• All
  • *
  • Cocktails
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
  • Podcasts
  • Syndicate
  • Travel
  • Uncategorized
  • Videos
  • Wine
The Little Door restaurant is like a little secret hideaway, but it's not a secret. The space on 3rd Street in West Hollywood has been known as a romantic French restaurant since it opened in 1996. It seems  to be tucked away but it's actually on a busy street and easy to find, if you are looking for it. In September (2014), The Little Door opened a second location, tucked out in the open on 26th Street, just south of San Vicente, in Santa Monica (across the street from the Brentwood Country Mart). The Little Door Santa Monica With ornate wrought iron fencing covering the entrance on 26th Street, it is easy to miss The Little Door Santa Monica, if you are not looking. There are no signs that pop out as you drive by. But, located in the former space of Mimi's, enter the "little door" and you are in a large open patio area. To the right is indoor dining and bar and there are two private rooms in the rear [who hadn't been to a bridal shower, baby shower or birthday lunch in those spaces when it was Mimi's?]. But what the Little Door Santa Monica offers is lots of outdoor dining space that will make you feel like you have been transported to a French Mediterranean village.....white washed walls with blue accents and lots of fresh greenery. While the space may be a perfect romantic destination at night, it is an ideal spot for a weekend brunch.
While we here in America think of "Happy Hour" as that time in bars where we can get discounted well-drinks, in French cafes, 5pm is known as l’heure verte, or “the green hour" where green Absinthe (known as "verte") is enjoyed. Absinthe is a spirit made from a grape distillate macerated with a blend of herbs (licorice, petite wormwood, nettle and more). The green color comes from the nettle. While Absinthe was the drink of choice in France in 1910, it was banned for many decades. In the early 2000's, the absinthe ban was repealed around the world and the green liquid started to flow again. Absinthe is an elegant, sipping drink, not something to drink to get drunk. It is a relaxing drink that should not be rushed. In fact, Absinthe is an upper and you just can't be angry when you drink it. It is a very pure spirit and one of the healthiest you can drink. 
Copied!