date night! my honey picked anisette and despite my pre-meal hypoglycemia, i had a really great time. we will go back, but probably not for the foie gras (yes, my common sense regarding sustainability and inhumane treatment got the better of me). the ambience was 100% french brasserie complete with the expected parquet floor, vintage mirrors, and the comforting clink of dishes emanating from the kitchen. our table could’ve used a small lamp but our table was so small, it was hard to keep the silverware from falling off so a lamp is probably a bad idea.

besides the foie gras in a chunky terrine style w/ heritage pork and pistachios, we started off with the french onion soup in a rich beef broth. i keep forgetting: m doesn’t like french onion soup as much as i do. (i forgot i liked french onion soup so much. i’m such a weirdo. but it’s true. i do like me some french onion as evidenced by last night. and, as far as i know, french onion soup doesn’t require cutting the legs off of the onion and making it fat and sick so i’m gonna stick with the soup.)

french onion soup w/ perfectly melted comte

terrine...bad, bad bad (but excellent cornichons)

i had the duck confit which was risky because i haven’t had good duck since about 2003 and i’m getting sick of bad duck. it was so good that there was nothing left. literally. the pairing of duck with russian kale and root vegetables was perfect. m had the steak frites and the chef cooked the steak just right so we were both happy. we also had sunchokes and bloomsdale spinach. don’t ask me why we ordered the spinach @ $8 when we can buy it ourselves for $3 for 1/2 lb but we love ourselves some bloomsdale spinach. farmers markets have changed my palate in ways i can’t even quantify or qualify. anisette’s sunchokes were mushy compared to those at rustic canyon but had the same great flavor and further convinced me that i can cook gourmet sunchokes.

steak frites

duck confit

the aftermath

we didn’t have room for dessert, unfortunately, but seeing as anisette is only 13 blocks away, i’m sure we will find our way back.

anisette | 225 Santa Monica Blvd 90401 | 310.395.3200