{"id":284083,"date":"2026-04-24T17:41:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T17:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/284083\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T17:41:10","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T17:41:10","slug":"a-louest-is-serving-french-food-in-brad-wise-style-and-its-delicious-san-diego-union-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/284083\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00c0 L\u2019ouest is serving French food in Brad Wise style \u2026 and it\u2019s delicious \u2013 San Diego Union-Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"

Not too long ago, a colleague asked Brad Wise what he really knew about French cooking. \u201cAbsolutely nothing,\u201d replied Wise, the founder, chef and owner of San Diego\u2019s Trust Restaurant Group.<\/p>\n

That was a joke, of course. Wise trained in classic French techniques at culinary school in his native New Jersey, and he uses those skills in everything he cooks.<\/p>\n

But Wise has become known in San Diego over the past decade for the well-executed, rustic, robustly flavored, wood-grilled American cooking at his popular family of restaurants. They include his two Michelin-recommended spots, Trust and Fort Oak, his Italian-American chophouse Cardellino, his six Rare Society retro steakhouses, his two Wise Ox butcher shops and his artisan ice cream brand Wild Child.<\/p>\n

The newest addition to the family is \u00c0 L\u2019ouest, a 200+-seat modern French brasserie with an American heart.<\/p>\n

Its menu reflects Wise\u2019s personal and culinary history, and its delicious and creatively imagined food delivers the same reliably satisfying dining and service experience you\u2019ll find at all of his other restaurants.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe interior of Trust Restaurant Group\u2019s \u00c0 L\u2019ouest, a modern French brasserie that opened Feb. 11 in North Park. (Trust Restaurant Group)
\nThe concept<\/p>\n

\u00c0 L\u2019ouest opened Feb. 11 at the northeast corner of North Park\u2019s busiest intersection, 30th Street at University Avenue. It\u2019s been a smash since day one. Weekend brunch service kicked off with a bang on April 11. And tonight, Georgette\u2019s \u2014 a 38-seat French-inspired cocktail lounge named after Wise\u2019s daughter, Georgie \u2014 will make its debut in the glass-walled mezzanine space overlooking the dining room.<\/p>\n

\u00c0 L\u2019ouest is a French phrase meaning \u201cto the west,\u201d which Wise said represents his journey to California 20 years ago from his native Cape May, N.J. The food at \u00c0 L\u2019ouest also represents the journey he has made as a chef and restaurateur.<\/p>\n

The restaurant\u2019s core beef items reflect his mastery as a butcher. Multiple menu items are homages to signature dishes at his other restaurants. And the restaurant\u2019s unpretentious approach to French food is very much in line with Wise\u2019s personality. He\u2019s humble, soft-spoken and quick to credit the contributions of his cooks, particularly \u00c0 L\u2019ouest chef de cuisine John Tubalino.<\/p>\n

\u00c0 L\u2019ouest is the French restaurant that Wise has always wanted to eat in.<\/p>\n

\"ChefChef and owner Brad Wise at the street-side bar counter of \u00c0 L\u2019ouest in North Park on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 in San Diego. (Kristian Carreon \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

His extra-crispy pomme frites (French fries) are served with a side of house ketchup. His French onion soup is chock full of roasted oxtail meat. There\u2019s also an imaginatively conceived French onion burger. And his choose-your-own-cut steak frites comes with a decadent au poivre sauce made from roasted bone marrow, sherry and four varieties of peppercorn.<\/p>\n

A few weeks ago, a man from Nice, France, dined at \u00c0 L\u2019ouest and turned his nose up at the food because, he told Wise, it\u2019s not authentically French.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe didn\u2019t like it much,\u201d Wise said. \u201cBut we know that. This is our approach to a French restaurant. I had to make sure this place will be here and people will want to come back. We have to\u00a0 put our own stamp of approval on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Georgette\u2019s, an intimate Parisian-style cocktail lounge, is hidden behind the glass windows of the second floor of \u00c0 L\u2019ouest restaurant in North Park on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 in San Diego. (Kristian Carreon \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)
\nThe look<\/p>\n

Wise said he got \u201cthe bug\u201d to open a French restaurant after a memorable food-centered visit to Paris four years ago. After that, he ate his way through New York City\u2019s top French restaurants.<\/p>\n

But the real genesis for \u00c0 L\u2019ouest occurred when he toured the long-shuttered 4,800-square-foot building in North Park that he envisioned becoming a vibrant, day-and-night, indoor-outdoor community restaurant-bar that could match the hustle-and-bustle of the busy community.<\/p>\n

Key to that activation has been the restaurant\u2019s outdoor dining patio and its two-sided bar, which serves food and drinks to seated customers inside, as well as cocktails until 1 a.m. to walk-up customers outside in a gated area on the street corner. In the dining room, there\u2019s also a show to watch through the glass walls of the kitchen.<\/p>\n

\"AA chandelier-lit booth featuring surrounding art at \u00c0 L\u2019ouest in North Park. (Kristian Carreon \/ The San Diego Union-Tribune)<\/p>\n

Unlike the more masculine-looking restaurants in TRG\u2019s portfolio, \u00c0 L\u2019ouest has a feminine vibe, with a forest green color palette, a black-and-white checkered tile floor, a lavish amount of hanging plants and greenery, chandelier-lit dining booths, and sculpture and d\u00e9cor inspired by French Art Nouveau icons Hector Guimard and Alphonse Mucha. Even the private dining room, which can expand to 24 seats with a patio on University Avenue, is unique, with a state-of-the-art glass terrarium-style floor over a desertscape of sand, moss, rocks, and other natural elements.<\/p>\n

Next comes Georgette\u2019s, which has the intimate, dimly-lit vibe of an old-fashioned Parisian-style cocktail bar. Accessed via a spiral staircase at the back of the dining room, the 800-square-foot bar will offer an absinthe fountain and a menu of 36 cocktails. A third of the drinks will be classics, a third will be Parisian\/New Orleans French Quarter-inspired and the rest will be originals that are unique from the bar offerings downstairs. Caf\u00e9 table reservations for Georgette\u2019s will be available on Resy. And on select nights, a pianist will perform on a bar\u2019s new grand piano.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Steak Tartare dish at Trust Restaurant Group\u2019s \u00c0 L\u2019ouest, a modern French brasserie in North Park. (Trust Restaurant Group)
\nThe food<\/p>\n

\u00c0 L\u2019ouest\u2019s dinner menu has 33 items, divided into raw seafood items, charcuterie, hors d\u2019oeuvres, entr\u00e9es and sides. Entr\u00e9e portions are large enough to be a complete meal, but you can also enjoy small-plates dining from the first three sections of the menu.<\/p>\n

A good place to start is Wise\u2019s favorite dish, the steak tartare. It\u2019s made with the traditional ingredients of raw beef, Dijon mustard and cured egg, but with the added kicks of horseradish and aggressive seasoning that takes it to another level. Another fun starter is the smoked mussels, served chilled on the half-shell with the unexpected flavor pop of spicy sesame chili crunch sauce. And the Jambon de Paris, a slow-cured, extra-salty ham traditionally served on a buttered baguette, gets a tart and acidic flavor boost with mustard butter, radish and pickled shallots on a house-baked Chinese milk bun.<\/p>\n

The most-ordered dish on the \u00c0 L\u2019ouest menu, and rightly so, is the Raviolis du Dauphin\u00e9, a Compt\u00e9 cheese-filled pasta dish from Southeastern French that\u2019s\u00a0 served in a sheet of 24 mini raviolis that diners can cut apart at the table to share. It\u2019s fun food, but it\u2019s also rich and savory with a light butter sauce, chives and crunchy pine nuts sprinkled on top.<\/p>\n

Wise is widely praised for his finesse with fire-roasted vegetable dishes, so one of the menu\u2019s biggest and most delicious surprises is the Grilled Yu Choy. A popular ingredient in Thai food, yu choy is a leafy green vegetable with a broccoli\/peppery flavor. It\u2019s deeply smoked over red oak and served with a creamy onion soubise, pickled onions, coarsely chopped smoked almonds and mustard vinaigrette. It\u2019s a home run that delivers everything in one bite \u2014 smoke, tart, tangy, sweet, creamy and crunchy.<\/p>\n

\"GrilledGrilled Yu Choy, an extra smokey vegetable dish with soubise sauce at Trust Restaurant Group\u2019s \u00c0 L\u2019ouest, a modern French brasserie in North Park. (Trust Restaurant Group)<\/p>\n

Another great vegetable dish is the Grilled Beets, which diners may recognize in its similarity to Wise\u2019s wood-roasted veggies at Trust and Fort Oak. This one comes with golden beets, black garlic sauce, Asian pear, blue cheese, vinagrette and crispy hazelnuts.<\/p>\n

When Wise conceived his Steak Frites dish he decided to switch it up in two ways. First he offers diners the choice of three beef cuts \u2014 rib eye, New York or Hanger steak \u2014 in 8- or 12-ounce portions. And instead of serving it with the traditional bearnaise or hollandaise sauce, he adds the peppercorn sauce usually only served on steak au poivre.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe French Onion Burger, served with pomme frites, at Trust Restaurant Group\u2019s \u00c0 L\u2019ouest, a modern French brasserie in North Park. (Trust Restaurant Group)<\/p>\n

You better be hungry for the French Onion Burger. The massive beef patty is made from a grind of two different Wagyu cuts, Prime New York strip and chuck steak. It\u2019s\u00a0 topped with Gruyere and sharp chedder cheese, onions caramelized in Madera wine, a red wine demi-glaze, beef fat garlic aioli and crispy fried shallots on a house-baked sesame seed bun.<\/p>\n

And fans of the animated film \u201cRatatouille\u201d may want to try Wise\u2019s twist on the sliced vegetable dish, which he has reimagined with a pureed eggplant base topped with artfully arranged vegetables and a crispy basil leaf.<\/p>\n

The desserts aren\u2019t to be missed and they\u2019re shareable. The banana mille-feuille, is similar in flavor to the traditional French layered pastry dish, but it\u2019s turned on its side and served with creamy marshmallow ice cream. And if you don\u2019t mind the 15-minute wait, try the cooked-to-order Grand Marnier souffl\u00e9, with a vanilla Anglaise sauce poured tableside. It\u2019s heaven on a plate.<\/p>\n

Culinary trends come in waves, and lately French restaurants have been in vogue in San Diego County.<\/p>\n

In the past couple of years, Fleurette has opened in the UTC area, along with Frenchy\u2019s Hideout in Hillcrest, Suzette in Chula Vista, the French Door Cafe in Vista and French Pastry Cafe in Carlsbad\u2019s Bressi Ranch, just to name a few.<\/p>\n

\u00c0 L\u2019ouest is a wonderful new addition to the mix, not just for its chef\u2019s unique take on French food, but for\u00a0 the vibrancy it has brought to a once-moribund corner in North Park.<\/p>\n

\u00c0 L\u2019ouest<\/p>\n

Dinner hours: 5-9 pm Wednesdays and Thursdays; 5-10 pm Fridays and Saturdays; 5-9 pm Sundays. Brunch hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.<\/p>\n

Where: 3002 University Ave., San Diego<\/p>\n

Phone: 619-257-0045<\/p>\n

Online: alouestsd.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Not too long ago, a colleague asked Brad Wise what he really knew about French cooking. \u201cAbsolutely nothing,\u201d…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":284084,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[7,421,181,412,74,84,76,75,420],"class_list":{"0":"post-284083","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-california","9":"tag-food-and-drink","10":"tag-latest-headlines","11":"tag-restaurants","12":"tag-san-diego","13":"tag-san-diego-county","14":"tag-san-diego-headlines","15":"tag-san-diego-news","16":"tag-things-to-do"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284083","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=284083"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/284083\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/284084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=284083"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=284083"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=284083"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}