La Serre catered to the entertainment industry based in Burbank and Studio City. We had diners like Mohammed Ali, Natalie Wood, and Jonny Carson. Regular guests were flattered with a brass nameplate at their reserved table and in Natalie Wood's case, a gazebo was named after her. The decor mimicked a lush greenhouse festooned with white lattice and lots of greenery.
The attached menus are representative of what we were cooking at the time. It was an exciting era to be cooking as the food revolution was just getting started and chefs were coming out of the kitchen and into the spotlight. French chef luminaries passed through LA to promote the new way of cooking, Nouvelle Cuisine. James was dialed into that new wave and we proffered dishes like Truite Bocuse, Guerard's Nouvelle Cuisine, Gastone Lenotre's desserts and Troisgros creations. It was at La Serre where we first met the great chef Michel Richard. He delivered some petite fours pastries from his Robertson Boulevard pastry shop and it was clear he was a master of the craft. See my previous blog regarding Chef Michel.
After a time, chef James moved on and I then had my first chef position at La Serre. It was a great learning experience and positioned me to launch my career. Thanks, James!