Besha RodellPetit Trois, the long-awaited space next door to Trois Mec, opens tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. Owned and operated by the Trois Mec team — Ludo Lefebvre, Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo — Petit Trois aims to offer Bar à la Carte, described as the traditional French bar experience.
“I want Petit Trois to feel like every neighbor bar in France,” Lefebvre says. “I miss the life around food in France. Our hope is to create a true bar à la carte feeling — come into the bar to get a cocktail and a plate of food. Petit Trois just makes me happy, it is simple, the life I miss in France.” ]
Chicken leg at Petit Trois; Credit: Lucy Lean
The space has 21 bar seats, the only seating in the building, though there is standing room as well. Open from 12:30 p.m. to midnight, the restaurant will serve lunch and dinner, as well as offer two sandwiches each day, available for eat-in or take out. Sandwiches will be limited to 200 per day. A full dinner menu will be served at the bar from 5:30-10 p.m. From 10 p.m.-midnight, there will be one menu item available: a croque monsieur.
The dinner menu will offer classic French dishes such as steak frites, moules frites, beef tartar and confit chicken leg.
Unlike Trois Mec, Petit Trois has a full liquor license, which means there will be an emphasis on cocktails as well as wine.
“Bars in America are all about the cocktails,” Lefebvre says. “In France it is all about the wine, but watching Mad Men inspired me to do a simple classic cocktail program.”
It wouldn't be the Lefebvre/Shook/Dotolo crew without its share of controversial policies.
There will be no tipping but an 18% service charge will be added to each check. They will not accept cash, only credit cards. Because seating is so limited and the restaurant will not take reservations, you can expect a wait. A wait list will be maintained at the door, and complete parties must be present to be seated. You won't, however, be able to call to see how long the wait is: Like Trois Mec, Petit Trois has no phone number and no intention of getting one.
For now, Petit Trois (which means “little three” for those of you who slept through French class) will be open only on weekdays, but they hope to extend hours to seven days a week by the fall, as well as offer later bar hours on weekends.
Petit Trois: 718 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. petittrois.com.
Mussels Marinieres at Trois Mec; Credit: Lucy Lean
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