Délices du Chef sits in a mini-mall next to a quirky “art toy” gift shop called Pop Monster. Across the street is the sprawling Torrance Crossroads Shopping Center, with a Von’s, a Petco, an In-N-Out Burger, a Sam’s Club and, at one end a Gen Korean BBQ … and at the other end a Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ.
This is not a neighborhood where you’d expect to find a sweet, calm, tasty French café and pastry shop. But there it is — a bit of the Left Bank on the east side of Crenshaw Boulevard. This is cognitive dissonance incarnate.
There was a time when upscale French restaurants dominated the Los Angeles dining scene. Major places, formal and imposing, intimidating and serious, with names like L’Orangerie, Le Restaurant and Rive Gauche. They had white tablecloths. They had servers in tuxedos. Dishes were prepared table-side.
They weren’t so much places in which to eat, as shrines in which to worship Le Grand Cuisine. They were impressive, they were expensive — and they were no fun at all. A meal at these dinosaurs consisted of wondering if you were using the right utensil. And feeling as if you were eating your parents’ food. This chow wasn’t us.
Over the years, our destinations have lost their tablecloths. The servers dress like surfers taking a break from catching a wave. And French food largely vanished — except for a handful of spots that reminded us there’s more to Cuisine Francaise than soul-crunching formality. Which brings us to the happiness of dropping by Délices du Chef for a bite, a sip … and a serious decompression of your angst. Délices is ratatouille for the soul.
Délices du Chef in Torrance is a casual Parisian bistro with limited seating indoors and out; it’s a must-try for breakfast or lunch, says food critic Merrill Shindler. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)
Artwork depicts a Paris street scene at Délices du Chef in Torrance. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)
Photos of the Eiffel Tower and other scenes from France adorn a wall at Délices du Chef in Torrance. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)
More pastries at Délices du Chef in Torrance (Photo by Merrill Shindler)
A tray is filled with tasty pastries at Délices du Chef in Torrance. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)
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Délices du Chef in Torrance is a casual Parisian bistro with limited seating indoors and out; it’s a must-try for breakfast or lunch, says food critic Merrill Shindler. (Photo by Merrill Shindler)
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It’s the sort of casual hang that’s common in Paris, but uncommon in our land of sushi, tacos and pasta. There are no outdoor tables because, well, the Seine is far away, as is the Eiffel Tower. But inside, the décor is pleasantly Gallic.
The servers have the sort of affability that’s far more SoCal than SoLouvre. And the menu is easy going as could be, with no challenges like truffles and snails. This is French cooking, down-home style.
Which means an all-day menu of sandwiches like Le Parisien (a half baguette with ham, Swiss cheese and salted butter — so simple, and so good). The Le Brie sandwich is filled with brie (of course) and walnuts. (Walnuts on a sandwich comes as a crunchy surprise!) Is the French dip sandwich French? Of course not. It was created a century ago at either Cole’s PE Buffet or Philippe the Original. Or possibly both. In either case, it’s a treat to find.
And so is the Salad Nicoise, a longtime favorite of mine that taught me there was more to a salad than greens and a tomato with French dressing. There’s also tuna, hard-cooked eggs, potatoes, onions and green beans. Indeed, the salads at Délices all qualify as meals built around greens. The Lyonnaise consists of frisée and mixed lettuces with bacon lardons, garlic croutons and poached eggs. There’s a vegan version with chickpeas and avocado.
Show up for breakfast, and there’s a croissant Benedict with scrambled eggs and Hollandaise — and (if you want) avocado, bacon or salmon. There’s shakshuka, which is a Middle Eastern dish of baked poached eggs in tomato sauce with garbanzos and potatoes. There’s French onion soup too, topped with lots of melted gruyere. Very tasty … if it ever gets cold again.
Drop by later in the day, and there are plenty of small plates, mostly built around cheese — brie stuffed with truffles, tête de moine with arugula salad, aged comte cheese with cherry jam. There’s pâté and rillettes and sausages and a charcuterie cheese board for two. There are french fries — which really should be referred to as pommes frites.
The display cases offer many pastries. The wine list is, of course, very French. And unexpectedly large. Even the juice bottles are from France. So is the mineral water. The espresso and cappuccino are Italian. But enjoyed here, they feel very Parisian.
You’ll leave well fed, perhaps with a touch of a French accent. The world outside will look very strange. But then, that’s Los Angeles. Where strange is the new normal.
Merrill Shindler is a Los Angeles-based freelance dining critic. Email mreats@aol.com.
Délices du Chef
Rating: 3 stars
Address: 24416 Crenshaw Blvd., Torrance
Information: 424-263-4759; www.delicesduchef.us
Cuisine: Casual Parisian bistro with wonderful pastries and light dishes
When: Breakfast and lunch, every day
Details: French wines and champagnes; reservations not necessary
Atmosphere: An outpost of the Left Bank on a busy street in Torrance, situated in a mini-mall, across from a maxi-mall — an exercise in cognitive dissonance.
Prices: About $25 per person
On the menu: 9 Breakfast Plates ($10-$18), 8 Appetizers ($7-$30), 6 Sandwiches ($12-$15), 5 Salads ($15-$16), 5 Sweet Plates ($11-$16)
Credit cards: MC, V
What the stars mean: 4 (World class! Worth a trip from anywhere!), 3 (Most excellent, even exceptional. Worth a trip from anywhere in Southern California.), 2 (A good place to go for a meal. Worth a trip from anywhere in the neighborhood.) 1 (If you’re hungry, and it’s nearby, but don’t get stuck in traffic going.) 0 (Honestly, not worth writing about.)
Originally Published: February 20, 2025 at 10:01 AM PST