Lou, The French on the Block Brings Paris-Style Café to Burbank

The three-block stretch of Riverside Drive east of Pass Avenue is teeming with restaurants that all jockey for business from thousands of nearby studio and office workers. Lou, The French on the Block is part of the culinary fray right on the Toluca Lake border, and it deserves more attention than many of the area’s higher profile neighbors.

French-born chef Laurent “Lou” Correa played professional basketball back home before switching to a career in food. In 2016 he and wife Karima opened their tiny French cafe with just four umbrella-shaded sidewalk tables. They bake a number of French-style pastries and even make baguettes for grab-and-go sandwiches.

Baguette sandwiches star key ingredients like tuna salad, French brie, roasted chicken breast and herb-roasted turkey. I’d suggest starting with silky, wild-caught smoked salmon, creamy Boursin cheese, sliced cucumbers and lemon juice.

Their chocolate croissant is a well-balanced winner, piped with twin chocolate batons. If you arrive early they also have chocolate almond croissants, but they were sold out by the time I arrived at noon. Apple tarts, chocolate eclairs and choquettes pairing airy choux pastry with crunchy pearl sugar are also popular.

Visitors can always just grab a coffee or tea and sit at a sidewalk table to watch the Burbank bustle. Can’t make it to that neighborhood? Head to the Studio City Farmers Market, where Lou has a booth every Sunday.

4007 W. Riverside Dr., Burbank, 747-238-8710