La Loulou

Inside La Loulou, the New French Spot on Oakland’s Piedmont Avenue | Eater SF

"On a trip to Paris, owner Lou Beraud had a sad epiphany about missing the affordable, charming restaurants foundational to the City of Lights: “We went to [Parisian restaurant] Bouillon Chartier and realized that there was no place like that in Oakland,” says Beraud. That realization led her to open a little wine bar where people could come and enjoy wines from around the world, small plates of food and companionship; it opens Saturday, May 10. The space is fanciful and belle époque–inspired, with a deep golden accent color “reminiscent of a popular French champagne label” showing up on curving Art Nouveau details framing the bar, the mirrors, the doors, and the hand painted artwork on the front window; vivid color, feathery ceiling lights that “evoke can-can dancers,” touches of deep magenta, and an opulent emerald green on tile and velvety channeled banquettes complete the look. Her husband Peter Andreoni, a contractor who specializes in custom woodwork, created many of the curved flourishes that frame mirrors and doorways. The soundtrack runs from Josephine Baker’s “J’ai Deux Amours” and “La Vie en Rose” to modern artists like L.E.J., Bon Entendeur, and Stromae. Beraud, who worked for Champagne Cristal and sold French wines in Silicon Valley with the distributor Planet Wine, built a wine list rooted in France (70 to 80 percent sourced from regions including Loire, Burgundy, Languedoc-Roussillon, and Bordeaux) while also representing California and Italy; there are quirky bottles like the Moroccan-made Syrah called Sirocco from Alain Graillot and natural-wine selections such as 23 Monje, “an orange skin-fermented blend of organic grapes including French Colombard and Gewürztraminer from Santa Cruz. It smells like lychee and pink grapefruit.” “It’s an orange wine, but not a weird orange wine,” Beraud says. Besides a rotating list of wines by the glass, about 100 selections can be purchased by the bottle to enjoy on site or take home, with plans to expand to 200 or 300 and to offer educational events: “I want it to be educational too,” she says. “All the information looks scary on the bottle but it’s not once you get the hang of it. I was thinking of doing little tasting classes, events, and different cheese and wine pairings with some info as well on the wines.” The chalkboard menu runs from cheese and charcuterie boards to marinated olives and spiced nuts; heartier fare includes bacon and Comte cheese puffs served with mixed greens, duck rillettes, croque-monsieur warmed on a panini press, and melty raclette cheese on a baguette with salami and tangy slices of apple. Charcuterie will be a focus, with precise slices from a fire engine–red Berkel meat slicer with a vintage-inspired flywheel. Andreoni noted that while many of their friends work in Michelin-starred restaurants, they can’t afford to actually go to that restaurant and enjoy the food they’re serving; the couple hopes the wine bar will be an egalitarian antidote to that phenomenon, modeled on Parisian bouillons (affordable restaurants dating back to the 19th century, like Chartier, which dates to 1896) that served classic French fare with hearty portions and fast service and often encouraged communal seating and conversation. Beraud hopes the spot will become a neighborhood hangout for people of different ages and backgrounds: “I would go to the same place with my friends that everybody enjoys,” she says. “It’s a mix in Paris. It’s not categorized.” Opening hours will be 2 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays and 2 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays." - Maria C. Hunt