Dinner at Coco Laurent

Los Angeles by night

Right before Christmas I was treated to a delightful dinner at a downtown Los Angeles Bistro called Coco Laurent.  I don't get downtown often, so it's always a treat to go with someone who not only knows where he's going, but where the going's good.

I'd never heard of this place, so I had no idea what to expect.  From the name, I gathered it was French. That was about it.

It turns out Coco Laurent is a French-style Bistro right on the corner of 7th and Grand in a delightful old building that looked wonderfully film noir in the darkness of mid-December.  It was only early evening, but it seemed much later.  

The Bistro was so subtly lit it was difficult to get good photos.  They all ended up looking like Rembrandt's or de la Tour's studies in chiaroscuro.

Janet with our waitress

"How do you want your burger cooked?" the waitress asked.

I was startled to discover that the "Royale with Cheese" I'd ordered was a burger, but decided the ingredients looked too good, and I'd give it a try anyway.

Yours Truly perusing the menu while Janet looks on

 I was not disappointed!  When it came, this 'Royale with Cheese' turned out to be quite a glorious burger of large proportions.  The menu called it: Grilled Angus Beef, White Cheddar, Smoked Onion BBQ, Braised Pork, Roasted Garlic Aioli and Baby Kale.  (You can perhaps see my confusion at it being called a "burger".)

But it was sheer heaven.  

Paired with crispy French fries, it was truly worth the $15 price tag.  (Thanks, George!)

The burger "Royale with Cheese"

I never can remember to photograph my food until after I've dug into it!  Okay, I was hungry.

As you can see, this was a LARGE burger and I needed a knife and fork.

Janet and George

 Janet found a delightful macaroni and cheese and grilled asparagus on the menu that was quite to her liking.  In fact, everyone enjoyed their meal very much.  There were lots of yummy sounds all around.

The pommes frites were exceptionally good, too.

My only complaint was that the place was COLD.  They had the whole front open to the night air, and although there were heaters on the porch outside, it did little to warm the interior of the restaurant.  After we complained that we were turning blue, they closed off part of the open space and the temperature became much more tolerable.

Ray laughing - savoring the ambience

This is one of those places I'd love to re-visit to try other menu items.  It did remind me of a little slice of Paris, a nice surprise for an evening out in Los Angeles.

This photo is taken from the My Last Supper blog by Tereza "Mangia" con Tutti (11-29-13)