"Even if you don’t spend a ton of time eating at sceney Weho restaurants, Chez Mia will probably feel familiar. This upscale French-ish spot on Melrose has a heavily designed patio filled with frilly pink umbrellas and uncomfortable circular booths, and a predictable menu of tartares, salads, and grilled meat. There are a handful of solid dishes like the wagyu strip steak and seared octopus with a lemony emulsion, but those don’t warrant the exorbitant prices (dinner for two with drinks will easily surpass $400.) And that’s if you don’t spring for caviar service. In other words, Chez Mia is like every other restaurant whose primary purpose seems to be looking gorgeous on Instagram. If you want to get dressed up and have a few cosmos at the bar before heading elsewhere, Chez Mia is a fine pitstop. If not, you’re better off just keeping this place on your For You Page. Food Rundown photo credit: Brant Cox Salade Verte This plate of romaine with a trace of vinaigrette is $17. Take that information as you will. photo credit: Brant Cox Le Pain De Mia This is what we want from a bread plate. The crust is crunchy and crackly, the soft bread is warm like a pair of pants from the dryer, and it comes with a nice spreadable herb butter (smeared on the side of the plate for some reason). photo credit: Brant Cox Caviar Gourgére Did we enjoy this teeny choux pastry filled with creme fraiche and topped with a spoonful of caviar and gold leaf? Sure. Would we ever pay $29 to eat it again? No. photo credit: Brant Cox Gambas Sauvages A totally serviceable but fairly boring plate of grilled prawns. And by boring, we mean the lemon squeeze is the most interesting thing happening here. photo credit: Brant Cox Poulpe Grille Chez Mia’s best dish is this grilled octopus. The skin is charred and crispy, with a tender interior that's snappy rather than mushy. It's nice as is, and even better with the lemony, foamy sauce that adds a pop of acidity. photo credit: Simran Malik Photography Wagyu New York Strip A nice enough steak to share—well-marbled and evenly seared with decent flavor. At $165 though, we'd probably invest our funds elsewhere." - Brant Cox
