Texas Restaurant: Fredrick's Bistro. Il est Francais.

Yeah, this one isn't in LA, but it stilled passed the expectations bar, believe it or not. On the outside, you can't even see through the windows into this mysterious place that's open from just 11 am to 2:30 pm. My mom and I were on the adventurous side today so we parked in the sweltering heat and ventured in. As soon as the door swung open I heard, "Hello, how are you?" My eyes found a silver-haired man standing with his hand out. Do I shake it? I extended my hand and he raised it to his lips and kissed it. Oh, boy. It's one of those restaurant managers. He did the same to my mom. "Two? Follow me, ladies," he said. At the booth, he unfolded our napkins and laid them in our laps. Mom and I couldn't help looking up at each other and smirking. It was like watching a Saturday Night Live skit and we were the only ones in on the joke.
We were given two small rolls of French bread and a dish of fluffy, room-temperature butter. That's it. Just two rolls and water before the meal. Based on the recommendation from our waitress, we ordered parmesan-crusted rainbow trout with an avocado relish (for Mom) and pan-seared salmon with artichoke hearts in a champagne sauce (me). While waiting for the food, Mother continued to be amazed at how packed the place was. I, on the other hand, was more interested in the dim lighting during day time and the fact that I was the youngest eater in the room.
Our dishes arrived with the waiter saying, "Careful, the plates are very hot." No shit. He wasn't kidding. My hand merely brushed the rim and I could imagine hot coils from an oven. No wonder the French take their sweet time eating. The food stays hot for an hour on those scorching plates of fury! But man were they pretty to look at. A puff of creamy mashed potatoes that looked squeezed from a frosting tube, a single spear of perfectly cooked asparagus, two plucks of broccoli, and a tender roasted tomato stuffed with seasonings. Looking around, I could tell these sides were routine with each main course.
Mom and I immediately cut off pieces of our fish, placed them on our bread dishes for the other to try. Her trout was crunchy and salty while my salmon was juicy and salmony in the beige champagne sauce. Halfway through, we were both full and decided to box it up to take home. Five hours later I wrapped the leftovers in foil and put the fish in the oven to eat again. Totally worth it.