RESTAURANTS • First Person
It’s easy to see why our table wasn’t ready the moment we arrived at Baby Bistro: it’s the kind of place one lingers. We didn’t mind, sipping a glass of wine on the front terrace and sharing a plate of house-baked sourdough and rustic country terrine.
At the edge of Echo Park and Chinatown, Baby Bistro — opened in early May — occupies a century-old Victorian bungalow originally built as a private home and still maintains a lived-in feel. There’s no signage to guide you. Walk around the Alpine Courtyard complex until you stumble upon it; getting a little lost is part of the charm.
After checking in with the host, you’ll pass through a candlelit dining room and the open kitchen. There are two small dining rooms, but the best seat in the house is a quiet deck in the back, tucked under an awning, surrounded by banana trees and bougainvillea.
Chef Miles Thompson keeps the menu short and thoughtful (the font is his own handwriting). We started with a cold dish of pickled turnips, soft meiji tofu, halved raspberries, crushed pistachios, and nigella seeds. Next came squid batonettes tossed with smashed cucumbers, torn shiso, and yuzu kosho. For mains, striped bass with carrot purée and bordelaise sauce, as well as a beef coulotte with celery. We finished with a pine nut cookie piped with cucumber crémeux and dotted with candied rhubarb.
My advice? Treat it like a tasting menu: take a leap of faith and order everything. For $140 pre-tax and tip, it’s a steal for this level of cooking in LA. The wine list, curated by business partner Andy Schwartz, is short and smart, featuring a daily-changing selection of natural bottles from California and Europe. A full pairing is $50 for four generous pours, plus a little extra.
Baby Bistro is the kind of spot you might call perfect for date night — but who cares. Make a reservation for any reason whatsoever. –Victoire Loup
→ Baby Bistro (Chinatown) • 1027 B Alpine St • Tue-Sat 530-930p • Reserve.