A Hideaway for Francophiles Who Would be Tres Svelte

Score one for the French! Not that they’re going to catch up with the Italians anytime soon. Jean Francois Meteigner, last seen cooking at the casual celebrity-packed Cicada in West Hollywood, has just entered the game with La Cachette (the Hideaway) specializing in what a flyer describes as “Jean Francois’ Famous Light and Delicious French Food.”

The former l’Orangerie chef wants to dispel the idea that French restaurants are expensive and fattening. Mais non, only one entree here hits the $20 mark. And butter and cream? Pas de tout. Liza Utter, Meteigner’s svelte partner, who presumably has been eating lots of his cooking, is advertisement enough. Making the rounds of the tables, she points out that Meteigner’s latest appetizer, Provencal tart with tapenade, basil, organic tomatoes and garlic--and parsley-infused olive oil, is very light. That the warm Maine lobster salad with haricots verts and asparagus has only a whisper of white truffle oil dressing. And that Meteigner uses mainly jus instead of rich sauces.

For die-hard French foodies who are not watching every calorie, Meteigner proposes duck cassoulet or bona-fide mashed potatoes. But when it comes to dessert, the menu treads carefully: Chocolate mousse and the caramelized apple tart are both served with “whipped cream on the side.”

* La Cachette, 10506 Little Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. (310) 470-4992. Open for dinner daily; lunch Tuesday through Friday. Valet parking. All major credit cards accepted. Appetizers $4.50-$8; entrees $12-$20.