Dinner – Preux and Proper – September 25, 2018 – Downtown Los Angeles

This building is so iconic, it is a corner landmark, that was once a railroad crossing dating back to 1927, and is the last flat iron building in Los Angeles. It was also an oyster house, a beer house, and a brasserie. But has always been a restaurant. To me it’s San Francisco meets New Orleans, how cool!!!

Comfy, cozy, everything you would want from a night or day out. Everything is sustainable, the food is astounding, comfort food at its best, and the vibe is all that as well.

Here’s What I tried:

House Cocktails:

Punk Evans, Absolut Elxy vodka, lemongrass, ginger, watermelon, be ready for some kick ass cocktails, they pack a punch in more ways then one.

Jazz Men, Serrano infused tequila, house jasmine liqueur, agave, cilantro, lime, and coriander salt. A bit of a kick in this one but it went down fast all the while.

Treasure Island (Served In a Pineapple), Stolen smoked rum, orgeat, pineapple, lime, grenadine, lemon bitters. This is like a honeymoon drink for two, delicious, refreshing, and very sexy, served in a glorious pineapple.

Starters:

Proper Dinner Grilled Yellow Sweet Corn, pork cracklins, queso fresco, aleppo, smokey miso aioli. Oh my goodness, is all I can say, the sauce is just the best part of this fantastic corn.

Spicy Roasted Carrots, Golden beets, labneh kefir, roasted greens, crunchy jerk chick peas, okra leaf. For the very healthy, vegan, this will do the trick. The carrots are caramelized and the chickpeas are crunchy and filling, just delicious.

Chicken Liver Pate, Knob creek whiskey, bacon fat, house piccalilli relish, creole mustard seeds, and baguette. The relish got my attention as well as the mustard seed, but everything in this dish is terrific.

Fried Mississippi Catfish, Buttermilk marinade, cornmeal crust, house pickles, celery salt, red remoulade. Another accomplishment by Chef Samuel, the catfish is tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, WOW!

Dungeness Crab Hushpuppies with House bourbon barrel aged green hot sauce, boil spice, charred Poblano butter. They have gotten to be known for these little darlings and you can understand why, the real crab and the butter are the real gift of this wonderful dish.

Mains:

Liberty Farms Organic Duck Breast with Anson mills grits, white truffle, foie gras butter, roasted kale, huckleberry jus. The presentation is otherworldly, coupled with all of the unique ingredients, a must have menu item.

36 Hour Prime Boneless Beef Rib with Garnet yam puree, crispy parsnips, charred leeks, trumpet mushrooms, potlikker demi. How can you cook a 36 hour prime boneless rib to perfection, Chef Samuel nailed this one.

Desserts:

Beignets, pate a choux dough with “bananas foster” dulce de leche & powdered sugar. These are mini Beignets, but the cream sauce is the real show stopper on this very unique dessert.
Custard – Homemade Ice Cream, you just have to trust me on this one and order this.

Wines:

Chardonnay, Stags leap “Karia,” Napa Valley, 2016, with jasmine, white flowers, and white peach.

Petie Sirah, true grit, Mendocino 2015, with white pepper, black fruit, and dark chocolate.
The wines were all a great addition to certain dishes. Their wine list is terrific and of course I would order the best California wines that Preux and Proper has to offer.

Design features are distressed wood floors, original floors, and rafters. It’s a super cool eclectic vibe. Downstairs has only high tops and bar stools.They have a full dining room upstairs, which I was invited to come back to another time on Thursday nights, That’s their Jazz night.

Preux and Proper Story:

Hailing from humble beginnings in Baton Rouge, LA, owner/operator Joshua Kopel wanted to bring a little bit of The South to Southern California. In 2010 he opened Five0Four, a New Orleans style bar, in Hollywood. Four years later, Kopel looked to DTLA, broadened his focus from Bourbon Street to The South as a whole, and opened up Preux & Proper. After a rocky first year in The Fashion District, Kopel was ready call it quits. In walks Sammy Monsour, a third generation chef that grew up in his father’s kitchen in Chapel Hill, NC. Kopel and Monsour hit it off instantly, and what came to fruition was the best kind of Southern. Monsour’s food encompasses his classical training at the CIA, his Lebanese ancestry, and his Southern roots. It’s like your grandma’s food went to school, traveled around the world, and came back to you beautifully plated with one hell of a story to tell. What Kopel and Monsour have done at Preux & Proper is create a truly authentic experience. You can feel it as you walk in, it surrounds you as you dine, as you drink, and then as you drink some more; and Joshua and Sammy hope you take a little bit of their Southern Culture home with you. It is their mission to inspire Southern Culture and Hospitality throughout their restaurant and community.

The Owners/Chefs Stories:

“Monsour is doing some special things in the kitchen.”
— Eater LA

Sammy Monsour – Executive Chef / Partner:

Chef and partner of Preux & Proper and South City Fried Chicken in downtown Los Angles, Sammy Monsour has received acknowledgment and acclaim from James Beard Foundation, Eater, American Culinary Federation and Zagat. He is a third generation chef and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, with roots stemming from his parent’s neighborhood joint in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Sammy’s advocacy toward sustainability has positioned him as the LA Locals Leader for Chefs Collaborative and a proud member of Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Blue Ribbon Task Force. Sammy has also appeared on Viceland’s The Untitled Action Bronson Show, Travel Channel’s Food Paradise and been the victor on several of Food Network’s popular reality cooking shows, including Alton Brown’s Cutthroat Kitchen. Samuel grew up in North Carolina went to CIA in New York. Was in NY for 6 years and Boston for 8 years. Everything to him has an n east coat sensibility. He supports The Aquarium Seafood Watch and The Chefs Collaborative.

“An arbitrator of taste in all things Southern within the confines of the city of Los Angeles”
— Voyage LA

Joshua Kopel – The Colonel / Partner:

Joshua is an entrepreneur, restaurateur and environmental advocate. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the spawn of bootleggers and retail giants, he was bred for the hospitality industry. Throughout Kopel’s 20+ year career in food and beverage he has managed venues ranging from the Alligator Bayou Bar, located on Alligator Bayou Road, seated on Alligator Bayou (it was exactly how you’re picturing it in your mind) to the hottest Hollywood nightclubs, bars, and ultra-lounges (far less glamorous than you’re picturing it in your mind). Kopel went independent in 2010, partnering with Mark Egland to opening their first concept Five0Four, a New Orleans-inspired bar, on the Walk of Fame in the heart of Hollywood. Four years later their sophomore effort Preux & Proper opened.
Kopel’s varied interests and talents have landed him several positions of influence ranging from being voted one of the Steamiest Southern Stars by E! Entertainment Television to the elected position of Business Chair on the Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council to founding and serving on the Board of Directors of the Friends of Runyon Canyon, a non-profit focused on the protection of local Los Angeles Park areas.

The staff is friendly and fun, my busboy/assistant was Jesus aka Chuy stole the show, who was just was marvelous.

Their customers are very eclectic people, with a laid back atmosphere. The kinds of people that come to Preux and Proper, after work happy hour and then destination people.

All of their background music is upbeat Cajun based. They play old black and white movies with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall; The Big Sleep, Two for The Road.

Chef Sam says a big renaissance is going on in the neighborhood, instead of saying gentrification. He likes to talk about food politics and sustainability. In the immediate area, he says that everyone is welcome and there are no old timers trying to push out the newbies. He says that it is promoting an opportunity for healthy commerce.

Whatever the case maybe, Preux and Proper is a huge hit in my book, I can’t wait to come back!

Preux and Proper
840 S Spring St
Los Angeles, CA 90015
https://www.preuxandproper.com

Hours
Mon – Wed, 4 pm – 10 pm
Thursday, 6pm – Midnight
Fri & Sat, 5 pm – 11 pm
Sunday Brunch 12pm-4pm
Sunday Supper 4pm-9pm

* Some Content Was Taken off of their Website

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