Jessica Biel’s Au Fudge may be the most kid-friendly restaurant in Los Angeles
Name: Au Fudge. Yes, that’s the name of the restaurant, which opened in March. You can order a fudge flight, and at the end of the meal, diners’ checks are presented with small rectangles of chocolate mint fudge.
Concept: An organic, kid-friendly restaurant, marketplace and playrooms from actress Jessica Biel and partners Estee Stanley (stylist and fashion designer); married couple Jonathan Rollo (founder of Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop) and Joey Gonzalez (CEO of Barry’s Bootcamp); Monica Saunders-Weinberg (philanthropist and owner of Terrace Tower in Australia) and Kimberly Muller (children’s book author), who has just written “The Story of Au Fudge,” published this month.
In a recent interview with a Times reporter, Biel said: “You can call me snotty. You can call me elitist. Whatever you want. We are providing a space where you can eat and be comfortable and confident that your children are not being pumped full of hormones and chemicals.”
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There are playrooms, craft kits, au pairs (seriously, it’s $15 for two hours of supervised time in the “creative space”) to watch your kids while you eat, and even a special stall in the restroom for little ones.
What you’re eating: A fancy kids menu that’s designed to be adult-friendly, and most everything is organic. There are chicken nuggets that look like chicken finger bites (served with honey mustard, spicy ranch or BBQ sauce); baked macaroni and cheese; deviled eggs plated to look like baby chicks; truffle grilled cheese sticks (the sandwich is cut into six strips); rainbow pasta with magical butter sauce (no, it’s not that kind of magical, “it’s just called that to be fun for the kids,” the server explained); carrot puree and cauliflower puree. For the adults, salads, sandwiches, burgers and a couple entrees of steak frites, mussels in a chorizo saffron broth and roast chicken.
To give you an idea of the prices, the bowl of chicken nuggets is priced at $15. So you can either have two hours of child care from the au pairs, or a bowl of chicken nuggets. You decide.
All the commotion: Being a kid-friendly restaurant, expect kids to run around the dining room. On a recent evening, two children ran from the dining room into the adjacent marketplace and back (and back and back), while a 20-month-old walked around the banquette along a wall, happily humming.
What you’re drinking: There is a full bar, wine list and cocktail menu. All of the cocktails are priced at $14 and have names designed to give the adult diners a laugh: the Little Prince (bourbon, lemon, honey, bee pollen and lavender); Jessica Rabbit’s Rabbit (901 tequila, mezcal, lime, agave, cucumber, jalapeno and black volcanic salt.); and the MILF (Casamigos tequila, lime and agave).
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The stuff in front: The marketplace is where you’ll find toys, clothing, accessories, giant ring pops (not the brand name, these are natural), all-natural gum, all-natural jam, all-natural chocolate bars and a display case of baked goods and rice crispy treats.
Info: 9010 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, (424) 204-9228, www.aufudge.com.
Let’s be honest. Chicken nuggets are for everyone. Follow me on Twitter & Instagram @Jenn_Harris_
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