Chef Ari Taymor got LA’s attention when he opened Alma as a pop-up restaurant in Venice. Since that time, he worked at The Standard in Hollywood and later created another pop-up featuring all things brunch in Santa Monica which has become Little Prince. It is named after the children’s book.
Due to the number of popular businesses on Main Street, finding a place to park is rather challenging. Fortunately, we found metered parking in a lot near the restaurant. Despite having reservations at Little Prince, we had to wait a few minutes before we were seated.
I learned about the importance of restaurants serving great bread from reading the late Anthony Bourdain. Seeing Clark Street bread on Little Prince’s menu, I felt compelled to order the Grilled Clark Street Sourdough since it comes from a well-known bakery.
The bread was nicely charred and it included cultured butter and strawberry marmalade. I spread some of the soft butter on the bread and it was heavenly. The bread had a slightly smoky flavor and the butter was extremely creamy. I usually hold back on eating bread, but it was so good, I kept eating it.
On the menu it was listed as “Herb Salad” and I discovered that it was primarily fresh arugula with a slice of parmesan cheese, and fennel tossed in a light vinaigrette. This is a nice starter and a nice palate cleanser.
When I saw Anson Mills grits on the menu, I felt compelled to order it. The dish came with a fried egg on top of a bed of grits. Underneath was a good portion of tender brisket that tasted like it has been smoked for many hours. The grits, however, take center stage. They are made from heirloom corn which has a naturally sweet taste and is extremely creamy. There is no need to add butter or cheese.
The other entree we selected was the baked eggs, smoked cauliflower, chermoula (an Algerian relish) with the optional North African sausage, merguez. The chermoula gave the dish a slightly earthy taste and the grilled flatbread added a slight bitter nature.
For beverages, we enjoyed an adult horchata and a mezcal sour. Both drinks were outstanding. They also serve rotating wines and beers. A limited number of beers are available on tap.
Leveraging their wood-burning oven, Little Prince recently debuted Sunday Night Pizza. On Sundays, they feature a small menu of market-inspired wood-fired pizzas with revolving specials and some house classics like their merguez meatballs. Pizza service begins at 5:30 p.m. until they run out of pies.
Little Prince, 2424 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90405; 310.356.0725
littleprince.la