Bar Etoile (Los Angeles, CA)
Bar Étoile Restaurant
632 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
323-380-5040
www.baretoile.com
Thu 06/19/2025, 08:10p-10:45p
Situated in East Hollywood's Melrose Hill section, Bar Etoile ("star bar") has been one of the buzzier LA debuts of recent times. Described as a Cal-French bistro of sorts, the place is the creation of Jill Bernheimer (founder of wine shop Domaine LA) and Julian Kurland (a former Domaine LA manager who previously worked at Nyesha Arrington's Native, The Cannibal, and The Rose Venice), and to run the food program, they've brought on board Executive Chef Travis Hayden.
About the Chef: Travis Bradley Hayden was born in August 1983 and originally hails from Seattle. After finding his way to Southern California, he and roommate Franki Chan founded IHEARTCOMIX in the early 2000s, with the company eventually turning into a proper record label and event promotion company. In 2008, Hayden relocated to New York to further his career in the music industry, and even started his own firm called Hayden Music Management. During this period, he also worked at Big Beat Records and Atlantic Records, then transitioned to a role as a talent manager at the Beverly Hills-based Deckstar Artist Management in April 2013.
However, Hayden grew disenchanted and left his job at the end of 2017. The following April, he secured a stage at Rustic Canyon, his favorite restaurant, then in November, purchased a home at Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates. At RC, he was mentored by both Jeremy Fox and Andy Doubrava, worked various stations throughout the kitchen, and eventually became a chef de partie, helping the team secure its Michelin star in the 2019 guide. During the pandemic, Hayden launched a pasta sauce brand by the name of Cali Bolo, but left Rustic Canyon at the end of October 2021.
He soon started cooking at Voodoo Vin, where he garnered considerable acclaim for his wine bar-friendly plates, but decamped from the Virgil Village hot spot in September 2023. Following, he was contacted by the team here at Bar Etoile, and was brought on board as Exec Chef in September 2024, with the spot opening not long after, on October 29th. The restaurant has been well-received, but sadly, tragedy struck at the start of 2025, as Chef Hayden would lose his home in the Palisades Fire. A GoFundMe was subsequently set up, and has largely met its fundraising goal.
Bar Etoile resides in an EaHo storefront that previously held home furnishing stores Heidi Furniture (하이디 가구), Roma Furniture (로마 가구), and Design Image. The space was completely redone by the folks over at Lovers Unite (Dunsmoor, Bar Chelou, Konbi), and now sports a classically modern aesthetic ostensibly inspired by the French New Wave. Capacity for the roughly 2,000 square-foot eatery is a reported 65 inside plus 16 in the patio out front. Do note that the photo above was taken at the end of the night, with everybody cleared out.
Here we see Bar Etoile's menu, a relatively compact affair that seems to have a bit of a bistronomy-style bent. Drink-wise, you get smattering of cocktails and a handful of beers (including a couple rather hard-to-find Cantillons that were very attractively priced), but the focus here is on the wine, which leans French, natch. Corkage, meanwhile, is $45 per bottle, limit two. Click for larger versions.
Rosemary Marcona Almonds [$7.00]
We started with the almonds, which were excellent thanks to how well they combined the herbaceous notes from the rosemary with both the inherent nuttiness of the Marconas and this underlying sweetness.
Beverage-wise, we kicked things off with a bottle of the Cantillon Sophia [$75] (season 22/23, bottled 21 November 2022), a two-year-old lambic blended with Greco di Tufo vinacce, created in collaboration with Italian winery Cantina Giardino. The nose here was marvelous, recalling sweet, juicy peaches commingled with a plethora of delectably yeasty nuances. Soft and lively on the palate, the lambic showed a distinctly vinous quality alongside more ripe orchard fruit notes, grape-y tannins, and sophisticated touches of barnyard. Eminently balanced and utterly delicious--this is probably my favorite beer of the year thus far.
Buttermilk Poached Trout Rillettes, House Potato Chips [$20.00]
Rillettes of trout was just what I was looking for, the smoky, saline nature of the fish satisfying in a classic sort of fashion, both alone and when taken with those light, shattery, salty chips.
Cheese Tart – Pleasant Ridge Reserve by Uplands Cheese [$19.00]
Given my penchant for cheese, this was a must-try, and didn't end up disappointing. I was impressed by how gracefully the sweet-n-savory, almost funky nature of the cheese was conveyed, complemented by the tart crust and a dusting of chive powder, with the mulberry jam serving as an unabashedly sugary juxtaposition. Also quite beautiful was how well the earthy elements of the tart linked up with similar sensations in the beer above.
Scallop Crudo, XO, White Strawberry, Sea Beans [$23.00]
The scallops were also a winner. I was a fan of how the cool, briny flavors of the bivalves married with the in-your-face umami character of the XO, but with the latter never overpowering the former. Also fun were the bits of strawberry, which proffered this unexpected, but not unwelcomed tanginess.
Chicken Liver Mousse, Whey Milk Bread, Kiwi Chrysanthemum Jam [$20.00]
The chicken liver was also spot-on, with the earthy yet elegant flavors of the offal smartly enhanced by the punch of that kiwi-chrysanthemum jam, while a sweet, toasty base of shokupan worked to moderate everything.
Endive Salad, Savory Meringue, Caramelized Yeast, Pear Crémeux [$19.00]
Belgian endive salads usually aren't too exciting, but this version managed to be a surprise standout. The crux here really was that back-and-forth between the bitterness of the chicory and the dish's deep, nutty, creamy, umami-laden flavors, punctuated by the sweetness and texture of those meringues. Don't sleep on this!
Our second bottle was another uncommon beer from the same producer, the Cantillon Drogone [$75] (season 22/23, bottled 27 December 2022). Also a collab with Cantina Giardino, this one was a three-year-old lambic mixed with Aglianico pomace. This was a much more intense beer, with aromas that combined tart red fruit with plenty of barnyard and acidity, while on the palate, the lambic went in a brazenly sour, tannic, vinegary direction, with this almost lactic funk in the background. You may recall that I had an earlier version of this brew at Ikoyi in London back in 2023.
Caesar Beef Tartare [$23.00]
I have a hard time resisting most any sort of tartar, and tonight was no exception. Fine dices of beef were supple to the bite, their relatively subdued flavors meshing easily with the bevy of salty, briny, tangy forces present. Shavings of Mimolette and Parmigiano Reggiano added further oomph to the dish, while the tartine functioned to temper all the flavors at play.
Ricotta Dumplings, Fontina Brodo, Broccolini [$29.00]
Ricotta dumplings (gnudi?) were soft and near-pillowy, their lactic sweetness enhanced by a Fontina-boosted broth while the bitterness of the broccolini provided some much-needed contrast.
Magic Myrna Potatoes, Guajillo Sabayon, Iceplant, Mimolette [$23.00]
Fried fingerling potatoes were superb texturally, their sweet, hearty flavors duly enhanced by the spicing from the sabayon. As for that Mimolette, the cheese wasn't as obvious, but helped tie it all together.
Tehachapi Polenta, Verjus Braised Leeks, Popped Sorghum, Fried Herbs [$29.00]
Polenta made for a cozy, maize-forward dish, with the sweetness of the cornmeal offset by leeks and greens, all while the sorghum imparted a popcorn-like crunch.
Striped Bass, Beurre Blanc, Onion Fondue, Tomato Jam [$39.00]
Striped bass arrived well-cooked, with the tender, flavorful fish sporting a rather crispy layer of skin to boot. Accompanying flavors were assertive in terms of seasoning and herbaceousness, and I got this almost anise-like zing that permeated the dish.
Shown above is Bar Etoile's dessert menu and selection of sundry postprandial libations. Click for larger versions.
Chocolate Tart, Oat Streusel, Chantilly Cream [$12.00]
Our first dessert was a textbook chocolate tart, perked up by hits of salt and a rather agreeable pastry base, with the whipped cream acting to lighten the mood.
A serving of Tea Forte Chamomile [$5] was among the fruitiest teas I've ever had.
Pavlova, Blood Orange, White Chocolate Creme [$12.00]
Last up was a pretty great pavlova. The texture on the meringue had that sorta crispy-sorta soft consistency I was hoping for, and its classic flavors melded seamlessly with both the white chocolate and tart citrus.
Along with the bill came a couple of what I believe were kiwi pâtes de fruits.
All in all, I was pretty happy with my dinner at Bar Etoile. I think Chef Hayden's cooking does a commendable job drawing from the whole bistronomie ethos, and I can certainly get a sense of the Rustic Canyon influence in his food. This place offers something akin to a neighborhood-y Parisian bistro, but thoroughly rejiggered for Southern California, and that works for me. A great addition to an oft-overlooked section of LA.
632 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90004
323-380-5040
www.baretoile.com
Thu 06/19/2025, 08:10p-10:45p
Situated in East Hollywood's Melrose Hill section, Bar Etoile ("star bar") has been one of the buzzier LA debuts of recent times. Described as a Cal-French bistro of sorts, the place is the creation of Jill Bernheimer (founder of wine shop Domaine LA) and Julian Kurland (a former Domaine LA manager who previously worked at Nyesha Arrington's Native, The Cannibal, and The Rose Venice), and to run the food program, they've brought on board Executive Chef Travis Hayden.
About the Chef: Travis Bradley Hayden was born in August 1983 and originally hails from Seattle. After finding his way to Southern California, he and roommate Franki Chan founded IHEARTCOMIX in the early 2000s, with the company eventually turning into a proper record label and event promotion company. In 2008, Hayden relocated to New York to further his career in the music industry, and even started his own firm called Hayden Music Management. During this period, he also worked at Big Beat Records and Atlantic Records, then transitioned to a role as a talent manager at the Beverly Hills-based Deckstar Artist Management in April 2013.
However, Hayden grew disenchanted and left his job at the end of 2017. The following April, he secured a stage at Rustic Canyon, his favorite restaurant, then in November, purchased a home at Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates. At RC, he was mentored by both Jeremy Fox and Andy Doubrava, worked various stations throughout the kitchen, and eventually became a chef de partie, helping the team secure its Michelin star in the 2019 guide. During the pandemic, Hayden launched a pasta sauce brand by the name of Cali Bolo, but left Rustic Canyon at the end of October 2021.
He soon started cooking at Voodoo Vin, where he garnered considerable acclaim for his wine bar-friendly plates, but decamped from the Virgil Village hot spot in September 2023. Following, he was contacted by the team here at Bar Etoile, and was brought on board as Exec Chef in September 2024, with the spot opening not long after, on October 29th. The restaurant has been well-received, but sadly, tragedy struck at the start of 2025, as Chef Hayden would lose his home in the Palisades Fire. A GoFundMe was subsequently set up, and has largely met its fundraising goal.
Bar Etoile resides in an EaHo storefront that previously held home furnishing stores Heidi Furniture (하이디 가구), Roma Furniture (로마 가구), and Design Image. The space was completely redone by the folks over at Lovers Unite (Dunsmoor, Bar Chelou, Konbi), and now sports a classically modern aesthetic ostensibly inspired by the French New Wave. Capacity for the roughly 2,000 square-foot eatery is a reported 65 inside plus 16 in the patio out front. Do note that the photo above was taken at the end of the night, with everybody cleared out.
Here we see Bar Etoile's menu, a relatively compact affair that seems to have a bit of a bistronomy-style bent. Drink-wise, you get smattering of cocktails and a handful of beers (including a couple rather hard-to-find Cantillons that were very attractively priced), but the focus here is on the wine, which leans French, natch. Corkage, meanwhile, is $45 per bottle, limit two. Click for larger versions.
Rosemary Marcona Almonds [$7.00]
We started with the almonds, which were excellent thanks to how well they combined the herbaceous notes from the rosemary with both the inherent nuttiness of the Marconas and this underlying sweetness.
Beverage-wise, we kicked things off with a bottle of the Cantillon Sophia [$75] (season 22/23, bottled 21 November 2022), a two-year-old lambic blended with Greco di Tufo vinacce, created in collaboration with Italian winery Cantina Giardino. The nose here was marvelous, recalling sweet, juicy peaches commingled with a plethora of delectably yeasty nuances. Soft and lively on the palate, the lambic showed a distinctly vinous quality alongside more ripe orchard fruit notes, grape-y tannins, and sophisticated touches of barnyard. Eminently balanced and utterly delicious--this is probably my favorite beer of the year thus far.
Buttermilk Poached Trout Rillettes, House Potato Chips [$20.00]
Rillettes of trout was just what I was looking for, the smoky, saline nature of the fish satisfying in a classic sort of fashion, both alone and when taken with those light, shattery, salty chips.
Cheese Tart – Pleasant Ridge Reserve by Uplands Cheese [$19.00]
Given my penchant for cheese, this was a must-try, and didn't end up disappointing. I was impressed by how gracefully the sweet-n-savory, almost funky nature of the cheese was conveyed, complemented by the tart crust and a dusting of chive powder, with the mulberry jam serving as an unabashedly sugary juxtaposition. Also quite beautiful was how well the earthy elements of the tart linked up with similar sensations in the beer above.
Scallop Crudo, XO, White Strawberry, Sea Beans [$23.00]
The scallops were also a winner. I was a fan of how the cool, briny flavors of the bivalves married with the in-your-face umami character of the XO, but with the latter never overpowering the former. Also fun were the bits of strawberry, which proffered this unexpected, but not unwelcomed tanginess.
Chicken Liver Mousse, Whey Milk Bread, Kiwi Chrysanthemum Jam [$20.00]
The chicken liver was also spot-on, with the earthy yet elegant flavors of the offal smartly enhanced by the punch of that kiwi-chrysanthemum jam, while a sweet, toasty base of shokupan worked to moderate everything.
Endive Salad, Savory Meringue, Caramelized Yeast, Pear Crémeux [$19.00]
Belgian endive salads usually aren't too exciting, but this version managed to be a surprise standout. The crux here really was that back-and-forth between the bitterness of the chicory and the dish's deep, nutty, creamy, umami-laden flavors, punctuated by the sweetness and texture of those meringues. Don't sleep on this!
Our second bottle was another uncommon beer from the same producer, the Cantillon Drogone [$75] (season 22/23, bottled 27 December 2022). Also a collab with Cantina Giardino, this one was a three-year-old lambic mixed with Aglianico pomace. This was a much more intense beer, with aromas that combined tart red fruit with plenty of barnyard and acidity, while on the palate, the lambic went in a brazenly sour, tannic, vinegary direction, with this almost lactic funk in the background. You may recall that I had an earlier version of this brew at Ikoyi in London back in 2023.
Caesar Beef Tartare [$23.00]
I have a hard time resisting most any sort of tartar, and tonight was no exception. Fine dices of beef were supple to the bite, their relatively subdued flavors meshing easily with the bevy of salty, briny, tangy forces present. Shavings of Mimolette and Parmigiano Reggiano added further oomph to the dish, while the tartine functioned to temper all the flavors at play.
Ricotta Dumplings, Fontina Brodo, Broccolini [$29.00]
Ricotta dumplings (gnudi?) were soft and near-pillowy, their lactic sweetness enhanced by a Fontina-boosted broth while the bitterness of the broccolini provided some much-needed contrast.
Magic Myrna Potatoes, Guajillo Sabayon, Iceplant, Mimolette [$23.00]
Fried fingerling potatoes were superb texturally, their sweet, hearty flavors duly enhanced by the spicing from the sabayon. As for that Mimolette, the cheese wasn't as obvious, but helped tie it all together.
Tehachapi Polenta, Verjus Braised Leeks, Popped Sorghum, Fried Herbs [$29.00]
Polenta made for a cozy, maize-forward dish, with the sweetness of the cornmeal offset by leeks and greens, all while the sorghum imparted a popcorn-like crunch.
Striped Bass, Beurre Blanc, Onion Fondue, Tomato Jam [$39.00]
Striped bass arrived well-cooked, with the tender, flavorful fish sporting a rather crispy layer of skin to boot. Accompanying flavors were assertive in terms of seasoning and herbaceousness, and I got this almost anise-like zing that permeated the dish.
Shown above is Bar Etoile's dessert menu and selection of sundry postprandial libations. Click for larger versions.
Chocolate Tart, Oat Streusel, Chantilly Cream [$12.00]
Our first dessert was a textbook chocolate tart, perked up by hits of salt and a rather agreeable pastry base, with the whipped cream acting to lighten the mood.
A serving of Tea Forte Chamomile [$5] was among the fruitiest teas I've ever had.
Pavlova, Blood Orange, White Chocolate Creme [$12.00]
Last up was a pretty great pavlova. The texture on the meringue had that sorta crispy-sorta soft consistency I was hoping for, and its classic flavors melded seamlessly with both the white chocolate and tart citrus.
Along with the bill came a couple of what I believe were kiwi pâtes de fruits.
All in all, I was pretty happy with my dinner at Bar Etoile. I think Chef Hayden's cooking does a commendable job drawing from the whole bistronomie ethos, and I can certainly get a sense of the Rustic Canyon influence in his food. This place offers something akin to a neighborhood-y Parisian bistro, but thoroughly rejiggered for Southern California, and that works for me. A great addition to an oft-overlooked section of LA.
posted by kevinEats at
8:10 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home