Mistral

Parking: On Site
Upscale, Cozy Moderately noisy

Mistral is the most French of San Fernando Valley restaurants, which may explain why it has endured all these years. It has a casual-dressy French style: dark wood paneling, crystal chandeliers, a floor of octagonal black-and-white tile. The tables are set with crisp white cloths. And it draws a lot of French customers, especially at lunch. On my last visit, I saw two guys puffing Gauloise cigarettes out on the sidewalk. This is definitely not an industry crowd, for once.

There is nothing cutting-edge about Gilles Dirat's cooking, but much of it is comforting. The menu runs to straight-up brasserie fare: onion soup, salade frisee, oysters mignonette, and steak with fries. But this isn't Forrest Gump's box of chocolates -- you usually know exactly what you're going to get. Not always, though. The overly creamy salad of beets and walnuts is mixed with a horseradish dressing you can't taste any horseradish in. And my ahi tuna tartare had way too much mayo. It reminded me of my Aunt Tilly's tuna salad. But when the kitchen sticks to basics, the results can be very satisfying. The onion soup is a beefy and pleasantly sweet concoction with cheese bubbling down the sides of the crock. Lardons frisee is chicory tossed with a good vinaigrette and bits of smoky bacon, all topped with a runny poached egg. And the Hama Hama oysters, served with a mignonette of vinegar and chopped shallots, are a delight.

The entrees are solid. Chicken Mistral is a large piece of free-range chicken roasted with garlic cloves and rosemary, served with a buttery potato puree on a rich, deep brown demiglaze. Mine was flavorful but slightly dry, although the skin was deliciously crisp. There's a fine crisp duck leg (rather like a confit) and near-perfect Lake Superior whitefish with lemon and caper butter. Mistral is surely one of the best places on Ventura Boulevard to get a good steak frites, which is popular with the French customers. My steak was a thick, juicy, beautifully browned piece of meat, fried in butter and smothered with shallots. On the side came crisp fries, a green salad and a little white jar of mustard. You have the option of green peppercorn sauce instead of shallots, and steak tartare is also available.

For dessert, there is a classic creme brûlee, a fairly classic peartart (to my taste, it would benefit from more fruit) and a huge, mousse-like rectangle of flourless chocolate cake, served with real whipped cream. There is also good espresso, served in an art deco cup. Vive la France!

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