fabulous and seriously affordable food.

First things first, you have got to start with their sangria, either red or white. I’ve tasted both sangria, but far prefer the white. It is a little on the sweet side, but it has some delightfully peachy high notes. If sangria’s not your thing, they also offer wine and soju cocktails.

By far the best things on their fairly large menu are the tapas, and for once, the portions are generously sized.

One dish I always get is the creamy, dreamy burrata with roasted tomatoes ($5). For those of you who haven’t already encountered this heavenly dish, burrata is a very soft, yielding and exceptionally fresh version of mozzarella cheese mixed with cream. Yep, cream. The outer shell is solid mozzarella while the inside contains both mozzarella and cream, giving this Italian delicacy its unique soft texture.

I also love their ahi tuna tartar ($7), which is a generous portion of chopped, raw tuna served with scallions, piquant ginger and crisp sesame crackers. Their seared hamachi tuna is paired with avocado dip, ‘supreme’ sections of ruby red grapefruit (meaning the pith and membrane removed, with just the tender fruit remaining) and drizzled with citrus ponzu sauce. They do several middle eastern-inspired and fantastic shrimp dishes, including crisp rock shrimp with lemon aioli ($7) and a wonderful grilled shrimp served with plump pearls of Israeli couscous, fried leeks and spicy carrot puree ($7) – incredible!

Then there’s the lamb and mint kabob with pine nuts and tahini ($7) or sautéed salmon with refreshing cucumber, medjool date and walnut salad and saffron emulsion ($7) as well as a few LA small-plate standards such as shaved fennel salad ($5) or beet salad with chevre, tangerines and marcona almonds ($6). Their full-sized salads are enormous and well-priced, averaging around $11. A variety of sandwiches are also available. They bake their own irresistibly delicious bread and make their own desserts.

It’s all truly wonderful and eclectic cuisine. So far, I’ve been back about four times as there are so many different small plates to sample.

Breakfast looks fantastic, too, and is served until 2pm (take that fast food joints!), and as late as 3pm on weekends. Everything from the usual suspects of egg white or wild mushroom omelettes or even portobello mushroom benedict ($12) to buckwheat or berry waffles or blueberry oatmeal pancakes ($10) to an intriguing-sounding Oatmeal Crème Brulée (also $10).

Indoor seating is warm and pleasant, but they also have a large patio. Best of all, there is plenty of parking available.

At Nona they also have live music some evenings during the week. You might wanna call and find out. One Thursday night we were expertly entertained by a duo of guitarists, one of whom had played with Carlos Santana.

Love this place!

Nona Restaurant & Café

Open 7 days a week
Breakfast until 2pm, ’till 3pm on weekends
Lunch, dinner and tapas bar ’till late

19598 Ventura Boulevard, Tarzana CA 91356
(818) 881 9855

Backstory: Hatfields has been high on my hit list for well over a year. We just hadn’t made it until now (we’re not eating out as often as we used to or as much as we’d like to) I decided it was the place I wanted to try for my birthday dinner out, which was last night.

Three of us went after a movie last night (Forgetting Sarah Marshall - it was quite funny), so we didn’t go for the whole three courses or drink very much as it was late when we got there (after 9.30pm).

We each had one entree and a dessert (but I was given a free dessert because I’d told them it was my birthday and sensibly opted not to order one - I’m no dummy!)

Also we each had one drink, namely beer, a glass of prosecco ($11) and a very nice Cotes de Rhone ($11) with my perfectly pink, date & mint crusted lamb cutlets ($38). My guy raved that his slow cooked beef ($33) was the most incredible thing he’d eaten since a highly memorable Christmas Eve dinner at a fancy place in Paris (Le Carre des Feuillants) where we were served rare lamb that you could virtually cut with a spoon.

Our friend had the Olive oil poached halibut which was truly sensational. This is something I’ve seen a lot on Iron Chef but have never made myself. It had a fresh sheen of citrus on it, which was yet another example of this fantastic chef’s restraint (Quinn Hatfield; Karen Hatfield is the pastry chef and I believe often runs front of house). Also our friend was going to ask for the mushrooms to be omitted, because he never eats them, but I urged him to try them and it turned out he really liked them!! None of us had heard of shimeji mushrooms, but I assumed they were a japanese variety.

I think it worked out to approx $60 pp
Not bad for such high quality fare.
Everything — I mean everything – was outstanding, from the amuse (a shot glass of warm celeriac soup plus a devilled quail egg with smoked trout on a tiny spoon) to the best little bread rolls EVER to the magnificently prepared, presented and perfectly cooked meals. The desserts were great - I loved the crispy napoleon.

Just WOW.

Oh, here’s the other thing - I am not a huge eater and generally take food home. The portions (also our ordering) were so spot on that we all cleaned our plates. The only thing that wasn’t consumed was one of the little petit four that we were given with our bill. One tiny cake. Every dish went back empty. If I were a chef, that would be proof positive I was doing something right, right?

But I don’t know if this is just a special occasion, birthday place.
The place seemed very small (we were seated right in a front window and I didn’t go exploring, but I believe they have a patio) There was nothing remarkable about the decor or ambience.

It’s more like a really great and unpretentious place to dine out every once in a while.

The thing about Hatfields was, yes $32-38 entrees…
With three courses and ample drinks, you could rack up quite a bill…
So I thought it was fairly reasonable and comparable in price to (one of our favourite places) Lucques, I would say, and slightly more impressive in result.
Loved it!

Open 6pm till 10pm or 10.30pm Fris and Sats
Closed Sundays

Hatfields
7458 Beverly Blvd, between La Brea and Fairfax (actually between Vista and Gardener, on the sth side)
(photos via Hatfield’s website)
tel — 323 935 2977

It’s no secret how much I love cheese. I also love my local cheese emporium, The Artisan Cheese Gallery in Studio City.

Apparently plenty of cheese aficionados make frequent pilgrimages to this temple of buttermilky delights. One of their bestsellers is Coach Triple Creme Goat from New York cheese maker Coach Farm (apparently the same people who made the Coach handbags and leather goods).

So owner Melody asked her friends at Coach if they would make it in a heart shape for Valentine’s Day - “just for them”.

And they said “Yes”.

Coach Farm made them a triple cream (meaning 75 percent butterfat) goat cheese that tastes like a smooth, rich, and creamy brie with hints of the tangy, grassy flavor typical of chevres.

And it’s in a sweet heart shape just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The Artisan Cheese Gallery
12023 Ventura Blvd.,
Studio City, CA 91604
Phone: 818-505-0207
Fax: 818-505-0282

When it’s pouring rain outside, and you have a gift card in your wallet with $$ still left on it, how can you resist the temptation of a cozy French bistro and onion soup? The other night Comme Ca was calling our names in a sexy French accent and the promise of hot comfort food. I’m going to get the important part of this review out of the way at the beginning. The warnings. If you are not daunted by them, then you can read the rest.

WARNING!

1. We were under the impression that there were a number of tables set aside for walk-ins. At least on the night we went, this was not so. The whole place was practically empty when we arrived, but we were told it was a “full house” and we could only sit at the bar. Luckily for us, the bar is our favorite place to sit! But if you need a chair with a back, and table space, make a reservation. Also, if you want to sit ANYWHERE, get there early. We went just after 6:00 and got the last two bar spots.

2. Do not expect actual French bistro prices. This place is EXPENSIVE (for what you are getting). Cocktails = $14. My butter lettuce salad with vinaigrette, carrots and radish was $9, as was the onion soup, pommes frites are $7, entrees are $25-$28. It helps if you have a gift card! The wine list is good though, in that it provides wines of all prices from the $20 range to the $100 range, so everyone can partake.

Do you still want to check it out? Think your pocketbook can handle it? Think you can get a reservation? Then read on …….

First of all, I highly recommend sitting at the bar. The bartenders, Tim and Joel, are well-dressed, handsome, and practice bartending in the Gary Regan/Audrey Sanders style - they can make you anything and make it well, with the best ingredients. I also recommend the “Dealer’s Choice,” where you tell the guys what you like in the way of booze, and they will come up with a drink to make for you.

I didn’t do it, because I was excited to be able to order an Aviation and know it would be made right, but I still got an education, as I learned that the drink I so enjoy is actually an Aviation NUMBER TWO. He also made me an Aviation #1 which is almost the same, but made with violet liqueur instead of lemon juice. I like the Aviation #2 better, but I will probably never get to have a Number One again, since Comme Ca makes their own violet liqueur, and I’m guessing not many other places have it. (It tastes like flowers, unsurprisingly, in case you were wondering).

My husband did, and with his braised beef entree, Joel recommended a Brooklyn cocktail (whiskey, vermouth, bitters, maraschino). It paired perfectly with the meat and we liked it so much we recreated them the next day. $14 for a cocktail definitely makes my eyes bug out, but since I don’t think I’ve had a comparable bar experience in Los Angeles yet, I guess it’s cheaper than flying to New York or San Francisco to go to a bar.

I immediately observed that in addition to the status of the chef/owner, the prices can be explained by the fact that there are seemingly endless staff working here. There were two bartenders, two oyster plate preparers, a cheese woman, and a whole host of other front of housers whom I often could not tell what their function was. But until the place got packed later in the evening, there were more employees than diners, it seemed. I can’t complain about that.

I kept my meal light, just ordering the aforementioned butter lettuce salad and some pommes frites as I wanted to save room for cheese. The salad and fries were good but not exceptional, but the garlic aioli that came with the fries was downright addictive. My husband ordered the French onion soup and a braised beef entree. The onion soup was worthy of any Parisian bistro and beef was excellent. It was fall-apart tender and rich in a way that makes you happy it’s winter.

For dessert we ordered a cheese plate, chosen by the fromagier. I thought it was a nice touch that she wrangled her way through the crowd that had appeared behind us at the bar to explain the cheeses to us. The only cheese I can remember well was a ripe Epoisses. They were all good cheeses though, and each came with its own accompaniment.

If you have the money to spend, and you don’t mind sitting at the bar, or battling it out for a reservation, then Comme Ca does do a nice job of replicating an upscale version of a French restaurant experience. The staff is attentive and well-trained, and the bar experience is one of the best we’ve had in L.A. for a while.

Comme Ca
8479 Melrose Avenue
323.782.1178