A new French café concept called Cornichon is planning to move into 13702 W. Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, with a menu built around hot-pressed baguette sandwiches, pommes frites, and Parisian-inspired flavors. The project would land the small café directly across the street from one of the Valley's most recognized French dining destinations.
According to WhatNow, Cornichon plans to draw its identity from French sandwich tradition, with a menu that includes jambon and Comté sandwiches, prosciutto, smoked salmon, crispy chicken, and vegetarian options, alongside sweet sandwiches like chocolate with salted butter and mascarpone with jam. The proposed address sits directly across Ventura Boulevard from chef Ludo Lefebvre's brasserie Petit Trois Le Valley, which has anchored that stretch of Sherman Oaks since 2018 and earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2019, according to Discover Los Angeles.
A Storefront With a Food-Service Past
The commercial space Cornichon hopes to occupy is approximately 1,900 square feet.
The applicant behind the project is Felix Lyubovny, who according to WhatNow did not respond to the outlet's inquiry about an opening timeline. Public filings reviewed by Bizprofile list Lyubovny as CEO and manager of Good Guys Los Angeles LLC, registered in November 2021; the company is described as active. Key operational details, including an exact opening date and the café's full management structure, remain unconfirmed, as the applicant has not yet responded to media inquiries.
Part of a Bigger Valley Dining Push
Cornichon's potential arrival comes amid a wider wave of new restaurant activity along Ventura Boulevard this year. WhatNow notes that Yama Sushi at 15300 Ventura Blvd. and Sushi Tomoki at 14622 W. Ventura Blvd. have recently joined the corridor, while Hawaiian golf simulator concept Hapa Haus is targeting a November opening. These developments add to the mix of destinations along the boulevard.
The concept also taps into interest in French comfort foods such as the jambon-beurre, a classic French sandwich.
The Jambon-Beurre's Deep Roots
The ham-and-butter baguette sandwich that anchors much of Cornichon's proposed menu has a long history. VICE traces the jambon-beurre back to 19th-century Paris, where workers at the Les Halles market ate ham and butter on country bread before switching to baguettes in the 1920s; it remains one of France's most popular quick meals alongside the hamburger.
PBS News reported that France's culture ministry said traditional bakeries were closing at a rate of roughly 400 per year.
Not the Only New French Spot in Town
Cornichon would not be the only Los Angeles-area concept leaning into imported French ingredients and baguette sandwiches this fall. Matilda's Bakery held a second soft opening in Santa Monica from Oct. 2 through Oct. 4, serving prepared baguette sandwiches made with ham, Comté cheese, and DOP butter alongside imported French butter bar items, with an emphasis on four-day dough fermentation. Taken together, the two concepts suggest Los Angeles diners are increasingly drawn to French café staples served quickly and without pretense.
For now, Cornichon's Sherman Oaks plans remain in an early stage, with no confirmed opening date and the applicant yet to detail staffing or management plans. If the café does open across from Petit Trois Le Valley, it would give Ventura Boulevard a dense, walkable stretch of French dining options in one of the Valley's busiest commercial corridors.
