La Frite

Ah, coupons. Aren’t they wonderful? They get me into restaurants that I don’t often frequent. This is what happened today as B and I were trying to decide where to go for lunch. If we are going to eat out, which as can been seen is often, we prefer to go for lunch and eat a lighter dinner at home. This is especially true when, like today, we have been to the Y. Today we had a coupon allowing us to buy 1 lunch and get 1 lunch 50% off at La Frite, a restaurant that we have been to quite a few times over the years but don’t go to on any regular basis,.

My first disappointment occurred when we couldn’t sit outside. After all, who wouldn’t want to sit outside on a beautiful day watching all the noisy traffic on Ventura Boulevard? Directly next to the outdoor patio was a tar truck filling a hole and I didn’t want to smell tar throughout my lunch. So we were seated at a very nice booth and were immediately asked what we would like to drink. This is a common question usually given by the person who seats us to make sure we are placated while waited for service. This was my second disappointment. We ordered our usual Diet Cokes and were each served a cute 10 oz. bottle with a little glass full of ice. Now we knew there were no refills. Boo Hoo – especially when it cost $2.75 per bottle.

That was the ending of disappointments. Everything else was, again, terrific. We passed on the rolls because we are watching carbs? The question mark is because our lunches were not at all low carb, but every little bit helps – right? Almost every time we have been here, we have had crepes. Today, B did not break that habit as she had a ham, mushroom and cheese crepe. This crepe is not just a rolled piece of dough filled with ham, mushrooms and cheese. This is a baked dish which came to her bubbling. It is rich and wonderful and she finished every bit of it. I ordered something I hadn’t had here before – vegetable quiche, which was different than any quiche I have ever had. I got a very healthy slice that was made in layers. The bottom was a tender crust. Then came a layer of eggs with some cheese; then the layer of spinach and mushrooms; then a layer of cheese the top of which was either put in the broiler or torched as is done with crème brulee. It was fantastic. My lunch also came with a small salad of a nice lettuce and two small slices of nicely ripe tomato and a little too heavy but delicious dressing. My entire plate was clean.

The waiter was attentive without being intrusive. La Frite has delicious frites (fries) and reminds me in some ways of cafes in Paris. One aspect which took away from the French ambiance was the music – The Blend on Sirius/XM radio which I like a lot but didn’t seem to fit here. La Frite is on Ventura Boulevard, a few blocks east of Sepulveda. It has a yellow and black awning which makes it easy to see. We have been there for Sunday brunch (not buffet) and have had various crepes which are always excellent (and very rich).