Tastes of LA: Petit Trois and Mistral
I’ve been thinking about the choices I make for the sake of convenience, (which is, of course, a much larger conversation than belongs here), but as it relates to eating out, I find I often somehow feel that choosing a local favorite is lazy. Or it doesn’t make the occasion special enough. Well, phooey. The pleasures of dining in comfort and knowing you can rely on certain dishes to deliver the same bang every time are significant.
If you’re lucky, those close-by options are also stellar in their own right.
Petit Trois
Foodie Friend #3 and I met for an impromptu brunch recently at Petit Trois in Sherman Oaks, and I was reminded of Ludo’s brilliance at wringing the most out of the simplest ingredients. An omelette by any other name would never be as sweet. I’m confounded by the creamy, yet fluffy texture he conjures and warmed by the lack of flash. Ditto the avocado tartine. Avocado, harissa & crème fraiche on toasted baguette, what’s the big deal? But it is when every element is carefully curated and layered in exactly the right proportions. Don’t even get me started on the onion soup or basic butter lettuce with Dijon vinaigrette. They are just perfect.
Mistral owner and maitre de
Mistral
Meanwhile, haggling over lunch dates and times to celebrate Foodie Friend #2’s birthday, we finally settled on Mistral in Sherman Oaks. And happily so. While the food can’t really compare to Petit Trois’ mastery, the ambience of leisurely, neighborhood elegance is unique. Mistral is all about its longevity and roots here, thanks to the devotion of its owner Henri and its maître d’ Raul. And the food is quite good. Steak tartare is not always easy to find, but it’s served here with a surprisingly nice bite of heat alongside the traditional cornichons and charmingly old school toast points. A satisfyingly bright green salad with goat cheese croutons was a nice accompaniment. Though we didn’t venture much farther into the menu this time, I will say our glass of Louis Roderer 244 champagne hit just the right note to round out a lovely couple of hours in this most hospitable of environments.
Why drive when these gems are right around the corner?
Molly Cheek
Molly Cheek is a retired actor and Epicurean School graduate. She is best known for her roles in “It’s Garry Shandling’s Show” and the “American Pie” franchise, (she baked the pie!). For her second act, she turned to her real love: Eating!!! Molly created a catering and home-cooked gourmet gift basket business, placing her baked goods in coffee joints and on craft service tables around Los Angeles. And even though she’s moved on from that endeavor, she still loves to eat. She starts dreaming of lunch as soon as breakfast is done. Cooking is fun, but eating out is her happy place. And she loves to talk about what she eats…..and what you eat and what people on TV eat…. So, she hopes her enthusiasm for food will ignite some tastebuds and inspire you Tomatoes to try something new.
