Restaurant: Fraiche

As part of the burgeoning Culver City restaurant scene, Fraîche joins Beacon, Ford’s Filling Station, and the other fine dining establishments that have revitalized that Westside destination. A casually rustic space with a large open kitchen, Fraîche offers French and Italian market-driven specialties, with an emphasis on freshness made easy by the farmer’s market that happens literally next door on Main Street each week.

Executive chef and co-owner Jason Travi delights in the idea of contrasts, creating a yin and yang of flavors in just about every dish he makes. Take the Boudin Noir appetizer, for example. Dark, dense blood sausage is paired with marinated lentils, with an additional contrast of a Dijon-crème fraîche, a deliciously different pairing. If charcuterie is more to your taste, Fraîche offers a range of meats as a platter to start; oysters on the half shell are plentiful, too, as well as a large “Fruits de Mer” offering.
Fraiche Chef Jason Travi.
Travi’s skill is evident in many of his entrées as well. The Lamb Spezzatino is rich and flavorful, a tomato-based stew paired with decadently rich gnocchi and the Ravioli stuffed with braised short ribs is out of this world. The chef’s Skate Wing was the night’s favorite, served with a delicate mix of butter, lemon, and a creamy celery root puree (a wonderful variation on the traditional mashed potato) and perfectly paired by Sommelier (and co-owner) Thierry Perez with a Domaines Schlumberger Alsatian Pinot Gris. The staff at Fraîche is happy to suggest wine pairings with every course, or choose your own from their extensive wine cellar.
Fraiche exterior.
Cheeses and sweets are offered on the dessert menu, again with seasonal influences. We had a Bûche de Noël (mocha mousse, chocolate ganache, candy cane ice cream) on our visit; that’s sure to be replaced with something new for the New Year.

And the best part about Fraîche? Dinner is served until 11pm, so there’s no need to panic about finding a meal after seeing an 8pm movie across the street.

Fraîche
9411 Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
310-839-6800
www.fraicherestaurantla.com