One block east of La Brea Boulevard, you’ll find a burgeoning block with French-inspired restaurants and storefront boutiques on the corner of Sycamore and Willoughby.

Squeezed between production warehouses, casting bungalows, photography studios, and Mission Revival-style homes, are a number of cute restaurants.

Gigi’s

Gigi’s is a local French-bistro themed restaurant that recently opened, catering to the local creatives in need of a stiff drink (without the grimy glitz of Hollywood Blvd).

Owner and New York restauranteur Alexander Wilmot recruited Chef Matt Bollinger to create a menu that is a melange of traditional American bar food with French touches, like smoked trout rillettes, steak tartare, chicken liver mousse and country paté with baguette and homemade salted butter. Sophisticated cocktails highlight French spirits, such as cognac, French agricole rum, and Royal Combier liqueur.

Sightglass Marketplace and Roastery

Originally intended to become an expanded restaurant, it re-organized its space to become an artisanal neighborhood corner deli and market.

You can browse fresh pastries from culinary director Brett Cooper and pastry chef Jillian Bartolome, fresh charcuterie selections, a refrigerated selection of meats and dairy, grocery items, cold regional beers and wine, as well as fresh flowers, gifts, and local produce.

Tartine

A luxury bakery known for its fresh ingredients, expert presentation, and world-inspired creations. I stopped by for a chai latte, which was surprisingly delicious. Using a wood fired brick oven, Chad Robertson baked bread and Elisabeth Prueitt created rustic, elegant pastries using many of the techniques they had learned abroad.