Friend to Girls on Food, Taylor (yes, THAT Taylor), sent me an Instagram video of penne pasta being cooked in a gigantic cheese wheel. I’ve seen this cooking technique in a video before, but I didn’t realize that LA had a local restaurant that served this dish. Then I looked up the menu for the restaurant, called Le Petit Paris, and decided this needed to happen ASAP.  After I recovered from some slight Instagram-er envy, Taylor and I grabbed fellow blogger Julieta for a girls night out.

Le Petit Paris
418/420 Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90013
http://lepetitparisla.com

Fanny and David Rolland originally opened Le Petit Paris in Cannes. With Chef Baptiste Grellier and Chef Jeremie Cazes, they expanded into this spacious DTLA location a year ago.

Le Petit Paris is located in the historic El Dorado Building (est. 1913) and, like the food served, the interior is decedent. The dining room alone is ginormous, but there’s a mezzanine level, 2 bars, a gift shop, a grand stair case which leads you to the second level and a large outdoor patio. They even have live jazz on Wednesday nights (see site for details).

Once seated I was promptly served an amuse bouche. The Chef’s choice for this starter was a crostini with a truffle cream. It was the perfect precursor to an evening of rich french food.

We started with the Les 6 Escargot de Bourgogne en Persillade (aka escargot), Ceviche de Loup (aka seabass ceviche) and the Foie Gras Poele a la Pomme et Calvados (aka foie gras). The ceviche may not be an ideal starter for French dining, but it was too good to turn down! It was actually nice to start with a lighter dish before the buttery foods. The yuzu sauce that topped the seabass was citrusy and tart. The escargot, substantial in texture but light on my palate, comes in the traditional butter, garlic and parsley sauce. C’est bon!

 

Our favorite appetizer was the seared foie gras. The texture of it was so buttery, probably the most silky, melt-in-your-mouth I’ve ever had. It was paired perfectly with the ginger bread and fresh apples it came with. The Calvados flavor added a nice brandy touch without overwhelming the foie gras. It’s a perfect dish for autumn.

For our entrees we ordered the Les Cheeseburger du Petit Paris Frites Maison (aka cheeseburger with fries)  and the Risotto De Noix de St Jacques Asperges et Truffe (aka risotto with scallops and asparagus).

The cheeseburger is one of the richest I’ve probably ever consumed. It’s definitely a fork and knife burger, not to be eaten with your hands. The tomato confit, comte cheese and bacon also pack it with extra flavor. I’m very tough on risotto dishes, because it’s easy to screw up in the kitchen. This risotto was perfectly cooked through, and all the flavors in this dish played beautifully together.

But the big finale was the Pates Flambees a la Truffe Dans Sa Meule de Parmesan. This tableside pasta is prepared in a large Parmesan cheese wheel. After the cheese is flambeed and melted, the penne is added and then they add fresh black truffle. See video above and subscribe to our channel! This is the dish to come in for — not only is it so much fun to watch but it’s cheesy perfection. You’ll be doing the Truffle Shuffle after one bite.

We ended the evening with Le Souffle Grand Marnier. The souffle was fluffy, lightly eggy and had a liquor bite. Expect this dessert to take about 20 minutes to bake to perfection.

Whether you’re out with your girlfriends, on a date or with parents, Le Petit Paris is a joy. C’est bon!