The place makes me miss dining in France. Bistros in France specifically. The tables and bar, the music and laughter and (at times) chaotic activity, the service and ambiance and navigation of tight spaces. And the cuisine.
I’m referring to Electric Bleu, a restaurant in Mar Vista that opened a few months ago. I’ve been there twice now, and will go again. On that third visit I would like to sit at the bar that overlooks the kitchen, or perhaps perch at the end of the bar near the wine cellar. The wine list is a good one — how about an Aligoté from Georges Lignier et Fils for $72, a Sancerre from Jean Paul Ballard for $95, a Xavier Gerard Saint-Joseph Syrah for $129, plus a small selection of sake and vermouth? — and a tightly organized by-the-glass program keeps things fresh.
Craig Hopson, the chef owner of Electric Bleu, is from Australia, and dreams of becoming a pro surfer were sustained financially by his cooking job at a restaurant in his home country. He hung up his board after discovering his true calling, and made a stop in Europe to consort with, among others, Guy Savoy, Michel Troisgros, and Alain Senderens. In New York he plied his trade at a number of restaurants, including Picholine and Le Cirque.
My first evening at Electric Bleu was a rainy one, so the outdoor patio was closed. We arrived early, around 6, and were in the company of a few other diners. That changed around 7, and the place suddenly became packed. Our small table, sandwiched between the bar and the tables along the outside wall, seemed to shrink as guests and staff maneuvered the narrow space on either side. A few tables that normally seated diners outside had been moved inside for the evening, adding to the crunch. We, however, had no complaints, and the buzz and activity added to that bistro feel.
The food? Very memorable. Sautéed chanterelles with sunchokes, lettuce, and hazelnuts began that first meal, followed by smoked salmon on a large blini topped with trout roe and capers. A superb sausage of rabbit and bacon was my main course, and it was served over ribboned salsify, spinach, and a rabbit ragout, which was rich and warm and salty and sensual.
We closed the meal with a piece of Reblochon Reine de Dévotion.
A return to Electric Bleu on Saturday, about two weeks after the initial evening, began at that bar area near the wine cellar. We were meeting two others for dinner and ordered glasses of Aligoté and a Languedoc Blanc de Blancs. The place was already nearly full — Angelenos generally dine earlier than their NYC counterparts, in my experience — and it felt good. The staff impressed me again with their casual yet disciplined demeanor, and navigated the environs proficiently.
Our guests arrived, we moved to a table along the wall, and the meal commenced. Two of us opted for the tasting menu ($64), a four-course affair that featured Hokkaido scallop crudo with an apple gelée and mustard seed vinaigrette to start, followed by sea bass with sweet potato, lime, and fried Brussels sprout leaves. The scallops were briny and fresh, lifted by the gelée and mustard seeds.
The bass was cooked well, firm and moist. I wish the plating had left the skin exposed, because I love crisp fish skin, but the leaves largely gave me soggy skin. The potato chips on the plate suffered the same fate.
The third course, lamb, was the high point. Spinach perfectly sautéed, a citrusy gremolata-like sauce, and sliced lamb, rare on the inside, seared on the outside. Pear ice cream over poached pear ended the tasting menu in a good way. There was also pâté en croûte, and it was a fine example of that French wonder.
Electric Bleu has the feel of a neighborhood place, and I was told that there are already regulars. Hopson says he wants his restaurant to be a place with great food and world-class hospitality for Mar Vista and Los Angeles. It is well on its way there.
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