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Monrovia
RESTAURANTS
Devon / 3*
109 E LEMON AVE, MONROVIA; 626/305-0013
Devon is what local critics like to call "a Westside restaurant,"
working under the false assumption that only the residents of Brentwood
and Beveriy Hills can be counted on to eat ostrich carpaccio for dinner.
But Devon is powerful proof that chevre is no longer haute. The restaurant,
a pair of storefronts with a few tables on the sidewalk and a glassed-in
wine cellar off to one side of the single dining room, sits on quiet Lemon
Avenue in the heart of historic downtown Monrovia. The menu changes with
the seasons, but the casual California vibe is always the same. Since
eating light is one of the hallmarks of California cuisine, it's easy
to eat
much and feel largely guilt-free here—from the sweet acidity of
a marvelously intense tomato cappuccino soup (tomato and basil topped
with foamed milk) or the happy crunch of the shrimp-and-shiitake-filled
spring rolls or the goat cheese-layered wontons to some delicious sea
scallops and shrimp in a tempura batter so light it couldn't possibly
be fattening. The sweet orange cake finishes things off just right. There's
rarely an empty seat at Devon —Monrovia has a healthy respect for
this place. $$; AE, MC, V; checks OK; lunch Tues-Fri, dinner Tues-Sat;
beer and wine; reservations required; north side of Lemon Ave just east
of Myrtle Ave.
La Parisienne / 2*
I 101 E HUNTING-TON DR, MONROVIA; 626/357-3359
A friendly, homey place. La Parisienne is a genuine institution. Once
you leave the traffic and mini-malls of Huntington Drive and enter the
fine old wood-lined room, with flowers and French fabrics, it's not hard
to believe after a glass or two of wine that you're in Lyon, eating at
a pleasant little brasserie. Fare is both French classic and new at the
same time. The right dishes are all here—escargots, monies marinieres,
terrine de canard au foie gras, soupe a l'oignon gratinee, canard a l'orange,
bouillabaisse. But in most cases, they've been reexamined, rethought,
and neatly freshened up. Snails are simply a treat, richly flavored with
garlic, parsley, and herb butter; mussels are perfectly cooked with shallots,
parsley, white wine, and cream; salmon Alexandra (stuffed with minced
seafood and topped with an infinitely delicate shallot-butter sauce) is
a signature dish, the sort of creation that tastes fresh and new every
time you order it. $$; AE, MC, V; checks OK; lunch Mon-Fri, dinner
Mon-Sat; full bar; reservations required; north side of Huntington Dr
at Mountain Ave.
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