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Dining Review: Canele dishes up ‘Wild’ cuisine

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From the moment you walk in and sense the old wood, the crimson walls, the fresh ranunculus, you know this is going to be something special. Bowls of persimmons and quince and boxes of wild greens look straight out of a still-life painting. Hard-working chefs flip sizzling saute pans in the open kitchen, pausing to exchange greetings with regulars. The music playlist is by somebody I’d like to follow on Spotify. When the menu arrives with fresh herbs attached to it and mouth-watering descriptions, you’re convinced you’re in for a good lunch.

This is the new “Wild” now serving lunch at Atwater Village restaurant Canele Wednesdays through Fridays. “Wild” at Canele is brought to you by SQIRL chefs Ria Dolly Barbosa Wilson and Matt Wilson. The philosophy is not far from Canele Chef Corina Weibel’s style of rustic, farmer’s-market-driven French food, but it has a more adventurous slant with wild, maybe even foraged ingredients. Take for instance the seasonal torta di ceci ($9.50), a pancake made from ground chickpea flour, freshly shelled lima beans, pistachios and the dark green bite of stinging nettles. They don’t sting your mouth but they do have a nice, wild bitterness. The torta di ceci is sprinkled with fennel pollen and served with a primitive green salad singing with the finest olive oil and slivers of baby red onion as strong as an ox. Alongside we had the house brown butter Brussels sprouts ($9), sizzle-edged nuggets which are as good as they sound.

There is sherry involved and toasted bread crumbs. A gently cooked egg on top is almost a work of art. Vegetarians will love “Wild” at Canele where meat is an unnecessary luxury.

Meat-lovers will appreciate the duck adobo tartine ($14). The rich flavor of shredded duck is boosted by fig, scallion and egg stacked open-face on a gorgeous piece of toast. They do good bread at “Wild.” Slabs from fresh-baked loaves are toasted and gorgeously tinged by a hellishly hot oven or pan, then used in various ways. A Filipino pan de sal bun is rolled out for the tasty fried chicken sandwich ($15). A juicy, breaded boneless breast is served with Filipino pickle, aioli and market lettuce.

Service at “Wild” at Canele has a relaxed feel. The waitresses make it look effortless, but you’re confident they know their stuff. It’s not easy to memorize the day’s specials by noon when they can be sublimely complicated: cavatelli with Tunisian squash, pumpkin seeds and sage-brown butter; roasted pear and rapini seasonal terrine; braised beef cheeks with yams, chile-lime peanuts and cilantro; house-made tortellini with braised beet greens, cheese curds and whey sauce; tongue pastrami sandwich with wait.... see? I can’t remember.

Having become legendary for their weekend brunches, lunch at Canele is a good way to experience the restaurant while avoiding long lines on the weekends. You won’t get to try the incredible French toast with mascarpone, but you’ll enjoy French-inspired dishes made with heart. Keep in mind though that even on a rainy Wednesday at 2, finding parking was a bit of a challenge.

Where some may call the space at Canele cramped, I call it cozy. Some may call the food expensive, the portions small. I think the raw materials are of obvious high quality and the well-prepared meals appropriately priced and sized. The restaurant’s website calls Canele unpretentious. I call it a little pretentious. Cases in point: the expensive tea never steeped much beyond water; the locals and servers fawned just a little too much and too loudly. It doesn’t matter. Self-important posers or not, if somebody was cooking food like this for me everyday, I’d be very happy and healthy.

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What: “Wild” at Canele

Where: 3219 Glendale Blvd., Atwater Village

When: Wednesdays to Fridays, 11am to 3pm

Prices: $9 to $15

More info: (323) 666-7133; www.canele-la.com
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LISA DUPUY welcomes comments at LDupuy@aol.com.

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