By Bob Schriner
Photos by Haya Zoubi
Comme Çaexhibits the essence of an aesthetic well beyond the lavish fixtures and themed décor one could purchase. After all, the French countryside is about as far from Beverly Hills in style as it is in miles. Yet, passing through the threshold of Comme Çaone weekday afternoon felt like 5,561 miles had gone by in a matter of footsteps. Upon being seated I was quick to notice the room had a unique comfort, subdued with a buzz. The staff contributed greatly to my sense of being of some kind of sedate vacation by imparting the idea that they were to guide how I was doing rather than just what I would order.
We started with the Steak Tartare and the selection of three assorted cheeses. This combination worked very well together and was perfect for sharing. The Steak Tartare was soft and deftly joined by capers and pickled cucumber. The three cheeses were dynamic and offered clever accoutrements. The Purple Haze, a goat cheese flavored with fennel and lavender offered a complexity that needed no accompaniment, just a little toast to spread it on. The Triple Cream was so rich that I had to portion cautiously; the apricots and cranberry brought a welcome bit of tart flavor to balance this decadent full flavored cheese. My favorite of the three had to be the Sharp Cantalet. This cheese was reminiscent of parmesan to the taste, but was much softer as parmesan tends to be a bit coarser. The Cantalet came to life with a little sun-dried tomato and olive.
With an impressive selection of entrees staring at me I was challenged to employ some measure of restraint. I had to remind myself that the lunch hour was at hand and for as much as I would have enjoyed the blissful food coma that would have ensued with the Braised Lamb Shank or the New Zealand Snapper, productivity could suffer with the rest of the day ahead of me.
Comme Ça - Croque MonsieurThe Croque Monsieur offered me the levels of indulgence I sought in portions that would keep that deliberate dip in my hip. When the sandwich arrived it looked so good that I didn’t want to disturb it. Thankfully there was side salad of mixed greens to give the sandwich a moment to cool and be admired. There’s something so promising about the sight of fried cheese on this delightful sandwich that makes me wonder how Franco-American relations ever became tense enough to get us to freedom fries. Now that it was finally time to eat “Mr. Crunchy Cheese”, the taste certainly trumped the site. The ham was stacked just to the point that one more thin slice would have toppled the equilibrium with the earthy and rich gruyère.Comme Ça - Lemon Meringue PieWith a weary eye on the time, I had declined the initial offer of dessert. When I told manager Andre Claxton that I knew I had precious few minutes left on the parking meter he asked if that was why I didn’t want opted out. When I nodded yes, he asked me what I drove and where I parked and ran off. How many times in a hundred do you think your restaurant’s server or manager would dash away from the juggling of many tasks to ensure that you try the lemon tart AND don’t get a parking ticket in the process? Well, Comme Çais one. When the Meyer Lemon Tart arrived with slightly burnt meringue peaks I wondered aloud, “how could this possibly get better?” The answer to that is with a pistachio crumble crust that was spongy and almost cake-like. All of Comme Ça’s desserts and breads come from neighboring Boule on La Cienega. Guess where I’m going tomorrow?
Comme Ça delivers accurately on French provincial fare with service that is warm and flattering. While you could certainly splurge there for dinner, but entrée prices are around $25 which is modest considering all that you get. On the frugal side you could comfortably enjoy lunch of breakfast at about half the price.
Comme Ça8479 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(323) 782-1104
http://commecarestaurant.com
