Tag Archives: ludo lefebvre

The 10 Best Things I Consumed in 2021

What can I say about 2021? In many respects, it was a little better than 2020. If this pandemic has taught me anything, it’s to not take anything for granted and to not forget to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. And on the subject of simple pleasure, here is my annual list of the ten best things I consumed and posted about this year. I hope you enjoy. Happy New Year!

Crispy Ramen Egg from Afuri Ramen

10. Crispy Ramen Egg from Afuri Ramen. This is egg-ceptional.

“The Danny Boy” Porkstrami Sandwich from The Bad Jew stall at Smorgasburg

9. “The Danny Boy” Porkstrami Sandwich from The Bad Jew (at Smorgasburg). Some may say “oy vey” but I say “hooray” to this delicious pork pastrami that is certainly not kosher.

Chocolate Chess Pie from Goldburger

8. Chocolate Chess Pie from Goldburger. Checkmate!

Parmesan Crusted Halibut with Grilled Asparagus and Beurre Blanc from Porta Via

7. Parmesan Crusted Halibut from Porta Via. The math doesn’t always work, but in this case fish plus cheese equals awesome.

“The William Mae” Fried Chicken Tender Sandwich with HiHo Pickles, Organic Honey & Slaw Sauce and Purple Cabbage from HiHo Cheeseburger

6. “The Willie Mae” Fried Chicken Tender Sandwich from HiHo Cheeseburger. Who knew a chicken sandwich at one of LA’s top burger joints would be this amazing. HiHo is certainly no one trick pony.

Sticky Glazed Pork Shank with Shitake, Honeynut Squash, Hoison Mayo, Hot Mustard, Naan and Lettuce Cups from Girl & the Goat

5. Sticky Glazed Pork Shank from Girl & the Goat. Girl & the Goat is the best Chicago import since Cracker Jack, and this delectable take on on a Korean Ssam is my favorite dish on the menu.

Bacon-wrapped Dates stuffed with Parmesan from AOC

4. Bacon-wrapped Dates stuffed with Parmesan from AOC. Chef Suzanne Goin has been serving these incredibly addictive, salty and sweet morsels for almost two decades and I have been consuming them for just as long.

Zucchini Chips with Herbed Yogurt from Greekman’s

3. Zucchini Chips with Herbed Yogurt from Greekman’s. Q: What is a zucchini’s favorite sport? A: Squash. The Zucchini Chips at Greekman’s are significantly better than that joke. In fact, they’re pretty f-ing amazing! Easily the best vegetable dish I consumed this year.

Trout Almondine from Petit Trois

2. Trout Almondine from Petit Trois.  I’m nuts about this dish!

Strawberry Donut from The Donut Man

1. Strawberry Donut from The Donut Man. These are slightly tart, wonderfully sweet and perfectly glazed. And the good news is you don’t have to drive all the way to Glendora anymore as they are now also made and sold downtown in Grand Central Market. It’s my favorite thing that I consumed and posted about this year.

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Filed under Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Downtown, Glendora, Highland Park, Hollywood, Los Feliz, Marina del Rey, Mid-City, Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Silver Lake, Studio City

Happy Breakfast to Me


Some people love breakfast. I am not one of those people. In ranking breakfast, lunch and dinner, breakfast comes in a distant third for me. This may be partly because I don’t love eggs or cereal, but mainly it’s due to my preference of getting extra sleep instead of having a sit-down morning meal. But if I am going to be dragged out of bed early on a Saturday or Sunday to meet friends for breakfast, then I’m probably going to insist we dine at Trois Familia.

Trois Familia is the third collaboration (after Trois Mec and Petit Trois) of three of LA’s most talented and inventive chefs: heavily tatted French bad-boy Ludo LeFebvre and the dynamic duo of elevated comfort food, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo (of Animal and Son of a Gun). Located in a strip mall in Silver Lake, the restaurant has everything you want in a breakfast or brunch joint and many things you didn’t know you wanted: an eclectic menu of creative French and Mexican specialties, glossy white picnic tables, a display of vintage hula dolls over the counter, and a horde of Eastside hipsters queuing up to secure a table.

There’s icy cups of Horchata, edible asterisks of Maple-chili-glazed Bacon, hot plates of Churro French Toast topped with melty Salt & Straw Ice Cream and mind-blowing Carrot Mole Enchiladas. And to celebrate your success in getting out of bed and procuring such a delicious breakfast, you can end your meal with a yummy slice of Tres Leches Birthday Cake served with a lit candle. Singing and presents are optional.

Trois Familia is located at 3510 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles (in Silver Lake) and is open daily between 9am and 2pm. If you enjoy Consuming LA, please subscribe, like me on Facebook and/or follow me on Twitter or Instagram @ConsumingLA at the top right of this page. And please forward to your friends!

A Bacon Asterisk! (Nueske’s Bacon with Maple-chili Glaze)

Carrot Mole Enchiladas with Crème Fraiche and Cilantro

Churro French Toast with Salt & Straw Vanilla Ice Cream and Mexican Chocolate

Crispy Hash Brown Chilaquiles, Sunny Side Up Egg, Cotija and Salsa Macho

Double Decker Potato Tacos, Lime, Crème Fraiche, Carrot, Pico and Jack Cheese

Horchata

A very hipstery brunch place

“French-Mexican Food”

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Small is the New Big

French Onion Soup
It’s a simple law of nature that small versions of everyday things are cute. Babies, puppies, Mini Coopers; all are friggin’ adorable. We should also add Petit Trois, a diminutive version of a French Bistro, to this list.

Petit Trois is the younger sister and strip mall nextdoor neighbor of Trois Mec. Both restaurants are tiny and are helmed by heavily tatted, reality tv-starring, bad-boy chef Ludo Lefebvre. But unlike Troi Mec, which serves creative and cutting-edge cuisine, the food at Petit Trois is more traditionally French, with offerings such as French Onion Soup, Confit-fried Chicken Leg with Brioche Butter and Frisée Salad, Croque Monsieur/Madame, and Escargots. All are excellent. The one non-traditional item on the menu is the “Big Mec,” an awesome gourmet cheeseburger with caramelized onions, garlic aioli and a red wine bordelaise sauce made with foie gras.

There are no tables at Petit Trois. All seating is either at a bar facing an open kitchen or at a counter facing the back wall. So it’s not the kind of place you want to go with a big group, but it’s perfect if you’re dining alone or with a single companion. I also recommended going at an off hour to avoid a wait; they don’t take reservations.

Petit Trois is located at 718 Highland Ave., Los Angeles (in Hollywood).

Baguette and Butter

Baguette and Butter

Confit-fried Chicken Leg with brioche butter and frisée salad

Confit-fried Chicken Leg with Brioche Butter and Frisée Salad

"Big Mec" Double Cheeseburger

“Big Mec” Double Cheeseburger

Frites

Frites

Napoleon with Tahitian Vanilla Cream

Napoleon with Tahitian Vanilla Cream

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse

It's in a tiny space.

It’s in a tiny space.

Some of the most authentic and delicious French food in LA

Some of the most authentic and delicious French food in LA

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Filed under Hollywood

Three is a Magic Number

Urban Flower Tart with Watercress Vinaigrette
Brand-spanking new and already the hottest ticket in town, Trois Mec has arrived. Its name means “three guys” in French and it’s the collaboration of three of LA’s most beloved and talented chefs, Ludo Lefebvre of the Ludo Bites pop-ups and the tv show “The Taste,” and Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo of Animal and Son of a Gun. These three amigos have fashioned a truly magical dining experience. The only problem is that it’s incredibly difficult to get in.

The modern and minimally designed restaurant is small and intimate.  There are only four tables plus eight seats at the bar overlooking the open kitchen.  It’s cloistered away in a Hollywood strip mall behind frosted glass and has no signage other than the illuminated yellow sign of the previous tenant, Rafaello’s Pizza. To dine at Trois Mec, you don’t need a reservation; you need to buy a ticket. These tickets, which are transferable and can even be resold on Craig’s List, go on sale once a week on the restaurant’s website and currently cost around $97 for the prix fixe menu including tax and tip but excluding beer and wine. With such limited seating, competition for the tickets is fierce and I pity the poor Hollywood assistant tasked with procuring them for a demanding boss.

The seasonal menu (which can be vegetarian upon request) consists of five official courses and several additional tastes. My recent dinner there started with a virgin apéritif of chilled Aged Oolong Tea with Lemon Shrub in a sugar-rimmed glass and ended with a White Chocolate and Caramel Tart with Habanero Salt. In between was a parade of gorgeous, inventive and delectable small plates of gastronomic glory. Many dishes, such as the Herb and Flower Tart with Watercress Vinaigrette (pictured above), were similar to the modern French fare of Ludo Bites, while others, like the Boneless Chicken Wings with Mustard and Sesame Seeds, more closely resembled the reconceived comfort food of Animal and Son of a Gun. My favorites were the super light cheesy potato dish of Potato Pulp, Brown Butter, Bonito, Onion Soubise and Salers Cheese and an insanely good Rib Cap with Shallot Broth, Black Walnut and Clover Spelt. I also loved the unique Buckwheat Popcorn with Rice Wine Vinegar. If they sold this at Trader Joe’s, I would eat a bag everyday.

Trois Mec is located at 716 N. Highland, Los Angeles (in Hollywood) and serves dinner Monday through Friday. Tickets can be obtained on their website. 

Buckwheat Popcorn with Rice Wine Vinegar

Buckwheat Popcorn with Rice Wine Vinegar


English Peas with Miso Marinade and Cured Salmon Roe

English Peas with Miso Marinade and Cured Salmon Roe


Boneless Chicken Wings with Mustard and Sesame Seeds

Boneless Chicken Wings with Mustard and Sesame Seeds


Asparagus, Brioche, Egg Yolk, Yuzu, Green Alder

Asparagus, Brioche, Egg Yolk, Yuzu, Green Alder


Carrot, BBQ, Orange, Yogurt, Avocado, Watercress

Carrot, BBQ, Orange, Yogurt, Avocado, Watercress


Potato Pulp, Brown Butter, Bonito, Onion Soubise, Salers

Potato Pulp, Brown Butter, Bonito, Onion Soubise, Salers


Rib Cap, Shallot Broth, Black Walnut and Clover Spelt

Rib Cap, Shallot Broth, Black Walnut, Clover Spelt


Strawberry, Almond Ice Cream, Rhubarb, Rose Ice, Olive Oil Cake

Strawberry, Almond Ice Cream, Rhubarb, Rose Ice, Olive Oil Cake


Chef Ludo Lefebvre

Chef Ludo Lefebvre


The restaurant only seats 26 people.

The restaurant only seats 26 people.


Don't be misled by the exterior.

Don’t be misled by the exterior.



TROIS MEC on Urbanspoon

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Filed under Hollywood