December 31, 2017

West LA Food & Drink Diary: Cafe Brentwood

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Village of Brentwood’s Cafe Brentwood.

Every restaurant has its own history, backstory, etc. We’d love to hear yours.
My epiphany for my life happened in North Africa in 1972 on Christmas Night. I found my life’s career. I wanted to be a chef. everything fell together after that.
Went to a private French cooking school in Glenview, Illinois [found it by chance] operated by Chef John Snowden, Dumas Pere French Cooking School. He was great. Lucky me, didn’t have to go back to France or at least try to. He was the real deal. I learned Classic French cooking techniques including pastries. Eventually came back to LA but then, without any restaurant experience, it was difficult to find a job in restaurants. Finally broke through on any level to get experience. I was very determined. Eventually got a job at the Beverly Hills Hotel with ALL European trained chefs. I loved it and was rewarded by my work ethic. I had what distinct difference from the majority of chefs in restaurants; I was California/American. I was out to push the ingredients to a different style to classic French cuisine. California was somewhat of a melting pot of cuisine. My opportunity came in 1977 when I was able to make an attempt opening a restaurant in Santa Monica that had recently closed. I had the technique so I could do anything I wanted. Success came very fast. I was different and so was the food.
So, I began and introduced all different cuisines [Mexican, Italian, Indian, French, Mediterranean] into my menu but never giving up the techniques I learned at Dumas Pere. Cafe Brentwood is that eclectic culmination of those experiences with the evolution for products, organic farmers and California’s
melting pot of products now imported to the United States.

Tell us about the challenges of running a food service / restaurant business.
If you love what you do it’s not really work.

What separates Cafe Brentwood from the other similar spots?
If you love what you do it’s not really work.