I have to go back to the web to recall the details of this story: I remember sitting in Skirball in Los Angeles or was it called Zócalo, waiting for “LA Weekly food critic Jonathan Gold  to introduce Nancy Silverton of Mozza, “Top Chef” Season Two winner  Ilan Hall, and “Top Chef Masters” stars Ludovic Lefebvre of LudoBites and Susan Feniger of Border Grill and Street — to find out how famous foodies shape what we cook, how we eat, and the future of high cuisine”. As Ludo entered, the hall fell silent for a moment as Jonathan makes the introduction.  I gasp OUT LOUD!

I didn’t realize he was on the panel. Everyone laughs. And so does Ludo. That was before I ever experienced Ludo’s food, or saw his shows on the Sundance Channel, with wife Krissy.

It’s just that his reputation preceeds him. Years before I remember hearing about him a L’Orangerie on La Cienega Blvd.  My neighbor Samir apparently had worked in the kitchen with him and said I had to come in. Those were the years I was making babies and building my companies. Didn’t come into the restaurant. Big mistake. Just like the time Robin Williams wife invited me to come have dinner. Big mistake.

Hey those were the crazy days of living in Los Angeles. You may have a different big city, but I’m sure we share similar stories about the ‘woulda coulda’ we shoulda done’.

And much later, I remember hearing everyone talk about his world class pop up restaurants. Krissy would put it on the web, and it would sell out in 20 minutes.

And for this, his 8th time creating a Pop Up Restaurant, this is the constant chatter on the web from lots of sources including  EATER “Reservations for Ludo Lefebvre’s insanely popular Los Angeles pop-up restaurant concept LudoBites just went live. In an effort to avoid mass hysteria, crashing websites, and disappointed resy-less diners, there’s a new lottery reservation format. You have less than 24 hours”.

A Los Angeles blog, which no longer exists has his own way of reminding you who Chef Ludo is:  “His name, his logo, his bad-boy attitude and cool tattoos—they are legendary in the L.A. dining scene. He’s notoriously appears as a “villain” at Top Chef Masters and even has his own TV show, Ludo Bites America”.

As a member of the drooling public….. you can imagine my excitement when Andree of Pleasure Palate, a meetup group in Los Angeles posted that she had two extra seats at a table for FOUR. (And when we meet the first thing she says is “I noticed how the moment I posted these seats you grabbed them up”).

Yeeaaaah. Ya think?

So Chef Marian GET LUCKY?

Yes. This was pure luck. I created a group in San Diego called (you guessed it) San Diego Foodies and who do I immediately call? Assistant Organizer, Catherine Rogers who says “Are you kidding me? Sounds like fun! Let’s GO”!

So up we go from San Diego to Los Angeles, sitting in traffic for THREE (count em’) 3 hours, arriving 10 minutes late for our reservation. Krissy on the phone, couldn’t have been nicer, telling me we have the table till 8:30pm, so it should be fine. And the girls from Pleasure Palate already seated, were so kind and forgiving regarding our tardy entrance.

So that’s the front end story. Now here’s the dish about Ludobites 8.0 at Lemon Moon is Los Angeles Feb. 17, 2013.

I can tell you that it was suggested we order everything on the menu. And if we were 6 or 8 people we just might have!  Never in Los Angeles has there been such a menu, or been so many fabulous choices that I would later come to realize were all special in their own way.

EVENING HIGHLIGHTS

Scallops…. like no scallops you have ever eaten before.

Hey, wait a minute! I don’t even like scallops. I want to say here and now, these were delicious. And  the presentation was just perfect!

As I look all over the web, to see if I can get a recipe, or more of a description, there is none. Everyone falls to the pictures. And I guess that’s enough to satisfy. It’s hard (when most of the dishes are tiny miracles), to recall each bite. Next time I will record my impressions on my iphone!

The courses look so good, smell so good, tastes soooo good.

Wait!  Wait! I didn’t get a picture!

What is that recipe? What are those flavors? I am starting to feel like I am going to have to invest some cash and get his cookbook. That’s hard for me, since I never follow a recipe. But maybe the concepts would be worth the price.

I do not like green eggs and ham, but these are good with fork in hand.

French black truffle, scrambled eggs…… mais NON! Yes! Is it raw eggs? No. Is it your typical scramble? No!

How do they do it? The waiter is happy to let me know that Chef Ludo whips the eggs with butter to get this consistency. But what’s with the color green? Is it green or just my camera? Only time will tell (after I get that cookbook)!

Anyone want to buy me that cookbook?  (I’m just askin)’! lol

Wait………

wait just a second!  I DON’T eat COW!

Well, I must say right here and now…. it doesn’t matter to me that I don’t eat cow.

And to taste a Chef’s food, is to taste it how it is intended…..  with all of these great flavors combined …… So I throw in the towel, bite the bullet and the steak too… and guess what? It is gooood.

It’s better to have bites. After all, it IS LudoBITES! Yeah. Ludo went to the volcano and scooped up some ash, and then….. Nooooo……  For the dish I did not get a picture of ….

The ash is really bread crumbs dyed with squid ink which look like poppy seeds and gives the dish the crunch it needs .

It’s Dessert!

Lemon Meringue, Poppy Seed Crumble, Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

I remember hearing someone at the table say: “I don’t even like lemon”…… But this is one dessert that will stay in the recesses of her mind. One dessert she will probably never get again but she will remember….. she will know she had the very best money could buy.

That’s how I felt about eating food from Paul Bocuse. And that’s how I feel about Ludobites!

You missed a fabulous night out! But I can’t imagine this will be the last we will see of him.  If only we can get him to come down to San Diego!

With garlic, gusto & gratitude,

Chef Marian🥂

📧 ChefMarianKitchenConfident@gmail.com

🌎 chefmarian.com

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