2 days ago
A Celebrated French Restaurant Adapts to Tough Times in Hollywood
Mr. T opened in Hollywood in September 2022 to high anticipation thanks to its reputation as a chic Parisian bistro from restaurateur Guillaume Guedj (previously of the two-Michelin-starred Passage 53). Opening chef Alisha Vannah came from République, another celebrated Los Angeles French-inflected restaurant. Everything seemed set for Mr. T to succeed on the then-bustling Sycamore Avenue in Hollywood on the ground floor of a new office building until a series of setbacks in the past year-plus led Guedj to seriously evaluate its approach.
The restaurant's opening menu featured Angeleno-oriented takes on classic bistro fare, like chicken pot pie with tare chicken jus, tuna crudo, roast lamb kebabs, and Koshihikari rice topped with sea urchin créme. Early on, Time Out LA awarded Mr. T with a solid four-star review, and praised its inventiveness, editor Patricia Kelly Yeo noting that 'every dish delivers with just the right amount of flair.' In mid-2024, Guedj brought on talented pastry chef Francois Daubinet to helm a daytime pastry program and the restaurant's evening desserts. Later that year, Mr. T was added to the Los Angeles Times' 101 Best Restaurants at number 87, where columnist Jenn Harris wrote, 'Vannah's cooking is a quiet luxury, demure but powerful in its intention and flavors.' Harris also commended Daubinet's desserts, especially the 'impossibly smooth' chocolate mousse.
Though everything seemed fine on the outside, Guedj tells Eater that sales had slowed for the restaurant due to numerous issues. Its location demanded a steady flow of customers from offices, including Jay-Z's Roc Nation, which occupies space above Mr. T, but the reduction in mandatory office hours and the impact of the 2023 writers' and actors' strikes hampered business for the restaurant. Then, at the top of this year, the Palisades and Eaton fires happened.
Eater spoke with Guedj about the effects of the 2023 strikes and the January 2025 wildfires, and discussed the changes he's made with Vannah to make the menu this year more approachable for an LA dining scene that still today remains in flux.
On the word changes for the menu:
After the fires and amid difficult economic times, we wanted to serve more of what people want and need, to go back to the basics that we love. Mr T. opened with a modern French menu, and the idea is still the same, but we adjusted the menu to lean more on warmer, classic recipes. We have poulet roti, roasted chicken, with a proper jus. You might want a good steak frites with a thick, flavorful peppercorn sauce, or our twist of the famous beef Bourguignon. You get a classic Caesar salad with perfect seasoning. Apple pie with roasted apples. We're still modern French, but as a French guy, I feel like this is what people need right now. We wanted to adjust to Angelenos with a more straightforward menu than what we do in Paris. When we opened, it was France meets U.S., but when the new French guy came to town, we adjusted and found the right balance.
April was tough with Coachella, but May was a little better. It's still very mellow and slow. We were on so many lists, like Time Out and Eater. Until June 2023, we were really good, busy all the time. Then the strikes hit, and that's when things started to slow down. The strikes really affected the business because we're in Hollywood. Last summer, we were added to the Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants, and we were super proud to be at the event showcasing our food with 40 other restaurants. That was a huge push and amazing exposure, so that December was great, but then the fires hit. We ended up only having that high for a month.
'People don't want to be overwhelmed during these times.' — Guillaume guedj, owner, Mr. t
On making the menu less French and more French American:
We realized that we had to communicate that we were more approachable to our regulars. We have French dishes like roast chicken, steak frites, branzino with beurre blanc. It's more French American, and it's a good mix. French people come and they love it, and American people can understand it. People don't want to be overwhelmed during these times. They want to come eat, and have something simple; they want to know what they're going to get. I think that really helped us attract regular customers after the fire.
On Vannah's development as a chef in the past two-and-a-half years:
It was challenging to adapt to the concept of Mr. T from Republique. We were doing things like roasted cauliflower with hummus or fancy tacos. It's all very creative, and that's what made Mr. T famous in France, but it was a challenge for her. I think she took it and did great, incorporating her Thai background and adding Asian twists. I was challenging us to do better and be more creative. But I think there was a disconnect. When customers come here, they want French food. It was confusing for some people. We had to make things more approachable, still with a nice presentation and good cooking technique. So now the fusion is more French American, with a burger, macaroni and cheese. It's more what people want, and Alisa had to adjust. There's more focus on the sauce, cooking, and finding products — and less on creativity, if I can say that.
On getting creative even within the context of bistro classics:
When you want to do a steak, typically you'll put seasonal root vegetables on the side or put a sauce with a little twist. Now we're thinking, let's just do a good old-school French peppercorn sauce. We have really good French fries and a good New York steak. It's just a tasty plate of steak frites, and it's one of our most popular dishes on the menu. We worked hard on the jus for the roast chicken to make it clearer and lighter. It's also one of our main dishes. Caesar salad is everywhere in France now, so we used endive to make it more Frenchy. We stack the endives for a beautiful and modern presentation. It's a taste that we all know, but we elevated it.
On dealing with the daytime business in Hollywood:
With Francois, we had a strong start; people were coming from Santa Monica and Silver Lake to try the pastries. But we don't have a lot of people in the neighborhood who want to enjoy a good croissant on a daily basis. We're actually selling more coffee and breakfast burritos, so we had this problem on weekdays of throwing stuff away. We stopped the pastries and just kept them for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. People are waiting now and coming for coffee and pastries. It's funny because people are choosing cookies over croissants — they seem to have almost the same calories.
On changing from a destination to a neighborhood favorite:
I'm hoping that the area and the overall economy will get better. The whole world is suffering, Los Angeles is suffering, and Hollywood even more. I believe if you keep building it and keep it consistent, and make adjustments, you can make it through the storm. We need to stay alive during difficult times, and hopefully, it gets better. The thing that saves Mr. T is the regulars. They love this place and the team. The food is good quality — it's not Michelin star, but we use farm-to-table products and it's tasty for what you get. With music and ambience, you can have a good dinner. Initially, we were getting people coming from Santa Monica and the Westside to have an experience, but we didn't have that many regulars. Now with the new menu, we have items that get people coming every weekend or every two weeks. I feel like if we keep building with our fans, we should be fine.
