Liveblogging Madeleine Bistro

I'm an omnivore who leaps to the defense of vegan restaurants. In the right hands, quotation marks around words like "bacon" and "cheese" are strictly for clarity and vegan dietary restrictions are like giving a tough calculus probem to a great mathematician; the solutions can be breathtaking.

That said, Madeleine Bistro doesn't make it easy. Strike One: Tarzana. Strike Two: Ventura Blvd. And it's very much on Tarzana's Ventura, with a view of a FOR LEASE sign and a nail salon across the street; on a Sunday morning, the only other business open on the block is a pawn shop/coin exchange.

Inside, things are a little better with sage-green walls and Craftsman-ish light sconces. But the ceiling is acoustic, the floor is bland 12-inch ceramic tiles and the glass front door is no different than the others on this street; follow its instruction to PUSH and there's the scrape and squeak that probably comes from too many years of customers trying to PULL instead.

And when brunch comes, all is forgiven. French toast napoleon is layered with apple compote; the tempeh bacon is smoky and crisp, the same as Real Food Daily (where the chef used to work); the syrup is maple and the only thing you'll miss is the logey sensation that generally comes not long after Sunday morning French toast. (Dinner's also terrific; don't miss the beet salad with the warm "goat cheese" crouton.)

By 11 am, three tables are filled and there's a woman from Malibu picking up a to-go order, begging chef-owner David Anderson to open in her neighborhood. "There's nothing there," she pleads. And she's right: If Madeleine Bistro was in the 310, the 323 or just somewhere more forgiving than this mean stretch of Ventura Blvd., no one would notice the cranky front door because they'd be too busy putting their names on the waiting list that hung next to it.

Madeleine Bistro, 18621 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana. (818) 758-6971