Petit Trois Le Valley: Ludo Lefebvre opens his latest French restaurant in Sherman Oaks

If you love nothing more than pulling up a bar chair and ordering an omelet at Petit Trois, Ludo Lefebvre’s tiny French bistro in Hollywood — imagine Paris crammed inside the world’s swankiest broom closet — then the news that Petit Trois Le Valley is now open should be cause for particular celebration. The restaurant, on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, opened today and is now open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. That sound you hear is the cheers of folks who don’t much love having to drive over Laurel Canyon for dinner.

The new restaurant is the fourth from Lefebvre and partners Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, joining Trois Mec, the first Petit Trois and Trois Familia (as well as two LudoBirds, their fried chicken spots), and it is by far the largest. With marble bars and countertops, checkered tile floors, mirrored walls and pale green banquettes, the new restaurant seats 49, with an additional 12 at the bar and more at the counter looking into the open kitchen.

“We always wanted to do a restaurant in the Valley,� said Lefebvre, who lives with his wife, Krissy, and their two young children so close to the new restaurant that he now bikes to work. “A lot of people live here, a lot of people grew up in the Valley.�

“Our hope is that we can bring the same vibe that we’re bringing on Melrose and Highland here, in a bigger setting, so we’re able to accommodate more people,� said Shook. “Family,� added Lefebvre, whose kids have already done prep shifts in his kitchen.

The second Petit Trois will have the same menu as the original restaurant, plus some new dishes, including a Niçoise salad, shrimp cocktail, confit duck leg, beans cassoulet and boeuf bourguignon, as well as a larger pastry program with profiteroles and soufflés. As for breakfast, look for croissants, quiche, ham and cheese waffles, eggs meurette — and an egg, ham and cheese sandwich called the Mec Muffin. Of course it is.

The larger footage of the new Petit Trois is allowing the chefs to expand more than just the menu. For starters, there are actual tables. There’s also a full bar with seating, reservations, a private dining room, outdoor dining (coming soon), a kids menu — and actual white tablecloths.

“We’re bringing back the whites,� said Shook, “which is something we’ve talked about since before Trois Mec. Tablecloths.�

“The walk-in is the size of Trois Mec,� said Krissy. The 4,000-square-foot location also includes the space next door, which will eventually house a marketplace for grab-and-go food, rotisserie chicken, a French bakery and even bonbons from the couple’s daughter Rêve.

“We get opportunities all over the country. But, Vinny included, we’re all active parents,� said Shook. “Doing a restaurant in New York seems dreadful right now, flying back and forth. Right now, there’s a lot of under-serviced neighborhoods in L.A. — like Sherman Oaks. That’s why we’re here. And it just so happens that Ludo lives half a block away, which is even cooler.�

“The kids are so excited. To take them to Petit Trois [in Hollywood],� said Krissy, “there’s no place for them to sit.�

Petit Trois Le Valley, open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., 13705 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, (818) 989-2600, valley.petittrois.com.