Cassoulet?

[adrouault]

I need to find some good casoulet in la
any ideas?

[Jim174]

I've had Cassoulet a couple of times at Chez Mimi on 26th St in Santa Monica, across the street from the Brentwood Country Mart parking lot. The times weren't recent, but their menu was pretty static over the years.

[cls]

The cassoulet at Church and State is great. The vegetable cassoulet even better.

[carter]

While definitely a carnivore, the thought of a vegetable cassoulet really sounds good. Describe it a bit if you would.
Got to get me to Walter's place dtn LA.

[cls]

I too prefer meat in a Cassoulet, however, the vegetable dish at Church and State is spectacular and really highlights his skill. Not a ton of beans (I would prefer more) but what's there are good fresh white beans, a few different bell peppers are sprinkled throughout for color, there are perfectly cooked French beans, baby carrots, some onion as I recall, and fresh bread crumbs. I can't remember if there is much else in there but each item is cooked perfectly, not stewed and baked together. There is a bite to the vegetables where it should be. The whole dish is served in a hot copper dish, and I would watch as Manzke checked and adjusted each cassoulet that came out. I believe he takes great pride in the vegetable dishes which IMO show off his skill much more than some of the meat dishes. If you enjoy it, the ratatouille was also amazing.

[carter]

Enjoy cassoulet and ratatouille very much, yet maybe not in the next week or so when temperatures over 100 are expected!!!
Maybe later in the fall, but thanks much for the description.

[hyacinthgirl]

Vegetable cassoulet at C&S officially seconded. Delicious.

[mollyomormon]

Have not tried it but I know it's on the menu at the new La Cachette Bistro.

[New Trial]

It is supposed to be a lamb and duck version. I tried ordering it there opening week but was told that the Chef was not satisfied with how it came out and was still tinkering. I have not yet been back to check on the results, though intend to do so soon. Since Meteigner tends to take a lighter approach to French cooking (little to no cream or butter is his mantra), it is not a dish which I would normally expect from him.

[New Trial]

I finally got to try La Cachette's cassoulet. The individual ingredients were excellent and the portion generous but the whole was not equal to the sum of its parts as the dish did not meld the way a great cassoulet should, It was a soulful dish which lacked any soul (a caset?). While it might be tempting to think it was the absence of pork, goose or other essential fats, I have had other ("healthier") variations which still managed the alchemy, including a fantastic seafood cassoulet in Boston a number of years back. There are many other items on the menu I want to try (or retry) but, sadly, this dish won't be making it back as part of the rotation.

[mollyomormon]

Damn! Well, thanks for letting me know...

[Hughlipton]

When and if the weather becomes nippy fall or cold winter it would be wise to call Mistral in Sherman Oaks. They serve one of the best Cassoulet's i have ever had in Los angeles.

[Maurice.B]

Laurent Quenioux (Bistro LQ) will serve Cassoulet only for two night end of October!!!!!
He will respect the recipe from Toulouse...I bet those two nights will be sold out very soon.

[TomSwift]

Servorg is right that casoulet is traditionally a winter dish, because it is so hearty. However, Chez Mimi on 26th Street in Santa Monica/Brentwood has it on their menu.

[Servorg]

This is much more a winter time dish than summer time. I believe that posters have talked about seeing it at Church & State in downtown LA and the about to open La Cachette Bistro on Ocean Ave. in Santa Monica is probably a good bet as far as finding this dish. Also the new French place in Culver City (Saint something - I'm blanking at the moment?) is a potential venue and finally, Mimosa would have been high on my list of potential suspects if they hadn't closed a couple of months ago.

ADD: found the CC place: http://www.lesaintamour.com/site/

[carter]

The good news is that Mimosa closed a couple of months ago, as a much better chef has taken over the place, in the former of Laurent Quienioux and his now-open Bistro LQ. He used to do the cassoulet dinners at vermont restaurant in Los Feliz for the past two winters, and cannot imagine he will not do so on Beverly Blvd., it is just not the proper time of year to do so - do you really want it in the heat of summer?!