Let me be clear, all restaurants are fantastic places with lots of food in them. It’s just that  some are better than others.

It was 7:00 p.m. on a Tuesday and I was meeting some friends for dinner at the newest “it” restaurant in town. Terrine, on Beverly Blvd. in West Hollywood, just opened last December but its itness is well deserved. The names behind the upscale French bistro/California brasserie are highly acclaimed veterans of the LA food scene. Celebrity chef Kris Morningstar is a force to be reckoned with in the kitchen. His dishes are not the sort you can reproduce at home and I was drooling before I even tasted anything. I don’t hand out major compliments like this often, but I strongly believe that if Morningstar were a canine”¦he’d be a bulldog. Check him out!

When my driver pulled up to the valet, I was hoping to head straight onto the chic patio for some fois gras, french fries and the house’s signature “Birthday Cake.” Instead, a hoard of noisy people, news trucks and posters with P-E-T-A scribbled in bubble letters were standing between me and my night out. Shoot, I thought, they found me”¦I knew I shouldn’t have eaten that snail in the garden this afternoon.

I slunk out of the car and avoided eye contact. Shouts about the cruelty endured by geese were all around me. A disgruntled woman told me I shouldn’t go in because they’d probably try to serve me as an appetizer. “Did I know,” she shrieked, “that they serve FOIS GRAIS?” Duh, I thought to myself, it’s one of the many reasons I love Terrine. I feigned a convincing look of confusion and waddled through the mob. The security guards shuffled me inside and the moment the handsome iron doors closed behind me I felt more relaxed”¦like I was in a secret garden.

Stephane Bombet, creator of Bombet Hospitality Group, rushed over to give me a pat and make sure I was unscathed. “Not to worry,” I told Bombet, “the paid mercenary picketers didn’t scare me.” Not one minute later the general manager, Francois Renaud himself, came by with a silver water bowl for me and a tequila for my dad. Renaud is no stranger to the dining scene””that silver fox’s résumé starts in France and works it’s way through some of the hottest spots in LA. Let’s just say he knows his stuff and, with an accent like that, he could tell me that the evening special was sautéed shoelaces and I’d order seconds.

We decided to stop at the bar before heading to our table outside. Terrine’s cocktails are good”¦like really good. The visionary behind drinks like the Rosewater Sour””Rain Vodka, Lemon, Noilly Prat, Aperol and Rosewater Cordial””is a fellow named Ryan Wainwright. You will love him and his cocktails.

Even on a Tuesday evening, the place was jammed. It took a minute for us to get our table but that’s to be expected at a happening place. I don’t mind waiting, sipping some H2O and stealing an ear rub (or ten) from cool strangers.

When we sat down, the service was top notch. The seasonally-based menu changes daily which means the servers need to stay on their toes. I’m allergic to a few things””vegetables, chocolate, alcohol and nuts””so it’s essential that they know their stuff. These guys did. To start, I had the fois gras terrine with toast and prunes. It was spot on. Despite being a fair sized portion, I licked it up in two seconds and left the prunes for my mom.  #chivilaryisnotdead. Keeping with the theme of the eve, I had the filet with fois for my main and some of their hand cut fries. As I may have mentioned before, there are two kinds of steak: good and great. This one leaned toward the latter end of the spectrum and with the buttery piece of goose liver on top, I’d say it was one of the best meals I’ve had in 2015.

Terrine’s dessert menu is”¦well, it’s lacking. The “Birthday Cake” is what everyone should order but, unfortunately for me, it’s chocolate. Allergies aside, it comes with a candle. Who doesn’t love feeling like it’s their birthday without actually
having to turn a whole year older? But guys, I have to be honest, that’s the only memorable dessert”¦for now. I’m sure they’ll be changing their lineup soon enough and maybe they’ll even add plain ol’ vanilla to their short list of house-made ice creams. Between you and me, that almond flavor just didn’t cut it.

We licked the plates clean, booked a reservation for Sunday brunch and went home happy.

Stay hungry my friends”¦