Le Petite Rive (The Small Bank) Opens in Little River
—Posted Wednesday, December 5th, 2007 at 7:32 pm—
Hours: two seatings (5:30 pm and 8 pm) Thursday – Sunday
For reservations: 707-937-4945
Location: 7715 N. Highway 1, across from the Little River Inn
I’m reaching back, but long before Gerry and I moved to the Mendocino Coast (maybe as far back as 25 years), we came to love the Little River Restaurant, a tiny 6-8 table restaurant with two seatings next to the Little River Post Office. The chef/owner back then was Jamie Griffiths, the current chef-owner of 955 Ukiah in Mendocino Village. We liked everything about it — the food, quaintness, ambiance, price. It was one of our favorites. After Jamie, a number of owners have run restaurants there. I haven’t dined at Le Petite Rive, the latest iteration yet, but San Francisco Chronicle reader Kenny Yip from Berkeley raved about chef-owners Troy and Melanie Barrett’s five-course dinner. Open about a month, this is the first review I’ve seen. I’m interested to hear what others say. We’ll keep you updated.
4 Responses to “Le Petite Rive (The Small Bank) Opens in Little River”
Mendocino Outdoors, the premier guidebook for outdoor fun and adventure on the Mendocino Coast, has been completely expanded and revised for the 3rd Edition.
Recent Blog Posts
- Whales and First Day Hikes Start January 1
- Candlelight Inn Tours This Week
- Festival of Lights
- “Potluck” Ceramics Holiday Sale
- Santa’s Coming to Town
- Historic Walking Tours
- Mendocino Art Center’s Thanksgiving Arts & Crafts Fair, November 25 & 26
- Rock ‘n Roll Revue 3.5 from Nov 11-20, 2011
- Local Licks Live XVIII
- Open House for Larry Wagner’s New Book of Glamour Photography
Our dinner at La Petite Rive last Thursday was excellent in every respect, and we’ll look forward to returning. The atmosphere is relaxed and refined, with a splendid ocean view, and Troy and Melanie Barrett have created an imaginative Cal-Continental menu, with emphasis on local ingredients and wines. The all-Menocino wine list is priced extremely inexpensively. Because each main dish includes 5 courses (an amuse-bouche, soup, salad and palate cleanser in addition to the entrée) the prices ($17-29) represent a real bargain. Troy’s Cordon Blue training and attachment to the local Mendocino scene, and the Barretts’ warm hospitality give La Petite Rive a distinctive personality. Each dish was beautifully prepared. There are 2 seatings (5:30 & 8:00PM), and reservations are required.
[...] For Details on hours and location, view our earlier post. [...]
[...] For Details on hours and location, view our earlier post. [...]
One one-line commentator said his dinner at La Petite Rive was the best he’s ever had. “Ha. Internet hype,” I thought.
Until I ate at La Petite Rive.
Seriously, I had one of the best dinners I’ve ever had ANYWHERE right here, at this tiny unpretentious restaurant that is an absolute gem. I don’t do “bests” ’cause it’s kinda crude. But I do five stars and this place is a solid five-star experience. I have not had a better meal anywhere, including NYC, LA, SF, Chicago, Vegas.
The most bizarre thing about the place? The price. Two of us had a $40 bottle of Anderson Valley wine with our dinner. The total bill? $110. That’s not a typo. Eat this food and you’d gladly pay twice that much, not including the wine.