Petit pursuits

LUDO LEFEBVRE, Petit Trois

WORK • Thursday Routine

LUDO LEFEBVRE • chef • Petit Trois
Neighborhood you live in: Encino

It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace? 
I get up at 5:30 a.m. every morning. First, I let my dog Jedi out in the garden, and pick up the New York Times while the coffee brews. I write a gratitude list and meditate. I wake up my wife and kids and make them breakfast — usually burritos, smoothies, and store-bought croissants. Then I start working, answer emails, and prepare a to-do list for the day. My wife uses the office in our house, so I work from our dining room, surrounded by more than 2000 cookbooks.

What’s on the agenda for today? 
In the late morning, I go to either L’Original Petit Trois or Petit Trois Le Valley. We work on recipe development and specials for the day. Then I check on my staff, make sure they’re okay. I stay through lunch, cook with my staff, and greet my customers. Then I dedicate time to working on my new project in Brentwood, an elegant restaurant inspired by Nicoise food. I stay at the restaurant for the beginning of dinner service and try to get home around 8 p.m. to see my family. 

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
My kids Luca and Rêve love it when we take them to The Brothers Sushi in Woodland Hills, and Katsu-Ya in Studio City. 

How about a little leisure or culture?
Most weekends we travel for my kids’ hockey competitions: Boston, Minneapolis, Chicago, Dallas, Vancouver… It allows me to try new restaurants, and I’m introducing them to Asian food. I wasn’t introduced to different food cultures when I was growing up in France, and I want to open their minds. 

Any weekend getaways? 
We travel often to Mammoth and Colorado because we ski a lot as a family. I have a restaurant in Denver called Chez Maggy, and I love going to see rodeos when I’m there. Next year I would love to go to Jackson Hole in the winter and Yellowstone in the summer. 

What was your last great vacation? 
It’s not because I’m French, but my last great vacation was in Saint-Malo in Brittany. The weather was amazing, we rented an old house on the beach, and we ate mussels and crepes every day. I highly recommend the restaurant Breizh Café and a visit to the Bordier butter shop, as well as windsurfing and the Mont-Saint-Michel.