I had the annual physical.  I asked the right questions.  At least the right ones for me.  My mother had a stroke in her 50’s; my dad had many strokes and then died in his 80’s after suffering a heart attack.  Dr. Oz is suggesting everyone get carotid artery ultra sounds. “ Let’s set one up” I said to my doctor.  Then later in my appointment, I ended up revealing the amount of butter and sugar I eat.  Daily.  It’s not the sugar I’m concerned about.  It’s only one little slice of cake per day.  I do tend to eat too much bread and butter at times though.  All my friends are on detox diets or gluten free.  I’m the last man standing.  Even Benjy succumbed recently and he not only doesn’t smoke (so proud of him) but now he’s a clean eater.  It’s almost no fun.  There’s no one left to eat forbidden foods with.  Like chips.  Fries dunked in mayonnaise the way I like them.

Today was the 1:15 appointment to get that scan.  The first call I got in the morning was my friend Andrea who had scored a croissant from the new French bakery in our hood.  I already know I’m a fan of Alain Giraud’s croissants from his other restaurants.  I’ve been waiting for a good restaurant to open in the Palisades for the full 20 years I have been a resident.

Second call of the morning was my daughter wondering what I was doing for lunch.  Perhaps I’d like to meet her at our favorite, the Beverly Hills Hotel coffee shop.  I tell her, I would love to have lunch but she must meet me and go with me for this scan first.  Oh, and we will be on my side of town.  West of the 405 freeway.  Let’s just say Santa Monica.

During the brief appointment with a technician, I remembered that my doctor had said let’s wait for the results, meaning not just the scan but my cholesterol and everything before going full speed ahead with my bread and butter addiction.  Everything was smooth sailing.  Cholesterol results are fine.   Well, maybe there is a touch of plaque for this artery scan and I’m not perfect.  Oh, well.  During the exam, the dude was telling my daughter and I that eating well and exercising are the key.   Before we left the office my wacky daughter looked at the tech guy and asked about some gland on her neck.    We left the office and I whispered, “He isn’t a doctor.” Then suddenly she announces loudly in front of all the patients in a cardiologist’s office that she’s craving hamburgers!

One thing I remember my new croissant dealer saying when she did her drive- by was that she tried an amazing place the night before.  Next Door by Josie.  Pieces of information like that stay in my brain and my car just sort of headed there straight away from that appointment.

They had us at the salt and pepper fries with the best garlic mayonnaise ever.  Then the cauliflower, artichoke soup was so good.  I should have capitalized that…SO good!!! And then we shared a cheeseburger and we are picky, or I am.  This is a great one.  I’m going back.  My friend Andrea wants to head back right away for the pickled hering in sour cream.  I sort of cringed at it and she said she didn’t even know why she ordered it but it was so amazing, she needs to get more of it soon.

That’s exactly how all of us in the Palisades are feeling about the croissants from the new Alain Giraud restaurant called Maison Giraud.  My husband and I slipped in there early on opening night a few nights ago and were told it was booked but  we could sit at the bar.  And suddenly we were in the middle of the most spontaneous, fun dinner party because sitting there already was my childhood friend Debbie.  She starting pouring wine for my husband and kept passing down tastes of her and her friend Heather’s dinner.  Those tastes were full meals in our world.   And for some unknown reason, Debbie and I were both dressed in our finest sweats because we thought we wouldn’t run into anyone.  I almost looked homeless.  We spent the rest of the meal laughing at ourselves for going out dressed like that and giddy at the idea of a new finally good restaurant in our hood.   Debbie and I kept being very disappointed in the one thing they didn’t have that night, Mediterranean seafood soup.  And I’m a bit worried they won’t be serving pommes frites at night and they should.  So, I will go back a few more times before giving you a report.   I came home to a Facebook message from another childhood friend JoAnn who also lives here.  She said she walked into the restaurant, saw Debbie and heard that I had just left.   See? We are all so thrilled about this new turn of events in our small town where few stores can even survive.   After 8:00, we look like a ghost town.

I do, however, have a good restaurant to report.  Farmshop in the Brentwood Mart.  First time I went, I might not ever have gone back.  That’s how I was feeling about it  until I went with my friend Seth, who told me how good the eggs were.  And they were;  perfect,  light and fluffy, just the way I like scrambled eggs.  With brioche toast!!!!! I heard my sister-in-law Kris is really keen on the food here and she said they are now open for dinner.  So, now it’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.   Then I went again and had some great healthy salads with quinoa so now I can keep up with my healthy friends.  I also had an eggplant hummus with a few different great tasting breads.    And I went again last week with my friend Jonah and we were very pleased…with both the food and each other’s company!!!!

inside this bag is my "stash" a fresh croissant...jealous???

Tags: Alain Giraud, best criossants this side of the 405 in Los Angeles, best croissants, FarmShop Restaurant Brentwood, fredde duke, Freddie Duke, Freddy Duke, friends from Beverly Vista, friends from El Rodeo, Kris Duke, Maison Giraud, new Pacific Palisades restaurant, Next Door by Josie in Santa Monica, Next Door Josie Restaurant

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 at 11:36 pm and is filed under Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.