Church & State French bistro in downtown Los Angeles

With Church & State’s coq au vin, the braised chicken is scattered with lardon and garnished with mushrooms and pearl onions. The red wine in which the chicken is cooked is reduced to a syrupy glaze underpinned with a bass note of thyme.  (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

The menu is now French-French, rather than California French, and leans toward rustic preparations and deep flavors.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

The planche de charcuterie consists of house-made cured pork belly, duck prosciutto, pâtés, terrines and pickled vegetables.  (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Chef Esnault, seen here plating a cassoulet, is formerly of Patina and an Alain Ducasse disciple.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

The cassoulet is made with seven-hour lamb, pork garlic sausage, duck leg confit and, of course, white beans.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

The arts district restaurant has a full bar. The wines are all French.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

St. Jacques et choux fleurs with seared scallops, yellow and purple cauliflower, and caper pistou.  (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

The kitchen at Church & State is typically in a state of controlled chaos, catering to lunch and dinner crowds.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Salade d’agrumes, prepared with County Line Harvest chicory, farmer’s market citrus, prosciutto, Laguiole cheese and a citrus vinaigrette.  (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Lunch is a busy time at the downtown arts district restaurant. It has gone from a casual restaurant to top-notch French.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Fresh baquettes are bought daily for serving at Church & State.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

During lunch, specials are listed on a blackboard. There’s also a $21 fixed-price lunch.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Esnault gathers fresh ingredients from a garden behind the restaurant.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Fresh garlic and lemons in the kitchen.  (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

The restaurant is on the ground floor of what used to be a Nabisco factory.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

George Skorka is the sommelier at Church & State.  (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Church & State can seem more like a smoky bistro in Paris’ 11th than a restaurant two blocks from the L.A. River.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

A patio area is heated with lamps.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

Church & State is no longer a default restaurant if you can’t get in at Alma or Bestia.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)

The restaurant is in a part of downtown once known more for illicit commerce than for celebrated chefs.   (Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)