Epicurean: CommeCa

July 3rd was our second wedding anniversary. FT and I spent the day together (obvy) and as usual, tried to do too many things at once. LACMA was shoved to the side in favor of a nap, and the Fairfax Corridor exploration was saved for another day.

But for dinner, reservations had been booked for weeks. I had been looking forward to checking out CommeCa ever since it opened, and couldn't wait to celebrate our anniversary with a wonderful dinner. FT wore jeans and a button down and I busted out the little black dress I had worn at our rehearsal dinner. We were running late (again, as usual) and decided to spring for the valet. I know that end of Melrose can be pricey, but $8? Seriously? That's just ridiculous!

When we walked into the restaurant, the first thing I noticed was how loud it was. I had heard this mentioned in reviews when they first opened, but I had been under the impression it was something they had worked on. (How, I don't know, but I was optimistic.) We ordered a carafe of red wine and the oysters to start, much like we had on our honeymoon. The oyster appetizer came with three different types (don't ask me what they were, I don't remember) and the first set was not so good. Luckily, the other two types were delicious. The bread and butter each table receives was yummy (trust me, some restaurants can even screw up the simple things) and the wine was quite good.

For our entrees, FT ordered the steak frites special and I finally decided on the morel mushroom risotto. While we waited for them to arrive, I checked out the cheese bar and our various dinner companions. It was your usual LA crowd, and I wasn't surprised that we seemed to be almost overdressed compared to the rest of the room. When our entrees arrived, I was dismayed to see that FT's frites were overdone. I tried a taste of his steak, and for all its "28-day aged"-ness, it wasn't worth the price. My risotto was good, but not spectacular.

By this time, the noise level was really getting to me. I tried to ignore it and enjoy FT's company, but it was kind of hard to do when I had to keep asking him to repeat what he had said and then shout my replies. Nonetheless, I can't leave a restaurant without trying their desserts, so we ordered the profiteroles (a personal favorite from my Paris days) and the chocolate cake, both of which were excellent. Thank goodness.

I think if I were to go back, it would only be for dessert and maybe a glass of wine. I didn't find the food equal to its price, and I really can't stress enough how annoying the noise was. But I liked the look of the place and would enjoy bellying up to the cheese bar to see what it's all about.