According to the OC Register business blog, David Wilhelm's Culinary Adventures group will turn the Burbank and Century City French 75 brasseries into an American cusine concept called Savannah. Wilhelm says: “I wasn’t comfortable with how French 75 was being perceived in the marketplace. It came across as way too formal and stuffy and that’s not the type of dining experience we want to offer.” Smart move. With brasseries from chefs like David Myers and Alain Giraud among others, there's not much room for the French 75 version, which often felt contrived and overpriced for mediocre food. Both the Burbank location (next to an Arnie Morton's Steakhouse) and the Century City spot opened in 2006, and according to the Register, both will become Savannah in February. The call we just made to the Burbank location leads us to believe otherwise. That, or Wilhelm hasn't told the staff about the change yet (oopsies!).
The original Savannah is in Laguna Nigel, and the website says it's a "contemporary American restaurant serving regional cooking with a Southern accent." The menu will be seasonal, organic and sustainable where it can be, with dishes like braised short ribs, wood-smoked prime rib, and "old-school" seafood Newburg. The lounge will have a small-plate menu. By the time he's done, Wilhelm will have turned several properties into the same concept.
· Wilhelm scrapping two Los Angeles French 75 eateries [OC Register]
