We had no idea what to expect. Most of the restaurants on this part of Sunset are all style, no substance and ridiculously overpriced. But since it was a short walk away, and we had a coupon (that's right, no shame), we figured we had nothing to lose.
The restaurant itself is sleek and modern, with an open kitchen that keeps things casual, but the service is meticulously attentive.
We started with some crudite and two kinds of bread (the Italian one was a special for that night)...
...And some DELICIOUS cocktails that went down wayyyyy too easily.
The first course was escargot with heirloom potatoes, and foie gras terrine. They say that escargot is all about the sauce, not the snails...and this sauce was fantastic...but the escargot themselves were really tender, too. The terrine was smooth and buttery and accompanied by a dense, biscuit-like brioche that pushed it over the top.
Then came a duck confit with crispy, melt-in-your-mouth skin, and seared diver scallops on a bed of creamy celery root and chestnuts. DELISH! We polished off every bite.
J gives the confit his "sandwich test"
Then it was dessert time -- a chocolate tart with a soft, creamy praline bar, and a huge warm cherry clafoutis with a generous dollop of creme fraiche.
As we waddled home, we pondered how it was possible that we could find unpretentious and delicious French food, with excellent service, at the former Riot Hyatt.
But we're sure stranger things have happened on the Sunset Strip.
