Melgard Public House Debuts Tomorrow

Phone: 818-288-4158
Status: Opens tomorrow
Welcome to Melgard Public House, set to soft open tomorrow night in the former Louise’s Trattoria space on the corner of Melrose and Gardner. Franck Alix, formerly of such fine dining establishments as Sona, Bastide, and Ortolan, and more recently the owner of Third Stop and 1739 Public House, heads the whole operation, which is a veritable experiment in keeping prices low and quality high. Instead of having ingredients delivered, the chef and his minions head to stores daily in search of the best food for the best deals. Perhaps that’s how they plan to offer items on their menu like Scallops with Cauliflower Puree and Truffle Oil or Salmon with White Wine Sauce, Capers, and Green Beans alongside traditional pub food like fish ’n’ chips, shepherd’s pie, burgers, and seven different pizzas for under $10 per plate. Then there’s the question of beer and wine.

The list of 24 beers will all be priced the same. So you can order a Pabst Blue Ribbon or Schlitz for the same amount as an imported Belgian beer - $6. Alix also has a vin de carafe program in the works. Simply put, inexpensive house wine, one white and one red, to be sold for $6 to $8 per 1/2 liter carafe. Unlike his previous fine dining establishments, Melgard offers three TVs, original urban art by local artist JoeX2 lining the walls (and the restrooms), and genuinely casual, pretension free décor. The space is coming along, but Saturday’s soft open will be very soft. As of now, they’ve got no official liquor license in hand, but they’re looking to receive it in a week or so.
Additional Reading: Melgard Public House Claims Louise's Trattoria, 12/15; Melgard Public House Opens Saturday, 1/13
Additional Photos: Eater LA Flickr Page
— Nicole Campoy-Leffler