CADET (SANTA MONICA, CA)

Cadet
2518 Wilshire Blvd
Santa Monica, CA 90403
www.cadetsm.com
Tel: 310.828.3300
$$ ($15-$30)
Cuisine: French
Sun, 08/30/2015, 11:00am walk-in
    (3.5 Piglets)

It was 11:00 am on a Sunday morning and I was dying for some food. A late night of cooking a French/Italian-themed dinner party had me craving for something delicious and staying within the realms of something French. Cadet is one of those restaurants that seemed to offer what I was looking for. I drove by the restaurant multiple times and always wondered what it was like and here was my opportunity to seize it.

Cadet seems to be a casual, yet trendy restaurant in Santa Monica. Exposed brick acts as a decor on the wall and if you look closely enough, there are remnants of elephant wallpaper acting as crown molding. The back patio is fairly spacious, romantic and can get you sweating on a hot summer day.

Kris Tominaga who had stints at the Hart and the Hunter is hired as chef for the restaurant. The biscuits at the Hart and the Hunter are probably one of the best in town, but essentially the Cadet biscuits fall short of being a 'major.' I guess when you have a taste of something already pretty darn good, it's hard to not compare the two, especially if the chef comes from the same restaurant. 

As I'm sitting and waiting for my food, behind is the loudest group of people on the planet. I had to nearly shout to get my conversation across to my friend. All the way at the end of the bar, I could hear the conversation going on with their party. Either the people who dine at this restaurant are really loud or the place just echoes of voices. 

Interior

Another section of the interior

Back patio

The menu and silverware

FOUR BARREL COFFEE ($3.50): A nice, strong coffee to start the morning. 

MY FAVORITE DISH. CREAM BISCUITS ($6.00): These little bad boys were piping hot. The cream complemented the biscuit with the tangy blackberry jam. The biscuit itself was sweet, buttery with a crisp exterior and a soft interior. Although its not nearly as good as the Hart and the Hunter biscuits, I believe its the best item on the menu. 

The interior of the biscuit with all the trimmings

WOOD GRILLED BAVETTE STEAK AND EGGS ($20.00): Watercress, Tomato, Herb Vinaigrette. The steak was ordered to a medium-rare and it was definitely cooked to a medium-well...which was quite unfortunate. The chimichurri sauce that came with the steak was decent, but wasn't my favorite. I enjoyed the watercress salad to give a freshness to the already hearty dish. The eggs were at least cooked perfectly. 

DUTCH PANCAKE ($15.00): Berries, Lemon, Honey, Creme Fraiche. I appreciated this dish, but it wasn't amazing in my opinion. It was sweet and the pancake was cooked perfectly, but I felt the dish was missing something. I liked the creaminess from the creme fraiche and the peaches were a little on the crunchier end. I enjoyed the presentation and the thyme was a nice touch. I think it's still worth a try.

RICOTTA CAKE AND BLACKBERRIES ($8.00): Mint Ice Cream, Cocoa Nib Nougatine. So all the ingredients were pretty good, but together, I wasn't a fan. They used the real mint ice cream that is similar to the Sweet Rose Creamery fresh mint ice cream. The ricotta cake was soft and moist. The blackberries gave an acidic factor and the nougatine a bit of crunch. It just simply wasn't a cohesive dish all together. I think the mint ice cream overpowered the dish. 

Overall, Cadet is a decent place to get some brunch on the Westside if you're looking for a place that isn't overwhelming with brunch options. The menu is simple and pretty straight forward. I wouldn't say the restaurant is French per se, but I would say they at least attempt to do so. Trendy...yes! Decor...pretty darn cute! The food...it'll do. 


Notable dishes: Cream Biscuits