L'Orangerie's last days

There's been a fair amount of blog chatter among foodies about the last days of L'Orangerie, the grand dame of L.A.'s French restaurants. Not to sound like a cliche, but it really is the end of an era in L.A. dining that goes back nearly 30 years. Forget about getting a reservation in time for the Dec. 31 close - everything is booked solid. In its three decades, L'Orangerie has had only nine chefs, which is extraordinary stability for a restaurant. Pauline at LA.foodblogging managed to get in recently and she describes her last meal: l’Orangerie’s signature eggs and caviar set ($39), spiny lobster from Santa Barbara with vegetable stew ($67), and a choclate soufflé ($17). (Well no, it was never a cheap date.)

I asked our server why on Earth would owners Gerald and Virginie Ferry ever want to close the place down. He figured that after operating l’Orangerie for about 15 years in France, and then 29 years in LA, they wanted to rest. He said they are thinking of traveling for a year or two. Here’s hoping that the Ferry’s will have a well-deserved trip, and that they will consider opening the restaurant up again when they eventually return. Until then, merci beaucoup, bon voyage, et à bientôt.

Ferry told Nation's Restaurant Business last summer that he has no plans to invest or run another restaurant, although he has kept the rights to the L'Orangerie name in case someone is interested in recreating the concept. "It's a very stressful business," he said. "After 30 years, it's understandable why I would want to walk out. It's like a boxer. It's important to know when you shouldn't do that extra match." On Jan. 1, Nobu Matsuhisa takes over the space. Nobu Los Angeles is scheduled to open next summer.