Bouchon (www.bouchonbistro.com)
Thomas Keller…meet Hunter S. Thompson.
Ok, maybe not. However, the Sin City outpost of Bouchon (in the Venetian Hotel) has decidedly become my favorite Sunday post-hangover brunch after a long night of mingling with midwestern cougars and Cal State Fullerton undergrads. The pastry basket, headlined by the strawberry croissant, is the perfect antidote to Sazerac poisoning.
Naturally, I was excited when an L.A. branch of Bouchon opened nearby. There are many things you can order to have a satisfying meal, but you can’t go wrong with a classic croque madame or the boudin blanc, which is a wonderfully refined white sausage served with french prunes and a potato puree so tastefully smooth you’re going to want to drink it with a straw.
Despite the presence of an ile flottante meringue with creme anglaise, almonds and caramel that will absolutely make you drool, I do have to take Bouchon’s wine list to task. They offer a series of $1,300 bottles but a scant selection of reasonably priced bottles and glasses. Hey guys, you’re a god damn brasserie. You’re not running a high-priced call girl service and likewise we’re not rolling with Charlie Sheen’s hooker budget. Take a cue from Animal’s lauded and very reasonable vino selection.
I’m not quite sure how you would recreate the Las Vegas Bouchon experience here in Los Angeles. Perhaps the night before going to the L.A. Bouchon, you should tell a woman a white lie while taking swigs from a Ketel One bottle. - H. Lee
Bouchon, 235 N Canon Drive, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, (310) 271-9910.
