You don’t have to get up early on a Sunday to get into this church space. But you might want to come with an appetite, and maybe even bring some pajamas since you can stay overnight, too.
Located in a restored 1931 church, originally named Bethany Presbyterian Church, Hotel Lucile recently opened as a 25-room hotel on Sept. 14 in Silver Lake. And at the heart of the new boutique venue is Sous Sous, a New American French restaurant and bar set beneath the soaring ceilings of the former chapel.
Hotel Lucile recently opened as a 25-room hotel on Sept. 14 in Silver Lake. And at the heart of the new boutique venue is Sous Sous, a New American French restaurant and bar set beneath the soaring ceilings of the former chapel.(Photo by Patrick Michael Chin)
“It’s a bit of modern twist of a more elegant, upscale style restaurant you would see perhaps in New Orleans,” said Patrick Costa, the restaurant’s executive chef. “I think it’s for those who really appreciate the finer things in a very historic place. I think people who are architecture lovers, music lovers, art lovers, food lovers, I think it’ll really hit because this is such a unique environment to dine in.”
The name draws from the French word sous, meaning “under” or “below,” which is a nod to the restaurant’s dual Southern influences since the menu consists of dishes with roots in Southern France and the American South, from Marseilles to Atlanta to New Orleans.
“We thought that would be a fun combination,” Costa said of the food offerings. “We’re going with the cooking techniques of Southern France, in particular Marseilles. So techniques that are very skillfully artfully done and then adding some of the big bold flavors of the South.”
The combination of influences means a seasonal menu rooted in French technique that draws from Mediterranean flavors and the culinary traditions of the American South. So expect seasonal seafood, raw-bar offerings and produce-rich dishes with citrus, herbs and spices. Highlights include Hamachi Crudo with Virginia peanuts and chile, a Brick Chicken served with jus, frisée, and lemon, and the Polenta-Crusted Blackened Rainbow Trout with white wine and chile oils;
“It’s very delicately cooked with the Beurre blanc, which is very French but you have these flavors that represent the South,” he said, regarding the trout.
One of the stars of the dinner menu is the Bouillabaisse for Two, which brings together clams, mussels, shrimp and seasonal fish in a saffron broth with peppers and spices, accompanied by toasted bread and aioli.
“The Bouillabaisse I think its a prefect example of the Marseilles cuisine. It’s a quintessential dish of that city,” Costa said.
Sous Sous also focuses on its vibrant drink menu that draws draws heavily from New Orleans cocktail culture. So expect cocktails like the absinthe-rinsed Sazerac with toasted coconut.
Hotel Lucile recently opened as a 25-room hotel on Sept. 14 in Silver Lake. And at the heart of the new boutique venue is Sous Sous, a New American French restaurant and bar set beneath the soaring ceilings of the former chapel.(Photo by Patrick Michael Chin)
“We’re infusing rye whiskey with toasted coconut. So the drink is still a dry booze sipper,” said Lee Zaremba, beverage director for the restaurant. “We’re bringing back some forgotten classics and some things that are more normal and approaching them in a fun way.”
Also on the drink menu is a tequila-based Espresso Martini with chicory and an absinthe mist and the Georgia Peach. It’s the restaurant’s versions of a brandy crusta, one of the oldest cocktails to ever include lemon juice. Here it’s served in a glass encrusted in sugar.
“The idea is that the drink is dry, so vibrant and refreshing you utilize the outside of the rim to grab a little sweetness and balance out the drink,” Zaremba added.
While American and French cuisines have inspired the menu, the setting itself in a nearly 100-year-old church, adds its own flavor to the new restaurant, Costa said.
“It’s absolutely inspiring,” Costa said.
Sous Sous is located at 1629 Griffith Park Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information go to www.soussous.la
Dining and Cooking