Le Veau d’Or - New York, NY

I have no words to describe this dinner, this decadence, this picnic-table extravagance, a prix-fixe offering of three courses so French that even the French stopped making them. 

Every course is a new adventure, a chance to try something very old and new (to me). 

The Quenelle de Brochet is a dense dumpling, a meatball of fish mousse in a chenille sauce that sings. 

Pommes Soufflees Caviar Rouge a la Creme: Carve out a clot of crème fraiche, cram into the crevice of an impossibly thin potato cigar, and relish the roe.

The mains succeed the pommes soufllees, a progression from luminous light to something deep and grounded. The Duck Magret is meaty and dark, red rounds of juice-jets and game. There are no words to describe the seasoned skin with the sweet and tart dark of the cherry sauce. 

Les Delices "Veau d'Or" Sauce Moutarde speak strongly, a statement of the chef. Three organs served side-by-side, all absolute perfection. The kidney is supple and springy, the brightest of the bunch, with earthy undertones and only the slightest silt. The liver, too, retains a supple texture with barely any iron and delivers a finish that is sensationally smooth. The sweetbreads are the most surprising, soft and creamy with a sweetness that slides and glides like velvet. 

A fresh green salad is served as a reset before the real sweets show up, 

Next comes an ethereal Ile Flottante. Meringue forms a fluffy cloud dotted with caramel, soaked with clinging creme anglaise, to saturate the senses before dissolving into effortless air. 

The Nougat Glace a la Rhubarbe is a surprise, a fantastic, flaky frozen cream encasing nutty specks, covered in tangy-sweet rhubarb chunks. 

They gift us a deep-fried twist of a Beignet, which I wish they hadn't done. The fry wasn't fresh, and the dough had soaked far more oil than it should.

Strangely unsatisfying finale aside, the meal is truly transcendent. I hate to end on a negative note as it in no way negates this spectacular menu, but every rose has its thorns, and if this is the worst of it, I would eat fifty more to earn another meal like this. 

Camelia - Los Angeles

Oh I just don't get it. LA has never been known for fine dining, but would it kill them to actually try? I get that the LA scene is too cool to care, but why do the fussy food if you don't want to fuss? 

Coming off a rave review from the LA Times, Camelia tops my list of pricey places to peruse. 

I made a reservation for 5:30 on a Sunday night, an early bird hour for two friends with kids, and it was immediately clear that the experience wasn't going to be part of the package. The decor was as expected for LA; naked tables, simple settings. The problem was that we were seated at one end of a series of 3 two-tops that were literally only two inches apart. Not bad for the people on the two ends, but a couple was later led to our almost-adjoining table and mercifully declined to sit - I suspect they did not wish to have 4 others join them on their date. The restaurant isn't roomy, but it's not so tight I can't take off my jacket without punching someone in the face. Would even 4-6 inches between tables be too much to ask? 

We opt for the tasting menu, a nightly tour of Camelia's greatest hits in smaller portions. 

Bluefin Tuna Toast is beautiful. Meaty, marbled marvels slide like silk, enveloped by fragrant shiso offset with a whiff of wasabi.

Chicken Liver Mousse Toast is a classic, a creamy billow of bile, fat against a sweet persimmon mostarda, lightened by a slice of daikon. East meets west for fusion at its finest. 

The salad boasts these beautiful leaves of pink radicchio, the bitterness of which a bit of vinegar mollifies. They are an enchanting contrast to a bed of creamy burrata and soft kabocha agebitashi, flavors that boldly contrast yet seamlessly float together. 

Hokkaido Uni Pasta. My three favorite words in the whole world. This statement is true...but only in the most literal sense. The only uni is on top, a creamy half-nibble, with a careless twirl of spaghetti so undercooked it couldn't cling to any of the "uni butter", which is so subtle it isn't there. 

I think they were going for understated but they forgot the “der”. The uni remained unstated except for the little bit at the top, though the pasta was notably unDERcooked. 

This Grilled Loup de Mer is a most perfect specimen. Crispy skin, tender white flesh, a ginger ponzu just assertive enough to brighten a naturally neutral fish, and bok choy because...bok choy is Asian. The stems are not the most appealing. No flavor there so eat with big bites of sauce.

If I could choose only one thing from my few and far between fine dining experiences it would be a perfect Steak. And this is the night they decide to serve a real New York strip. The steak is exquisite but the plating, just what the actual... 

A runaway onion ring settles in a spiral like a dropped bottle cap as the runner lowers my steak at an awkward angle of at least 50 degrees. My onion rings give some side eye as the swish of sauce smiles back. The steak is so perfectly done, but I feel like I'm eating someone's nose. 

Also, the tempura onion rings taste like butter. That's how you know it's French - even the tempura tastes like butter. 

Here is my friend's plate, in case you are wondering how the steak is supposed to look.

I expect dessert to be a throwaway, but this Tart will be among the best I'll have this year. The citrus asserts in a tangy yuzu custard, and it snaps against the sugar while contrasting the bold and bitter strip of matcha, which is just thick enough to make this tart exceptional. 

Service is just enough so you don't yearn for privacy but feel like you can have all the help you need. It's impersonal but professional, though it's pretty clear no one cares about their plating tonight. I don't know about this place. Maybe I should have tried the more unusual dishes on their menu or maybe I should have gone back to Bestia. Either way, I'll be staying in the South Bay when I want some real uni pasta. I'll at least get a proper plate at Spoon House. 

Boeuf & Coq - Dublin, Ireland

People were hungry, and we had to just sit down somewhere. They have outdoor seating and a tourist & express lunch menu which seems like a fair deal, and it's all very appropriate for our situation. 

The food on that menu is fair, but I would avoid the Fresh Mussels & Frites. They're about as fresh as you'd expect; not bad but but you want better. The cream sauce is decent, though. 

Steak & Frites comes with a striploin that's on the tougher side, but nothing a steak knife and a full set of teeth can't hack. There's a brandy peppercorn sauce that's not half bad. 

We ordered off a menu designed to chew through tourists who want to chew through their food fast so they can continue touristing, and we got exactly that. The real menu looks alright, and you're not pressed for time and still insist on sitting here, I recommend perusing that instead. That said, I can't recommend this place based on what we ate.

Joliet Cafe & Bar - Playa Vista

I love this complex. There's every store you want selling everything you need and don't need, and this little indoor stall-mall known as the Runway is one of the classier outfits south of LA. 

Every vendor has a well-curated collection, whether it's bespoke children's clothes or this pretty little turquoise cafe serving scrumptious sandwiches and steaming caffeinated drinks.  

Even on a deserted weekday they exude a lively vibe to offset the food coma that comes quick from this thick and meaty Pastrami sandwich. The pastrami is chewy, a little bit dried from the grilling to make it more like a smokier, thicker bacon. A bitter brown mustard and delicately sour cornichons cut through the chunky, melty cheese and thick, tear-with-teeth baguette. 

There's a Fig Serrano special here, where heat draws out the oils of a savory Spanish ham. Arugula anchors a gooey cheese on ciabatta and a gorgeous slice of fig shows its face.

The sandwiches run on the smaller side but they are filling and rich. There are pastries in the case as well if you're just looking for a croissant to go with your coffee, and I'm told the drinks are good. Highly recommend as a breakfast break, a lovely lunch, or a refueling mid-shopping snack.

Sweet Wheat UPDATE - Redondo Beach

What a lovely patio to sit upon, a bit of ocean view…if you can see over the constant traffic of PCH. That’s said, they do block it off quite nicely - it’s surprisingly serene considering the side-of-the-highway location.

There’s a significant selection of breads and baked goods, like a nice Country Sourdough to snack on or slide into a soup.

Pastries like the Caramelized Apple Tart are pretty good…

But it’s the Pear Tartlette with its crunchy crust and soft half-pear center that I remember as a standout.

Caneles are a classic,

And their Flan is nice, less eggy and a texture more like cheesecake. 

Baguette sandwiches make a filling lunch. Here we have the Iberico sandwich with meat that gets oily and salty with warmth.

The Parisian sandwich has thicker cuts of ham and

an overpowering amount of cheese.

Good stuff, the kind you’d find ducking into a random, middle-of-the-pack boulangerie while wandering the Paris streets. Not too many standouts, and none of the delicate refinement of smaller shops like Pinwheel, but if you’re looking for something simply French, this stuff will do.

Marche Moderne - Newport Beach, CA

Their menu is long, with just the entrees taking up an entire page. It's usually a red flag for restaurants that can't commit to a few stellar options, and this one falls in line. The range is vast, the choices are overwhelming, and you get a dose of decision fatigue if you think about it too hard. 

From my two-app, two-entree experience, I'm guessing all options are fine and good, but this level of diversity seems to prevent standouts. 

Hamachi Sashimi Grade & Mangue is a good start. Butter, fatty slices of hamachi are pretty in pink, topped with a mango-yuzu-jalapeno sorbet whose ends up being a touch too strong.

Filet Steak Tartare "Barely Touched" is simple, fresh, savory beef, with some horseradish cream, broken up by sharp bites of very pickled cauliflower. 

Homard a la Thai is exactly as it says. Thai-style via the sweet and soupy red coconut broth, which soaks into the firm bed of forbidden rice. The lobster has so much butter, and if you love lobster as much as I do, this will do. 

Duck Confit is a tender leg, meat shredding off the bone with no need for a knife. It's surrounded by a rich red bordelaise. Floppy sheets of caramelized endive accompany the duck, and I can't say I care for these. They appear to be cut quite crudely, draping over the tines of my fork like soggy napkins.  

Between and Pavlova & A Vacherin is a refreshing shot of sugar, with bitter notes of grapefruit gel and ice cream contrasting the airy crunch of meringue. 

I will always order a souffle if it's offered, and the Chocolate Souffle Cake is a fine decision. A lighter gelato calms the rich, melty chocolate that composes what is essentially the original lava cake but better. 

I like it but I don’t love it. It has all the French classics cooked correctly but not well enough to leave a lasting impression. Service was great, and the overall experience is a nice one, but if I'm ever back in this part of town again, I’d probably try some other options first, especially at this price point. 

Pinwheel Bakery - Torrance

There are a few for-real French bakeries in the South Bay, but I never did think I'd find one that served real Escargot. 

Get 'em at Pinwheel - they'll make them at any hour! Seriously, I asked around 8 AM and they offered. Without judgement. 

They're alright escargot. Plenty of butter, no shortage of garlic. Not the best I've had, but as good as any cafe in the streets of Paris. 

Best when washed down with French Onion Soup. Also not the best I've had, but also a perfectly fine broth with a handful of onion and plenty of bread bits. The compulsory gruyere crust is there as well. 

They also do plenty of quiches and a variety of sandwiches. My fave (and only) so far is the Brie Sandwich, with apples and arugula stacked over slices of brie on a finger-thin ficelle. 

Of the breads, the Baguette is bomb. Crispy crust and a chewy center. The baguettine lacks the crust so go big or go home. 

But don't overlook the bread of the day either. I like the one with olives, but the one with dates is divine. 

The pastries are pretty great. Flake away the layers of a barely-sweet Kouign Amann,

or opt for a classic Apple Turnover. Caneles are drizzled with honey, and every fourth one is free. 

The Apple Tart is cute but pricey. 

Like 'em all, love 'em all, but you're it's the scones where they really shine. Plenty of flavors; lemon lavender, cranberry orange, blueberry, blahblahblah. Skip straight to the Fig and Honey Scone because it is the best baked good. Ever. Anywhere. 

I love Crossroads shopping center because everything is there, but good stuff tends to get buried, especially amongst the flashier fronts like Whole Foods or Lunasia. Pinwheel is tucked into a corner and won't win over Sidecar, but it's always been my pick when I'm craving a great taste of France.

Sweet Wheat - Redondo Beach

I'll admit I was put off by the large-scale look of the former Chipotle. I thought it would be more bread-factory than French-bakery, but my fears were somewhat allayed. 

They make a legitimate crispy-crust Baguette and a pretty but pricey Charcuterie platter, perfect for a picnic on the beach. A mix of meats and not-so-cheap cheeses accompany several sweet and salty condiments. 

A box of baked goods to go will make your morning. Rip into a flaky croissant, chocolate or plain, or opt for a denser almond bostock. There are caneles for dessert too, if you like your sugar concentrated. 

They make Macarons aplenty, and this box holds almost every kind. All the common fruits included; chocolate, vanilla and even a rose. They're fresh and delicious, but eat them fast - they'll melt away within a day. 

At the end of the day, Sweet Wheat is a big bakery, but it's not without its charm. All bases covered, and with a mild hint of mass production, they have quite the selection, and they're less likely to quickly sell out. 

Republique UPDATE- Los Angeles

At night it's a little more formal, but during the day it's all cafe. 

I will never not love this place, and I will never tire of the Gioiella Ricotta Toast. A sweet, thick cream of a cheese covers a crusty bread, topped with seasonal fruit. This time I caught those gorgeous peaches and figs. With chunks of pistachio and a drizzle of honey, it's absolutely bliss. 

Fungi pile high on a slab of Mushroom Toast, interspersed with slips of spinach and slices of house-cured ham. A creamy hollandaise creeps into the crevices and coddles the eggs, a Benedict-but-better that will warm you to your core. 

A simple Steak Frites is a slightly gristly cut, brimming with butter, dripping with juice, decadence in a dish. 

A lunch is simply not enough, and we continue the fun at home with a box of baked goods and a baguette to go with dinner. The baguette is just perfect, a crust with a real crunch that rips open to reveal a soft and chewy center.

In our box, we have a dulce de leche black sesame pound cake, a truly perfect pound cake, where the sesame adds savory and nutty notes. No need for the dulce de leche - this layer of decadence distracts from the pure loveliness of the pound cake. Plus there's plenty of that in this dulce de leche pastry, an impossibly flaky crust over a rock of creamy caramel-sugar filling that oversaturates your sweet senses. The raspberry hazelnut donut is a fine frosted donut, light and airy but just a donut all the same. The raspberry matcha bundt is a favorite, however, a firm yet moist bit of cake covered in a matcha crust. It's a sweet cake, infused with so much matcha flavor yet none of the residual bitterness. 

Make no mistake; Republique may look like a Paris street, but they're no corner cafe, and their prices reflect their rent. Be prepared to pay to play, though I don't find the prices off-putting given their location in Los Angeles. Beautiful restaurant, beautiful food, always worth another visit. 

Khoi Hung - Garden Grove

The staff don't speak a word of English, and I don't speak a word of Vietnamese. But food is a universal language, and food-love will always find a way. 

They spoke Vietnamese, I spoke English back. We pointed, we gestured, and somehow we ordered, and they didn't miss a step. The (3) Hen Xuc Banh Trang comes out, a finely chopped sea of stir fried clams and onion, a concentrated slight-brine with a fragrant grassy finish.

The (18) Com Bo Luc Lac is the simple shaken beef, so buttery it oozes out of the meat and coats all the rice. It's simultaneously the sweetest simplicity and the largest luxury. No photos of this one because I took it home for hubs. 

The (19) Filet Mignon with garlic butter is the fancier version, a tender, sizzling cut. Grousing with garlic, a lovely, easy chew. It's unarguably the better beef, but I almost like the shaken beef better because it's more infused with flavor. 

Crispy skin encloses a flavorful flesh in the (23) Com Ga Roti. The moisture seals inside like a confit, cooking in its own silky fat. Dunk in this savory-sweet sauce for a straightforward yet spectacular comfort. 

A new adventure in this bowl of (10) Bun Rieu. Brimming with with bubbles of briny crab guts, this vermicelli soup is a stew of the sea. Tofu puffs add some texture, tomatoes add the acid, and fish cakes finish off that seafood savor.

An exquisite meal, among the top things I've eaten, and not just in Westminster/Garden Grove.