Restaurant Review #249: Ladyface Alehouse and Brasserie

Patio dining, complete with heaters and umbrellas

It's rare for a restaurant in LA to focus on beer. Or at least, it used to be before beer got trendy. But as luck would have it, I was driving, so I didn't get to sample any ales at Ladyface Alehouse and Brasserie, a Conejo Valley microbrewery whose beers are served around town at places like Father's Office, Boneyard Bistro and Library Alehouse. Fortunately, the restaurant has a lot of other things going for it. It has a parking lot, it's immaculately clean, the bathroom is spacious, the service is attentive, it's practically always open and the menu has some less-common items on it.

Gougeres

We started with the gougeres, popovers with a touch of gruyere cheese. I love the moist, airy interior of popovers and it was difficult to stop eating them and save room for the rest of my food. The gruyere wasn't that noticeable, thought.

French onion soup

Salad of spinach, chicken, and red bell peppers

Pommes frites

As you can see, we made it a light lunch so we could sample several items. Ladyface Alehouse made the french fries sound incredibly enticing by calling them fresh, hand cut classic Belgian fries and offering them with a choice of seasonings and dips. While the presentation in a spiral holder was creative, there was nothing special about the flavor or texture of the fries. They were too soft. The blue cheese fondue and curry mustard dipping sauces were tasty, but didn't make up for the unexciting potatoes.

The view of the surrounding hills from the outdoor patio is beautiful. We ate mid-afternoon on a weekday and almost had the patio to ourselves, so it was very quiet. The indoor space seemed like it could easily get very noisy and crowded. The restaurant, and especially the place where you pull in to park, are hard to spot, so don't be surprised if you have to double back.

I didn't really get the full experience of this restaurant, but I enjoyed my meal enough that I'd like to go back and try the beer and the dinner menu.

Ladyface Alehouse and Brasserie
29281 Agoura Road
Agoura Hills, CA 91301
818.477.4566

Ladyface Alehouse website
Ladyface Alehouse menu

Restaurant Review #248: Elysee Bakery, Westwood

 A spacious sandwich shop with a relaxed atmosphere, Elysee would seem to be one of the few places to eat in Westwood where you could enjoy a somewhat peaceful meal.

Located on a busy street corner with pedestrians constantly streaming by, Elysee also winds up being a wonderful place to people watch and a good place to eat.

The sandwiches at Elysee are not what I’d describe as cheap, but they are very tasty and rather filling, so you’ll feel like you got your money’s worth. The sandwiches are rather creative—there is a menu of several different sandwiches, often with combinations of ingredients that you’d think shouldn’t go together and yet somehow wind up being complementary. Speaking of complimentary, the staff deserves recognition for being rather friendly and attentive—something noteworthy in the Westwood area.

Flickr photo by madaroni

Elysee Bakery
1099 Gayley
Los Angeles, CA 90024
310.208.6505
Elysee Bakery website