Jean’s Blue Room opened in Sherman Oaks, California, in the 1940s and was still serving simple French fare in the 1990s, making it one of the oldest restaurants in the Valley before it closed.
The blue in the restaurant’s name probably referred to the restaurant’s blue awning, the blue carpet in the restaurant and, of course, the blue in the French and American flags.
We found a 1995 restaurant review by Max Jacobson in LA Times, who described a photo of French film heartthrob Jean Paul Belmondo on the wall and one of comic Bob Newhart.
Standard fare was served alongside French specialties such as chewy escargots (snails) in garlic butter, frogs’ legs, coq au vin and sauteed cervelle de veau or calf’s brains. But you could also order a fluffy French omelet and a plain old steak.
The chef owner in the 1990s was Pierre Delannoy, who presumably took over from the original owner Jean.
The image on the menu cover was originally first seen at the 1939-1940 World’s Fair held in New York City.
We're not sure when Jean's Blue Room closed but another French restaurant Le Petit Restaurant operates there now.