BELL’S
ADDRESS: 406 Bell Street, Los Alamos, CA 93440
WEBSITE: https://www.bellsrestaurant.com/
On my way back down from my trip to northern California, I planned out a stop through the town of Los Alamos in the Santa Ynez Valley. My friend Jessica had recommended for me to check out a French restaurant called Bell’s, which also had the distinction of being awarded 1 Michelin Star back in 2021 and retaining it each year since then. When she initially told me about the spot and their Michelin Star, I was very surprised, since the restaurant was seemingly tucked away in a smaller town. My intrigue gave me even more reason to make the stop in to check it out myself.
Given that I was stopping by during the holiday season, I didn’t know if the place was going to be more packed than usual for their lunch service. I hadn’t been able to make a reservation, but I decided to chance it anyways. Luckily for me, there was a good amount of seating available (both indoor and outdoor in the back); the host ended up seating me right up at the counter, where I had a great view of the kitchen (not to mention the aromas of the food getting prepared).
Apparently, their menu is something that is subject to change daily, with a few staple dishes that seem to have staying power and others rotating out, based on what ingredients are seasonal and locally fresh. There were a few things that had stood out to me from their lunch menu that day, including the Steak Frites or their Cubano sandwich. When my waiter Chris came around, I asked him for any particular recommendations. He also mentioned the Cubano, but then also said the Chicken Paillard was also a solid dish if I was more on the hungry side as well. The sales pitch convinced me, as I went with the Chicken Paillard paired with an order of fries.
Inside the restaurant, there were certainly a number of décor elements that gave the place a historic feel, including the square ceiling tiles, checker-pattern flooring, and painted brick walls. It certainly fit in with the “historic American town” feel of Los Alamos as a whole that I got, even just walking to the restaurant. In addition to the indoor dining area, there was a nice space set up out back as well, with a number of two- and four-person tables set up with heat lamps in the open space.
The dishes were really making their way out of the kitchen at a pretty rapid pace, and I had a front row seat to witness the action. It was about ten minutes after I ordered that I spotted my Chicken Paillard and fries getting put together; sure enough, it was a quick 180 degree turn for one of the other waitstaff to deliver the food out to me. The presentation of the Chicken Paillard was great, with the pan-cooked chicken breast right in the middle, topped with sautéed vegetables. There was a pool of pan sauce around the chicken, and everything was finished with a garnish of parsley. From a visual perspective, I really liked the white plate contrasting with all of the colors of the various ingredients.
The chicken breast was cooked perfectly, moist on the inside and well-seasoned with salt and pepper on the outside. The sautéed vegetable medley of mushrooms, onions, and winter greens were complemented well with the persimmon, which provided slightly sweet notes to cut the hearty savory flavor from the pan sauce. It was definitely quite a bit of food for one plate, but I had a larger appetite than normal that day since I had skipped breakfast, so it wasn’t a problem for me.
Those fries were not to be slept on either, though. They ended up being the perfect complement to the chicken. After they came out of the fryer, the fries got tossed with some salt and parsley, and also had a hint of truffle oil flavor as well. They were served with a garlic aioli dipping sauce, but were also great if you dipped them into the pan sauce of the chicken. Either way you chose to enjoy the fries, they were nice and crispy on the outside, while still remaining soft on the inside.
It was a little out of my way to take this stop into Los Alamos on my way back down from northern California, but I’m certainly glad that I did. The food was excellent, with standout flavors and fresh ingredients really being the stars of the show. The service that was also provided by my waiter Chris was excellent, as he was very personable and stopped by to chat several times as I was eating to make sure that I had everything that I needed. Just from my overall experience, it was easy to see why Bell’s has its 1 Michelin Star. If you’re on a roadtrip and can plan a route to take you through Los Alamos and stop by Bell’s, don’t think twice and just go for it.
Let’s now take a look at the Bell’s Dish Spotlight. Asterisks (*) below mark my recommended dishes.
** Chicken Paillard **
Pan-cooked chicken breast topped with mushrooms, winter greens, onions, and persimmon sautéed with brown butter.
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** Fries **
Tossed with salt, parsley, and truffle oil. Served with garlic aioli.
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And finally, here are my rankings for Bell’s:
Food: 5 / 5
Both the Chicken Paillard and the fries turned out to be great options, and a great combination for a lunch meal. The flavors were fantastic and had a lot of depth, and the quality of the ingredients was great. I thoroughly enjoyed trying out a new French dish that helped expand my horizons a little bit as well.
Atmosphere: 4.75 / 5
I appreciate the décor that pays homage to the building’s historic roots while also feeling like a cozy space to enjoy a meal at the same time. The combination of table seating as well as up at the counter was a nice arrangement to provide different options as well.
Service: 5 / 5
Shoutout to my waiter Chris, who was very personable and friendly to chat with. He helped make a great recommendation on the Chicken Paillard, which was excellent. He also stopped by several times to check in and see if there was anything else I needed for my meal.
Price: 4.75 / 5
With my chicken and fries coming in at $31, even though it was more on the expensive side for lunch, I thought it was definitely worth it. The quality of the food, both in ingredients and flavors, was top-notch. The service was also fantastic as well.
Overall:
19.5 / 20
(98%)
Categories: California, Restaurants
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