"The wait is finally over for Montresor, the vibrant new French bistro taking up residence in Studio City. This is the site of the former Gadarene Swine, now backed by folks from The Flats and beyond. Montresor is the work of Lisa Long and partner/designer Ann Booth Luly. Long has been around the restaurant block for a long time, first at Firenze Osteria and more recently at The Flats in Beverly Hills. In fact, Long is even pulling chef Paul Shoemaker from that project to come open Montresor, a smart move considering Shoemaker’s tenure at the Michelin-starred Bastide as well as places like the French Laundry. So what to expect from Montresor? Look for an open, compact room that recreates a classic French salon, from the tufted chairs to the dim lighting and hanging chandeliers. There’s textured glass up front, lots of muted brown and red tones, and ornate details like a giant mirrored wardrobe at one end of the room. As for the food, Shoemaker is keeping things exceedingly simple to start. There’s only room on the menu for true French classics like braised short rib, French onion soup, mussels, and the like — though the wine list is in and rather ample. The opening menu is below. Montresor opens tomorrow night, with hours from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. from Tuesday through Sunday." - Farley Elliott
