About Us

Monique and Paul are chefs, parents, community residents, and the owners of Little Beast. It’s one of several eateries with charming and historical roots that the couple has strived to honor while showcasing their inherent and distinct culinary flair.

Monique, a Los Angeles native, began her culinary career with Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken at City Restaurant on La Brea Boulevard. She later moved to Chicago where she worked as a chef at the renowned Soul Kitchen restaurant for nine years.

Paul is from Louisville, Kentucky, and began working in restaurants at fifteen years old. When he was eighteen, Paul moved to Colorado to work at the Silverheels restaurant in Silverthorne. He graduated from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and eventually relocated to Austin, Texas where he worked in highly revered restaurants, including the Coyote Cafe. Years later, Paul found himself in Chicago and began working with Monique at Soul Kitchen.

As a couple, Monique and Paul relocated to Los Angeles to be closer to family and to start one of their own. Monique went to work for Feniger and Milliken as the chef of the Border Grill in Santa Monica, later moving to their downtown location. Paul became the chef at Bayou Bar & Grill in Alhambra. Eventually, they decided to combine their skills and open their own place, Firefly Bistro in South Pasadena, which the two proudly owned for fourteen fantastic years.

Today, Monique and Paul travel between Washington and California as the proud owners of Paul’s in Vancouver, in addition to Cindy’s and Little Beast Restaurant in Los Angeles. They also co-own The Elbow Room (attached to Paul’s) with their business partner and longtime friend, Toby Maloney. The rest, as they say, is history.