Maurice Graham Henry on French restaurants in and around Los Angeles
We are most pleased that two of the French restaurants in Los Angeles we have recommended  –  Mélisse and Ortolan  –  have each been awarded Michelin stars.  Mélisse, the Santa Monica restaurant under Chef Josiah Citrin, is one of just two restaurant in the greater Los Angeles area to get two stars.  (No Los Angeles restaurant received three stars.)  As Wine Spectator noted, ""Mélisse has become a serious French restaurant, where Citrin showcases his talent for successfully molding unlikely combinations of flavor and texture."  And Ortolan, the chic Hollywood French restaurant featuring the cuisine of Chef Christophe Émé, now has one well-deserved star.  DininginFrance.com congratulates Chefs Citrin and Émé and their dedicated staffs.  Our recommended bistro, Marché Moderne, is led by noted chef  Florent Marneau and is located at the South Coast Plaza in Orange County.  The cooking is so good that S. Irene Virbila, the restaurant critic of the Los Angeles Times, said this place is "probably the best bistro in southern California."

Maurice Graham Henry
January 12, 2008