GIGI’S: STEAK FRITE, CROQUETTES, AND A $42 PASTA IN HOLLYWOOD
The Cost - $73 per person
The Atmosphere – Gigi’s may be tucked away on a side street in Hollywood but inside, the restaurant has a high end, modern, elegant French feel to it. There is a lovely marble countered bar that transported me right back to Paris.
I wanted to explore and try a new restaurant in Los Angeles so I went to Eater’s article on exciting new restaurants in LA (March ‘21 version) and found Gigi’s on the list. I was sold on the description: a Hollywood restaurant with a menu featuring “skilled riffs on French classics and comfort food staples.”
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The Order - The Gigi’s Old Fashioned and an Espresso Martini to drink. The Croquettes, Ricotta Agnolotti and the Steak Frites to eat.
The Great - Espresso martinis are not my favorite cocktail but this particular one was quite good and served in a very elegant martini glass. On the food side, the steak frites was very nicely done with the filet mignon being of a nice size and prepared au poivre (very good ,though different than other steak au poivre I have had before). The pommes frites (French fries) were delicious and had a bit of a kick to them which was a nice touch. The croquettes, filled with pork confit and comté, were served with what I believe was a mustard aioli that was absolutely delicious. Overall, the croquettes were probably my favorite dish and were definitely the best value of everything that I ordered.
The Good - The Gigi’s Old Fashioned, a cocktail made with cognac, Combier Royale, chocolate and angostura bitters, was a very nice take on the traditional old fashioned and was very smooth. The agnolotti were filled with ricotta and topped with morel mushrooms. It was presented beautifully and was good but at $42 it was definitely the worst item ordered from a value perspective.
The Verdict - The food at Gigi’s was very good but with both entrées in the $40-$50 range, I expected more. With so many other amazing dining options in LA, the value just wasn’t there for me.