Caroline on CrackOn Tuesday night, a group of local food bloggers were invited by the website FoodDigger to enjoy a hosted sneak preview of chef Ludovic Lefebvre's second LudoBites pop-up restaurant, which launched yesterday in the Culver City cosplay tea house, Royal/T Cafe. Since LudoBites will occupy the space for only 13 days, reservations quickly sold out.
Fortunately, we were part of the blogging crew. There were nine dishes on the menu, all served in tasting portions. Among the dishes: foie gras beignets; bread soup with gruyere marshmallows; hangar steak accompanied with crunchy escargots; and blogger Teenage Glutster's mole recipe.
Foie gras beignet and celery root remoulade.; Credit: Caroline on Crack
Since the kitchen at Royal/T is so small, Lefebvre had to prepare the food in the back gallery area of the cafe–much to the glee of the food bloggers, who used this opportunity to get shots of the dishes being made.
And because this was a room of food bloggers, Lefebvre's business partner/wife Krissy Lefebvre kindly provided us with a lightbox with which to take well-lit shots of our dishes. We wonder if she read our piece about food photography. In any case, the lightbox will be a permanent fixture at the pop-up restaurant should any diner wish to photograph their meal.
Although the reservations are essentially sold out, Krissy Lefebvre told us that spots have opened up, thanks to some last-minute cancellations. So she invites those interested in dining at the restaurant to try their luck and email their reservation request to her at reservations@ludobites.com or follow her Twitter on @FrenchChefWife where she will tweet whenever new spots open up.
Oenophiles will be pleased to know that the wine list at LudoBites was put together by Melrose Corridor's Domaine LA, where Lefebvre prepared his foie gras Croque Monsieur for the wine store's opening party this past October.
Hanger steak, crunchy escargot, baby corn, bok choy and black olive mole.; Credit: Caroline on Crack
Fourme d'Ambert Tourte, red pears, honey balsamic.; Credit: Caroline on Crack
Chocolate cake in coconut sorbet with caramel coffee and peppercorn flakes.; Credit: Caroline on Crack
Ludo Bites at the Royal/T: 8910 Washington Blvd., Culver City. Reservations can be made on the LudoBites website, NOT by calling Royal/T.
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