You had me at hello.

Tesse is a new Hollywood starlet that will definitely achieve stardom.

Located in the taste free real estate zone on the Sunset Strip, Tess has upped the food game and is a compelling destination.

In the 80’s, the Sunset Strip was a culinary and rock ‘n roll thoroughfare with foodies and wanna be’s flocking to the original Spago, Scandia and Le Dome along with The Roxy and The Whiskey.

In the past several years there has been progress with Night + Market, Eveleigh and Sushi Park holding court on the Strip.

Through the ashes of bad meals and unappealing retail emerges Segal World, which is now dominated by Fred Segal’s very attractive flagship Sunset store (worldwide rights to the Fred Segal name were bought by the New York company Sandow Media in 2012 and none of the subsequent retail projects are affiliated with the two original, ivy-clad Fred Segal centers.) along with the NY based boutique boxing gym, Rumble, the wine shop, Boutellier, and the culinary gem, Tesse.

Tesse is not only geographically desirable for the food and shopping followers, but, additionally, it has a built in clientele with the neighboring AKA, the high-end extended stay lodgings all interconnected.

Tesse, short for delicatesse (french for delicacy), is the brain child of the crown prince of successful restaurants, Bill Chiat (Bestia, Republique, The Rose, Otium)  who partnered with wine expert Jordan Ogron, who helped open Bestia along with master mixologist, Julian Cox.

Chait was first approached by CAA, an investor in Fred Segal through Evolution Media Partners, to create a restaurant next to the flagship Sunset Boulevard boutique.

Chiat joined creative forces with talented chef, Raphael Francois, who worked at multiple Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe (Connaught) along with top restaurants in D.C. and New York (Le Cirque).

Filipino chef and LA-native Sally Camacho Mueller formerly of WP24 and Hotel Bel Air, is in charge of the exquisite desserts.

The staff is incredibly well trained and just oozes genuine hospitality.

The hostess that greeted us last Saturday night exuded charm and actually seemed to care that we were dinning at Tesse. It is unusual to be welcomed by a demurely dressed host who isn’t auditioning for a part or looking for a husband.

We had a reservation, but opted in early and secured a spot at the bar which we ended up perching at for the duration of the memorable meal.

Matthew, the congenial and efficient bartender, was gracious and showed me that men can actually multitask…he carried on an intelligent conversation, offering recommendations while shaking his booty, preparing dozens of exotic, creative cocktails.

Heidi ably dashed in with sumptuous descriptions and definite opinions which are always much appreciated…I dislike when servers gleefully exclaim, “Everything is fabulous!”…how original and frankly, untrue.

The appointment (stemware, cutlery, dishes) were as impressive as the innovative food.

I toasted the evening with a grenache blend from Provence ($9) and David selected a Mic Czech Pilsner draft ($7).

I like the concept of a 3 ounce pour which is reasonably priced, affording the opportunity to try other selections on the thoughtful, discerning wine list.

Our opening gambit was an amazing, aesthetically pleasing, Hamachi Crudo with sudachi melon, radish and crispy wild rice. The hamachi was sweet and firm. We really enjoy a dish with crunch ($18).

Along with the crudo, we ordered divine Caviar Toast with caviar de Sologne, purple potatoes and creme fraiche…beyond delectable only wish there were more than 2 in the order which we shared ($18).

We cleansed our tingling palate with a simple yet delectable Radicchio and Kale Salad comprised of the obvious plus sweet peach, corn, goat cheese accented by a beer vinaigrette ($14).

Crazy, but we ordered the Onions Rings which were indescribably delicious. I though that Maui was the only place in the world to indulge in orgasmic onion rings, but they are right here in Los Angeles. I was going to eat just one, but it proved to be an impossibility. The beer battered rings with homemade tartar were incredibly crispy, not greasy and the onion, sweet, moist and firm ($11).

Our final selection was Blue Crab Simplissime with whipped potatoes, tarragon and cognac. It was very appealing, but my least favorite as the tarragon was too prominent in the dish for my taste. You need to be a fan of the herb.

The crab was plentiful and sweet, the potatoes wonderful and I enjoyed the drama of the server drizzling cognac on the entree when it arrived and making sure to follow explicit directions to scoop from the bottom to register the full essence of the preparation ($19).

I need to return with a meat eater as I was dying to try the Saucisse ($17) and Cured Meats ($7).

Chef Francois is committed to creating a next-level charcuterie experience.

Behind the bar, is a prominent refrigerated case with glass that allows guests to see what’s inside, including the 20 different charcuterie, most of them made in-house.

Other meat-centic dishes that sounded compelling were the Lobster Sausage with Maine lobster, duck fat fries and beurre blacnc ($21) and Bucatini with Bone Marrow, duck prosciutto, shallots and balsamic ($21).

Calling to me, but we were too full to extend the meal, were the wide array of cheeses ($7), Whole Daurade ($26), Ravioles with comte, herbs and currants ($18), Artichoke and Fig Toast ($12) and Scallop & Black Truffle ($39).

Let us not forget the desserts, especially the vanilla and chocolate soufflé ($18), which I had to pass on as I indulged in the fine wines and unfortunately cannot mix sweets and alcohol due to my migraines.

We did end the exceptional meal with a lovely Amaro.

Tesse with it’s rustic yet sophisticated cuisine and modern, appealing interior can seat 125 guests and can accommodate another 40 guests in Boutellier.

Tesse is definitely a destination restaurant.

Picture this…get the adrenaline going with a few rounds at Rumble, shop at Fred Segal’s 13,000 sq. ft. innovative flagship store and dine at the divine Tesse….a perfect day in LA.

Tesse 8500 Sunset Boulevard West Hollywood, California. Open nightly 6-11pm. Valet Parking $10. Metered street parking is available. Reservations on OpenTable.com. A 20% tip is included in the total bill.