Eszett

Eszett Restaurant Review:

About chef Spencer Bezaire: Chef/owner Spencer Bezaire has been a longtime Silver Lake culinary fixture, first cooking at Café Stella and then creating a well-received menu at L & E Oyster House, where his wife Sabrina was also wine director. Together they have taken over the former Trois Familia space in a Sunset Boulevard strip mall, notching up the sophistication and giving the neighborhood another chic dining choice.

The décor: This formerly funky space has been transformed into a stylish, intimate little neighborhood jewelbox, glowing softly with white oak, a sleek modern terrazzo bar and aqua banquettes. White painted beams glow with warm lighting and candles, setting a perfect mood for sipping natural wine along to the hipster soundtrack. With only half a dozen tables, locals also socialize at the bar or communal bar table. For a date, a two-top is fairly romantic.

Likes: Thoughtful, compelling wine list, warm neighborhood vibe, fine desserts.
Dislikes: Hard to get a reservation on weekend nights, crowded for walk in.

Food & Drinks: Bezaire's assured contemporary bistro menu has Spanish and Mediterranean accents; it's designed for sharing, making it an ideal match for his wife's smart, interesting wine list. Tapas like salt packed anchovy and egg, or charcoal grilled chicken wings with sansho and Meyer lemon are good ways to start out, especially if perched at the bar. (Where you'll likely be if you don't have a reservation.) Escargot, fire roasted market vegetables with bagna cauda, or wonderful glazed carrots with lebneh and honey are pleasant to share. Bigger plates are generous; don't miss the standout glazed black cod with roasted turnips and leeks. Dessert is also a star here --- in fact consider stopping by the bar for drinks and dessert with a divine goat cheese semifreddo with pickled berries, or almond cake with rose geranium. Sabrina Bezaire's savvy but fun wines hail predominantly from Austria, Italy and California, with some ace natural choices quite worth exploring.