The art of dining is alive and well at Bistro LQ. When was the last time you hunkered down for a nine course tasting menu paired with exceptional wine enjoyed over several hours? Sure, people are broke and times are tight, but, sometimes you just need to let it rip with a chef’s tasting menu indulged in with luxurious leisure. When that mood strikes, Bistro LQ is the place to be. With his constantly morphing menu dedicated to the freshest and most seasonal local ingredients, chef, owner and Frenchman (you know how the French roll) Laurent Quenioux invites you to sit back, relax and prepare for a party in your mouth.

Taking over the old Mimosa space on Beverly, the restaurants' walls have been painted a stark white, accented by a rotation of abstract modern art supplied by a local artist (it’s all about keeping it close to home at Bistro LQ, from the produce to the décor), and the mood is decidedly hipper. The menu, a hybrid of classic techniques infused with California’s reverence for ingredients is occasionally for the adventurous, like his lamb composition which includes a roasted chop, sautéed kidney and sweetbreads, poached tongue and shoulder confit, while other items, like the hangar steak with glazed carrots and sunchoke puree, are just straight forward and delicious. Quenioux’s tasting menus ($55-85) can be six or nine courses, are also available for vegetarians. On Friday and Saturday, a five course dessert tasting will send you into glorious diabetic shock.

The wine and beer list has been carefully selected by Wine Director Gregg Greenbaum to highlight the food. Greenbaum has selected a complex list of "a revolving array of often neglected and misunderstood viticulture and varietals, as well as a few unusual suspects" to encourage patrons to discover new wines at reasonable prices (bottles range from $28 to $120). Additionally, one can order 2.5 ounce tastings for $4, another affordable way to sample the possibilities. Bistro LQ is located in West Hollywood at 8009 Beverly Blvd. Call (323) 951-1088 for reservations, or make them online.

Get Wize: To complete the LQ experience, diners are sent home with a small goodie bag of treats to enjoy once they’re digested their six or nine courses. Nothing says “Come back and see us again soon” quite like a few petite, melt in your mouth truffles and homemade, light as air marshmallows. It puts those stale, red-swirled mints your grandma used to stuff in her purse to shame.