Fire At The French Market Café - Merde!

A lot of places I love have closed in Venice while I've been away, and a little part of me is crushed every time. It's all sad, but nothing has hit me as hard as hearing that my beloved French Market Café has had a fire early yesterday morning, and is now closed indefinitely. I could (did) just cry.

When I'm in Venice, I go to the French every day. It is my coffee spot, my place to visit with my friends that both work and frequent there, and the place you can most regularly find me other than the beach. This is a hard one to swallow.

Back in the days when I didn't call my Mom every day (you live and learn that these things are necessary), she would even call the French to make sure I had been there and all was ok with me. If I had a work meeting, I would always suggest the French first. I was so thrilled when they announced last year that they would be opening for evenings and serving dishes from the old Lily's menu - another now gone favorite. It was tough to get people to that end of Abbot Kinney at night, but they were doing it. Now what?!

It was always a delight to celebrate Bastille Day at the French, with Can Can girls dancing and champagne flowing in the sunshine on the patio. Who can forget the day that France won the World Cup in 2018, and all the French ex-pats in Los Angeles descended on the packed French Market, driving cars around with flags waving out the windows. A total blast, and one of the most happy and fun memories ever had at our beloved Frenchie

I haven't been able to reach Agnes (Martinez, the owner and a dear friend) yet to know what happened exactly, but it just kills me that I'm not there ... and that it's now very up in the air if I will ever again get my favorite Mocha in town there again. This global pandemic has forced us all to handle a LOT of loss for sure, but some things really do hurt more than others, and this is one of them for me. MERDE!

Je t'aime, French Market, Agnes, Jenny, and all of my friends who work there, who go there, and who love it as much as I do. Hoping so much for the best outcome, that we may all gather there in the sun again one day soon.

A fundraiser has been set up by Agnes' friend, Yon Idiart, to help the French get through this extra hard time. You may donate HERE! Merci! 

Vive La French Market!!!

Now Serving At The French Market - Lily's Menu Is Back!

There's going to be a Blogtown double feature today, because there were two distinct Very Venice Valentine events last night that each deserve their own little story. First up, the absolutely fantastic news that The French Market Café is now open for dinner each Thursday - Saturday - and they're serving up our old favorites from Lily's (the neighborhood favorite French restaurant on Abbot Kinney that is now Neighbor, for those of you who may be new to the area)!

Agnes Martinez (owner of the French) and Francis Bey (former co-owner of Lily's) have teamed up to bring back the cuisine that has been SO missed by Lily's regulars like me, and last night when I finally got to order the onglet a l'echalote dish that was one of my all-time favorites. After a glass of Valentine champagne with Agnes, I tucked into my dinner, and it literally brought a mist to my eyes. A welling up of remembrance, and for people and places that are no longer here. It was as delicious as I recalled, and now I'm going to be at the French even more than I already am (next up: the moules frites!).

I had to go backstage when I finished, to hug and thank Francis for making my old culinary dreams come true again. He told me he was going to put a burger on the menu instead, but I had begged for the onglet for so long that he put it on the menu for me! I'm so grateful, and telling everyone to go there so I get to order this more often is the very least I can do. Please GO!

There are several other classic Lily's dishes, and desserts (creme brulée, tarte tatin) to go along with them. A bonus to the French being open at night is that we can finally drink all of their wine from their cellar with dinner! These are exciting times. I couldn't stay and hang out as long as I would have liked, as I had to skedaddle over to Beyond Baroque to catch the album release show for my dear pals, Suzy Williams and Michael Jost (the next story in the queue), but I was so very pleased to be able to attend the opening night of dinner service at my beloved French Market!

So ... the next time you're talking about where to go for dinner (on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday, for now), hit the French (free parking!), sit outside, sip some wine, eat some Lily's food, and tell them "Carole" sent you!

The French Market
2321 Abbot Kinney Boulevard
Venice
Dinner 6-9 pm, Thursday - Saturday

Adieu et Merci, Lilly's!

After 13 years of fun and Frenchness, Lilly's on Abbot Kinney closed for good last Friday. It was one of my favorites, and we Venice friends shared many a special occasion within those walls (and out on the lovely patio). Tres triste.

We went over on their last night to wish Chef Francis Bey adieu, and get one last order of moules frites, my favorite mermaid dish.

It was sad as people would come up to the packed and chaotic bar to place their orders, only to be told they no longer had that kind of rum in stock. Or on the night of the Blue Moon, to watch the bartender unscrew the tap for Blue Moon beer - fin.

Though it was sad, there was a lot of laughter and hugs among friends who were regulars at the delightful Lilly's over the years. We celebrated birthdays, babies, marriages, lives, and simple good meals with friends there many, many times over the years, and all of that bubbled to the surface on August 31st, as we clinked our glasses one final time.

Salut, Francis! Salut Lilly's!! And MERCI for the abundance of happy memories you provided so many of us over the last 13 years. I can't wait to see what you come up with next.



*I'm not sure exactly why Bey chose to close Lilly's doors now, but I have a feeling it has to do with the new and ridiculous rents. Now I hear that Jin Patisserie is closing too due to QUADRUPLED rent. Don't these greedy landlords realize that these are the very places that made Abbot Kinney special in the first place?! No one cares about another fancy clothes outpost, and the skyrocketing rents can't be sustained. They'll see. In the meantime, support the local places you love! While you still can.