Alain Giraud

Croissant Food Fight: B1 Breadshop vs. Bread Lounge vs. Maison Giraud

In his 1989 novel The Great Fire of London, renowned french author Jacques Roubaud spends a rather large section expounding the features of the ideal Parisian croissant, told in the kind of deliberate detail you'd expect from a professor of both poetry and advanced mathematics: [T]he croissant that ... More >>

Where the Chefs Eat: Maison Giraud's Alain Giraud

Where the Chefs Eat is an ongoing series in which we ask a local chef to give us his or her favorite dining options. This week, Alain Giraud, chef and owner of Maison Giraud, tells us his favorite spot to eat (when he has time) these days. Alain Giraud doesn't eat out much these days. "For the las ... More >>

10 Best Sweet Treats in Los Angeles

As you may have noticed, this year's Best Of issue dropped on your doorstep, metaphorically if not actually, last week. There are hundreds (yes, hundreds) of listings, of spas and hikes and cocktails and grottos (yes, grottos), so many that you might get lost -- so many that we thought we'd pull out ... More >>

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

The 5 Things You Need Know About This Week's Review of Maison Giraud

This week's review is of Maison Giraud, Alain Giraud's bakery and bistro in the Pacific Palisades. We urge you to read the review, but offer this handy cheat sheet for those with a shorter attention span.

Top 5 Weekend Food Events: Planned Parenthood Food Fare, French New Orleans, Bacon & Sides, Beer Festival, Foie Gras Dinner, Paris Cookbook Fair

Planned Parenthood Food Fare If watching male politicians go into overdrive trying to limit women's access to birth control left you with a queasy feeling, perhaps you'll want to attend the annual Planned Parenthood Food Fare. The headliner is chef Suzanne Goin (Lucques, AOC, Tavern) along with an e ... More >>

Planned Parenthood Food Fare: Great Chefs, Great Cause

If watching a gaggle of the country's most arrogant, clueless and regressive men discuss the reproductive fates of millions of American women -- with almost no input from women themselves (apparently, we aren't "qualified") -- left you utterly appalled, perhaps you'll want to attend the annual Plann ... More >>

Bouillabaisse: Meant for the Poor, Now for the Rich

Anne Fishbeinthe invisible restaurant critic​Dear Mr. Gold: It's that time of year, cold and dark early, which means there is nothing more inviting than that wave of heat and spice when you enter a great Italian trattoria. I'm hunting for the best bouillabaisse in town, in a joint that is as u ... More >>

Now Open: Maison Giraud in the Pacific Palisades Your Pain au Chocolat Update

A. ScattergoodMaison Giraud canelé​If you're the sort of person who dreams about pain au chocolat (see: 99 Things To Eat in L.A. Before You Die, 2010) and properly made canelés de Bordeaux (beeswax, copper molds), you may also have been peering through the picture windows yesterday morning a ... More >>

Maison Giraud Opening Very Soon

Anne FishbeinAlain Giraud (left) in the kitchen at Anisette Brasserie.​If you caught this weekend's episode of Good Food on KCRW, you'll know that Laura Avery who does the Market Report for the show ran into chef Alain Giraud -- "with his signature sweater and shopping bag" -- at the Santa Mon ... More >>

Go Fish: How to Fish With Local Chefs A Little More Japan Relief

Ladles and JellySpoonsSan Pedro harbor​ Want to go fishing? Want to go fishing with some Los Angeles chefs? Want some of the money you shell out for the ticket to go to Japan relief? Okay, then keep reading. Lucy Lean (formerly of edible Los Angeles, currently of the blog Ladles and JellySpoon ... More >>

Bastide Closes: This Time For Good

​ Bastide closed yesterday after the final service, according to a source at the restaurant. And this time it's for good. The rent was recently increased, rather drastically, and owner Joe Pytka has decided to "let it go." It's now on the market, so if anybody needs a stunningly beautiful loca ... More >>

Tacos de Cabeza: More Fun with Goat Heads Test Kitchen Experiments

Farid ZadiRoasted Goat Head Triptych​ Last Friday we invited Charles Perry, beer of the month columnist for the Los Angeles Times, and seven other guests, for a Royal Wedding viewing and tacos de cabeza recipe testing party at Ecole de Cuisine, a fully equipped culinary school and test kitchen. Th ... More >>

Jonathan Gold Reviews Pho Filet

Ask Mr. Gold: Take Two Down, Pass 'em Around

​Dear Mr. Gold: My fiancee and I are trying to eat everything on your 99 Things to Eat in L.A. Before You Die list, but we noticed that a couple of of the restaurants have closed down: Anisette Brasserie and Pho Bac. Can you suggest restaurants to replace these two? --Joseph Saranglao

Bastide (Officially) Names Sydney Hunter III New Chef

Bastidechef Sydney Hunter III​For those of you who keep a running tally of the chefs at Bastide, Joe Pytka's Melrose Place restaurant, you can now officially put Sydney Hunter III's name up next to the Michelin inspector's Post-it jigsaw of Joseph Mahon, Paul Shoemaker, Walter Manzke, Ludo Lef ... More >>

Maison Giraud Update: Alain Giraud's New Restaurant Set to Open in May

Anisette BrasserieAlain Giraud​ After months -- and months -- of anticipation, fans of Alain Giraud (Bastide, Anisette Brasserie) will now be able to do more than stalk the French chef at area farmers markets, catered events, and Test Kitchen pop-ups. Giraud's new restaurant, Maison Giraud, wi ... More >>

The Gold Standard 2011: Final Restaurant List (Drumroll Please)

​ If you've not yet cleared out your dance card for Sunday, March 6th, bought your tickets to the 2011 Gold Standard, and set the date for your fast, you are herewith reminded. This year's happy event, the third annual Gold Standard, will take place on Sunday March 6th, from 1-5 p.m., at the P ... More >>

Chef Alain Giraud at First & Hope on New Year's Eve

Alain Giraud in front of the now closed Anisette Brasserie.​Aside from an impressive two-night stint at Test Kitchen, chef Alain Giraud has kept a relatively low profile since shuttering Anisette in September. This week, Giraud will step behind the stoves for one night, serving as guest chef ... More >>

Test Kitchen's Final Night: Alums Come Together To Feed You For A Good Cause

Flickr/Muy Yum​ Monday, December 13th, may be Test Kitchen's final dinner service, but Bill Chait and Brian Saltsburg's restaurant experiment is going out with a big-time culinary (and charitable) bang. For $150/person, Test Kitchen and non-profits Share Our Strength and Gettlove, are bringin ... More >>

Joe Pytka's Revolving Doors: Bastide Confirms Chef Mahon Is Out

Bastidethe revolving doors of Bastide​ This just in from the Department of Cold Emails. We knew that Joseph Mahon had left Joe Pytka's Melrose Place restaurant (attach his name to the roster of former chefs, a list that reads like a Michelin inspector's Post-it jigsaw: Alain Giraud, Ludo Lefe ... More >>

[Updated]: Foie Gras Protest Tonight at Providence

bloggyboulga/Flickr​Update: We checked in with chef Michael Cimarusti this morning to see how last night's foie gras protest affected the event. He tells us the dinner went "very well," and that no major conflict arose between the restaurant and the protesters. "Obviously we disagree on the ... More >>

More Fun with Foie Gras: Bocuse d'Or Foundation Benefit at Providence

Melody Fury/FlickrA flight of dishes at a Bocuse d'OR competition​ On Tuesday, November 16, Los Angeles chefs Josiah Citrin, Walter Manzke, Alain Giraud, and Tony Esnault will gather at Providence with Providence chef-owner Michael Cimarusti and pastry chef Adrian Vasquez to prepare a multi-c ... More >>

Last Night at Test Kitchen with Alain Giraud

Guzzle & NoshLast night at Test Kitchen LA with Alain Giraud.​ Last night, Alain Giraud made a spectacular debut on the first of his four nights at Test Kitchen LA. Then the chef warned diners they should return later in his run because the first night is always a bit rocky. The man sets a hi ... More >>

It's Only One Jar: Crepes Bonaparte Holds a Nutella Eating Contest

A. Scattergoodjar of Nutella​ Nutella is the sort of clandestine (or not) addiction that crosses cultural and national lines. It unites sugar-deprived food bloggers, Austrian-trained pastry chefs, expat Americans, French restaurateurs, small children and even Italian politicians. And next Tue ... More >>

Food Celebration Dinner: Giraud, Manzke, Drago, Nugent & Ramos Fight Hunger For You

Lee Oneness Foundation​Sure, you can stalk Walter Manzke at Le Saint Amour, or trail Alain Giraud around the Santa Monica Wednesday market for details on his new restaurant project, but why not leave all that to Eater (or TMZ) and enjoy the chefs in their natural habitat, like in a restaurant. ... More >>

Hang Out With Farmers (& Rain-soaked Chefs): Volunteer At The Santa Monica Farmers Market

A. Scattergoodrain at the Wednesday Santa Monica farmers market​ If you've always wanted to be a part of the farmers market, here's your chance. Hang out with farmers, learn about where your food comes from, shop early for your Meyer lemons and fresh garbanzos and tuber roses while the marine ... More >>

Update: Anisette Brasserie Closes, For Good This Time

Anisette BrasserieAlain Giraud outside Anisette​ After a few days of mixed messages and not a little confusion, we can shut the door, literally, on news of Anisette Brasserie: the restaurant served its final meal Sunday night. "It was a good crowd. I was there all night," said chef-partner Al ... More >>

Yes, Anisette Brasserie Is Open: Changes Coming, Stay Tuned

Anisette Brasserie is open today, and will be open tomorrow. If you were wondering, given conflicting news to the contrary. A press release today announcing that the Santa Monica restaurant had closed was followed shortly afterwards by another one announcing that it is still open, but that there wou ... More >>

The Ride is Over: Citrus at Social Hollywood is Closed

It's official. Along with the Hollywood nightclub Social it's located within, Citrus, a California-French restaurant, has closed. Last month, a Citrus PR rep., who spoke with us on the phone, said the restaurant was transitioning, but could not disclose any concrete details at that time. A former em ... More >>

A Recipe From the Chef: Alain Giraud's Provencal Vegetable Soup Au Pistou

Not a bad weekend to stay at home and make soup, all things considered. This recipe for Provençal vegetable soup au pistou, from Anisette Brasserie chef-partner Alain Giraud (see yesterday's interview with Giraud), would be just the thing: a meal in a bowl, and pretty as the spring we'll have one o ... More >>

Short Attention Span Dinner Theater: Your Week in Food, 1/19 - 1/22

In which we highlight the past week in food, either at home or abroad. "But it is in Thai Town, where the hollow-stemmed water vegetable is usually translated as "morning glory," that it seems the most compelling - possibly because of the slight buzz we imagined we were getting when we tho ... More >>

Dinner at the Best Chef's Table In Town: What Would 20 of L.A.'s Top Chefs Dream Up?

Imagine gathering twenty of LA's top chefs -- in one cramped restaurant kitchen -- to cook up a 50-person thank you dinner for a beloved longtime customer. No egos allowed. On the chefs' night off. Free of charge. Oh, and each chef must agree on the menu. Not going to happen? It did. The secret, ... More >>

The Giving Tree: dineLA Restaurant Week 2010 and L.A. Chef "Family Tree"

Start putting your restaurant wish list together and get ready to dial reservation lines. The restaurants participating in the winter '10 round of dineLA have been announced and getting all your ducks (hopefully confit) in a row to take advantage of the semi-annual deal can be a frenzied process. Re ... More >>

Q & A With Joseph Mahon: The Bastide Chef on His 16-Course Try-out, the CIA Why He Once Quit the Business

When Bastide reopened, after a year-long hiatus, a month ago, it was with a recalibrated feel (it's also a bookstore, of all things) and a new chef. Joseph Mahon joined the impressive list of chefs who have helmed Joe Pytka's Melrose Place restaurant, a catalog that reads like a Michelin inspector's ... More >>

Bites of Sugar: A New Food Blog from Tavern's Pastry Chef

Bites of SugarSunlight on macarons​The Maginot line between the kitchen and the Internet keeps getting fainter, between the updates of tweeting chefs and the posts from guerrilla food bloggers madly blogging from the bathrooms on a restaurant's opening night (that according to Anisette chef-ow ... More >>

Anisette celebrates 1 year anniversary Giraud on the Social Hollywood rumor

Anne FishbeinAnisette BrasserieAnisette Brasserie marks its one year anniversary today with a special Provençal menu to celebrate the occasion. Chef-partner Alain Giraud started his Week in Provence menu last night and will run it through Sunday. On the lunch menu: tomato tartar with socca cr ... More >>

The Moviegoer: The Incredibly Useful Westside Tavern

Cocktails and grill food across from the Landmark Theaters, ground zero for subtitled cinema in West L.A.

Michel Richard Abandons LA Consulting Gig -- Citrus at Social Hollywood Will Go to Anisette's Alain Giraud

Citrus at Social Hollywood is experiencing a change-over. Again. This time it's the restaurant's big name chef Michel Richard's decision to permanently commit to D.C., with Alain Giraud taking over consulting kitchen duties at the lavish Jeffrey Chodorow-owned business, reports the Daily Dish. Richa ... More >>

Riva in Santa Monica: Fraiche's Thierry Perez and Jason Travi Translate the Modern Bistro Into Italian

Pizza and wine, crudo and cocktails

The 10 Best Dishes of 2008

Hot dogs and hominy, blowfish and a fine cup of joe

A Proper Brasserie: Alain Giraud's Anisette

So old, it's new

The Parisian Room: Alain Giraud's Anisette Brasserie

A glass of Sancerre, a half-dozen oysters, and a French chef who's found home

Magical Mystery Tour

Bastide reopens

10 Best Dishes of 2005

10 Best Dishes of 2005

The Revolutionary: Ludovic Lefebvre at Bastide

Joe Pytka's restaurant under Lefebvre has all the bells and whistles you’d expect in a Michelin-starred French restaurant, and then some

Ask Mr. Gold

The Art of Living

Coming Crop