Michele StuevenL.A.’s favorite French chef is heading for the hills. Petit Trois owner Ludo Lefebvre will soon open his first restaurant outside of Southern California in Denver, Colorado. Chez Maggy will be the crown jewel in the new Thompson Denver hotel that opens in January 2022.
The move is a personal one for Lefebvre, whose wife Krissy is a Colorado native and still has family there. The restaurant is an homage to his late mother-in-law and will feature French classics like French onion soup, steak tartare, duck l’orange, as well locally inspired dishes like bison bourguignon, a Frenchified Denver omelet and his Burger à la Française.
The newly built mid-century style urban chalet located in the heart of the trendy LoDo district near the historic Larimer Square will house the 90-seat, ground-floor restaurant. The Thompson group, which has a knack for blending into the community and continues to expand, recently opened a hotel in Hollywood, which will also debut a French eaterie, Mes Amis, in January.
“Chez Maggy will be similar to Petit Trois. I’m not trying to start a revolution in Denver,” Lefebvre told a handful of reporters in his Sherman Oaks restaurant as he demonstrated how to make the Frenchified Denver Omelet that will be featured on the menu (recipe below).
Chez Maggy (Courtesy Thompson Hotels)
“I always wanted to do a restaurant in Denver because my wife is from there and we have spent a lot of time there for the past 20 years,” said Lefebvre. “I always loved the energy and there’s so much you can do with the family in summer and winter.”
It will also be Lefebvre’s first restaurant in a hotel, which means room service – an ambitious challenge for the Michelin-starred master chef.
“It’s another world and a new challenge for me in a city I love,” he said. Chef Chase Wilbanks will oversee the day to day operations.
Frenchified Denver Omelet (Inspired by the apres-ski tradition of fondue in the Alps)
Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 5 eggs beaten until frothy (immersion or regular blender for best results)
- ½ cup filling of sauteed vegetables
- ¼ cup cheese sauce
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- kosher salt
In a 9.5-inch no-stick saute pan, melt butter on high heat. When butter is melted, reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the eggs and a pinch of salt. With a small spatula, stir eggs in concentric circles from the center outward. When the eggs are 60 percent cooked, pull the pan off the heat and let it stand for 30 seconds so the egg carries over slightly to firm and create a smooth bottom. Add the filling across the center of the omelet. With the spatula, loosen the edges of the omelet. Gently roll the top a quarter downwards. Roll the omelet off the pan directly onto a plate, keeping the roll as tight as possible. Cover with cheese sauce, chives and serve.
Filling:
- ¼ red bell pepper, small dice
- ¼ green bell pepper, small dice
- ¼ yellow onion, small dice
- ¼ cup ham, small dice (optional)
- 1 t. Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Red pepper flakes
Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the vegetables and ham, a pinch of salt and red pepper flakes and saute until soft, but not mushy. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Cheese Sauce:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup shredded gruyere
- 2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
- kosher salt
In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, add the cream and reduce by half. Take the pot off the heat and whisk the cheeses until smooth. Season with salt and set aside.
Adding beaten eggs to the Frenchified Denver Omelet (Michele Stueven)
The French omelet roll (Michele Stueven)
Cheese sauce (Michele Stueven)
Voila! (Michele Stueven)
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