La Petite Maison is a one story eatery on Roswell Road, between Mount Vernon and Abernathy, found on the left hand side of  the road while driving north. It’s a place that has been on my  radar for a while. La Petite Maison is right next door to Clay’s Sports Cafe. Clay’s Sports Cafe is nearly impossible to see, but La Petite Maison can be seen from a distance (separate building and all). I’ve been driving by this eatery for a while.

Deal is, I’ve been getting out at 3pm to go looking for food. La Petite Maison has classic lunch, then dinner hours so when I’ve been interested, La Petite Maison has been closed. This day I was out around lunch, looking for another restaurant, and was running by here when I realized that La Petite was on my short list. Hence, step inside.

It’s graceful inside. The tables are cloth covered, there are flowers on the tables, and nice wood on the chairs. Booths are available. A small functional bar is on one side. There is covered outside seating, seating that would come in handy during the spring and fall. Staff is small but excellent, really excellent.

I had three things this day. I had a soup special, a lobster bisque, a ratatouille, and what I thought was a salmon salad – I’m not sure that order came through the way I wanted. It might be a salmon entrée and a salad. I’ll post the picture. You can decide for yourself.

The lobster bisque featured a sprinkling of lobster and a lot of that dark brown soup. I liked it, plenty of flavor. The ratatouille was sweeter than I expected, but really did fill a need I have. I can’t get enough vegetables in my diet. Finally, seeing the salmon plate was a Zen moment. Yes, the plate looked that good!

You sit, look at this and wonder. Yügen comes to mind. Japanese chefs cutting their arms off to attend French schools and  learn how to cook French come to mind. It’s pan Asian, this worship of things French – think Bakery Cafe Maum and Cafe Mozart and how two disparate cultures all zone in on the idea of aesthetics in food, how if this plate of food were served to you in Bishoku, say, you wouldn’t blink an eye.

I don’t have many moments like these.

Service wasn’t just good, it was excellent. To note, it’s a tad pricey for a salary man’s lunch. Most of the men here wore ties, about half were in full suits. I was probably the most dressed down male in the eatery. The toughest guy in the place spoke French and after his meal, stepped behind the bar. Bartender, maybe? Wouldn’t be surprised.

I didn’t find this place pretentious. It serves sandwiches. It has plenty of good salads, with an emphasis on seafood plus greens. There are entrees, in the 14 to 19 dollar range. Sandwiches are closer to 10 than 5. And the pace is casual. This isn’t a spot for the 30 minute lunch.

Verdict: Graceful, not pretentious. Really good food. Superb staff. Highly recommended.

La Petite Maison
6510 Roswell Road
Sandy Springs, GA 30328

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