Did you know? Taix French Restaurant, the oldest family owned and operated French country restaurant in Los Angeles.
The Taix Family, pronounced âtexâ are third and fourth generations sheepherders and bakers from the âHautes-Alpesâ in southeastern France who immigrated to Los Angeles around 1870. In 1912 Marius Taix Sr. built a hotel called the Champ dâOr in downtown Los Angelesâ French Quarter, located kind of where the new Metro Gold Line turns off towards East LA, and just north of the Downtownâs Arts District. Later, son Marius Taix Jr. opened Taixâ first French restaurant inside the Champ dâOr serving chicken dinners for 50 cents at long âfamily-styleâ tables with select diners choosing private booth service for an extra quarter. What a deal!Â
In 1962, Taix moved to Echo Park, and was owned and operated by Raymond and Pierre Taix, sons of Marius Taix Jr., remaining true to its French roots while experimenting from time to time with continental-themed menus. Passed down again in the 1980s to Michael Taix, son of Raymond, who began contributing to the management of the restaurant, and through time, became the owner-operator.
Continental was good, but Michael Taix wouldnât have it. He ended up bringing Taix back to its original French roots, most recently, teaming up with French Chef Laurent Quenioux, aka âLQ,â founder of 7th Street Bistro, and a great influence on the L.A. French scene in the 1980s. Together they fine-tuned dishes making micro-improvements and kept up the family tradition staying loyal to the novel food, unique service, and affordable prices that have made Taix Restaurant a Los Angeles institution.
âPeople say they donât want change, but deep down inside they always appreciate something new thatâs still presented in an old school manner,â said Michael Taix. âOf late, Iâve worked hard to bring back traditional, old country French cuisine–lots of classic game fare such as beef tongue, oxtail, and lamb shanks. In fact, we were one of the first in town to serve short ribs in 1980. I call it âimperceptible change,â where even the most frequent patron wouldnât notice a difference, but the change is in there just enough to keep them coming back for more.â
This is what neighborhoods are made of:
And we do come back for more, as loyal customers who relish in tradition, as a new hipster crowd that wonât miss the 5 p.m happy hour, as generation Xers who stay for the late-night menu, or those who have served as staff members, some of which have worked at Taix for over 50 years.
Better than anything weâve seen thus far, Taix has decided to share the celebration on Sunday, October 8th, from 4 p.m .to 8 p.m., with customers, old and new, with 90-cent âTaixâ Roast Chicken Dinner Specials. The menu for the eveningâs anniversary hours will be limited to 90-cent dishes, including soup de jour, salad and the âTaixâ Roast Chicken with au jusâa classic French country chicken dinner introduced by Marius Taix Jr. in 1927. Thereâs also a full-service bar available; reservations will not be accepted and diners will be seated on a first come, first serve basis. Taix Restaurant is located at 1911 W. Sunset Blvd, LA CA 90026.TAIXFRENCH.COM
