RSS
Home
Canele Restaurant in Atwater Village brings the New York dining experience to LA
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Without realizing the back-story of Canele restaurant, I kept saying to my dining companion Leo that this restaurant reminds of a Manhattan neighborhood joint. Low and behold, the New Yorker in me instincts were right. Upon reading the Canele website bio of general manager Jane Choi, I learn of her history as the manager of Boutique Bistro Balthezar in New York. It is Choi's desire to the create the atmosphere of the Big Apple and she succeeds.
Another area where Choi and Chef Corina Weibel succeed is with the food. We did not eat much but what we ate was pleasing to the eye and to the tongue. My dining companion had the herb roasted leg of lamb. Upon completing the meal, he said "I couldn't ask for more." Almost every bit of food was cleared off of his plate. He appreciated the light seasoning and crispy potatoes which complimented the lean slices of lamb. He also loved the blend of couscous paired with tomato. This was a winning combination and pretty classic for Mediterranean inspired cuisine.
As for me, I had the Duck Confit with red rice. Duck always reminds me of my father always trying to serve something a little different for the holidays. This duck was perfecto! It look appetizing on a bed of red rice, sauteed greens, wild plum sauce and toasted almonds which gave it a fabulous texture.
For dessert we shared an order of the flan. It was quite good. The sauce had a much more intense flavor than typical flan.
Although, the feel of Canele was a bit crowded and too casual for our taste, it is a superior dining experience when it comes to food. The menu is not crowded unlike the rather tiny establishment. I gather that the chef tries to focus on making a few good things instead creating an overwhelming plethora of choices. On the flipside, the crowding comes in the form of tables that are too close each other. Oh sure, after awhile with a conversation and good food one becomes oblivious to close dining neighbors. Even the decors gives you something to talk about with its large open kitchen. Casually dressed staff with caps and scarves on. The aesthetic is funky with brick and red accent walls. In the back there is a giant chalk menu board made from the wall. It was a help to me because the menu print was to small and when we initially came in the light was so dim that I had a hard time reading the menu. The only off putting thing was when presented drinking water in a cool jug and glass, we found it tasted like heavy unfiltered tap water.
Canele is a cool spot for dinner and a movie night. Look for gourmet food in a casual chic environment. http://www.canele-la.com/
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
