Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/928625
3 6 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t THE MAZE-LIKE SHOPPING plazas of Southern California are not known for fine dining. Getting an authentic taco or skillfully-cooked burger is hard enough, let alone a three-course meal made from farm- sourced ingredients. But happy exceptions can fortunately be found amongst the more lackluster fare. The standardized façade of Moody Rooster, located in the upscale Los Angeles suburb of Westlake Village, is deceptively bland. Open the glass door, however, and you'll enter a unique modern-California bistro that's one of the brightest dining spots in an area chockablock with cookie- cutter franchises and chains. As for the restaurant's namesake, Co-Owner Vicki Crannell jests that her husband, Chef Collin Crannell, served as inspiration. "He's shaped just like a rooster—barrel-chested and with skinny legs," Vicki continues jokingly. "And he was born in the Year of the Rooster." The couple had originally planned to call their new venture G. Lou's for their children, "G." (Griffin, 18) and "Lou" (Leila, 10), but when they signed the lease, they discovered the Year of the Rooster had come around yet again and took it as "a sign," Vicki says. Chef Crannell—who left his position as longtime Head Chef at Santa Monica's The Lobster last year to open Moody Rooster—has a well-rounded resumé with stints in some of SoCal's best restaurants. He also spent a year in Paris ("That was a long time ago," says the modest chef), where he worked at celebrated Basque- influenced Left Bank bistro La Bastide Odéon and cooked under Michelin-starred chef Michel Ros- tang despite speaking little French. "I'm terrible at languages," Chef Crannell admits, "but in the kitchen, I understood stuff." SURPRISE FINDS Something to Crow About NEW CHEF-DRIVEN BISTRO MOODY ROOSTER UPS THE ANTE FOR DINING IN THE LAND OF SHOPPING PLAZAS story and photos by David Gadd Yellowfin tuna tartare with cilantro aioli at Moody Rooster in Westlake Village, CA. Spanish octopus with shishito peppers and chickpeas in a yellow tomato purée. n m