Santa Monica’s picturesque shoreline, deep blue ocean hues and swaying palm timber are about as shut as Angelenos can get to the French Riviera with out hopping on a airplane. And on October 12, Oceana Santa Monica and thirty fourth Flooring Hospitality are bringing the flavors of the Côte d’Azur to the seashore city with La Monique, a swanky eatery devoted to basic French fare.
“Life is loopy and hectic, so I needed to create a spot the place time kind of stops, even when just for a few hours,” Olivier Zardoni, CEO of thirty fourth Flooring Hospitality, tells Observer. “It’s so uncommon that individuals in Los Angeles take an actual break with pals over a bottle of wine, with out the telephones and all of our different distractions. That’s what I need La Monique to be—a spot to be current.” Whether or not for after-work drinks or a chic sit-down dinner at sundown, La Monique encourages visitors to embrace the gradual and easy facet of life.
The restaurant’s prime location on Ocean Avenue presents a naturally lovely setting, however designer Martin Brudnizki has upped the ante with daring and welcoming interiors. Busy patterns prolong from the flooring to the pillows to the furnishings, whereas a mirrored ceiling creates a cool reflection of the scene under. Many of the partitions boast an emerald inexperienced marble backdrop adorned with summary art work and framed classic images, paying homage to a Parisian brasserie. When the curtains are drawn, it’s simple to neglect that you just’re sitting simply throughout the road from the Pacific Ocean. The intimate house hosts solely 44 seats, and although the decor and design scream fancy, Zardoni is adamant that La Monique is a spot to unwind and collect over high-end drinks and dishes.
The lounge-style seating is extra relaxed and comfy than commonplace seated tables, however essentially the most opulent—and sudden—design issue could be admired within the bogs. A floor-to-ceiling mirror creates a flattering glow that frames a marble counter and copper sink, whereas textured, palm leaf-like partitions pay homage to La Monique’s Mediterranean influences. “Whereas we have been engaged on the design and creating renderings, I spotted, ‘Oh, this appears like a lady’s dwelling,’” explains Zardoni. “I turned to my enterprise companion and mentioned, ‘I feel a lady lives right here.’ I pictured her as a madame.” And thus, the title La Monique was born.
For the meals, La Monique maintains a conventional strategy to French delicacies. “I needed the menu to revolve round simplicity with flawless execution,” says Zardoni. “Numerous eating places in L.A. do French meals with a California twist, so I mentioned, let’s simply be genuine.” Main the cost is chef David Fricaud, a French native who grew up in a small, countryside city exterior of Paris. Fricaud discovered the ins and outs of agriculture from an early age—his grandparents have been farmers, and he grew up choosing greens from his household’s backyard, fishing together with his father and spending time with the cattle. Nonetheless, it wasn’t till he grew to become a fan of The Love Boat that he realized his ardour for all issues culinary. “After I was eight years previous, I fell in love with the baked Alaska from The Love Boat,” Fricaud explains. “However I began to surprise, who makes the baked Alaska onboard? They all the time confirmed the captain, the physician, the bartender, however by no means the chef. So, it was then that I found my dream of cooking.”
Upon graduating from culinary faculty, Fricaud labored in kitchens all around the world, with stints at Méridien in Abu Dhabi, Lafarques in Belgium and the Reef Oasis Blue Bay Resort in Egypt. Fricaud finally fulfilled his dream of working as a chef on a ship, spending a yr cooking on a luxurious yacht in Canada. He returned to Paris and was a semi-finalist on High Chef France in 2010. In 2016, he landed a gig at Pitchoun Bakery in Downtown Los Angeles earlier than main the kitchen at Malibu Seashore Inn. Fricaud then made a profession transfer to Las Vegas, the place he labored with Lisa Vanderpump at Caesars Palace earlier than finally accepting the chief chef position at Scarpetta.
La Monique marks Fricaud’s return to Los Angeles, permitting him a possibility to embrace conventional French cooking in one of many metropolis’s most coveted neighborhoods. “Santa Monica looks like a small Riviera to me,” he says. “The design, the drinks and the meals are all fully totally different from what already exists right here, and I can’t wait to share it with our visitors.”
Along with extravagant seafood towers with tuna carpaccio and king crab, La Monique’s appetizers embody caviar service, heat artisanal baguettes, a hand-cut beef tartare with house-made Kennebec potato chips and extra. Considered one of chef Fricaud’s most noteworthy starters is a recent tackle escargot, which boasts all the basic, buttery flavors in a croquette-like kind, eliminating the mess and work. “Everybody loves a correct escargot, however I needed to serve one thing extra elegant,” Fricaud tells Observer. “I made a decision to create a kind of cromesquis with the cheese, garlic and escargot. However beneath, we’ve got the shell stuffed with creamy butter and herbs, and when you eat the cromesquis, you merely sip the juice from the shell.”
The menu boasts a complete handmade pasta part, with coastal-inspired recipes starting from linguine vongole to spaghetti pomodoro. For meats, prime cuts, priced from $60 to $145, pair with housemade sauces like Béarnaise, black truffle beef jus and au poivre. The actual menu spotlight, nonetheless, is the signature Le Poulet Duo Poêlé and Braisé ($46), a hen dish which is braised and sautéed earlier than being plated alongside fluffy whipped potatoes.
“I’m additionally going to maintain issues enjoyable for regulars by providing a number of secret gadgets,” Fricaud explains. “We have to have a burger as a result of it’s a lodge restaurant, however will probably be sacred and off-menu. When you resolve to serve a burger in a complicated restaurant like La Monique, it’s worthwhile to make it one of the best on the planet.” After I requested Fricaud for extra inside information on the burger, particularly if it could be thick-cut or smash-style, he cheekily mentioned, “It’s a secret! Come attempt it, after which you possibly can unfold the phrase in your second article.” I suppose I’ll simply should report again when the time comes.
Unsurprisingly, the curated wine record has a French focus, nevertheless it additionally consists of bottles from Italy, Portugal and California. The cocktail menu takes a extra playful strategy. “We needed to maintain our cocktails on the female facet,” Zardoni says. “We in fact have some robust whiskey-based and bourbon drinks, however that’s not going to be our core.” The Coastal Muse is likely one of the most unusual creations, that includes Gray Goose vodka, Cointreau, coconut clarified white cranberry, citric acid and light-weight cherry foam. The tequila-forward Golden Solar boasts a tropical palate, with Luxardo Liqueur, passionfruit, watermelon and membership soda. Searching for a brand new tackle an espresso cocktail? Strive The Bungalow—a mix of espresso bean-infused Zacapa 23, Averna, brûléed banana, cinnamon and cacao bitters. Equally to the meals menu, the cocktail record will change with the seasons, always ushering in new components, recent garnishes and enjoyable taste combos.
La Monique’s strategy goals to supply visitors with a complicated but laid-back eating expertise, for a contact of French cool in L.A. “I feel this lovely lodge has been lacking one thing for a very long time,” Zardoni tells Observer. Whether or not you’re a lodge visitor on vacation or a longtime native desperate to attempt one thing new in your neighborhood, La Monique is for everybody who appreciates artwork de vivre—the artwork of dwelling.
La Monique will probably be open to the general public for dinner and drinks beginning October 12.
