For a date night several Saturdays ago, my husband and I settled into a booth at the newly reimagined Shirley Brasserie, a French-Californian restaurant tucked inside the iconic Hollywood Roosevelt hotel. My memory of the food still wakes up my taste buds.

That night, a refreshing prosecco brightened my tongue, prepping it for flavors that pleased, especially the smoky and creamy chicken liver mousse, layered over in a duck gelee that we spread on thick cuts of grilled artisan bread. The ribeye was as tender as it was savory. And the whole grilled branzino confirmed why this is my favorite fish. Here, the flaky, mildly sweet fish bears a subtly crisp skin and sits atop a small pond of a chimichurri sauce bursting with more flavor. We rounded out our palettes with two of the restaurant’s French desserts — sticky toffee pudding (rich and addictive) and vanilla mille-feuille (fluffy, flaky and fresh).

Also on the dinner menu: an impressive raw bar and hearty entrees like lobster pasta and duck leg confit. On Sundays, brunch features French pastries, salads, crab cake benedict, a Keto option and much more.

Chef de Cuisine Craig Hopson, whose two decades of culinary experience includes working at Michelin-starred restaurants, helms the ship that is Shirley Brasserie. Hopson oversees all culinary operations and says he is committed to sourcing fresh, sustainable ingredients from local purveyors, elevating the dining experience and ensuring that each dish bursts with the authentic flavors of the region, combined with modern French cooking techniques.

A native Australian, Hopson began his career in his home country before relocating to Europe, where he was trained in the art of French cuisine at renowned institutions including three-starred Restaurant Guy Savoy and Lucas Carton in Paris. While in Europe, he was mentored by the late legendary chef Alain Senderens. From Europe, he moved to New York City, ascending the ranks of Manhattan’s culinary scene including Picholine and the critically acclaimed Le Cirque by Sirio Maccioni, opening outposts in India, Dominican Republic and the Holland America cruise lines.

Seven years ago, Hopson moved to L.A., most recently serving as executive chef at The Strand House in Manhattan Beach.

When it comes to his favorite dish — roasted Brussels sprouts with maple black pepper, vinaigrette and pomegranates — Hopson offers us something not on his menu at Shirley Brasserie, but generously provides step-by-step instructions on how to bring the goodness to your own dining table.

“Unlike a lot of chefs you see on TV, I don’t have a lot of childhood food memories as I didn’t grow up in a ‘food family,’” Hopson says. “ I didn’t learn how to cook at my grandmother’s knee. I don’t have a family recipe in my little black notebook. What I had is British parents whose repertoire was what you’d describe as basic English cooking. Still to this day, my mum’s claim to fame is ‘Well, I didn’t kill anyone with my cooking!’

“On a typical Sunday, as a second-generation Australian boy in the suburb of Perth, I ate roasted meats and plain vegetables boiled to death,” he recalls. “One of these vegetables was Brussels sprouts. They were plain boiled until [they were] grayish light green and maybe served with some butter. I still remember the smell of boiled sprouts and how unexcited I was to shovel them in my mouth to be polite. So naturally, Brussels sprouts went out of my mind for many of my formative years — until they made an odd but decisive comeback early in my career in the kitchen.”

Hopson credits the surge of gastropub culture, where it seems every chef was whipping up bowls of “crispy roasted Brussel sprouts” with re-introducing him to this mini member of the cabbage family. “And this time, they were light years away from those of my childhood,” he says. “Charred and crunchy. With bacon, chilis and nuts. Glazed in some exotic vinegars and molasses. It was amazing how flavorful and exciting they could be, and I fell in love with them just like everyone else. We, former Brussels sprout haters, collectively set the record straight then. Good Brussels sprouts are great!”

If your kids don’t like vegetables, Hopson says, don’t give up. “Cook it differently — or wait 20 years,” he says. “No worries, mate!  You never know how they might fall in love with it in the future.”  

Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Roasted Brussels Sprouts (with maple black pepper, vinaigrette and pomegranates)

1 pound Brussels sprouts, outer leaves removed and halved

One pomegranate, seeds removed

6 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon coarse cracked black pepper

2 ½ tablespoons sherry vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons olive oil

To make the vinaigrette

Mix the maple syrup with the black pepper for around 3 minutes until it starts to change color. Remove from the stove add the vinegar. Whisk in the salt and the olive oil.

To cook the brussels sprouts

In a bowl, toss Brussels sprouts with a teaspoon of olive oil and salt and pepper. Place the sprouts on a baking sheet and bake in the oven at 350° Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and place back in the bowl. Toss with the maple vinaigrette. Add the pomegranate seeds and toss some more.

Now they’re ready to serve in your favorite serving bowl.