Tantalizing Terrine

For my 26th wedding anniversary, I took my husband with me to review the new lunch menu at Stephane Bombet, Executive Chef Kris Morningstar and Francois Renaud’s elegant California brasserie – Terrine.

Chef Morningstar has been tantalizing Los Angelenos with some of his French favorites that include beef tartare, onion soup, steak frites, escargot, tartines, and Croque Madame’s in the evening and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Starting this week, the restaurant is now open for lunch Monday through Friday featuring some signature dishes and some of Morningstar’s new creations.

Since it was daytime and we had the responsibilities of work, school pick-up, and soccer practice later tonight, we started with carafes of refreshers – a lemongrass iced tea and a lavender lemonade that made my mouth pucker in delight. Renaud came to our table to talk about his new specialty housemade teas from the London-based Rare Tea Company, known to source and supply the world’s best tea directly from farmers and their tea gardens. Renaud makes an ice tea with Earl Grey tea infused with mint, and a teaspoon of honey to enhance the beverage naturally. All were quite good.

Those dining around us were sipping a Terrine Gin & Tonic made with Bombay East, Renaud’s lemongrass and a house made yuzu tonic. It was pretty with a long peeled rind of ruby red grapefruit.

While looking over the menu outside on the appealing patio, I wanted to order what I enjoyed last time – The avocado toast with tarragon salsa verde, and Meyer lemon. Instead I ordered the Socca to share with a new broccoli and chicory salad. Both were excellent together. Socca is a street food found in Nice, France. It’s made from chickpeas into a thin pancake, almost like a crepe. It’s dusted with fennel powder, coarse salt and pepper. Served on a wood plank it was cut into triangles.

The salad was divine with rabe broccoli, little Pecorino cubes, toasted farro grains, and sunflower seeds. It was a wonderful mix of textures and flavors enhanced with an anchovy and lemon vinaigrette.

The Quiche Du Jour was made the French way, light and wobbly with an amazing crust. It’s served with a mixed green salad with fine herbs and a champagne vinaigrette.

I wanted to order the exquisite Croque Madame again. It’s sliced smoked ham is grilled with melted Gruyere cheese, Bechamel and topped with a sunny side egg. Instead, I ordered the juicy Terrine burger with truffle butter and cheese, a delightful aioli, flash fried onions and cured tomato jam. WOW! That jam just makes this burger so gourmet tasting, especially with the soft brioche bun.

Morningstar is putting foie gras on a lot of dishes. I could have had it on my burger for an extra $9. He also puts it in a Terrine with sweet and sour prunes, served with a baguette. Morningstar assembles a salad with foie gras, confit duck gizzards, apples and walnut vinaigrette, and his Jambon Buerre is made with ham, foie gras and truffle butter.

We finished with a generous slice of a quintessential French lemon tart. The meringue on top looked like floral grommets torched lightly to give the dish a visually stunning presentation.