My best friend and her family recently relocated to a place far, far away, and although I’m really happy for her and her new life, the move has left a tremendous void in my heart … and my stomach. Not only was she my best friend, she was also my epicurean soul sister, and there was nothing we cherished more than spending time together over a glass of wine and fabulous food. And boy, did we eat over the years (but she never gained weight whereas I gained at least 20 pounds from hanging out with her! Man, what I do in the name of friendship!

One of the places we frequented was a little French cafe called La Frite in our neck of the wood because we both loved affordable, friendly, low-key places. The restaurant offered good food and relaxing atmosphere, and although I never thought it offered the best French food in town by any means, the experience certainly hit the spot whenever we were looking for a place to unwind after a long day at work.

The last time we were at La Frite, we spotted a lady eating a cheesy, casserole dish at a table next to us and I had to have whatever it was that she was having. The casserole turned out to be a Ratatouille Crepe. I ordered it out of curiosity and while the idea of having a ratatouille on top of a crepe and baked in cheese sounded heavenly, the whole thing was just a little tad too much for me. But it sure was interesting and I’m glad I tried it (I’m sure Remy will be proud of me).

Crepe Ratatouille

On the other hand, what my best friend ordered, I thought, was out of this world. It was a daily special of lamb smothered in garlic sauce. I though the meat was cooked to perfection (a little on the rare side which I prefer) and the garlic sauce made my eyes roll backward.

Rack of lamb with garlic sauce

And of course, what’s a French café experience without a plateful of perfectly golden French fries and …

…. cream burle to share?

I guess the reason why La Frite holds such a special place in my heart is because this was (along with other places all over town) our place where we shared laughter and, of course, food coma, together.

La Frite
22616 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91364
★★★★☆