Filling a Void for Bistro Fans

When Michel Richard closed his Bar Bistro at Citrus last year, I was heartsick. Where would I go for my fix of charcuterie, steak frites and daube de veau?

With the arrival of Mimosa on Beverly Boulevard near Fairfax, I now have a new adresse. French chef and former Fennel alumnus Jean Pierre Bosc has left Lunaria in Century City to open this small, charming bistro with Tuscan-born restaurateur Silvio DeMori.

The restaurant is painted the color of fresh-churned butter; banquettes line the walls. Its menu is short, but classic. When you order the charcuterie platter, you get a little rosette de Lyon (the dry-cured sausage), jambon de Bayonne (a raw-cured ham), a slice of rustic chicken liver terrine and, just as in homey bistros in France, a canning jar of homemade cornichons and another of olives marinated in thyme from which to serve yourself. You can also start with a salade lyonnaise made with frisee, smoky bacon and poached egg in a mustardy dressing, a bowl of steamed mussels or a glorious slab of house-cured salmon with warm potato salad.

DeMori, who acts as host, slips a few Italian items onto the menu, like risotto with porcini and tagliatelle Bolognaise. Happily, there is a Provencal veal daube, served from a covered casserole, with chunks of carrot, potato, mushrooms and veal in its natural juices. And steak frites: onglet (butcher’s cut) with shallots, filet mignon or steak tartare with a heap of golden fries. They offer a cheese plate, too! And comforting desserts like floating island or pear clafoutis.

Mimosa could just turn out to be the little French bistro of my dreams.

* Mimosa, 8009 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles; (213) 655-8895. Open for lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday. Major credit cards accepted. Valet parking at dinner. Appetizers, $2.50-$7.50; entrees, $10-$17.50.