Update: Anisette Brasserie Closes, For Good This Time

By Amy Scattergood Mon., Sep. 27 2010 at 12:19 PM

Categories: L.A. Restaurants

Anisette Brasserie

Alain Giraud outside Anisette

After a few days of mixed messages and not a little confusion, we can shut the door, literally, on news of Anisette Brasserie: the restaurant served its final meal Sunday night. "It was a good crowd. I was there all night," said chef-partner Alain Giraud this morning by cell phone. It was a purely economic decision, said Giraud, "I don't think it was the wrong concept." As for the confusion of last week, in which contradictory press releases announced the restaurant's closing, then opening, Giraud said it was an issue of miscommunication.

Giraud sounded tired and a little sad ("it's the first time I have a business closing"), but it's clear that, as they say, when one door closes another opens. Metaphorically and, in this case, literally, as Giraud says that he's already at work on a new project, about which we can expect to hear more in the next week or so. "Very cute, very small, blah blah blah," said Giraud. "Soon to open, and voila! I want to move on." So expect a message from the chef in your in-box, as Giraud will be doing his own PR on this one, even though, as he put it, "I can barely speak English." Which is not true of course, but it was pretty funny. Your French chef update to follow.