So, it’s with this open mind and empty belly Chanin and I headed over to Air Food on Saturday at the generous invitation of owner Marcus and his wife Fatiha.
Upon walking up to Air Food, my first thoughts were: hot damn, they could not be in a better location; 109 Broadway is steps from Ocean (and the ocean) and in the heart of downtown Santa Monica. The place looks great and I immediately regretted not dressing better. No worries, Marcus reassured me, the concept is to bring a gastronomic experience to a more informal bistro setting, hence the newly coined term “bistronomique”. Marcus’ enormous smiles/laughter and the general upbeat nature of his staff serve to reinforce that this is supposed to be a casual experience, so we walked on in and sat at the bar to observe the kitchen hustle and bustle.
Looking around, the first thing you notice is the wall of bottles, which I thought were filled with vodka. Hm, I thought, guess it’s gonna be a low carb vodka/soda water kinda night. Nope. Looking closer, I noticed Perrier, Voss, San Pelligrino, and Fuji water bottles peeking cheekily next to much fancier containers of waters from around the world. AIR FOOD is officially Los Angeles’ First Water Bar, where one can sample different waters, including BLK, a naturally occurring black water from Canada, Badoit from France which prepares the stomach for digestion and relieves stress, and the incredibly pure Penaclara from Spain, which is great for pregnant women. The Water Menu has a key which differentiates the waters and their health benefits. One nice thing about a water bar is that it’s water. It’s good for you, it’s not outrageously priced so you can try a few, and the drive home will be that much more uneventful. Anyways, back to the food.
The menu is suitably exotic to excite the food nerd in some of us, and recognizable as gastropub fare for the rest. Interesting starters, entrees and burgers make up the main meal with additional sides, and a nice selection of desserts. What makes it especially interesting is that this is French fare with a modern twist, something you’re probably not getting in your ten regular spots discussed above. Even better is that it’s affordable! Marcus and Chef Thierry want to make their food accessible, and in this measure they succeed. If they want to give me a gastronomic experience and leave a buck in my pocket for parking and the inevitable babysitter, well, more power to all of us!
Ok, well that’s great and all, but how’s the food? In a word…delightful. I started with L’Oeuf, a panko crusted deep fried egg sitting on creamy brie with turkey bacon. Absolutely killer- the egg was cooked, but gooey and the flavors were unfamiliar and delicious. A must do. Chanin had L’Artichaut, shaved artichoke with black truffle caviar. It’s like there was the proverbial party in my mouth and the whole world was invited. I’m literally salivating thinking about it.
Mains consisted of a Ribeye with fondant potatoes for me and Salmon for Chani. If a ribeye wasn’t rich enough, Chef Thierry wants to make sure you’re beaten over the head with provincial France so it comes with a side of emulsified béarnaise. I almost stuffed the sauce in a Ziploc to take home for eggs tomorrow- you won’t find a truer béarnaise this nice in the Four Seasons Sunday buffet, let me tell you. Chanin’s Salmon (sounds like a Beastie Boys song) was equally as impressive, cooked medium rare and looking like it came straight out of El Bulli. I’ve had salmon just about every way, but this one was baked in a creamy Sorrel sauce, with leek bourbon vanilla fondue. Sublime.
At this point, we were ready to explode; however, dessert was a must, so we took a risk and ordered Le French Nachos. A bowl of what could only be described as a perfect representation of nachos arrived, complete with guac, salsa, cheddar, and sourcream on chips. AMAZING. Guac=Kiwi. Salsa=Strawberry. Sour Cream = well you get it. Go to Air Food and experience it for yourself. It was light, refreshing and totally the way to cap an excellent meal.
So, did I like it? Unbelievable! Chanin was equally as impressed and we’re adding this to the 10 regular spots. The menu will change with the seasons, but we will be back before Fall to try some of the things on the menu we did not get to this time. The modern ambience, the homemade-organic-made right that minute freshness to everything, the flavors of the food and the presentation all combined exquisitely to make this one of our new favorite restaurants in Santa Monica. Everyone needs some French in their life, trust me, I was born in Quebec.
AIR FOOD is located at 109 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA. They do not take reservations, but there are so many cute shops next door to look at while you wait. You can follow them on Facebook @AirFoodCulture or Instagram visit their website for more information Here. The Grand Opening is tonight May 24, 2017.
