WHY WeHo chic in old-money Pasadena. WHAT This glam white-on-white restaurant doesn’t look one bit like Pasadena, and we admire the Langham Huntington for pushing the envelope. (It’s always entertaining to see San Marino men in Brooks Brothers blazers trying to figure out what to do with that precious morsel of lobster that appears to [...]
April 27, 2012 | Posted in
Discoveries |
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WHY You never know where it’ll pop up or what’s on the menu, and that’s the fun of it. WHAT Good luck getting a reservation at L.A.’s (and now the nation’s) premiere pop-up restaurant. (So many people want in, the online reservation system usually crashes soon after it opens.) Ludovic Lefebvre is a classically trained [...]
April 18, 2012 | Posted in
Discoveries |
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WHY Parisian-style macarons, displayed like objets d’art, in the shop formerly known as Paulette (they dropped the ‘Pau’ after a trademark tussle). WHAT French macarons are not the dumpling-style macaroons (normally made of coconut) that we see in the U.S. These are light, tender-crisp sandwich-style cookies that look rather like colorful, miniature hamburgers, except the [...]
January 31, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY L.A.’s best-kept-secret French bistro. WHAT Almost hidden in a corner of the Farmers Market is a café as authentically French as any in Lyon. It’s part of the adjacent Mr. Marcel market, home of French cheeses, olives, wines, table linens and an array of gourmet foods. Unlike most Farmers Market eateries, which are order-at-the-counter [...]
January 30, 2012 | Posted in
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WHY For a fantasy French bistro experience when your ship has come in. WHAT Chef Thomas Keller, he of the French Laundry, Per Se and Ad Hoc, has at last come to Los Angeles. It’s supposed to be a branch of the original Bouchon in Yountville, but this is pure Beverly Hills, large and lavish [...]
December 8, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY South of France—inspired dining morning, noon or night in a pretty Côte d’Azur setting. WHAT Hollywood’s glitzy W Hotel may seem an improbable place to find a bright brasserie seemingly transplanted from Cannes, but this bustling, white-tiled, marble-floored spot is good for business meetings, visitors touring Hollywood and post-clubbing late meals. The menu is [...]
November 30, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Satisfying French bistro fare without having to go over the hill. WHAT Chef Gordon Ramsay’s stem-to-stern redo of this Sherman Oaks mainstay (39 years!) resulted in a trimmer, more modern menu that focuses on what the kitchen does best: simple French bistro food and savory and sweet crèpes. Don’t miss the onion soup, the [...]
November 22, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY You wish you were in Paris but you’re settling for Venice. WHAT This indoor/outdoor café and market on south Abbot Kinney has catered to homesick ex-pats since 1993. You may be the only English speaker in line waiting to order French comfort food: omelets with a green salad;le cheval (fried egg atop ham and [...]
November 11, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY Because you need a rooftop bar Downtown that isn’t overpriced and played out (like The Standard). WHAT This multi-story bar and restaurant boasts wraparound patios with gorgeous views of Pershing Square on one side and Bunker Hill on the other. The décor is art deco, the food is French (coq au vin, onion soup), [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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WHY A French-accented restaurant, wine bar and deli that’s good for brunch, lunch, tapas or drinks. WHAT Chef Thierry Perez chose a large industrial space for his latest Culver City venture, which combines a wine shop, gourmet-to-go and a full-service menu offering everything from crèpes to polenta with veal brains. The tapas happy hour runs [...]
October 28, 2011 | Posted in
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