The Little Door, Los Angeles

The Little Door offers the delectable creations of Chef Nicolas Peter in a casually elegant setting. Aiming to offer a thoroughly sensual dining experience, Chef Peter
Peter melds continental and French influences with fresh ingredients, resulting
in diverse dishes such as Pesto Roasted Chicken Breast with a Duo of
Tomato Coulis and Seven Vegetable Couscous. Diners will be
delighted with the extensive menu as well as the equally stunning
wine list that together offer a truly worldly dining experience.

While the menu may be more modern, the quaint, charming setting keeps the restaurant rooted in tradition. We are greeted by the hostess before we
have both feet in the door, and smile at the immediate hospitality. Moments
later, we find ourselves comfortably nestled in an antique and rustic booth in
the main dining room, where an intimate and quaint feel is achieved by a
flickering fireplace, soft classical music, and the low din of conversation.

The setting is a subtle fusion of eras and aesthetics that give the restaurant a refreshingly unique character. The outside bar and the outside dining area
are truly romantic. In its current state, the restaurant offers outside and
inside dining areas, segmented like rooms of a house: the main dining
room, a smaller back room, and an amazing outdoor patio.

Heirloom Tomato Veloute Heirloom Tomatoes with Mozzarella

The starters section of the menu are dominated by classic French beginnings Italian Heirloom Tomato Veloute with Goat Cheese Crouton and Basil Pesto Swirl.

We were told to not miss the Heirloom Tomatoes and Buffalo Mozzarella with Toasted Pine nuts. The presentation is both classic and modern, the traditional accoutrements arranged on an elongated white plate in colorful and geometric precision. This course sets the pace for the meal, demanding slow,
deliberate bites that allow us to ponder the luscious flavors.

Kronenbourg 1664 Fischer Amber

The Beau Roy, from Domaine Reverdy-Ducrous is one of the Little Door’s wine selection, which contains carefully selected bottles. The wine list's is huge, thankfully well-organized by style and then alphabetically by producer, offering a range
of bottles from astonishingly reasonable to rare and premium, although
not overpriced, making it nearly impossible not to order one.

Grilled Figs Wrapped in Prosciutto Marinated Baby Artichokes

We had a selection of appetizers that the Chef carefully selected for us.
The Grilled Figs Stuffed with Roquefort cheese and Wrapped in
Prosciutto with Port Wine and Mixed Greens was delicious.

The Marinated Baby Artichokes, Green Beans, Cherry
Tomatoes and Feta Cheese were also a good choice.

Spicy Ahi Tuna Tartar

The last one to try was the Spicy Ahi tuna Tartar and Shaved Fenel Salad with Brioche Toast and Green Olive Tapenade. The dish's overall delicateness shines forth, supported by a perfectly balanced medley of flavors.

Grilled Marinated Wild Stripped Bass

As far as our entrees, I love fish, so I tried the Grilled Marinated Wild Stripped Bass with Saffron Sauce. Bursting with moisture, the fish’s delicate flesh flakes apart, its slightly crisp, seared top lending a hint of salty richness to supple and sweet flesh.

Seared Diver Sea Scallops

The Seared Diver Sea Scallops showcase Chef Peter’s modern aesthetic and flawless execution. Perfectly seared on top, with a slightly salty crust, each scallop gently slices apart to reveal glistening, tender flesh. A pool of Braised Leeks, Carrot Flan and Steamed Asparagus has a hint of viscosity, offering a wonderfully substantial
coating to each bite. The tenderness of the scallop eagerly embraces
the piquancy of the vinegar's tang, exploding with flavor on the
tongue. The dish's overall delicateness shines forth, supported
by a perfectly balanced medley of flavors.

The scallops demonstrate the first hint at Chef Peter culinary strategy in his dishes;
the parts are greater than their sum. Each component the tender scallop
seems meant to be experienced alone, with a precise flavor
that seems in brilliant contrast to each other component.

Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Sel de Guerande

While tradition is satisfying, it is no match for Peter's contemporary additions to the menu. The Grilled Rib Eye Steak with Sel de Guerande, Herbs and Cracked Black Pepper outshine every other dish of this meal. The glistening flesh of grilled meat hides beneath a duchesse potatoes, steamed spinach and baby carrots. Each bite is actually moist liquid flavor seeps out of each savory bite. And therein lies the brilliance of
this dish each component is so sublime, so unique on its own, that a bite of one
makes me forget the intense flavors of the last. By the time I relish in the bitterness
of the greens my palate is primed for the rich savoriness of the meat and after
I muse over that bite for a good minute, I'm ready for a truffle explosion
from the potatoes. I continue eating in this fashion meat, potatoes,
spinach and each bite, surprising and full of new flavors,
tastes like it is the first. It is brilliance.

Pot de Crème Strawberry Rhubart Tart

Dessert seems an extension of the meal, just as interesting and complex as the
courses that precede it. The flourless chocolate Pot de Crème resonates with
complex cocoa notes and very little sweetness; an ideal accompaniment.

And the Strawberry Rhubart Tart is the perfect last bite: a melting
spoonful of elusive flavors that leaves the tongue wanting nothing more.

The Little Door restaurant is one to keep your eye on. As outstanding as his dishes
are now, there is a twinkle in his eye that promises there are better things to come.
The Little Door may just become a Los Angeles institution, a pride
not only of the neighborhood but of the entire city.

For map and location click Here!

For more information please visit their website at http://www.thelittledoor.com

Today is: Thursday, November 21, 2024