Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Bistro de la Gare


Bistro de la Gare is one of my favorite restaurants. Located literally steps from the Mission Gold Line station, it features simple French fare served by complicated French waiters in an atmosphere so cozy you definitely feel like kissing both cheeks of whoever you came with. In my experience, too many Los Angeles eateries try way too hard to impress. (Don’t get me started on the ‘Free Range Escargot” on a menu in another French restaurant in L.A.) Here, the warm red walls, beaded vintage light fixtures, antique carved wine bar and flickering red candles come together to make a perfectly lovely, authentic, unassuming setting. And the food? Délicieux! I’ve only been for dinner (savor a glass of Châteauneuf-Du-Pape with your Coeur de Filet Sauce Marchand de Vin) but I understand that for petit déjeuner the bistro's version of Eggs Benedict is out of this world.

Bring someone you love.

12 comments:

M. CHRISTOPHE said...

Thank you for this little wink to the French cooking.
Nice picture.
Thank for your comments on:
http://chateau-gontier-daily-photo.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Nice.

Hilda said...

"Free range escargot?" Gawd!

Your description leaves very little room for doubt why it's one of your favorites.

Now you've gotten me hungry when I should be getting ready for bed! ;D

Virginia said...

They should hire you to do a commercial. It sounds magnifique. Will they allow you to take photos inside? Please treat us to that.

Wayne said...

How large a range does a herd of escargot require? Roundup time must be something to see.

Unknown said...

I'm with Virginia on this one. You would make a great food critic or spokesman for the restaurant.

Coeur de Filet Sauce Marchand, I can almost taste it.

USelaine said...

Virginia, we all seem to sashay down the primrose path of food porn sooner or later. It will be interesting to see what Laurie gives us when the day comes for her. Eggs benedict is one of my favorites - I even have that on my blog. Very tempting post, Laurie. And light rail in LA boggles the mind.

Petrea Burchard said...

Free range escargot. That's the snails you find in your yard, right? Very funny post.

Judy Williams said...

How charming and perfectly adorable. I loved it that when I clicked on the link, Parisienne music immediately began playing. We must go there for sure.

YAY

Anonymous said...

L, you gotta give us a report on breakfast at this joint!

This is on Mission near the Gold Line traks? I obviously have missed it the last couple of times I've been around there.

I love this pic, especially the excellent posing by the customers.

Laurie Allee said...

Hi folks!

Château-Gontierdailyphoto, de rien! J'aime la cuisson française. (WHo doesn't?)

Thanks for visiting my blog Hobo!

Hilda, when I posted this last night I had to creep downstairs for a midnight snack. Somehow my 2 pieces of cheddar cheese just didn't cut it...

Aw, thanks Virginia and sbuser. (And welcome Sbuser!) Is my background in copywriting showing again? Actually, it's easy to gush about the place because it's so charming. Next time I'm there I'll ask about taking interior shots. The ambiance is really nice.

Wayne, LOL! I'd like to see the size of the rope needed for lassoing the little guys.

Uselaine. Food porn? Did someone mention food porn? OH, and light rail here -- it's about time, don't you think? Slow to progress but hey, it's a start...

Petrea, welcome home! I love your description of free range snails. I mean honestly, isn't that the goofiest and most absurd LA thing you've heard in a while? YOu couldn't write something like that in a script without someone cutting it for being too over-the-top.

Hey Judy! We will most definitely be going. (And leaving G and R with Jon so we can have a girl's night out.)

Mike, I thought of you when I posted this! I'll definitely check out the breakfast. I mean, it's all in the name of this blog, right? :-)

Dixie Jane said...

Thanks for taking me there, Laurie. What a treat! I wanted to say something in French but all I could remember from my mother was French for, "open the door." Not cool!