Tres Francais, Tres Simple

It happens all the time. a group at a table lingers far longer than usual, throwing off diners with later reservations. How the restaurateur handles the wait situation can make all the difference. I once arrived five minutes early for my reservation at one of L.A.’s most expensive French restaurants only to spend 45 minutes seated on the planter outside because there was nowhere to sit inside. No one thought to offer a glass of water, or even to check on us.

The owners of Lilly’s French Cafe & Bar, a new restaurant in Venice, would never let this happen. One night, after my party has waited 10 or 15 minutes for our table, duly noting the abstract paintings on the walls and the inviting banquettes covered in mahogany velvet, a co-owner (both from Lille in the north of France) comes over to tell us the occupants of our prospective table had already paid and were sipping coffee. This evidence of concern is more than many restaurateurs would deign to give, and it was followed by an offer of a drink. A kir, perhaps? Yes! I haven’t had one of these classic French aperitifs in years. On an Indian summer night, a glass of sharp white wine dosed with a little creme de cassis, a syrupy liqueur from Burgundy, seems perfect.

A few minutes later we carry our drinks to a corner table on the dusky patio lighted with candles and, at the far end, a tall, old-fashioned street lamp. Beneath it, a dozen celebrants are seated around a long table, where the wine is flowing and everyone is taking turns trying on one of those silly Dobie Gillis fishing hats to gusts of laughter. Standing in the shadows is the pastry chef holding a cake ablaze with candles. When someone gives him the nod, he marches out and presents the cake to the birthday girl. That’s when I notice he is wearing shorts and athletic shoes under his towering toque. I can’t help commenting that his outfit is tres Californie. He gives me a conspiratorial smile and a happy shrug, admitting that he can’t do this in Paris, and sprints off to whip up some more French pastries.

The food at Lilly’s is rigorously French. The chef is Catherine Dimanche, who was, in fact, the very first chef at 2424 Pico (now closed) in Santa Monica. At Lilly’s, everything is polished and uncontrived, from the house salad--a fluff of fresh greens showered with herbs and tossed in an artfully balanced vinaigrette--to a smoky lentil soup with nuggets of mushrooms or a moist roasted chicken breast, infused with fresh tarragon and served in its juices. Lilly’s prices are moderate, too. Almost every entree is well under $20. And a delicious tangle of fresh fettuccine with chanterelles and cream is just $10.

One night when one of my companions begins to order, our waiter looks panicked, but he manages to get out that he doesn’t speak English and rushes off to find someone more fluent. All around, especially later at night, you can catch drifts of French and the whiff of an occasional Gauloise in the garden. The cafe feels very European, the kind of place diners stay on with their after-dinner coffee or dessert wine, conversing and reveling in L.A.’s beneficent climate.

I like to start with the flamiche, a savory tart from the north of France filled with fluffy white goat cheese and gently stewed leeks. When steamed mussels are offered as a special, they’re lovely, served with plenty of winey juices to sop up with a piece of baguette. In summer, I enjoyed the cucumber-laced gazpacho and the refreshing tiger shrimp salad bright with the tastes of papaya, jicama and avocado in a ginger lime vinaigrette.

Bourride de poissons is a delicate seafood stew perfumed with saffron and brimming with monkfish, rock cod, sea bass and tiger shrimp. It comes with the usual croutons and plenty of rouille to lavish on them. The dainty lamb chops are another good choice. (Please note that when you say rare here, you get rare.) Even the seared ahi tuna is appealing, marked by the grill and served on a bed of French lentils flecked with vegetables. Bar (French for sea bass) cloaked in Provencal herbs is perfectly cooked, too. Vegetarians will be happy with the plate of juicy ratatouille, sauteed wild mushrooms, haricots verts and sumptuous potatoes gratin. However, the grilled faux filet (sirloin) is not the most flavorful cut of meat I’ve ever encountered, and the Cabernet sauce that tastes too strongly of demi-glace doesn’t help.

Lilly’s offers good, clean French cooking. Nothing earthshaking, but coherent--because it’s traditional. On a busy weekend, though, the kitchen sometimes has trouble getting the food out quickly enough. Your soup or your entree might arrive cold. The owners solved the problem one night by closing off the lower part of the garden until they had everything under control.

Do save room for pastry chef Eric Lenoir’s classic desserts. I love the tarte a la minute, thinly sliced apples on a fragile puff pastry crust served with vanilla ice cream. He makes a good ile flottante, an island of tender meringue floating in a creme anglaise sea. And his Paris Brest, a ring of cream puff dough filled with a subtle mocha butter cream, is irresistible, though I wouldn’t want to speculate on the calories it holds. Oh, and if chocolate mousse is offered as a special, don’t hang back. This is a seductive, chocolatey version.

The wine list could use some attention, though. The owners are missing the opportunity to showcase more country French wines from up-and-coming regions that offer good quality for the price. It’s hard to fall head over heels for many of the wines on this meager list.

To take advantage of the large outdoor patio, Lilly’s is also open for lunch (the prix fixe menu offers several choices in each course and is a bargain at $10) and for brunch on the weekends. That makes the cafe even more attractive as a neighborhood hangout, if even for an aperitif at the bar before a film or art opening.

In only a few months, Lilly’s has taken root and is flourishing in Venice. Come winter, I fully expect the pastry chef to still wear shorts--something he could never consider in chilly Lille. Ah, the California life.

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Lilly’s French Cafe & Bar

CUISINE: French. AMBIENCE: A narrow gallery-like space with simple wooden bar and lovely outdoor patio. BEST DISHES: Steamed mussels, goat cheese and leek tart, tiger shrimp salad, bourride de poissons, chicken with tarragon, roasted rack of lamb, tarte a la minute, floating island. wine PICK: 1997 Perrin Reserve Cote du Rhone, Rhone Valley. FACTS: 1031 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice; (310) 314-0004. Dinner appetizers, $6 to $10. Main courses, $10 to $18; prix fixe lunch, $10. Corkage, $10. Open daily for lunch and dinner, brunch on weekends. Valet parking.