It recently moved about a mile away, to a much higher-profile location, the south side of the Helms Bakery Building complex, right on Washington Boulevard. I first went there to have lunch with Rick, thinking it was a good choice because it's about halfway between our respective workplaces. I got there early enough to beat out a dowager couple for the last window banquette table available, leaving the ladies a much less comfortable deuce in the center of the room. After 10 minutes, I ordered a balon de rouge , and, a few minutes later, escargots . Because of the erratic service, we were gifted with a slice of pastry, vaguely chocolaty cake topped with vaguely orange icing and gluey glaze, a nice gesture torpedoed by the indifferent quality of the dessert.
Nobody seems to know what they're doing.
She, too, admired the chic space, but not the dull croissants or the woefully overcooked and leathery omelets. I decided to give La Dijonaise a bit of a rest, but, still feeling Frenchy, opted for an early dinner with David at Le Petit Zinc , a sister restaurant to La Cienega's Le Petit Bistro that's recently opened in Westwood, before a screening of Bounce . I went for snails again, while David chose smoked salmon with potato salad, and then lamb chops for me, breast of chicken with wild mushrooms and roasted garlic potatoes for him. Somehow my snails turned into an eggplant tart when they reached the table. The tart went back.