Showing posts with label Wine and Dine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wine and Dine. Show all posts
Foie before the Ban!
Goodbye to Foie, Courtesy of Ink
This was part of the nine course meal my friend and I enjoyed before being greeted by Mr. MV himself, who wondered when we would tap out. Lol!
Orris for One Last Huzzah
I'm fairly sure that with 5.5 people at the table (a 2 year old was munching along where he could), we ordered half the menu, and as usual, everything was stunning. Highlights of the night go to snapper carpaccio with shallots and toasted almond slices, as well as Liberty duck breast with yuzu kosho on the side (since everything tastes better with yuzu kosho). Honorable mention goes to shrimp ravioli in mushroom reduction sauce.
Here's the special of the night, two slabs of seared foie gras with eggplant, with what tasted like a port wine reduction.
La Folie (San Francisco, CA)
A word of warning to all ye to dare: Go for the three course. Friends have also reported back that four courses of food is a LOT of food.
Maison Akira's August Menu Moliere
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Elements Kitchen
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Shiro
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Shiro
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Menu Moliere: Maison Akira's Foie Gras Menu of Joy
For the month of April, Chef Akira (of Maison Akira fame) decided to create a themed dinner he endearingly called, "Menu Moliere", assumedly after the satirical French playwright. Each month was to have a theme, like an Iron Chef competition's secret ingredient, only he only competes with himself. The result is that Chef Akira ups his own ante and produces even more divergent and unique combinations of flavor than ever before!
And the best part? The theme of April was FOIE GRAS. Now, those of you who know me know that I have an inordinate obsession with foie gras. Its rich fattiness and flavors are only complemented by the fact that it came from a delicious animal. Take that and add it to every course of a meal? PRICELESS.
No, I take that back. It HAS a price. A very good one! $44 for the 3-course meal, and $66 for the wine pairing. How THAT for world class food?
D and I opted for the non-pairing, having brought our own wines from a wine tasting earlier in the evening. In addition to the meal, we went all out and decided it was best to toss in the foie gras appetizer from the menu, for good measure. The resulting meal?
Appetizer 1: Grilled Duck Foie Gras in a Port Wine Truffle Sauce with Daikon Pot au Feu and Roasted Pear. This is by far my favorite course, and it's fortunately one of the regular courses on the menu (meaning, I can come back anytime outside of April to have it!). The daikon calmed down the foie gras, without diminishing its flavors, and added a subtle vegetable flair to the meaty foie gras. The oyster mushrooms were also amazing, with their soft but firm (almost al dente) texture and their rich mushroom flavors. All in all, a balanced flavor in every bite. Very original, very balanced, amazingly orgasmic.
Appetizer 2: Duck Foie Gras Flan in a Port Wine Truffle Sauce with King Oyster Mushrooms. You would think that foie gras flan was unheard of and blasphemous, but this was everything they tell you about gastronomy and more. The flan was still very milky and cremy, showing subtle signs of flaking apart when you break your spoon through it (like a real flan!). The flavors were also dairy and milky, with subtle hints of foie gras. I confess I didn't enjoy this course as much because I personally don't prefer flan, but if you're a fan of both foie gras and flan, it was an excellent mix of the two. Subtle hints of foie gras, flavors and rich texture of a flan. Pretty successful endeavor!
Appetizer 3: Puree of Celery Root with Grilled Duck Foie Gras and Balsamic Reduction. This one caught me by surprise. I really never had celery root before, and mixed with the balsamic reduction, it ended up being remarkably sour. But the foie gras was seared well, with the crisps on top adding the texture. If you took the celery root and balsamic reduction in moderation, you could create the perfect combination of flavors, but you just had to play at it. All in all, still a very unique combination of flavors and textures.
Entree 1: Napoleon of Big Eye Tuna and Foie Gras with Wasabi Potato Mousseline in a Plum Wine Horse Radish Sauce. Whoever thought about putting the liver of a land creature and a fish creature together in the same dish? CHEF AKIRA. The big eye tuna, which was light and fluffy (even lighter since it was PERFECTLY seared, leaving it virtually sashimi), brightened up the foie gras and complemented it with a different subtle fishy flavor. The mousseline was an interesting addition, a texture twist to the standard wasabi on the side of a sushi dish. The wasabi (in moderation) added a great "pop" to two items that subtly intermingled with each other.
Entree 2: Angus Beef Tenderloin Steak “Rossini” with Grilled Duck Foie Gras in a Truffle Sauce with Spring Vegetables. Okay, anyone who knows me also knows I order my steaks "still mooing". Rare. Always rare. The rarest you can get it to the table without being called by the Health Department. This works out remarkably well with Chef Akira's cooking talent, the fabulous quality of the meat he selects, and the steak Rossini dish on the Menu Moliere. What ended up being presented was a dish where not only two of my favorite items were being served to me, but the flavors were explosive and the textures were remarkably interchangeable. The seared foie gras was obviously going to be tender, but the steak was easily cut and immediately chewable. Soft, tender, a perfectly prepared steak. Complemented with the foie gras, it was the absolute perfect entree, clearly the best steak Rossini I have ever had, or could ever imagine.
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And the best part? The theme of April was FOIE GRAS. Now, those of you who know me know that I have an inordinate obsession with foie gras. Its rich fattiness and flavors are only complemented by the fact that it came from a delicious animal. Take that and add it to every course of a meal? PRICELESS.
No, I take that back. It HAS a price. A very good one! $44 for the 3-course meal, and $66 for the wine pairing. How THAT for world class food?
D and I opted for the non-pairing, having brought our own wines from a wine tasting earlier in the evening. In addition to the meal, we went all out and decided it was best to toss in the foie gras appetizer from the menu, for good measure. The resulting meal?
Appetizer 1: Grilled Duck Foie Gras in a Port Wine Truffle Sauce with Daikon Pot au Feu and Roasted Pear. This is by far my favorite course, and it's fortunately one of the regular courses on the menu (meaning, I can come back anytime outside of April to have it!). The daikon calmed down the foie gras, without diminishing its flavors, and added a subtle vegetable flair to the meaty foie gras. The oyster mushrooms were also amazing, with their soft but firm (almost al dente) texture and their rich mushroom flavors. All in all, a balanced flavor in every bite. Very original, very balanced, amazingly orgasmic.
Appetizer 2: Duck Foie Gras Flan in a Port Wine Truffle Sauce with King Oyster Mushrooms. You would think that foie gras flan was unheard of and blasphemous, but this was everything they tell you about gastronomy and more. The flan was still very milky and cremy, showing subtle signs of flaking apart when you break your spoon through it (like a real flan!). The flavors were also dairy and milky, with subtle hints of foie gras. I confess I didn't enjoy this course as much because I personally don't prefer flan, but if you're a fan of both foie gras and flan, it was an excellent mix of the two. Subtle hints of foie gras, flavors and rich texture of a flan. Pretty successful endeavor!
Appetizer 3: Puree of Celery Root with Grilled Duck Foie Gras and Balsamic Reduction. This one caught me by surprise. I really never had celery root before, and mixed with the balsamic reduction, it ended up being remarkably sour. But the foie gras was seared well, with the crisps on top adding the texture. If you took the celery root and balsamic reduction in moderation, you could create the perfect combination of flavors, but you just had to play at it. All in all, still a very unique combination of flavors and textures.
Entree 1: Napoleon of Big Eye Tuna and Foie Gras with Wasabi Potato Mousseline in a Plum Wine Horse Radish Sauce. Whoever thought about putting the liver of a land creature and a fish creature together in the same dish? CHEF AKIRA. The big eye tuna, which was light and fluffy (even lighter since it was PERFECTLY seared, leaving it virtually sashimi), brightened up the foie gras and complemented it with a different subtle fishy flavor. The mousseline was an interesting addition, a texture twist to the standard wasabi on the side of a sushi dish. The wasabi (in moderation) added a great "pop" to two items that subtly intermingled with each other. 
Entree 2: Angus Beef Tenderloin Steak “Rossini” with Grilled Duck Foie Gras in a Truffle Sauce with Spring Vegetables. Okay, anyone who knows me also knows I order my steaks "still mooing". Rare. Always rare. The rarest you can get it to the table without being called by the Health Department. This works out remarkably well with Chef Akira's cooking talent, the fabulous quality of the meat he selects, and the steak Rossini dish on the Menu Moliere. What ended up being presented was a dish where not only two of my favorite items were being served to me, but the flavors were explosive and the textures were remarkably interchangeable. The seared foie gras was obviously going to be tender, but the steak was easily cut and immediately chewable. Soft, tender, a perfectly prepared steak. Complemented with the foie gras, it was the absolute perfect entree, clearly the best steak Rossini I have ever had, or could ever imagine. I'll bypass the desserts, since (1) there was no foie gras in them, and (2) I hardly had any once I was so full of foie gras. They were fairly good, as all of Chef Akira's dishes are, and they were closers on yet another NYC- and world-class meal.
Maison Akira
713 E Green Street, Pasadena, CA
http://www.maisonakira.com/
Maison Akira
713 E Green Street, Pasadena, CA
http://www.maisonakira.com/
Josie
Bacon-wrapped quail. Because really--how do you go wrong with bacon-wrapped ANYTHING?? 
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The Bazaar: Bizarrely Mediocre
The Bazaar wasn't very bizarre. In a sense, it almost seemed... disappointing.
D and I were totally excited about our date night, sometimes upscale, sometimes low-key, and yesterday, it was dressed to the nines and wining and dining. Maybe that set our expectations high. Maybe it was because E described this place as Heaven coming down in the form of food. Or maybe it was just because I was so hungry. But all in all, we were wildly excited for a wonderful meal that just ended up falling flat on its face.
Don't get me wrong--there were some dishes that were pretty good. Not orgasmic, but pretty tasty. The foie gras was better than your standard cheap French restaurant. In a mini sandwich, the delicate flavors of the foie gras complemented the salty-sweetness of the toasted brioche, with touches of sea salt on the top. In the cotton candy swirl, the flavor of the foie gras managed to nudge its way past the crushed cornuts (yeah, you heard me. CORNUTS. I had to ask the waiter to make sure I heard right). The vanilla cotton candy added a gentle sweet touch at the end and the whole dish was good enough to get D and me to order another portion each, since the order is just one bite and very time-sensitive.
Another one of my favorites was the Japanese eel tacos. The tacos were mini bites wrapped in cucumber and a shiso leaf, with chicharron crumbles on top. Yes, it was eel with cucumber and PORK RINDS. It was light and crisp at the same time.
Dislikes? Well, pretty much everything else we ordered. "The Ultimate Spanish Tapa!" turned out to be mayonnaise slathered all over some hard-boiled egg and mixed with carrots, potato, and all of two pieces of cooked tuna belly (which in my mind is absolute defiling of toro). It almost seemed ready to be sloshed in between two slices of bread and eaten as a "[Blah Blah] Salad Sandwich" at some sad sandwich to-go place with a man in a giant pickle costume holding a sign outside. Needless to say, D and I left half the dish intact.
We also left half of the Bunuelos, the codfish fritters that ended up being little more than crabcakes made with fish. The aeoli sauce made it a little better, but the garlic aeoli that comes with the fries at Comme Ca is waay better. Even the Embutidos platter was mediocre, with very dry salami slices and a dry, almost sour chorizo, which is usually one of my favorite flavor pallates. And it's not that it tasted BAD, it's simply that it tasted..... meh. For the price you pay, you'd expect Iron Chef GENIUS. I actually half expected "foie gras cotton candy" to mean that the cotton candy itself would be made out of foie gras, not cubes of foie gras covered in vanilla cotton candy.
I will pay my respects to the sangria, which was a mix of half a bottle of wine, fruit-flavored vodka, freshly sliced strawberry, and Hennessey, mixed using a thinly sliced sugarcane stick. Cute idea, excellent presentation, and a great taste--it was smooth as a fruit juice you'd drink everyday at breakfast. For the types of alcohol that were in it, it didn't seem that strong, but it tasted pretty good. For the price point (~$50 for a pitcher of 6 glasses), it didn't give me enough of a buzz. :)
All in all, we loved the foie gras dishes, but honestly you could find better tasting, home-made foie gras at Saint Amour, in Culver City, just down the street, and better-priced appetizers at Comme Ca. The Bazaar sangria was good, but nothing you couldn't make at home, and half the meal was either "Meh" or unfinished. For a largely expensive meal in a Beverly Hills hotel, I really expected more, but I suppose for that, it's back to Maison Akira for the tasting menu that outright made our toes curl!
The Bazaar by José Andrés
465 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048 - (310) 246-5555
http://www.thebazaar.com/
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D and I were totally excited about our date night, sometimes upscale, sometimes low-key, and yesterday, it was dressed to the nines and wining and dining. Maybe that set our expectations high. Maybe it was because E described this place as Heaven coming down in the form of food. Or maybe it was just because I was so hungry. But all in all, we were wildly excited for a wonderful meal that just ended up falling flat on its face.
Don't get me wrong--there were some dishes that were pretty good. Not orgasmic, but pretty tasty. The foie gras was better than your standard cheap French restaurant. In a mini sandwich, the delicate flavors of the foie gras complemented the salty-sweetness of the toasted brioche, with touches of sea salt on the top. In the cotton candy swirl, the flavor of the foie gras managed to nudge its way past the crushed cornuts (yeah, you heard me. CORNUTS. I had to ask the waiter to make sure I heard right). The vanilla cotton candy added a gentle sweet touch at the end and the whole dish was good enough to get D and me to order another portion each, since the order is just one bite and very time-sensitive.
Another one of my favorites was the Japanese eel tacos. The tacos were mini bites wrapped in cucumber and a shiso leaf, with chicharron crumbles on top. Yes, it was eel with cucumber and PORK RINDS. It was light and crisp at the same time.Dislikes? Well, pretty much everything else we ordered. "The Ultimate Spanish Tapa!" turned out to be mayonnaise slathered all over some hard-boiled egg and mixed with carrots, potato, and all of two pieces of cooked tuna belly (which in my mind is absolute defiling of toro). It almost seemed ready to be sloshed in between two slices of bread and eaten as a "[Blah Blah] Salad Sandwich" at some sad sandwich to-go place with a man in a giant pickle costume holding a sign outside. Needless to say, D and I left half the dish intact.
We also left half of the Bunuelos, the codfish fritters that ended up being little more than crabcakes made with fish. The aeoli sauce made it a little better, but the garlic aeoli that comes with the fries at Comme Ca is waay better. Even the Embutidos platter was mediocre, with very dry salami slices and a dry, almost sour chorizo, which is usually one of my favorite flavor pallates. And it's not that it tasted BAD, it's simply that it tasted..... meh. For the price you pay, you'd expect Iron Chef GENIUS. I actually half expected "foie gras cotton candy" to mean that the cotton candy itself would be made out of foie gras, not cubes of foie gras covered in vanilla cotton candy.
I will pay my respects to the sangria, which was a mix of half a bottle of wine, fruit-flavored vodka, freshly sliced strawberry, and Hennessey, mixed using a thinly sliced sugarcane stick. Cute idea, excellent presentation, and a great taste--it was smooth as a fruit juice you'd drink everyday at breakfast. For the types of alcohol that were in it, it didn't seem that strong, but it tasted pretty good. For the price point (~$50 for a pitcher of 6 glasses), it didn't give me enough of a buzz. :)
All in all, we loved the foie gras dishes, but honestly you could find better tasting, home-made foie gras at Saint Amour, in Culver City, just down the street, and better-priced appetizers at Comme Ca. The Bazaar sangria was good, but nothing you couldn't make at home, and half the meal was either "Meh" or unfinished. For a largely expensive meal in a Beverly Hills hotel, I really expected more, but I suppose for that, it's back to Maison Akira for the tasting menu that outright made our toes curl!
The Bazaar by José Andrés
465 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048 - (310) 246-5555
http://www.thebazaar.com/
Wine and cheese - Joan's on Third
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Comme Ca Upped the Ante!
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STK - Don't Count on the Steak
After blogging about Comme Ca, I confess it's kind of hard to think highly of STK Steakhouse. It's not that STK was bad, per se. It was okay for a steakhouse. But for a high end steak restaurant in Los Angeles, competing with the likes of Mastro's, Lawry's, or even Ruth's Chris, I expected better.
I give the place points for atmosphere. The place was trendy, the ambiance was nice, and the place actually was relatively quiet. Because EM and I had a 7 p.m. reservation, they even spaced us apart sufficiently for a great quiet space conducive to conversation. By 8 p.m. the place was filling up and by 9 p.m. the place was jam packed, but even then, it didn't get very loud. The restrooms were up a spiral staircase and the bar was a lounge one step lower and off to one side of the restaurant. Ambiance: beautiful.
It did not, however, make up for the food. The appetizer was amazing. We ordered a foie gras with french toast, and it was a taste explosion. The foie gras provided the salty counterbalance to the sweet green apple and the earthy french toast (which was indeed prepared as a traditional french toast with egg and powdered sugar). Texture was kind of bland, but the flavors (and the fact that it was foie gras) made up for it.
The entrees were mediocre, to say the least. EM ordered a bone-in ribeye and I ordered a filet mignon. We both ordered it rare (that's how we do), and his came out deep red and mine came out pink. I do fault this slightly on the fact that his was three times the size of mine, but they really should have timed it better. When mine came to the table, it looked a very grey-brown color, and if my meat isn't outright mooing, I don't find it enjoyable.
The sides were better, with larger than life steak cut ("log cabin cut, if you will) truffle fries and parmesan cheese grated on top, and green beans. The green beans were actually my favorite, since they were seasoned so very well. There was a richness of a red wine sauce with a pepper touch. The fries were pretty good too, very crispy on the outside (from being heavily deep-fried) and tender on the inside. The texture was pretty good, as was the hint of truffle oil.
All in all, I'd say go for the appetizers and the ambiance, but don't rely on the place for a great steak.
STK - LA
755 North La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90069 - (310) 659-3535
www.stkhouse.com
I give the place points for atmosphere. The place was trendy, the ambiance was nice, and the place actually was relatively quiet. Because EM and I had a 7 p.m. reservation, they even spaced us apart sufficiently for a great quiet space conducive to conversation. By 8 p.m. the place was filling up and by 9 p.m. the place was jam packed, but even then, it didn't get very loud. The restrooms were up a spiral staircase and the bar was a lounge one step lower and off to one side of the restaurant. Ambiance: beautiful.
It did not, however, make up for the food. The appetizer was amazing. We ordered a foie gras with french toast, and it was a taste explosion. The foie gras provided the salty counterbalance to the sweet green apple and the earthy french toast (which was indeed prepared as a traditional french toast with egg and powdered sugar). Texture was kind of bland, but the flavors (and the fact that it was foie gras) made up for it.
The entrees were mediocre, to say the least. EM ordered a bone-in ribeye and I ordered a filet mignon. We both ordered it rare (that's how we do), and his came out deep red and mine came out pink. I do fault this slightly on the fact that his was three times the size of mine, but they really should have timed it better. When mine came to the table, it looked a very grey-brown color, and if my meat isn't outright mooing, I don't find it enjoyable.The sides were better, with larger than life steak cut ("log cabin cut, if you will) truffle fries and parmesan cheese grated on top, and green beans. The green beans were actually my favorite, since they were seasoned so very well. There was a richness of a red wine sauce with a pepper touch. The fries were pretty good too, very crispy on the outside (from being heavily deep-fried) and tender on the inside. The texture was pretty good, as was the hint of truffle oil.
All in all, I'd say go for the appetizers and the ambiance, but don't rely on the place for a great steak.
STK - LA
755 North La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90069 - (310) 659-3535
www.stkhouse.com
Comme Ca: It's Like THAT!
Oxtail jam. What exactly is a jam made out of oxtail? Don't ask. Just eat. Enjoy. SAVOR.
I confess, I'm a new convert to bone marrow. All those years growing up, my mom always made pho with an oxtail base, and I never thought to indulge in the bone marrow for the richest flavor. Today, as a glutton for rich flavors, I find myself craving these fatty morsels of love, longing for a chance to scoop those tiny spoons in deeper for the kill. FTW!
It turns out that Comme Ca (French for "Like That") does it so well that it deserves the name--"It's like THAT, bitch" (*SMACKDOWN*). And everyone runs scared.
Because what you get on a plate is TWO--not one, but TWO--slices of bone with the marrow so properly executed that you can't help but want more. Along the edge and a little inside is a sprinkling of sea salt, which accentuates the meat flavor of the marrow. You are supposed to indulge with the oxtail jam, which really just seemed to be oxtail meat--very tender--sauteed in almost a wine reduction sauce. It was full and thick in texture, rich and salty in flavor. This was contrasted with the very thinly sliced and toasted slices of bread that added the crispiness to your mouthful. The result? A very filling and fulfilling flavor and texture combination that leaves you wanting more (but you're too full to have more!).
The price point is also awesome, at $14, and it makes for a nice stop-over for a first date at a bar. Full in flavor, light as a meal (listed as just an appetizer), and utterly gratifying. Highly recommended!
Comme Ca
8479 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA 90069 - (323) 782-1104
http://www.commecarestaurant.com/
I confess, I'm a new convert to bone marrow. All those years growing up, my mom always made pho with an oxtail base, and I never thought to indulge in the bone marrow for the richest flavor. Today, as a glutton for rich flavors, I find myself craving these fatty morsels of love, longing for a chance to scoop those tiny spoons in deeper for the kill. FTW!It turns out that Comme Ca (French for "Like That") does it so well that it deserves the name--"It's like THAT, bitch" (*SMACKDOWN*). And everyone runs scared.
Because what you get on a plate is TWO--not one, but TWO--slices of bone with the marrow so properly executed that you can't help but want more. Along the edge and a little inside is a sprinkling of sea salt, which accentuates the meat flavor of the marrow. You are supposed to indulge with the oxtail jam, which really just seemed to be oxtail meat--very tender--sauteed in almost a wine reduction sauce. It was full and thick in texture, rich and salty in flavor. This was contrasted with the very thinly sliced and toasted slices of bread that added the crispiness to your mouthful. The result? A very filling and fulfilling flavor and texture combination that leaves you wanting more (but you're too full to have more!).The price point is also awesome, at $14, and it makes for a nice stop-over for a first date at a bar. Full in flavor, light as a meal (listed as just an appetizer), and utterly gratifying. Highly recommended!
Comme Ca
8479 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA 90069 - (323) 782-1104
http://www.commecarestaurant.com/
Water(Grill) Gate 2009
I was a huge fan of Water Grill. As one of the most well-known seafood restaurants in LA, it enjoyed a reputation as a fresh, high-end seafood restaurant where you could order a seafood platter that was bigger than your entire upper torso. (Okay, I exaggerate. But not by much.)
And the evening did start off well. We were delighted to enjoy some complimentary spicy tuna wrapped in cucumber on a spoon, a palette prep for what was to come. And check this out:
I had the MSC Certified Chilean Sea Bass (Soy-ginger baked with red chili jam, long beans and Japanese eggplant). This was drowned in Asian flavors, a taste explosion in your mouth. The flavors were clearly inspired by the Southeast Asian spices and flavors, and the fish was tender and well-cooked, as a Chilean sea bass always is to be.
DD had the Alaskan Black Cod (Sautéed and basted with lavender, Meyer lemon, and Madagascar vanilla bean oil). This was also very flavorful, a lot of salty and almost a gritty texture to the surface, as it it had a dry rub. The flavor was tart, almost as if to boast the citrus flavors, and all it seemed to need was a yuzu to calm down the citrus without taming it. The grapes and almonds were a very nice touch though. It tasted good until the middle of the evening, when I heard D say, "I think my food is moving."
"What?"
"There's something moving in my fish."
I checked myself, wondering if it was just a neurological reaction, like when you rub salt on a newly executed fish. No, to my dismay and disgust, there appeared to be a red worm wriggling and writhing along the surface of the fish. We called a waitress over, and she took it away, only to come back with a menu, citing that “It was a blood vein, moving along with the sauce.” Let me tell you, it was no vein. It was clearly red and moving on its own accord.
And you know they were hiding something because after they brought out a new dish, several people came by to check on our food, and they comped both the black cod and the new (expedited) dish. I think it would have been more worthy if they had admitted it and then comped us the dishes, but I suppose they thought we would buy into their Water(Grill)Gate scandal and eat and be merry. Needless to say, I didn’t finish my Chilean sea bass.
Out of principle, I’d still recommend the Water Grill if only because the rest of the seafood was amazing (and we had a coupon for a dozen free oysters). Just don’t order the white fish unless you want to nibble and carefully inspect as you go.
Water Grill
544 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90017 - (213) 891-0900
www.watergrill.com
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And the evening did start off well. We were delighted to enjoy some complimentary spicy tuna wrapped in cucumber on a spoon, a palette prep for what was to come. And check this out:
I had the MSC Certified Chilean Sea Bass (Soy-ginger baked with red chili jam, long beans and Japanese eggplant). This was drowned in Asian flavors, a taste explosion in your mouth. The flavors were clearly inspired by the Southeast Asian spices and flavors, and the fish was tender and well-cooked, as a Chilean sea bass always is to be.
DD had the Alaskan Black Cod (Sautéed and basted with lavender, Meyer lemon, and Madagascar vanilla bean oil). This was also very flavorful, a lot of salty and almost a gritty texture to the surface, as it it had a dry rub. The flavor was tart, almost as if to boast the citrus flavors, and all it seemed to need was a yuzu to calm down the citrus without taming it. The grapes and almonds were a very nice touch though. It tasted good until the middle of the evening, when I heard D say, "I think my food is moving.""What?"
"There's something moving in my fish."
I checked myself, wondering if it was just a neurological reaction, like when you rub salt on a newly executed fish. No, to my dismay and disgust, there appeared to be a red worm wriggling and writhing along the surface of the fish. We called a waitress over, and she took it away, only to come back with a menu, citing that “It was a blood vein, moving along with the sauce.” Let me tell you, it was no vein. It was clearly red and moving on its own accord.
And you know they were hiding something because after they brought out a new dish, several people came by to check on our food, and they comped both the black cod and the new (expedited) dish. I think it would have been more worthy if they had admitted it and then comped us the dishes, but I suppose they thought we would buy into their Water(Grill)Gate scandal and eat and be merry. Needless to say, I didn’t finish my Chilean sea bass.
Out of principle, I’d still recommend the Water Grill if only because the rest of the seafood was amazing (and we had a coupon for a dozen free oysters). Just don’t order the white fish unless you want to nibble and carefully inspect as you go.
Water Grill
544 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90017 - (213) 891-0900
www.watergrill.com
Jer-Ne
I hadn't been disappointed in a restaurant in awhile. I guess I was overdue. After eagerly anticipating DineLA as an opportunity to eat at fine restaurants for reasonable prices, I decided to go with my Twin to Jer-Ne, a blind stab in the dark based on what sounded like a good menu. What I got instead was food that attempted to be "fusion" and eclectic and modern, and instead ended up being cooked oddly, tasting slightly "off", all while sitting in a freezing cold restaurant.
I fought the butternut squash movement for awhile, first scorning the notion of an orange vegetable puree being a cold soup... New York changed that with Gramercy Tavern serving what to this day is still one of the best butternut squash soups I've ever had. So I've been adventurously daring in ordering the butternut squash soup, in hopes that it would replicate the greatness of the Gramercy Tavern experience. Jer-Ne fell miserably short. The butternut squash soup (butternut squash, Frangelico, pumpkin oil) was so bland and slightly bitter that I ended up adding tons of pepper in hopes that it would save it. It did not. The bitterness actually overwhelmed the pepper, creating this very sad aftertaste in my mouth that hardly felt like what I was paying for. I happen to love Frangelico, and theoretically, it should have made the butternut squash a little sweeter, but perhaps the pumpkin oil just overwhelmed it.
For the meal, I ordered a Chilean sea bass, also a favorite of mine. Usually the fish is so tender you don't even need a butter knife, but this time it was seared on one side and soft throughout. The only problem was, it was over-seared. In other words, the bottom of the fish was hard to prod through, even with a knife, and the rest was too soft. It had quite an odd texture to it, too divergent, and I couldn't deal with it.
The dessert was hardly better, with pumpkin creme brulee and maple walnut ice cream. In my general order of preference, I would usually pick the creme over the maple walnut, but this time I enjoyed picking at the walnuts more than I enjoyed the creme brulee. The creme was almost too crispy, and again there was something slightly off about the flavor... Almost as if it lacked sweetness. It was odd, coming from a dessert to lack sweetness, but I suppose it may have also been part of the theme of autumn and dreariness.
Overall, nothing to write home about, though presentation was awarded a few points. Next time I suppose we'll have to gun for something in the Beverly area, since I'm having more and more orgasmic meals from there than anywhere else in the LA area.
Jer-Ne Restaurant + Bar
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I fought the butternut squash movement for awhile, first scorning the notion of an orange vegetable puree being a cold soup... New York changed that with Gramercy Tavern serving what to this day is still one of the best butternut squash soups I've ever had. So I've been adventurously daring in ordering the butternut squash soup, in hopes that it would replicate the greatness of the Gramercy Tavern experience. Jer-Ne fell miserably short. The butternut squash soup (butternut squash, Frangelico, pumpkin oil) was so bland and slightly bitter that I ended up adding tons of pepper in hopes that it would save it. It did not. The bitterness actually overwhelmed the pepper, creating this very sad aftertaste in my mouth that hardly felt like what I was paying for. I happen to love Frangelico, and theoretically, it should have made the butternut squash a little sweeter, but perhaps the pumpkin oil just overwhelmed it.
For the meal, I ordered a Chilean sea bass, also a favorite of mine. Usually the fish is so tender you don't even need a butter knife, but this time it was seared on one side and soft throughout. The only problem was, it was over-seared. In other words, the bottom of the fish was hard to prod through, even with a knife, and the rest was too soft. It had quite an odd texture to it, too divergent, and I couldn't deal with it.
The dessert was hardly better, with pumpkin creme brulee and maple walnut ice cream. In my general order of preference, I would usually pick the creme over the maple walnut, but this time I enjoyed picking at the walnuts more than I enjoyed the creme brulee. The creme was almost too crispy, and again there was something slightly off about the flavor... Almost as if it lacked sweetness. It was odd, coming from a dessert to lack sweetness, but I suppose it may have also been part of the theme of autumn and dreariness.Overall, nothing to write home about, though presentation was awarded a few points. Next time I suppose we'll have to gun for something in the Beverly area, since I'm having more and more orgasmic meals from there than anywhere else in the LA area.
Jer-Ne Restaurant + Bar
4375 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey, CA 90292 - (310) 823-1700
Dakota: That Saucy Little Minx
The second DineLA experience was much better than the first at Jer-Ne. Don't get me wrong--the company was equally enjoyable, but the food was absolutely exquisite and exceeded expectations.
This and Gotham in NYC are among the few times I couldn't finish a meal that was absolutely orgasmic because it was too rich. This and Mario's Peruvian Food were the only two times I have ever regretted having even one piece of bread. Yes, it is that good.
As appetizers, DD and I chose the crispy pork belly and the butternut squash bisque. The crispy pork belly was tender and crispy, cooked to perfection. The meat itself was full of flavor, and it was actually juicy, which is so hard to do with frying. It was seasoned with carmelized apple, quail egg, yukon gold puree, and frisee, a perfect balance of delicate, yet fruity flavors that didn't detract from the fact that pork is a more subtle meat. Quite a success! The butternut squash bisque was an equal success! They created a lobster salad with crisp sage in the middle of the bowl and waited until arriving at the table to pour the exact amount of soup from a perfectly measured container (unlike Gramercy Tavern, NYC, which was also delicious but poured their soup from a larger container, almost as if to say you were sharing that soup with the rest of the restaurant like pigs eating from a trough. Yes, the little things get to me. In all fairness, Gramercy Tavern's soup was delicious!). The lobster salad accentuated the soup and yet also brought its own flair. Unlike Jer-Ne, which left the butternut squash to wallow in its own bitterness, you tasted Dakota's butternut squash light up and flair up, like a dear friend telling an exciting story. In the end, a dense and thick soup ended up being a light, refreshing appetizer.
Equally compelling were the entrees. DD picked the beef duo, a coriander crusted grassfed New York and a short rib, paired with poached asparagus and fingerling lyonaise with bordelaise. The meats were filling and heavy from what I tasted, almost as rich as Arcadia's steak rossini (but let's face it--nothing is truly that rich). I had the trout meuniere. Let me just say that to this day, it still leaves me a bit breathless. The trout was so fresh and so rich, a wild trout, I'm told, that it was PINK like a salmon. Not only was it tender and rich, but it was cooked to perfection with lump crab meat, baby parsnips, heirloom carrots, and carmelized salsify. The only thing that could have made it better was the butters.
THE BUTTERS. I still fantasize about those saucy little minxes. Apparently at Dakota, you can order a butter as a side. So for every meal, be it fish or steak, vegetables or soup, the chef recognizes that like bacon, butter tastes good with everything. Of the four choices of butter, DD and I opted for the fine herb and the foie gras butter. You heard me. Foie gras BUTTER. In case you can't tell, I have an inordinate obsession with foie gras, and I love me some butter. So imagine my surprise when the two were wrapped up in one, ready to be eaten with my delicious trout! A-MAZ-ING. I have no other words. You simply haven't lived until you have tried the foie gras butter with the trout. With the meat. With ANYTHING. I want it for my fried rice. I want it in every dish I make. I'll die an early and very happy death.
The desserts were delicious, but nothing to write home about. Honestly, I was still reeling from the ecstasy of having discovered a love of my life. We ordered a chocolate mousse blossom and the warm apple tartin. Since I'm still light-headed from remembering the goodness of the appetizers and entrees, I'll leave you to the pictures. I believe they speak for themselves.
Overall, this was a great experience. Getting there was a disaster since it's located in the heart of touristy Hollywood, and it was in a loud hotel (hotel restaurants kind of irk me), but I'd do it again in a heartbeat to get me some of that foie gras butter with trout. Entirely worth the DineLA experience and still on my list since I'm pretty sure I saw a foie gras on the appetizer list as well... :)
Dakota Restaurant
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This and Gotham in NYC are among the few times I couldn't finish a meal that was absolutely orgasmic because it was too rich. This and Mario's Peruvian Food were the only two times I have ever regretted having even one piece of bread. Yes, it is that good.
As appetizers, DD and I chose the crispy pork belly and the butternut squash bisque. The crispy pork belly was tender and crispy, cooked to perfection. The meat itself was full of flavor, and it was actually juicy, which is so hard to do with frying. It was seasoned with carmelized apple, quail egg, yukon gold puree, and frisee, a perfect balance of delicate, yet fruity flavors that didn't detract from the fact that pork is a more subtle meat. Quite a success! The butternut squash bisque was an equal success! They created a lobster salad with crisp sage in the middle of the bowl and waited until arriving at the table to pour the exact amount of soup from a perfectly measured container (unlike Gramercy Tavern, NYC, which was also delicious but poured their soup from a larger container, almost as if to say you were sharing that soup with the rest of the restaurant like pigs eating from a trough. Yes, the little things get to me. In all fairness, Gramercy Tavern's soup was delicious!). The lobster salad accentuated the soup and yet also brought its own flair. Unlike Jer-Ne, which left the butternut squash to wallow in its own bitterness, you tasted Dakota's butternut squash light up and flair up, like a dear friend telling an exciting story. In the end, a dense and thick soup ended up being a light, refreshing appetizer.
Equally compelling were the entrees. DD picked the beef duo, a coriander crusted grassfed New York and a short rib, paired with poached asparagus and fingerling lyonaise with bordelaise. The meats were filling and heavy from what I tasted, almost as rich as Arcadia's steak rossini (but let's face it--nothing is truly that rich). I had the trout meuniere. Let me just say that to this day, it still leaves me a bit breathless. The trout was so fresh and so rich, a wild trout, I'm told, that it was PINK like a salmon. Not only was it tender and rich, but it was cooked to perfection with lump crab meat, baby parsnips, heirloom carrots, and carmelized salsify. The only thing that could have made it better was the butters.THE BUTTERS. I still fantasize about those saucy little minxes. Apparently at Dakota, you can order a butter as a side. So for every meal, be it fish or steak, vegetables or soup, the chef recognizes that like bacon, butter tastes good with everything. Of the four choices of butter, DD and I opted for the fine herb and the foie gras butter. You heard me. Foie gras BUTTER. In case you can't tell, I have an inordinate obsession with foie gras, and I love me some butter. So imagine my surprise when the two were wrapped up in one, ready to be eaten with my delicious trout! A-MAZ-ING. I have no other words. You simply haven't lived until you have tried the foie gras butter with the trout. With the meat. With ANYTHING. I want it for my fried rice. I want it in every dish I make. I'll die an early and very happy death.
The desserts were delicious, but nothing to write home about. Honestly, I was still reeling from the ecstasy of having discovered a love of my life. We ordered a chocolate mousse blossom and the warm apple tartin. Since I'm still light-headed from remembering the goodness of the appetizers and entrees, I'll leave you to the pictures. I believe they speak for themselves.Overall, this was a great experience. Getting there was a disaster since it's located in the heart of touristy Hollywood, and it was in a loud hotel (hotel restaurants kind of irk me), but I'd do it again in a heartbeat to get me some of that foie gras butter with trout. Entirely worth the DineLA experience and still on my list since I'm pretty sure I saw a foie gras on the appetizer list as well... :)
Dakota Restaurant
Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA
NorCal Trip: High-Brow and Low-Brow!
Few things get me more excited than leisure trips. I absolutely love the thrill of exploring new places, eating new foods, planning how to get there, where to stay, how to find the best bargains, and how to maximize every waking second of time I get to escape whatever reality my life is in, and simply enjoy another reality for awhile. So imagine my thrill and surprise when DD decided to take a trip with me, hopefully our first of many together!
We decided to take a trip to Northern California together. Both of us being ambitious and determined people, we decided on several main stops in a span of four short days: San Jose, Napa, San Francisco, Berkeley, and back to San Jose. ...And we decided to drive.
The good news is, with each other's company, the drive went by like a breeze. It felt like a drive, but it felt like a much shorter drive than 5-6 hours. And the further good news is (since with DD I hardly ever have bad news), there was heinously good food on this trip!
Only after looking at the website to research the address and phone number of this place did I discover that this is a chain restaurant with SoCal locations! Woot! I had one of the best Louisiana hot links I have had in my entire life. Well cooked, well seasoned, tender and moist.... I'm salivating just thinking about it! This hot link was a rich shade of red, looking just as appetizing as it tasted. I shared some with DD who also admitted that it was one of the best sausages he'd ever had. I didn't care too much for the ton of onions and peppers they had on top, but I swept it to one side and enjoyed my sausage. The side of coleslaw was pretty good too, though I confess that may at least be in part due to the delirium of happiness upon eating the sausage.
DD had the tri-tip, which was remarkably tender. I confess I don't remember much of it since our trip was at least a month ago and I wasn't eating it as my own main course, but I do recall that in addition to the meat's tenderness, the BBQ sauce made it that much more heavenly.
We ate our food with some beers in one of the outside patio seats, and even though the table was lopsided and annoyed the hell out of us, it was such a beautiful day, sunny with slight winds, that you couldn't help but to just enjoy it and take it all in. So we did, when we walked to the pier on the beach, just a couple storefronts away. Pismo Beach was an amazingly relaxing choice for a pit shop, exactly halfway along the coast, and it fed us well!
It's like the resident In-N-Out, with more options! This is the oddest, and yet cutest 50's diner cafe, in a prime location--directly in the middle of the Napa strip. High traffic passes by the location, and there's always a line. But with good reason! The line goes fast, and once you get to the front, you can order anything from garlic fries to a salmon burger.
DD and I had already eaten lunch, but we were determined to have some food here in between Reverie and Hartwell. So stop we did, and we only got a light snack--which in our world is two orders of fries and a drink. Sweet potato fries, garlic fries, and a root beer float! Oh, I'm salivating just thinking about it again! The sweet potato fries were freshly cooked and extra crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the garlic fries were SMOTHERED in garlic. I can't vouch for whether it's better than Dodger fries, since it's been awhile since I've been to Dodger's Stadium, but I can say it comes pretty damn close. And the root beer float? What better way to finish off a wildly unhealthy meal at a 50's diner joint while sitting out in the open on a sunny, beautiful day? The root beer may as well have been wine for how good it was to us.
Duck fat fries.
Okay, maybe that last one deserves a fuller description: filet mignon topped with Hudson Valley foie gras and glazed in a pinot noir wine reduction. Toss it on a tower of seared potato and sauteed spinach and you have a recipe for LEGEND. This was not only one of the richest items you will ever eat, but it was also a dish that simply melted in your mouth for as long as you would let it before taking it all in. Yes, it was that good. The filet mignon was tender, the foie gras left nothing to be desired, and the wine reduction was such a flavorful and yet delicate complement to the meal that it brought out all the subtle richness of the filet and foie gras, without making it overbearingly rich. In short, the dish sang perfect harmony at a perfect tempo and a perfect volume. It was magnificent.
Also magnificent was how beautiful the dessert was. It was just a couple of mini doughnuts, but it was arranged so beautifully, with hazelnut ice cream and crushed nuts all around the plate... It was rich and decadent without being too sweet or too salty. A good mix of flavors and textures.
Book a reservation next time you're ever in the San Jose area. You will not regret it. The decor could use a little work, but if you ignore the fact that it's a hotel's continental breakfast bar by day, you can eat a meal that will knock your socks off. Needless to say, I recommend the steak rossini.
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We decided to take a trip to Northern California together. Both of us being ambitious and determined people, we decided on several main stops in a span of four short days: San Jose, Napa, San Francisco, Berkeley, and back to San Jose. ...And we decided to drive.
The good news is, with each other's company, the drive went by like a breeze. It felt like a drive, but it felt like a much shorter drive than 5-6 hours. And the further good news is (since with DD I hardly ever have bad news), there was heinously good food on this trip!
Side Stop #1:
Pismo Beach: Mo's SmokeHouse BBQ
Pismo Beach: Mo's SmokeHouse BBQ
Only after looking at the website to research the address and phone number of this place did I discover that this is a chain restaurant with SoCal locations! Woot! I had one of the best Louisiana hot links I have had in my entire life. Well cooked, well seasoned, tender and moist.... I'm salivating just thinking about it! This hot link was a rich shade of red, looking just as appetizing as it tasted. I shared some with DD who also admitted that it was one of the best sausages he'd ever had. I didn't care too much for the ton of onions and peppers they had on top, but I swept it to one side and enjoyed my sausage. The side of coleslaw was pretty good too, though I confess that may at least be in part due to the delirium of happiness upon eating the sausage. 
DD had the tri-tip, which was remarkably tender. I confess I don't remember much of it since our trip was at least a month ago and I wasn't eating it as my own main course, but I do recall that in addition to the meat's tenderness, the BBQ sauce made it that much more heavenly. We ate our food with some beers in one of the outside patio seats, and even though the table was lopsided and annoyed the hell out of us, it was such a beautiful day, sunny with slight winds, that you couldn't help but to just enjoy it and take it all in. So we did, when we walked to the pier on the beach, just a couple storefronts away. Pismo Beach was an amazingly relaxing choice for a pit shop, exactly halfway along the coast, and it fed us well!
Mo's SmokeHouse BBQ
221 Pomeroy Street, Pismo Beach, California 93449 - (805) 773-6193
Side Stop #2:
Napa: Taylor's Automatic Refresher
It's like the resident In-N-Out, with more options! This is the oddest, and yet cutest 50's diner cafe, in a prime location--directly in the middle of the Napa strip. High traffic passes by the location, and there's always a line. But with good reason! The line goes fast, and once you get to the front, you can order anything from garlic fries to a salmon burger. DD and I had already eaten lunch, but we were determined to have some food here in between Reverie and Hartwell. So stop we did, and we only got a light snack--which in our world is two orders of fries and a drink. Sweet potato fries, garlic fries, and a root beer float! Oh, I'm salivating just thinking about it again! The sweet potato fries were freshly cooked and extra crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the garlic fries were SMOTHERED in garlic. I can't vouch for whether it's better than Dodger fries, since it's been awhile since I've been to Dodger's Stadium, but I can say it comes pretty damn close. And the root beer float? What better way to finish off a wildly unhealthy meal at a 50's diner joint while sitting out in the open on a sunny, beautiful day? The root beer may as well have been wine for how good it was to us.
Taylor's Automatic Refresher
644 First Street, Napa, CA 94559 - 707-224-6900
Side Stop #3:
San Jose: Arcadia
I hardly even need to actually describe them. I just need to say their names.
Foie gras sliders.
Duck fat fries.
Lobster corndogs.
Ahi tuna tartare.
Steak Rossini.
Okay, maybe that last one deserves a fuller description: filet mignon topped with Hudson Valley foie gras and glazed in a pinot noir wine reduction. Toss it on a tower of seared potato and sauteed spinach and you have a recipe for LEGEND. This was not only one of the richest items you will ever eat, but it was also a dish that simply melted in your mouth for as long as you would let it before taking it all in. Yes, it was that good. The filet mignon was tender, the foie gras left nothing to be desired, and the wine reduction was such a flavorful and yet delicate complement to the meal that it brought out all the subtle richness of the filet and foie gras, without making it overbearingly rich. In short, the dish sang perfect harmony at a perfect tempo and a perfect volume. It was magnificent.
Book a reservation next time you're ever in the San Jose area. You will not regret it. The decor could use a little work, but if you ignore the fact that it's a hotel's continental breakfast bar by day, you can eat a meal that will knock your socks off. Needless to say, I recommend the steak rossini.
Arcadia
Marriott, 100 West San Carlos Street, San Jose, CA 95113 - 408-278-4555
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