Justin M.
Yelp
Le Petit Four is a beacon of light that reminds you of Sunset Blvd's heart & soul.
As soon as we arrived, our hostess promptly seated us with our choice of indoor / outdoor seating. In a French-themed restaurant, the choice to go "as fresco" was obviously the way to go.
Drink:
Tropical Paradise - "A rum-based cocktail with pineapple, coconut, and citrus flavors". Every bit as delicious as it looks. Not too sweet. I didn't see it on the menu, but our server Jordan, was more than happy to inform me that their bartender could whip it up. 9.2/10
Appetizers:
They were out of oysters, which is a good sign that it is a top seller.
French Onion Soup -
Sizable, melt-in-your mouth onions. Plenty of pipingly, not-too-hot rich, umami, broth. Balanced well with an evenly soaked piece of bread/crouton, & perfectly topped with that oh-so-demanding, yet not so aggressive Swiss cheese. It warmed my soul. 8.9/10
Crab cakes -
Light, crisp outside, smooth, delicate inside. It's a nice, smaller-sized portion of 2 cakes. The mixed baby greens is the perfect accompaniment. The 2 sauces (chipotle aioli & cool lemon dill) showcase the wide range of flavors. 8.8/10
Burgundy Snails aka "Escargot" -
What you came here to read...
Look, for any of you that are hesitant, it's a "texture" thing. Chewy, sure. But if you like Mexican tripe, Asian rice cakes, or heck, even 90's Gushers candies, you're home free. Fortunately, I love gummy, slimy, chewy textures.
Step-up & live a little. Taste-wise, I'm of the mind that if you cook something in enough butter, garlic, & shallots, then you've got a winner. - 9.5/10
Entrées:
Branzino -
A large (definitely shareable or good for leftovers) full-sized fish. A good fish doesn't taste fishy. Perfectly sautéed in oil, sage, & an irresistible lemon sauce, it's quite simply the ideal fish dish. Not heavy at all. The arugula salad is the appropriate addition to counter the "friedness" of this dish with that complementing peppery bite. - 9.1/10
Steak Au Poivre Filet Mignon:
A great way to measure any French brasserie.
A perfect medium rare. On size alone, it almost seemed larger / very generous for a filet mignon, which is not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. The au poivre was not over-powering & really allowed for the supreme quality of the filet to shine through. Filet Mignon are almost always the cuts that I avoid, but here, this French classic definitely proves why it has stood the test of time & always delivers. The fries were not only plenty, but almost addicting. Like almost "McDonald's - level" addicting but without the uncomfortable feeling of consuming 19 ingredients that you're not sure about. The little bits of parsley were the exact touch that I didn't know that I needed. 9.2 / 10
On a deeper note, I don't know what's going on with all of these classic restaurants falling victim to a poor economy where inflation is leaving us with 2 extremes: either "fast food" or high-end, gourmet restaurants. Where's the middle ground? Iconic spots like Le Petit Four existed before I was born & I don't even want to imagine a world where this, cozy, safe, & delightful establishment doesn't exist. With it's bright yellows + light blues, open, airy dining areas, & beautiful, custom paintings, I don't know how we ended up in a situation where the owners have been forced to close.
Thank you, Le Petit Four, for your decades of service to the Sunset Strip. I hope you find a partner that is more than willing to invest & pump some needed funding into this L.A. institution.