L’Assiette

“The atmosphere,” says the press release introducing the brand new L’Assiette (361 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 652-1810), “is typically French, and the owners also. The place is small and oriented to a quite classical and fancy style, which ends in a marriage of sophisticated healthy food and real French mentality.”

When they speak of the atmosphere, imagine one of those whitewashed little restaurants you find squeezed into Paris storefronts, boldly decorated with large canvases. For small, read really small. For “classical,” think of a casserole of escargots or chicken with mustard sauce. As for the fancy stuff, how about sauteed foie gras in a puree of celery root or breast of duck in turnips and honey vinegar sauce?

The press release also mentions “self-made recipes”; these include oddities like roast salmon in caramel sauce and steamed whitefish in grapefruit sauce. I have my doubts about these dishes, and I often find myself wishing that someone with a “real French mentality” would bring us some real French coq au vin or cassoulet. But L’Assiette is pleasant, the prices are reasonable (entrees around $11), and it’s the perfect place for those times when you are hit with a craving for salmon in caramel sauce.