Nothing Comme Ci About L.A.’s Comme Ça

Fresh from Sona and Boule, David Myers sets up shop with a communal brasserie on Melrose.

Nick Haramis

January 31, 2008

By John Vorwald

Reason number 2 to like the French: They consider vegetables garnish. Reason number 1: They can make just about any food taste like butter. Liver. Oxtail. Bone marrow. Leave it to the Gauls, and they’ll make it dissolve in your mouth like it was God’s own cream. David Myers is definitely channeling that French superpower, as I discovered on a recent trip to L.A. Visiting my sister in Santa Monica, we made the trek up Wilshire to West Hollywood to hit up Comme Ça, Myers’s newest French brasserie.

You have to hand it to Myers, he doesn’t back down from a fight. Comme Ça sits squarely across from L.A.’s French standard-bearer Luques on Melrose. Luques is a grand French dame—all tradition and rustic formality. Comme Ça isn’t so much the other woman, but more her Facebook-savvy little sister. Formal French education, yes, but sans scarf and icy stare. And with BlackBerry firmly in hand.

Comme Ça’s sophisto-casual feel hits quickly. The airy space is divided into three dining areas. In each, white walls and banquettes rise up from a base of black wood. The two-tone scheme seems to hint at twin personalities: part chic L.A. see-and-be-scene, and part hearty, foodie bistro. In a nod to the latter, specials are written in white chalk on a blackboard, and brown construction paper covers the tables as if to say, “Go ahead, get a little dirty.”

Starters run from the expected, like smoked salmon and tuna niçoise, to plates that promise more adventure. The tarte flambée—a French take on pizza—arrived in a wafer-thin square of creamy fromage blanc, topped with a nest of sweet caramelized onions. Roasted beef marrow and oxtail jam followed, and this is where Comme Ça won me over. While the marrow seemed like a novelty—a warm jelly scraped out of a hollowed bone—I couldn’t get enough of the oxtail jam, spreading it over toastettes like it was so much Nutella. My sister loved the onion soup. It rocked a thick and hearty gruyere capping a savory stock, which left her proclaiming it the best damn soup this side of Dough Boys.

The streak frite, a medium-rare boneless ribeye, got me feeling all Type A. Slathered in flavorful herb butter, the marbled cut was ultimately too chewy for my liking, although I was down with the accompanying crisp fries and aioli mustard sauce. The bouillabaisse was a little less alpha dog, but it was the night’s hands-down winner. Hints of red chili pepper packed the saffron rouille with a perfect bite that stopped just short of overwhelming the tender white fish.

I was tempted to order a bottle of red, but I’m glad we went with pairings instead. Unassuming sommelier Justin Hoffman knew just the wines—twenty are available by the glass—to balance Myers’s piquant flavors. There was a dry rose for the sweet tarte and a rich, complex Côtes du Rhône to play off the smoky notes of the ribeye.

On our visit, Comme Ça’s communal vibe drew stylish couples and bubbly girl packs. Everybody gave us that L.A. once-over as we entered: “Are you famous?” One element conspicuously missing: slinky, angular bodies. French brasserie cuisine must be model kryptonite. But with food this rich, who needs eye candy? Smooth like butta.

QUICK BITES
Cuisine: French Brasserie
Vibe: Sophisto-communal
Occasion: First date, girls’ night out, pitching the screenplay.
Damage: $150+ for a three-course meal for two, including tax, tip, and wine pairings
Reservations: Required
Not to Be Missed: Bouillabaisse, market price