WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - The saying goes, there’s always a second stomach for dessert, and that’s how you have to think at Tesse.
Dessert is just as important as the main course in this West Hollywood restaurant. It's all because of Head Pastry Chef Sally Camacho Mueller. She dominates the pastry world and worked with her chef and partner Raphael Francois to create a full dining experience.
"Here, there is an actual stage for it because that’s just the way Raphael and I both think. The meal should be from beginning to end and end on a sweet note," said Camacho Mueller.
Chef Camacho always had a love for pastry. She began baking with her mom at the age of three and when she was old enough, seriously pursued it as a career. After years of experience in fine dining restaurants, she felt it was finally time to create a menu where dessert wasn’t the afterthought.
"A lot of times you are left with an experience of amazing dinner and you get to the dessert and it’s not really thought out. It was just something created by someone to have one or two dessert items on a menu," said Camacho Mueller.
These desserts are a perfect addition to the more casual concept Chefs Camacho Mueller and Francois curated.
The restaurant's name, 'Tesse' is short for 'delicetesse,' which is a colloquial term in France for charcuterie. This is exactly what they serve. The dinner menu is rustic, simple and French, an ode to Francois’s childhood.
"It's family-style food inspired by my grandparents," said Francois.
He also learned to cook at a young age in France. He knew he would spend his life making food.
"It’s like dripping in your veins. It’s a part of you," he said.
At Tesse, the French cuisine may look different than what we are used to. He is creating homemade dishes that go straight to the point.
"French food is known as steak and frites. It’s not just that. In France, we have way more different dishes that American people might not know," said Francois.
He says French food doesn’t have to be fancy, but can be hearty and casual. You will find this at Tesse, along with the dessert that you won’t forget about.
Tesse
8500 Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069