Maison Giraud in the Pacific Palisades Is an Homage to Classic French Cuisine — for Better, and Sometimes for Worse

Comments (0) By Besha Rodell Thursday, Jul 5 2012

A piece of quiche at lunch had a lovely crust, but rather than the fat, rich, creamy, eggy quiche befitting a place like this, what I got was less than two inches thick, basically a slightly better version of the kind you buy prepackaged at the supermarket. And on a recent Sunday evening (perhaps a night off for the kitchen's most important players? I hope so), a $32 beef tenderloin au poivre came out cooked tepidly — as if it had been steamed rather than cooked in a pan — and surrounded by slightly overcooked haricots verts and very overcooked purple potatoes. Both that quiche and the tenderloin reminded me of lunch and dinner at an exclusive home for the elderly.

If Maison Giraud reminds us of what made us love restaurants in the first place, it also reminds us of the strides that the best places have made in the meantime. It's confusing: The things about this place that need improvement are simple issues of ingredient sourcing and careful cooking. The hard things — the bread, the fussy egg with caviar, the beautifully cooked piece of fish — they get exactly right.

PHOTO BY ANNE FISHBEIN

Chocolate soufflé at Maison Giraud

Location Info

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Maison Giraud

1032 Swarthmore Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90272

Category: Restaurant > Bakery

Region: Pacific Palisades

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The soufflé, they get exactly right. Almost as big as your head, the lofty dessert is a sight to behold as it swooshes though the dining room on the way to your table. It is airy, hot, sugary and goopy in all the right ways. It reminds us of the history and technique required to cook this kind of food well. More importantly, it makes your heart whisper, "Ahhh. This is what I want in life."