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Blog
The one-item menu
May 21, 2008
Jacques Fiorentino was looking at several empty wine bottles, an odd-looking glass "bubble" protruding sideways from each neck. The bubble held precisely five ounces of wine, devised to ensure a correct pour."No, I'd never use that in my restaurant," laughed Fiorentino, a gregarious restaurateur from Los Angeles who was wandering the NRA Show on Monday. "I wouldn't want customers to see it."
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| Steak frites at Relais de Venise |
In any case, what caught my attention was his menu, limited it to one item and two helpings. The single item is steak with french fries. Two servings because french fries, once cold, are no fun to eat. He's charging $29.95, he added.
Fiorentino asked me if I'd heard of Le Relais de Venise, a three-unit operation with restaurants in Paris, Barcelona and London, which everyone calls L'entrecôte. He's modeling Bistro Mignon on it. "They serve the very best steak frites anywhere," he declared.
That wasn't exactly the opinion of a New York Times food writer who dropped by the restaurant last year while compiling a list of "best" steak frites in Paris.
Will this concept nonetheless work in L.A.? It's worth a shot, I think. The "best" of anything is always a draw -- at least once. If, in fact, his meat and potatoes are first-class, then there is no reason the restaurant shouldn't do well (assuming he signs a sensible lease).
By the way, if you haven't already, link to the Le Relais de Venise website. It's a model of restraint for a restaurant -- and, certainly, for a menu.
Posted by David Farkas on May 21, 2008 | Comments (2)
In response to: The one-item menu
Peter Venkman commented:
I can vouch for Le Relais de Venise. No matter the time or day, there's always a line outside and everyone exiting the restaurant always has a look that can only be described as fatigued content - as though they were walking out of the honeymoon suite on their wedding night. The meal really is consistently wonderful, and I suppose that can be attributed to the fact that as they only serve one item, it's easier to make sure it's always done PERFECTLY down the last detail. The desserts by the way are also excellent. I live in LA and I'll definitely be looking out for Bistro Mignon. Thanks for the heads up!
In response to: The one-item menu
Jason commented:
And, I always though that Raising Cane's chicken fingers menu was limited. You can get BOTH fries and cole slaw with your chicken fingers. This place only serves fries with the steak, still sounds yummy though.