classic

Steak au poivre is a bistro classic that’s as timeless as French fries or a certain Gruyère-topped onion soup. Its intense, savory flavors strike a balance of richness and heat — the ideal comforting and hearty bite on a crisp fall evening. But across Los Angeles, the peppery dish is getting a second life and its bold flavors are spicing up everything from burgers to ice cream and cocktails. And, of course, its signature sauce is still being poured over plenty of steaks too.

“Au poivre is a flavor people already know and love. It feels classic and a little indulgent, and right now people want food that’s comforting and familiar,” says chef Patrick Costa, who recently added an au poivre cheeseburger at his new restaurant Sous Sous in Silver Lake. “It’s the steakhouse nostalgia people are craving, but approachable, with no white tablecloth required.”

At Compass Rose, a cafe and bar in West Adams, beverage director Danny Rubenstein crafted a cocktail that celebrates France with au poivre flavors. “I found it a fun challenge to try to turn a creamy au poivre sauce into a cocktail,” he says. “The pepper infusion plays nicely with all the flavors, and it’s an unexpected pairing that doesn’t clash. We also sneak a little bit of lactic acid into the cocktail to mimic a creamier, rounder mouthfeel.”

While steak au poivre likely originated in 19th-century late-night bistros in Normandy, France, various Parisian restaurants have laid claim to its invention dating back to the 1920s. The classic recipe was introduced to American audiences in 1961, when Julia Child featured it in her “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” cookbook, and the dish quickly became standard on steakhouse menus. Hand-crushed peppercorns are pressed directly into a cut of boneless beef to form a flavorful crust, and then the dish is finished with a silky, rich sauce made with more peppercorns, a reduction of cognac, heavy cream, beef stock, Dijon mustard and various aromatics like shallots or thyme. It’s spicy, savory, creamy and comforting all at once.

Around L.A. lately, French bistros happen to be exploding. Over the past year, we’ve seen revamps of classics like the 40-year-old Mistral in Sherman Oaks and a menu update at Pasjoli in Santa Monica, plus debuts like Mar Vista’s Electric Bleu, Sous Sous in Silver Lake and Pico-Robertson’s Marée, all of which play around with traditional French techniques and flavors while pulling local and global influences.

Here are 12 of the most notable au poivre dishes around L.A. right now, including a few creative, non-steak items:

Ali: The stakes are high for both contenders, yet I wonder how many Angelenos will be watching.

It’s surprising the number of otherwise politically aware folks who had no idea the debate was taking place tonight until I mentioned it. Then they were irked to find it airing on network TV: “Who still has cable?!” Apparently, venturing onto Telemundo or NBC’s live feed is a bridge too far. But it shouldn’t be.

Raman is still a mystery to many, even though she’s polling ahead. Tonight, she needs to definitively show who she is beyond The Candidate Who Is Not Karen Bass. Bass has to defend her record, of course, but also contend with the electorate’s insatiable need for change — even if they know very little about what that change may bring.

As for the rest of us? Tune in! The future of L.A. requires your attention.

Lopez: Picking up on Gustavo’s framing of the debate as Round 3, we’re talking about two pugilists who used to fight for the same club, more or less, and now enter the ring looking to take each other out. So it’s personal, and could indeed get nasty.

Raman’s job in the debate is a little easier, in some ways. Though I don’t put much stock in polls, she’s ahead on points by virtue of Bass’ high negative rating alone. And yet, think of the pressure on Raman to seal the deal.

If the challenger doesn’t prevail tonight and go on to win the election next month, she could be setting herself up for a lonely political future, having alienated more than a few former allies in her quest to evict the mayor from City Hall.

For Bass, the stakes are just as high. A 21-year political career is on the line.

I hope that along with the punches and counter-punches, we get some inspiration, too, and a workable game plan for making a great but troubled city a better place to call home, even if the Dodgers end up breaking our hearts.

Arellano: Will the Third Bass-Raman debate be a classic — or a dud?

Ali-Frazier. Morales-Barrera. Liddell-Couture. Trilogies are hallowed in the worlds of boxing and mixed-martial arts as case studies of evenly matched rivals to wallop each other in the first two matches, creating the setting for a final showdown and chance at eternal bragging rights — and usually, a title.

Will tonight’s bout between L.A. mayoral candidates Karen Bass and Nithya Raman, scheduled to air at 7 p.m. on KNBC, rise to those rarified levels?

The makings of a classic are there. Bass was the wily incumbent during her primary face-off with Raman who let fellow mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt land most of the attacks against their shared opponent. That left Raman uttering loopy word salads when she wasn’t crying conspiracy between the two. But the council member nevertheless made it into the general election against Bass, and dominated their second debate, hosted in August by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn.

All of a sudden, Bass was a staggering champion lunging at a revived Raman, who swung and stung and ducked the way only a hungry up-and-comer can.

The two go into their rubber match each promoting polls that they claim show voters back them, while letting proxies launch attack ads that promise to get uglier and more ubiquitous as Election Day nears. Expect Bass at tonight’s debate to try and assert her dominance early with equal part offense against Raman and defense of her record. Expect Raman, whom City Hall opponents have long trashed as conflict-averse, to focus on a message of possibility and positivity while holding her ground and striking back — and hard — when necessary.

Will tonight cement the Bass-Raman trilogy as an electoral classic — or end it on a deflating note? One thing’s for sure: the two need to leave everything on the debate stage if either wants to win and get that much closer to become L.A.’s Madam Mayor.

OSCAR-WINNER Eva Marie Saint has died at 102.

The American actress died at her LA home on Tuesday, her family confirmed.

Eva Marie was the oldest living Oscar winner.

In 1955, the star scooped up an Academy Award for her big screen debut playing opposite Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront.

The New York Times wrote in its review that “amid scenes of carnage, she gives tenderness and sensitivity to genuine romance”.

She starred in North by Northwest as a seductive blonde spy in 1959.

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