Bastide 3.0 To Reopen As Bookshop Bistro

Bastide is (almost) back and it's going bistro. The clean design that accompanied Walter Manzke's reign has been replaced by a library aesthetic which translates into Assouline books as decor with an overall tasteful and contemporary design approach. However, here's the catch. Those Assouline books are FOR SALE! Yup, Bastide is now hawking French art, history, and design books. Omg. Omg. Back to the design. Walls are painted brick red and pale grey with Warhol-inspired light fixtures, modern art, and stacked books galore. A handful of smaller rooms can be reserved for private events, think home library with a table inside. While Bastide has mostly completeld renovations, furniture is still being rearranged but will be ready for its lunch debut next month.

We were told chef Ludo Lefebvre tried to get back in as chef, but proprietor Joe Pytka didn't like what Ludo wanted to do with the restaurant so he got nixed. Just to clarify, we put out a rumor that Jerome Voltat might be next in line for chef, which was quickly confirmed by LA Weekly, though now we hear the next chef up might be a Joseph something. Anyway, more as it comes. Bastide was previously known for high end fine dining and while the restaurnt is now more casual, those looking for a refined dining experience will still be able to find it here. So, the restaurant probably won't be named Bastide Bistro, and we did spot an "A" on the exterior entrance where there was once a "B." What's the new name? Bastide Assouline? Oh, and looking on the bright side, if your date turns out to be a bore, at least you'll have decent reading material.
·Rumormongering [~ELA~]
·Bastide to Reopen in Mid-November, With Jerome Voltat Behind the Stoves [LAW]