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Archive for January 2015

Marcel Vigneron – Taking Epic Further

Jan30

January 24, 2015, my wife and I hosted a very special fund-raising dinner at our house. And given our penchant for details, things were bound to be off the charts epic.

I met Marcel Vigneron a year back at a 2009 Bordeaux dinner, and ever since have been looking for an excuse to have him cook at our house. For those of you who don’t know, Marcel was the original Executive Sous Chef at The Bazaar, and also cooked at Joel Robuchon. He’s been on numerous Top Chef and Top Chef All-Stars shows and was the star of his own series, Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen.

I might like modernism in my food, but when it comes to the decorative arts my wife and I agree things have been on a downhill slope since the mob stormed Versailles. We’re both history buffs and have gone to some length to recreate the fantasy of a 1730s Italian villa. So, in that vein, guests are welcomed into the Chinoiserie Drawing Room for champagne and snacks.

And a classical setting deserves a classical ambiance: a harpist playing baroque pieces!

All wines are from my cellar and served by 2/3 Master Sommelier Chris Lavin. By 2/3, I mean he’s passed 2 out of the 3 of those torturous tests detailed in the Somm documentary. Which really means he’s an amazing Sommelier.

It should be noted that going back and forth Chris and I chose about 40 wines from my cellar and arranged them into a rough progression by “type.” i.e. bubblies, brighter whites, white burg, red burg, etc. Then he dynamically chose to organize these into flights by making up interesting duos or sets to play off both each other and the food.

I’m not a big believer in rigidly pairing at a dinner like this. With 18 people, there is no way to predict in advance the consumption rate, so the pre-planning needs to allow for a flexible rate of consumption if one doesn’t want to leave a lot of wine sitting on the table unfinished. We used a system with 3 specific stems (Riedel Sommelier Chardonnay/Chablis, Burgundy, and Bordeaux) and 2 general stems (Riedel Degustazione Red, which I think is a great general glass). Flights were all 2 or 3 wines and people could either finish old wines, move them “down glass” or pass on a flight. With this many wines many people (particularly the ladies) needed to take a breather.

NV Bochet-Lemoine Champagne Les Grimpres 1955. An amazing, rare, acid bomb of a champy.

Marcel’s culinary assault begins with a number of snacks.

Endive Boat. smoked trout, cucumber, dill. Bright and fresh.

NV Pierre Gerbais Champagne L’Originale. 89 points. clear and bright with a pale lemon colour and presence of many small bubbles. The nose is clean and fully developed, showing medium(+) intensity aromas of green fruits (green apple, pear), MLF (cream, butter) and yeast (bread dough, brioche). The wine is off-dry in the mouth with a high refreshing acidity. It has a medium alcohol and a medium body with a creamy mousse. It has medium(+) intensity flavours of green fruits (green apple, pear), MLF (cream, butter) and yeast (bread dough, brioche). The finish is medium(+).

Topped egg. salmon roe, chive. Salty and rich.

2005 Gramona Cava III Lustros Gran Reserva. 88 points. Clear and bright, pale lemon colour and presence of small bubbles. The nose is clean and developing, with medium- intensity aromas of neutral yeast and simple green fruit such as green apple and pear. It’s dry in the mouth, with medium+ acidity, medium alcohol, medium body, creamy mousse and medium intensity flavours of neutral yeast and simple green fruit like green apples and pear. Medium finish. It’s a good quality wine, fresh and easy to drink with good overall balance, bit it lacks complexity and the finish could be longer. Other vintages have been better. Drink now, but it has enough acidity and concentration to develop more complexity in 1-2 years.

Mushroom “tart”. goat cheese, thyme. Lots of lemon zing.

2011 i Clivi Collio Ribolla Gialla Spumante Brut. Another unusual bubbly.

Marcel and team slave away in the kitchen while we enjoy ourselves.

The table is set, and with Riedel Sommelier stems too, as it should be. The walls of the dining room were painted by my mother from photos we took in Italy.

2013 Veyder-Malberg Riesling Bruck. 95 points. These puppies are so rare the professionals have barely reviewed them, but this dry riesling is a total knockout. The purity of expression is off the charts, and that’s without even getting into the searing acid finish,

2007 Lur-Saluces “Y”. Parker 94. The rare dry wine from the world’s greatest sweet producer is an unusual find. These are made to age, and this one was no exception, still showing all it’s baby fat. The 2007 Ygrec has a light, fragrant nose with apple-blossom, pink grapefruit, citrus lemon and just a touch of cold granite. Good definition. The palate is bright and lively, a lot of energy packed into this Ygrec, with citrus lemon, green apple, a touch of lemongrass, very harmonious and smooth towards the finish that display superb persistency, a hint of fiery lemongrass lingering in the mouth.

2009 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc. Parker 98. Smith-Haut-Lafitte hit a home run with their red Pessac-Leognan and came very close to perfection with their dry white Graves. Possibly the best dry white the estate has produced since the proprietors, the Cathiards, acquired the property in 1990, this wine exhibits a sensational fragrance of buttered citrus, honeyed melons and a touch of grapefruit, lemon zest and orange rind. It also displays grapefruit on the attack and mid-palate as well as real opulence, terrific acidity and length. Drink it over the next 15-20 years. Astonishing!

Hamachi carpaccio. avocado, olive, citrus, watercress, wild rice, ponzu. A nice mix of flavors and textures. Marcel’s food is light and playful, with bright flavors. He doesn’t use a lot of butter or heavy ingredients.

A duo of Raveneau MDT!

2002 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. Burghound 93. This too is very opulent with a richness and breadth of aromas that is dazzling in their sheer range. Big, powerful, very masculine and exceptionally intense flavors blessed with huge extract but despite the size and weight, this also has the best acid/fruit balance of any of these 1ers plus this absolutely coats and stains the palate. In fact, there is an interesting textural quality by virtue of all the sap yet the finish is quite dry. A great effort that explodes on the backend and lingers for minutes.

2009 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. Burghound 93. Subtle wood sets off aromas of flowers, oyster shell and tidal pool that complement perfectly the racy, pure and strikingly well-detailed medium plus weight flavors that brim with minerality on the delicious, mouth coating and impressively long finish. This beautifully vibrant and concentrated effort should drink well young and age well too plus it’s more classic in style than many wines from this vintage.

Salmon crudo. brussels sprout leaves, apple, pomegranate, lime. A really fabulous dish. The sprouts had no bitterness, and there was a pronounced citrus and the strong pomegranate flavors to complement the rich fish.

1993 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 92. A fully mature and expressive nose of elegant secondary fruit and floral aromas introduces intensely mineral-driven, pure and beautifully well-detailed middle weight flavors that possess excellent depth and fine length. This is drinking perfectly now and should continue to do so without effort for at least another decade. Tasted only once recently.

2004 Henri Boillot Bâtard-Montrachet. Burghound 95. Perhaps the most backward and reserved wine to this point as the nose reveals only hints of white flower and green fruit aromas that are framed in a subtle touch of pain grillé but the flavors explode on the palate as there is a chewy texture to them yet there is ample minerality present, particularly for Bâtard. This too is blessed with abundant dry extract and a finish that won’t quit but for all of the size and weight, this is impeccably balanced. This has that “wow” factor and in terms of style, it’s almost like a muscular Chevalier.

Pumpkin soup. nutmeg creme fraiche. An amazing soup. Like a sort of savory pumpkin pie!

And in the spirit of pairing, double 97 RSV.

1997 Remoissenet Père et Fils Romanée St. Vivant. 86 points. Our bottle was slightly corked. Not horribly, but enough to mar my enjoyment.

1997 Alain Hudelot-Noellat Romanée St. Vivant. 93 points. The nose just jumps from the glass. Plenty of spice, red fruit and a lot of earth. The wine is cloudy with amber edges. More spice, ferrous notes and tart tart cherries on the finish. Kind of reminds me of a young Leroy. Not sure how much it will improve, but a very interesting drink right now.

Just one of four types of bread from the bakery at Maison Giraud. We had Baguette, Pain aux Olives, Pain de Campagne, and Brioche Fine.

Butter from Normandy. If Republique can do it, so can we! It’s funny how many people are blown away by how much better good French butter is than our usual American fare.

And a pair of Clos Vougeot Musigni.

1990 Gros Frère et Sœur Clos Vougeot Musigni. 92 points. Rich, smoky nose with a supple, well balance flavor of slightly tart cherries mixed with currant and medium length finish. This is an extremely elegant wine and I would definitely buy more. This wine is at its peak, but shows no sign of age at all. Delicious.

1984 Gros Frère et Sœur Clos Vougeot Musigni. 87 points. This good wine from a terrible vintage won’t win any awards, but it drinks so much like strawberry jam that I happen to love it.

Nesting egg. rocket, radish, cashew dressing. Check out this presentation. The coddled egg is set in the crispy nest and is complimented by the zesty salad below.

1989 Château Lynch-Bages. Parker 99+. The 1989 has taken forever to shed its formidable tannins, but what a great vintage of Lynch Bages! I would rank it at the top of the pyramid although the 1990, 2000, and down the road, some of the more recent vintages such as 2005, 2009 and 2010 should come close to matching the 1989’s extraordinary concentration and undeniable aging potential. Its dense purple color reveals a slight lightening at the edge and the stunning bouquet offers classic notes of creme de cassis, subtle smoke, oak and graphite. Powerful and rich with some tannins still to shed at age 22, it is still a young adolescent in terms of its evolution and will benefit from another 4-5 years of cellaring. It should prove to be a 50 year wine.

1970 Bodegas Olarra Rioja Cerro Anon Gran Reserva. 92 points. Surprisingly young. Gorgeous and interesting nose with a slightly weak mid palette and a long pretty sour cherry finish. Most people thought it was some odd pinot noir and had no idea it was so old.

Miso black cod. celeriac risotto, brown butter, charred broccoli. This is an unusual dish. The cod was buried in there between the risotto and the broccoli, which was baked with olive oil and spices. The whole bit was topped with grated nori which enhanced the “sea” factor.

1993 Roagna Barbaresco Riserva. 90 points. It has a soft and inviting nose. The palate is supple and round but with sneaky structure. Roses, some balsam, tar, and savory notes. This is on the muscular side of Barbaresco but with a suppleness and sweetness that draw you in. Fresh and balanced, with good depth, there is no part of this that stands out, but it all comes to a greater whole, and while its no barn burner, it is in a really nice place right now. My only nit to pick is that the tannins may outlive the fruit here. Mid peak and while I am sure this will hold for quite a while, it is in such a nice place right now that I see no reason to hold it for holding’s sake. Lovely.

1990 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Bussia. 92 points. Nose to die for. A wonderfully mature, sleek Barolo with no hard edges and classic flavors of tar, black fruits tree bark. Medium-bodied and pure elegance rather than concentration and power. Lit up like a candle when the pasta wiyh white truffles was served.

Linguini “carbonara.” parmesan, black pepper, egg, smoked mushroom. The quail egg is filled with cheese. Dump and stir and this resolves into a scrumptious combo of smokiness and richness.

Left to right, Sam, Marcel, and Shanti help use liquid nitrogen to whip up an intense, smooth, frozen form of sorbet.

Nitro sorbet. Pomegranate. Tastes just like pomegranate juice — not surprising as that’s its only ingredient!

1998 Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume. 92 points. The nose is gorgeous, lots minerality, slightly oxidative notes of bruised apple, also lemon pith and orange blossom. On the palate it’s sweet and silky but with a tart, zingy acid component. Lovely balance of flavors, part citrus but also with more of the apple, a touch of limestone, and honeyed pear. Lengthy, tapering finish that lasts for a long time. An outstanding wine.

Cheese plate. Not only were all four cheeses great (We made a family outing of tasting — I mean selecting — them at Andrew’s Cheese Shop), but the chefs arranged and decorated to great effect. The plate is one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen!

1960 Barbeito Madeira Bual Reserva Velha. Doing it’s intense madeira thing, this wine was an amazing pairing with:

Flourless chocolate cake. coconut lemongrass orb, hazelnut butter, gold. Wow! What a “cake.” The rich chocolate (more like a ganache) paired amazingly with the refreshing and almost Thai-flavored orb, plus the hazelnut just kicked it up.

Mignardises. pate de fruits, macarons, nougat, brigadeiros. I love these little desserts, so we sourced all this stuff ourselves.

Roy Rene Nougat de Provence, flavored with honey and lavender.

Hawaii Pates de Fruits, guava, ginger, and coconut.

Brigadeiros, Brazilian chocolate/dulce de leche deserts in milk chocolate, dark chocolate, vanilla coconut, pistachio, and lime. Sourced from Simply Brigadeiro.

Macarons from ‘Lette Macarons. Chocolate, vanilla, coconut, raspberry, and almond.

Bundt cakes to go from Nothing Bundt Cakes. Can’t have a truly epic dinner without “parting gifts.”

And we even printed up the menus.

The wine damage was significant. 21 bottles for 18 people.

But what was really epic was the length. Nearly 7 hours for dinner! I don’t think all the guests knew what they were in for, but everyone had a fabulous time. Marcel’s cooking was on point and inventive, and no one went home hungry. In fact, the “wafer thin mint” joke was bandied about more than once.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

Me and my lovely wife, Sharon

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Burgundy, Cheese, Christopher Lavin, Marcel Vigneron, Molecular Gastronomy, Wine

Japanese in China – Izakaya Akatora

Jan28

Restaurant: Izakaya Akatora

Location:115 W Main St. Alhambra, CA 91801. (626) 943-7872

Date: January 22, 2015

Cuisine: Japanese fusion

Rating: Tasty culinary mashup

Us Hedonists are pals with Michael Cardenas and so when he opened this new Izakaya (Japanese for “there is beer here”) in our home turf (the San Gabriel Valley) we zipped right on out for a big dinner.

The pubby interior.

NV Jérôme Prévost La Closerie “Fac Simile” Les Beguines. AG 94+. Layers of delicately scented, perfumed fruit caress the palate as the NV (2009) Extra Brut Rose Les Beguines Fac-Simile shows off its incredible textural finesse and pure pedigree. Mint, sweet spices and red berries are some of the many notes that are woven together in a fabric of nearly indescribable elegance. Prevost’s Rose is at times a powerful wine, but the 2009 is all about delicacy and understatement. If you haven’t guessed, I loved it. Prévost makes his Rose by adding one barrel of Pinot Meunier vinified on the skins to his blanc cuvée. Disgorged October 2011.

NV G. H. Mumm & Cie Champagne Mumm de Cramant. IWC 90. Limpid yellow. Vibrant minerally, floral lemon and orange scents, with deeper pear and melon nuances coming up with air. Tangy and precise on entry, then fleshier in the mid-palate, offering sappy orchard and candied citrus fruit flavors with notes of chamomile and anise adding complexity. Closes smooth and long, with lingering toastiness and a hint of sweet butter.

The specials are on the board.

2008 Veyder-Malberg Grüner Veltliner Loibner Loibenberg. agavin 95. Amazing Gruner. Really nice with a ton of minerality.

Oyster with uni and caviar with ponzu.

From my cellar: 2002 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. Burghound 93. This too is very opulent with a richness and breadth of aromas that is dazzling in their sheer range. Big, powerful, very masculine and exceptionally intense flavors blessed with huge extract but despite the size and weight, this also has the best acid/fruit balance of any of these 1ers plus this absolutely coats and stains the palate. In fact, there is an interesting textural quality by virtue of all the sap yet the finish is quite dry. A great effort that explodes on the backend and lingers for minutes.

Poke! Everyone’s favorite chopped and spiced tuna.

2003 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel. IWC 94. Chartreuse-like herbal essences and citrus aromas. Lemon-lime sorbet on the pure, polished, elegant palate, which today is slightly dominated by sheer youthful sweetness. Inner-mouth aromas of honey and flowers. Offers superb length, with the refinement of fruit and subtle wet stone character typical of the best slate-grown riesling.

Kelp shot. Slimy and quite delicious (lots of vinegar).

2005 Domaine Jomain Puligny-Montrachet. 88 points. Reduced. But could still get the sweet fine spice and citrus fruits.

2013 Guy Saget Vouvray Marie de Beauregard. 89 points. Understated notes reminiscent of off-dry Rieslings. On the palate I get flavors of citrus, sponge cake, and lime with a hint of rind; long, sweet finish, somewhat akin to sweet lemonade perhaps. Medium acidity. Better served somewhat chilled than at room temperature; seems to get a bit flabby as it warms up.

Pork belly with seaweed. Fine, but not the best dish of the night by any means.

2008 Rhys Pinot Noir Alpine Vineyard. Burghound 93. Like all of the Rhys ’08s, the aromatic complexity of the Alpine is more than just admirable, it’s distinctive as it offers a lacy and pure mélange of cherry and blue berry fruit aromas cut with floral and mild wood notes that precede the backward and moderately austere flavors that are underpinned by firm but not aggressive tannins and excellent length on the balanced finish. While the Alpine is also built to age, it appears that it may come around a bit sooner.

Rice crisps with uni. Yum.

2012 Domaine Eden Pinot Noir. AG 88. The 2012 Pinot Noir is a pretty, silky wine with plenty of near term appeal. Sweet red berries, flowers and spices meld together nicely in the glass. Overall, the Domaine Eden Pinot is forward, bright and nicely done.

Sashimi. Lobster, salmon, toro, scallops, hamachi, and some white fishes. Really very nice fish.

2006 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Ancient Way. Fruit bomb!

Wagyu and foie gras potstickers. Both absolutely fabulous.

From my cellar: 1991 Camille Giroud Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Les Beaux Monts. 93 points. Nice classic Vosne nose and spicy palette. Just reaching real maturity.

Pop corn shrimp with spicy ponzu. The usual guilty pleasure.

Sebastian wanted some sake!

Sushi. Besides some of the usual, there was some great uni, then foie gras! then toro. The foie was crazy. In fact, the city is foie crazy because of the ban lifting.

The lobster head returns as lobster miso.

Roll with uni and caviar. Notice a theme?

2002 Gary Farrell Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County Selection. 88 points. Still lots of acidity, which was a surprise. I would hold for a few years if it’s been temp controlled. Post- a decant, it’s apparent this is quality juice, but there wasn’t anything memorable. Lacks identity.

Blue crab handroll. Lump crab meat, little or no mayo.

2003 Château Rieussec. IWC 92-95. Medium yellow-gold. Reticent but pure aromas of fruit salad, spices and vanilla, lifted by floral and mineral nuances. Wonderfully honeyed, fat fruit flavors are complemented by cinnamon, clove and nutmeg. The sexy oak treatment gives lift to the wine. A bit youthfully aggressive but very long on the back end, showing vanillin oak and a bit of warmth. But this one offers superb potential.

Sweet potato cake with ice cream. Really sweet!

Overall, Akatora was a really fun night. Service was amazing (friends of the chef and manager and all — haha) and the food was quite good. It leans a little on uni, but I’m not complaining. Everyone loved it so much we already have a second dinner scheduled.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Foie gras, hedonists, Izakaya Akatora, Japanese cuisine, Sushi, Wine

Food as Art – Saison

Jan26

Restaurant: Saison

Location: 178 Townsend Street, San Francisco, CA 94107. (415) 828-7990

Date: January 17, 2015

Cuisine: Modern American

Rating: Awesome!

Saison is helmed by Joshua Skenes and began just a few short years ago (2009) as a popup. Wow, from popup to three michelin stars in just 5 years! And I wanted to go even when it had only two, so heading up to San Francisco this month, visiting became an imperative.

Thankfully I have friends in the right places, because Saison is one hell of a reservation to get.

The sleek space has a kind of rustic elegance that pairs with the food like champagne pairs with caviar.

Tonight’s menu. Saison has only a single tasting menu that varies slightly from table to table and from night to night. The emphasis is, you guessed it, on seasonal ingredients.

A cocktail.

The Saison master sommelier, my friend, and our host tonight, Max Coane — in his lair.

Champagne, courtesy of Max.

Tea. Infusion of some herbs from our garden.

Peppers preserved in the wood burning oven, buttermilk. This had an intense smoked pepper quality, really quite good.

All wines from my cellar:

2003 Weingut Graben-Gritsch Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Schön. 89 points. Nose of lychee pineapple lemon, creamy lemon and peach on the palate. Bright acidity medium finish. Happy to have two more.

agavin: this is really a very good food wine, particularly with this kind of subtle cuisine.

Caviar with lardo. Absolutely delicious. Quite the pork fat zing too.

Black cod, pine bouillon, young pine cones. A very nice succulent fish and mushrooms, with a soft aromatic broth.

1991 Etienne Sauzet Bâtard-Montrachet. 91 points. Dry and subdued, but very clean and nice. A bit rounded, but delicious.

Battle creek trout, its skin & roe. Crispy and unctuous. The broth was a bit sweet and absolutely stunning, particularly with the Gruner.

Abalone with bacon. Some of the most tender abalone I’ve had. The sauce was made from monkfish liver!

A vegetarian version, radishes, butter from our cows.

2000 Domaine Ramonet Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. Burghound 93. Surprisingly open and expressive with wonderfully complex and nuanced aromas that reveal a dazzling array of floral and fruit elements followed by rich, ripe and somewhat more full-bodied flavors than usual but the additional weight is more than buffered by the racy finishing acidity and almost painfully intense back end. This is presently a good deal more forward than the ’00 Bâtard though there is clearly enough material to suggest that this will benefit from another 3 to perhaps 5 years in the cellar.

Uni on sour bread. Wow. Soft infused bread and a pure uni umph.

Avocado on sour bread.

Salad. This was a bunch of greens.

Brussels & cabbages blistered in the fire. Some very nice brussels sprouts with a charred flavor.

Fire in the sky beet. Like a beet foie gras or something.

Beer to go with the foie.

Toffee, milk, foie, and beer. And speaking of foie gras, this dessert-like confection was totally to die for.

1985 Domaine Jean Grivot Echezeaux. 94 points. Great wine in great shape.

Duck and cheese stuffed cabbage.

With the jus. Some delicious duck, very tender, with a fabulous jus. The cheesy cabbage was believe it or not, actually even better.

Naple long pumpkin, hung over the fire for 3 days, a bouillon of aged kelp.

Greens. Whatever.

Poultry broth. Quite nice.

1996 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares. Burghound 91. Dense and intense black fruit with plenty of character is followed by rich, big, tannic flavors that are robust, indeed almost rustic. This displays lots of backbone if not much finesse with a nice note of finishing complexity. In short, the ’96 Bonnes Mares delivers solid if not truly exceptional quality in a package that will age for many years to come.

agavin: our bottle was elegant and amazing.

Beignets.

Red hawk mousseline, yali pears. Scrumptious smeared over the fried pastry.

Ice cream…

and caramel cooked in the fire. Great stuff, but tiny.

Buckwheat Tea. What’s with the whole tea thing? I’m more of a coffee person (and not with dinner).

A final surprise.

Over-ripe persimmon. I’m not a persimmon fan, but this one was great.

The damage.

And some tea to take home. They sure like tea.

The larder. This place smelled incredible. A mixture of aging meat and fabulous fruits and vegetables. The Saison team believes in curing and aging things to their proper ripeness, and in ensuring the absolute best ingredients. These ducks, for example, are from their own special farm.

The open kitchen is where the magic happens.

Overall, Saison was stellar, with really focused dishes that hit with a precise little wallop. Service was an 11 too, thanks Max and Mathew team up! My only beef would be that somehow we felt we needed about two more dishes, maybe a meat savory and definitely another dessert. Oh and mignardises. We really wanted a nice plate of those!

As a note, there was a fire and smoke vibe going on. Skenes calls the flame the “heart” of the restaurant, and its predominant use, in contrast to modern cooking’s sous vide, nitro, and other flameless techniques that yield’s Saison’s peculiar “modern rustic” style. But Skenes also has a very crafty and subtle knack for flavors. They are potent and focused, but not over the top or whacky. This isn’t cerebral food either like Atelier Crenn. Nor is it the unexpected symphony of CR8. This is a sort of primal thing. The sauces are also stunning. Mostly broths, very Japanese inspired, they are generally less fat and diary driven then the classic French canon. They tended to mix sweet and tangy in a way influenced by Asia. Subtle and elegant.

It should also be noted that while Saison’s atmosphere is amazing, its food stellar, and its service flawless, there are some caveats: it’s expensive (no duh, this is a 3 star michelin). They don’t accommodate dietary restrictions as flexibly as many top restaurants (no vegetarian). Although they did handle us, and we had four distinct rule sets with six diners. Mark Bright’s wine list, while filled with great juice, will set back your plans to upgrade the private jet, but I brought my own. Max’s wine service, too, is perfect. There is only a giant ever-changing tasting menu (the way I like it — no small menu means no one can wus out), so picky eaters are out of luck.

Was it worth all this? As a priest of Dionysus and a devotee of the art of food… hell yes!

For more San Fran dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Foodie Club, Joshua Skenes, Saison, San Francisco

Eating San Francisco – Zuni Cafe

Jan23

Restaurant: Zuni Cafe

Location: 1658 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102. (415) 552-2522

Date: January 16, 2015

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Rating: Tasty!

Zuni is a bit of a San Francisco institution (in a recent sort of way).

The busy downstairs.

The current menu.

From my cellar: 2007 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses. Burghound 90. As would reasonably be expected, there is just more here in every dimension with a more complex and more elegant nose that is layered and very fresh and this refinement continues onto the nicely concentrated middle weight flavors that display evident minerality on the sappy, intense and mouth coating finish that lingers and lingers. This is a terrific Savigny blanc and recommended.

Deep-fried Monterey rock cod with cabbage slaw, pickled onions, red jalapeno, and lime vinaigrette. Tiny, tasty, but more mild then I would have thought.

Vegetable tagine, saffron couscous, flowering purple broccoli, cardoons, carrots, yougurt, and charmoula.

Moro and Sanguinelli blood oranges with marinated beets, wild arugula, and farmers cheese.

House-cured anchovies with celery, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Coquillo olives.

From my cellar: 2007 Alvaro Palacios Priorat Finca Dofí. IWC 92+. Opaque ruby. Expansive aromas of dark cherry, blackberry, iron, tobacco and cedar. Very rich but lively, offering sweet red and dark berry flavors and a hint of licorice. Packs serious punch and shows a chewy, youthfully tannic quality on the long, penetrating finish. Unevolved right now and in need of at least another few years in bottle, but this is very promising.

Cavatelli with hedgehog mushrooms and arugula pesto.

Grilled Paine Farm squab with sweet potato puree, braised red cabbage, roasted brussels sprouts, and Charteuse-mustard sauce.

Whole Passmore Ranch trout roasted in the brick oven with curly endive, fennel, Satsuma mandarins, toasted hazelnuts, and brown butter.

Llano Seco Ranch pork simmered with Marsala and sage; soft polenta, spinach, black trumpet mushrooms, and caramelized onions.

Zuni food was bright and tasty, good stuff, although the appetizer portions were a tad on the small size.

For more San Fran dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Parmigiano-Reggiano, San Francisco, Wine

Food as Art – Atelier Crenn

Jan21

Restaurant: Atelier Crenn

Location: 3127 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94123. (415) 440-0460

Date: January 15, 2015

Cuisine: Modernist

Rating: Awesome presentation and quite tasty

I’ve wanted to go to Atelier Crenn for years now, as it’s not only an award winning Michelin 2 star San Francisco fine dining restaurant, but quite avant garde and modernist, which I very much enjoy.

Really the atelier part of the name is quite accurate, as this is very much an artisan place, and with a talented female french chef, Dominique Crenn.

The room is modern and lovely, with a sort of handmade aesthetic.

From my cellar: 1993 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 92. A fully mature and expressive nose of elegant secondary fruit and floral aromas introduces intensely mineral-driven, pure and beautifully well-detailed middle weight flavors that possess excellent depth and fine length. This is drinking perfectly now and should continue to do so without effort for at least another decade. Tasted only once recently.

The menu is a poem! There is a single large tasting menu, and no options (fine by me).

“Winter has come with its cool breeze.” Kir Breton. A sort of candy version of the classic cocktail. Cool apple cider encased in white chocolate with a blob of creme de cassis. Delicious!

“I touch the earth and play, in its cool milk light.” Salsify, cauliflower, white chocolate. You use that stick (the salsify) to pick up the dusty stuff and eat it, then eat the stick. Pretty darn good if a hair fibrous.

“Noir sur noir.” Squid Ink Rice Cracker. Nothing wrong with it, but not the most exciting.

“Where the broad ocean leans against the Spanish land.” Squid, iberico ham, lardo.

Then some broth with a smoky hammy flavor. This was delicious.

“I remember an oceanic feeling.” Shima Aji, beet, turnip.

It is then decorated with nitro beet.

Which smokes!

The net effect was fish, radish, nice tempura, and a cool dusty beet flavor over the top.

“Strolling on the beach, in its whimsically ebullient innocence.” Exotic tarragon sorbet.

“Here, the earth proffers its juicy and tangy, chlorophyll gifts.” King crab, fennel. Quite nice.

“The sea is in me, as strange and mysterious.” Scallop, pear, sea cucumber dashi.

Very soft and delicious.

“The setting of the orange sun.” Cashew, butternut squash, persimmon. This dairy-free cashew ice cream was amazing and had the texture of mochi (sort of).

“I revisted my childhood memories, a rebirth of the forest.” Duck egg, pate, porcini broth.

With the broth. Interesting and good.

“Nibbling on Brittany seeds with a twinkle in my eye.” Brioche.

From my cellar: 1993 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. Burghound 92. In stark contrast to the Chambertin, this is wonderfully expressive and complex with abundant earth and spice notes followed by big, structured, still sappy if slightly austere flavors that offer excellent density and plenty of character. Impressively scaled and finishes with striking length. A clear step up from the Chambertin.

“Tastying the white luxurious pillow.” Bone marrow, osetra caviar, nasturtium.

Here with the caviar added.

And buckwheat cracker and smoked creme fraiche.

You dip the cracker in creme, then add some bone marrow. Pretty amazing.

“I take a sip of winter.” Some kind of interesting juice?

“Watching the beast rests, beneath the leaves.” Squab raspberry, mustard seeds. Quite delicious main.

“Dotting the fragrant flora.” Carrot jerky. Looks like a vanilla bean. Interesting.

Salad. Not sure what in.

“A precious token.” Pineapple, basil seed, blue green algae. Like a goo, but surprisingly delicious and refreshing.

Nori and Matcha wafer. crunchy and vaguely seaweed-like.

“Winter has come and is full of sweet surprises.” The sea. This whacky and impressive dessert was incredible with hints of citrus. Lots of foam and stuff, but really fun.

It was served in a fossil-like shell.

“Sweetness, bounty, thanks.” Then came an impressive array of mignardises. Nougat. pate de fruits, marshmallows.

Different focus.

Macarons and chocolates.

Crispy wafers.

And cocoa wafers.

Atelier Crenn is an amazing culinary experience. It’s playful, poetic, and while a tad cerebral, quite delicious. A few courses were a bit flat, like the squid ink crisp or the “sip of winter” but many were flat out excellent, and all through the presentation was fantastic. In its artsy presentational way it reminded me of Roberto Cortez and his CR8 series — which is high praise.

Service was attentive without being annoying and spot on. My only complaint is that the lighting is dim and flash isn’t allowed!

For more San Francisco dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Atelier Crenn, Foodie Club, modern, Wine

Pistola with a Bang

Jan19

Restaurant: Pistola [1, 2]

Location: 8022 W 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90048. 323.951.9800

Date: January 14, 2015

Cuisine: Italian Steakhouse

Rating: Tasty good

Tonight’s dinner is themed around 1990s grand cru Burgundy, both colors. Why exactly we took this to an Italian Steakhouse is anyone’s guess, but that didn’t matter — we had a blast.

1998 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Les Clos Saint-Hilaire. AG 95. Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is a 100% Pinot Noir Champagne made from a small, one hectare plot located on the property in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. The wine is fermented in oak and bottled with no dosage. In only its third release, Le Clos Saint-Hilaire has already established itself as one of the region’s most fascinating wines. Anticipated maturity The 1998 Brut Le Clos Saint-Hilaire emerges from the glass with an exotic array of intensely perfumed, candied fruit. The wine possesses gorgeous textural richness in a deep, layered expression of Pinot Noir. The mousse remains refined and very elegant all the way through to the deeply satisfying, resonating finish.

The menu. We actually had the chef bring up appetizers, pasta, and dessert, with everyone ordering their entrees.

From my cellar: 1992 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 90. As would be expected from a relatively soft vintage at 18 years of age, this is fully mature with sous bois and truffle notes to the dried apple and rose petal nose. There is good richness but also lovely detail and minerality to the moderately concentrated finish that offer excellent depth and length. I would be drinking this sooner than later because even though it is in no danger of falling apart, it’s clearly time to be drinking up over the next decade.

agavin: doing great for 22+ year old chardonnay

1999 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. Burghound 92. As de la Morinière suggests, this is a good deal more powerful than the 2000 version but it is not quite as bright or quite as focused. That said, this is a very impressive effort with big, almost massive aromas of earth, ripe green fruits such as apples and pears leading to equally big, powerful flavors that offer great mouthfeel, all of which is underpinned by plenty of minerality and more than adequate buffering acidity. This is extremely long already but this should continue to improve for 7 to 10 years and hold for much longer than that.

agavin: rounder and actually “older” tasting than the 92, but drinking great.

1997 Domaine Marius Delarche Corton-Charlemagne Reserve. 90 points. Really singing and massive.

1969 Louis Jadot Corton-Pougets Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. 92 points. Mature Burgundy nose, forrest floor, mushrooms, damp earth. Fresh palate of dark fruits, great minerality, iron with nice acidity. Became sweeter after an hour and kept going. Great bottle.

Meatballs. On a bed of ricotta. Awesome. These were similar to the similarly awesome ones at Gusto.

Insalata Mista.

Steak tartar. Good meat, but didn’t have enough bite for me. Needed more pepper? It had some truffle oil in it.

Crab Crocchetti. Dungeness Crab Cake, scallion pesto.

1996 Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot. IWC 92+. Deep, bright red-ruby. Complex, wild aromas of raw crushed blueberry, violet, raw meat and iron. Intense, primal flavors of crunchy berries and powdered stone. Integrated acidity gives the fruit an urgent quality. Quite powerfully structured for aging. Very long and bright on the back end, with tannins nicely supported by extract.

As a note, we did two flights of 3 reds each more or less blind.

1998 Domaine Robert Jayer-Gilles Nuits St. Georges Les Hauts Poirets. IWC 89. Bright ruby-red. Fresh aromas of violet and nuts. Rich, sweet and silky, but also vibrant and shapely. Finishes with sweet tannins and very good length.

1990 Burguet Gilles Gevrey-Chambertin.

agavin: great for old village wine.

Squid Ink Agnolotti. Awesome stuff with a nice sweetness.

Buccatini alla Carbonara. Guanciale, onion, black pepper, egg yolk & pecorino.

Mixed up it’s great stuff.

Buccatini All’Amatriciana. Like a red suace pasta with more flavor.

1995 Domaine Robert Groffier Bonnes Mares. IWC 93. Black raspberry, violet and herbs on the nose. Thick, brooding and very intensely flavored; has a mellow flavor of woodsmoke. Large-scaled and multilayered. Finishes with ripe, chewy tannins. A terrific example of the ’95 vintage at its best.

1993 Daniel Bocquenet Echezeaux. Burghound 88. Very elegant, spicy rich fruit framed robust, intense but edgy flavors that are a bit lean on the moderately long finish. It’s not clear whether this will regain its balance or not with a few years of bottle age but there is no doubting the lovely complexity and solid flavor authority.

agavin: whatever meadows says, our bottle was filled with great wine. Lots of power and elegance.

1995 Louis Latour Corton-Clos de la Vigne au Saint.

agavin: a nice wine but not in the league of its immediate predecessors.

Dry-aged Delmonico steak.

Herb butter.

Rib-eye.

Colorado lamb chops.

Veal Chop Alla Parmigiana. Wow, I’m not a big straight steak fan so this really saved the course for me.

Crispy Tuscan Fries. Not sure what is Tuscan here.

Funghi Misti.

Caramelized Romanesco. With a bit of heat and a little vinegary tang, very nice.

Creamy Polenta. Mild.

Various ice creams.

And sorbets.

Vanilla ice cream, because you can never have too much of that.

Cannoli. My fave.

Tortino (aka Chocolate cake).

The chef brought us out something he was working on.

Grilled bread, prosciutto, foie gras, and uni. Wow, you wouldn’t think all that would work together, but it so does.

Overall, Pistola was really solid. We all thought some of the apps and the pastas were a bit better than the meats and sides (although I enjoyed my chop), but it was a very tasty meal. They treated us like kings too. Our waitress really put up with a lot of wine guy “hassle” and did a good job managing the flights.

Room is very pretty but a little loud with a bar feel (some love that, some don’t). If I were them, my biggest suggestion foodwise would just be to add some more decadent sides like a “gorgonzola gnocchi” and the like. Not really Italian, but then again, I’ve never actually seen a steakhouse in Italy. Not that Italians, particularly Tuscans don’t love steak, but the steakhouse format is an American thing — which is fine.

But this was overall a fabulous evening for a number of reasons. We had eight people all at a round table, which while cramped is great for conversation, and a great mix of guys. Plus we had a nice Burgundy focused theme.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Burgundy, Champagne, Chardonnay, Foodie Club, Pinot noir, Pistola, Steak, Will C, Wine

Madang 621- Beef++

Jan16

Restaurant: Madang 621

Location: 621 Western Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90005. (213) 384-2244

Date: January 9, 2015

Cuisine: Korean BBQ

Rating: Beefy fun

I haven’t actually been out to dedicated Korean BBQ in Korea town for quite a long time, at least not in the five years I’ve been photoing my food. So when it popped up as a dinner suggestion I consulted the recommendations of my ultra foodie (and Korean) friend Liz Lee.

Which brought us to Madang 621, located in the heart of K-Town. This elaborate mall (and the restaurant) has an elegant and extensive buildout.

Check out the spacious interior. This is no hole in the wall.

But stylish with a modern Asian aesthetic.

The menu is equally elegant and elaborate.

From my cellar: 2003 Weingut Graben-Gritsch Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Schön. 89 points. Nose of lychee pineapple lemon, creamy lemon and peach on the palate. Bright acidity medium finish with a bit of an herby quality.

agavin: Korean food can be a hard wine match and I wanted some white to start. This mildly aged Gruner hit the spot. It’s complex and almost herby/spicy fruit allows it to handle the pervasive Korean red chili.

PA JUN

파전[PA JUN] Pancake w/scallion choice of vegetarian, Seafood or kimchi. This one is vegetable. Like a thick “meatier” version of a traditional Chinese scallion pancake. Served with a soy based dipping sauce.

No Korean place could look at itself in the mirror without banchan, the little (often) pickled sides placed on the table and infinity refilled.

Kimchi. The classic.

Dried spicy crispy shrimp. One of my two favorites. This was quite chewy and crispy, with a little heat and a dried shrimp vibe that isn’t for lightweights.

Seasoned Korean Spinach.

Potato salad. Sweet with raisons and some other bits. Actually pretty good.

Spicy vegetable. A kind of kimchi I guess, probably daikon? I liked this better than the regular one because of its chewy/crunchy texture.

Broccoli.

Mung Bean Sprouts.

Spicy squid. This was one of my favorites. It was like chewy spicy squid spaghetti.

2007 Xavier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Anonyme. Parker 96. Except for Henri Bonneau’s 2007 Reserve des Celestins (which is still in barrel), the last 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape to be released will be Xavier Vignon’s Anonyme. This sensational wine spent three years in a combination of demi-muids and small oak. It boasts an inky/purple color along with a sweet nose of underbrush, garrigue, licorice, blackberries and black currants. Full, thick, unctuously textured and even flamboyant, this stunning 2007 should drink well for another 15-20 years.

agavin: very young and still in that grapey stage, there are no flaws I could detect in this wine. Very smooth with a lovely finish. A little too much oak still, but really a fabulous CNDP.

We ordered this big array of meats and seafood for three people. Actually we had four, but it worked out fine. All of this stuff is cooked up on the BBQ at your table.

There are two types of sauce. The same two are pictured here, but they are of a similar color and both fairly mild and oily. I would have preferred a bit of the sweet soy stuff they have at Yakaniku places.

KOBE KOT DESUNG SIM

고베 꽃등심[KOBE KOT DESUNG SIM] Sliced fresh kobe beef rib eye.

A very rich (aka fatty) cut of wagyu rib eye. Cooked down to fun little morsels of beef and fat.

MADANG GAL BI

마당갈비 [MADANG GAL BI] Marinated prime beef short rib with bone.

I probably like the Gal Bi slightly better, and that is often one of my favorit KBBQ cuts. It’s meatier I guess. Certainly well marbled.

The scallops were also awesome, particularly when lightly seared.

Korean salad. I always find the Korean dressing a little oily.

GYE RAN JJIM

계란찜[GYE RAN JJIM] Steamed soft egg tofu

With fish roe and scallions. I usually love steamed egg dishes and this was no exception with a nice light fluffy texture.

DUK MANDU GOOK

떡만두국[DUK MANDU GOOK] Beef dumplings and sliced rice cake in a hearty beef broth with egg & scallion.

One of those nice mild soups. The broth was very tasty and the stuff too, particularly the dumplings.

Overall, Madang served up a really nice meal and it was a fun experience. It’s a lovely setting. The food was of very high quality with first class meats and ingredients. The service was very friendly but a bit “sluggish,” particularly in the end where it must have been 45-60 minutes to get the check. I liked all the sides and extras also. My one comment is that I like the Yakaniku dipping sauce (ala Manpuku or Totoraku) better. It’s just less oily with more flavor.

Next door at Boba-time we grabbed some “dessert” with the Asian teenagers.

Cookies and Cream with boba. Tasted like melted cookies and cream ice cream!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: beef, Korean, Korean BBQ, Korean cuisine, Madang

Return of the Han Dynasty

Jan14

This was a fantastic Chinese feast. Sure, it burned through my whole GI for 36 hours, but it was worth it. A worthy addition to the catalog of great Wed night ThanksGavin openings. Commenting two years later, and many many great Chinese meals under my belt, I’d have to say this is solid Schezuan style food, a tad modernized, and good stuff. One complaint on my second go (2014) was that they brought all the food in two giant waves, an “appetizer” and “entree” wave. The first time each item came out more or less on its own. This is way too many dishes for a big barrage.

See the rest of the ThanksGavin here.

For more Philly dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Han Dynasty

Factoring Factory Kitchen

Jan12

Restaurant: Factory Kitchen [1, 2]

Location: 1300 Factory Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90013. (213) 996-6000

Date: December 6, 2014

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Wow! Best Italian in LA?

The Factory Kitchen serves traditional Italian fare in the heart of the thriving Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles. This trattoria-style restaurant is the product of a long-standing friendship between Restaurateur Matteo Ferdinandi and Chef Angelo Auriana.

The neighborhood is a bit scary, but inside is modern and busy.

The current menu.

2010 Borgo del Tiglio (Nicola Manferrari) Collio Studio di Bianco. AG 95. Weightless, crystalline and pure, the 2010 Studio di Bianco appears to float on the palate. White pear, crushed rocks, oyster shells and lime jump from the glass. A beautifully delineated, vibrant wine, the 2010 captures the best qualities of the year. Stylistically, the 2010 is brighter and more focused than the 2011, with a bit less body but more sheer drive and personality. What a gorgeous wine this is.

ortolana – field greens, spring onion, radicchio, dates, goat cheese, champagne vinaigrette.

pancotto. duck egg, red potato vellutata, sautéed greens, semolina bread crostone, speck.

But the speck was on the side for the convenience of the non meat eaters.

When you get all the elements together really a fabulous breakfasty bite.

focaccina funghi – crescenza, foraged mushrooms, ligurian olive oil, parsley.

Very tasty.

barberosse gratinate – oven baked sliced beets casserole, melted asiago.

Beets baked with cheese? Aka beet lasagna? Kind of an odd concept and not altogether successful.

mandilli di seta. handkerchief pasta, ligurian almond basil pesto.

I can not say enough good things about this pasta. The texture was amazing. It’s soft and all folded over. The pesto is hyperblended to a very fine texture as well, and it tastes so Ligurian. Here you can see some “genuine” examples, and this one tonight was as good as any I’ve ever had in Liguria (I’ve spent about a week there). The chef can’t get the right pine-nuts so he uses blanched almonds instead. It works.

casonzei – veal, pork, sausage filled pasta, cured pork, butter, pancetta.

agavin: This also is a stunningly authentic pasta. It normally comes with a butter and sage sauce, but Liz (correctly) thought the sage wouldn’t work with the Burgundy and switched it out for sweat pancetta. There is a wonderful rice quality to the handmade pasta and the butter / parm sauce. You get pasta like this in the North, near Mantua and Verona. Sweet and buttery at the same time. Wonderful.

1990 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Sorì Paitin. 92 points. Dark roasted nose (not pruney or overripe), chocolate powder, roasted coffee, dark fruit, fennel, celery salt – savory aspects. Deep and dark. Cloves. Thick and dark on the palate with coffee, blackberry. Thick dusty tannins, dry, soy, sweet fruit at the end palate and finish. Not profound but quite tasty and refined.

spigola – pan sautéed imported wild bass filet, baby artichokes, basil.

Yummy.

triglie – seared mediterranean red mullet, san marzano dop, foraged mushrooms.

Had that fishy red mullet thing going on.

porchetta – rolled pork belly, aromatic herbs, red onion, carrots, fennel, celery.

At first I was like, hmmm, just pork? No sauce? Seemed a little dull in concept. But as I ate through this fellow, it was one hell of a delicious meat. Subtle rich flavors and just plain delicious.

patate novelle – oven roasted new potatoes, fine herbs.

cime di broccoli – broccoli di cicco, shallots, crushed chili flakes.

ortaggi all’agro – steamed kale, green chard, spinach, shallots, ligurian olive oil.

Dessert menu.

crostata – chocolate filling, feuillitine crunch, red wine poached pears.

cannoli – ricotta filling, pistachios, orange marmalade.

My friend Liz claims this is the best cannoli she’s had. I’ll go so far to say it’s one of the best I’ve had in LA. And it was REALLY good with perfect crunch, soft ricotta, citrus. But it didn’t have that cinnamon / nutmeg bit I love, or the candied citrus quality you’ll often find in Sicily. Still, very very good. These ones from the Philadelphia Italian market are also fabulous if you can’t make it to Sicily.

bigné – banana pudding filled cream puffs, butterscotch sauce, prailine grains.

I don’t even like banana and this was delicious.

All in all, on my second visit, still a great meal. Most dishes were delicious, and particularly the pastas, which feel authentically Italian — and I’m a pasta fiend with a lot of Italian trips under my belt.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Dessert, DTLA, Factory Kitchen, Italian cuisine

Ultimate Pizza New Year 2014

Jan09

Every few months, and particularly at New Years, we do another round of our Ultimate Homemade Pizzas. If you’re curious about how these components are made look here, otherwise just enjoy the food porn.

Before diving in, I’ll note that this time I am making further progress in that most difficult of pizza problems: the transfer. The most challenging part of making pizza at home is getting it into and out of the oven without messing it up. Into the oven is toughest because the dough is soft and sticky and the pizza is laden.

My new technique is:

Roll on the marble countertop with flour
Coat a peel with tons of white flour
Transfer the pie to the peel
Add toppings. Make sure they don’t get too close to the edge.
Scoot it off the peel using the flour as lube onto the pizza stone. Do not use cornmeal, which is inferior to flour as a lube and leaves an annoying texture on the dough
Scoot back off the stone onto the peel with my huge pizza spatula
Use separate cutting blocks for cutting (not the peel)

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé (magnum). IWC 92. Light orange. Vibrant strawberry and orange zest aromas are complicated by notes of tea rose, smoky lees and chalky minerals. Bright, incisive red fruit flavors pick up a toasty nuance with air. Fresh, incisive and refreshingly tangy, with impressive finishing clarity and stony persistence.

Straight up pizza + corn.

My classic “Jewish Pizza”. First I bake the dough with rosemary and truffle oil, then top with my mix of creme fraiche, dill and chives. Then add red onion and capers and…

finally nova lox. Really a fabulous bit of pizza.

This pizza focuses on a few new toppings, namely spicy lebneh cheese as a “sauce”, sautéed broccoli rab, mushrooms, green pepper goat cheese.

A great mix with an intriguing blend of heat and the slightly bitter vegetable.

From my cellar: 1991 Etienne Sauzet Bâtard-Montrachet. 91 points. Dry and subdued, but very clean and nice. Drinking young for its age.

This pizza focuses on my new Ultra Ligurian pesto (pine nuts from Liguria, lots of garlic, very good parmesan freshly grated). It includes ricotta and parmesan, mushroom, tomatoes, almonds, and a bit of fig.

Here finished.

Today’s incarnation of my tikka masala pizza. Tikka masala sauce, smoked mozzarella, morels, almonds, basil, ricotta, mozz balls, red onion.

Topped with burrata and a bit of balsamic. Yum!

A new simple cheese pizza with mixed mushrooms.

Another spicy labneh, similar to the last but with slightly different cheeses, a bit of sun-dried tomatoe pesto, and even a little smoked mozz. This was actually drizzled with honey too before baking!

Baked.

From my cellar: 1985 Domaine Jean Grivot Echezeaux. 94 points. Great wine in great shape.

More pesto, with a bit of pumpkin, almonds, figs, blobs of garlic mint yogurt, and red onions.

Baked and topped with burrata.

A fresher pizza with a light pesto, tomatoes, onions, broccoli rab.

And topped with arugula and meyer lemon juice.

Tomatoes, pesto, garlic olives, basil.

And my final iteration on the pesto / afghan theme. Ligurian pesto, garlic mint yogurt, pumpkin, a bit of sundied tomatoe pesto, gorgonzola, figs, and sweet chili.

Baked.

And with burrata!

From my cellar: 1988 Domaine de Courcel Pommard 1er Cru Grand Clos des Épenots. 92 points. Full color. What a completely different animal from that wine-brambly black fruit and licorice, medium to full bodied for a Pinot and very meaty feel. I must say that you rarely find this much flesh in an ’88 Burgundy. Relatively speaking, a brute, and much less resolved than the Clos St. Jacques. Wilder and riper. I always find Pommard a bit rough and jarring, but this one was beginning to soften with its 22 years of age. Maybe my problem is that I don’t hold these wines for as long as they need to soften. Very attractive in this chunkier style.

A bit of the dessert spread.

The fudge cake.

Chocolate cupcakes.

Vanilla.

Iced cookies. I love these actually.

Boring sprinkle cookies (always left over).

A kind of strawberry cream fruit tart monster.

The gory details on how to we made the dough, sauce and other components are available here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Buffalo mozzarella, Dessert, Pizza, ultimate pizza, Wine

SOS – Wine Rescue

Jan07

Restaurant: Smoke Oil Salt [1, 2, 3]

Location: 7274 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046. (323) 930-7900

Date: January 4, 2015

Cuisine: Spanish

Rating: Good “New American” Spanish

Hedonist leader Yarom is an investor in the new Smoke Oil Salt, a tapas bar from Adam Fleischman (Unami Burger) and Perfecto Rocher (Lazy Ox), so it’s a natural gathering for our gang. We went last spring, and now we return with even more wine for Paella night!

Chef Perfecto Rocher is behind the bar here.

Sommelier Naureen Zaim cuts a far svelter figure than us Hedonist lunks when it comes to pouring out the good stuff. It must be said that the service tonight, wine, food, bussing, everything, was an 11!

Owner Stephen Gelber was on hand making sure!

And it should be noted that our crazy wine excess involved at least 29 bottles and I have tried to organize them with the meal as best I could. The actually reality was a tad more chaotic!

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. IWC 92. Light orange. Vibrant strawberry and orange zest aromas are complicated by notes of tea rose, smoky lees and chalky minerals. Bright, incisive red fruit flavors pick up a toasty nuance with air. Fresh, incisive and refreshingly tangy, with impressive finishing clarity and stony persistence.

2002 Ayala Champagne Perle d’Ayala. IWC 93. Pale gold. A heady, complex bouquet displays an array of citrus and pit fruit scents, along with hints of pungent flowers and smoky minerals. Dry, focused and impressively concentrated, offering intense Meyer lemon, nectarine and floral flavors that put on weight with air. Closes on an emphatic mineral note, with excellent clarity and length.

The menu, although we had a custom meal.

2011 Casca Wines Colares Monte Cascas. 93 points. Malvasia.Clear yellow and lite in the glass. Nose of steel minerals, citrus, dried apples, macadamia nuts, melon, pith, sage, white pepper, tea and lychee. Medium body and exquisitely composed. Dozens of thin layers (citrus, melon, pit fruit, herbs, spice, secondary lime minerals) wrapped around an effortless steel core. Exceptionally fine and clean textures. Complexity that was a joy to work thru. Superb quality. Long finish. So privileged to taste.

From my cellar: 2011 Alberto Nanclares Albariño Crisopa Branco Tradicional. 91 agavin. Total acid bomb. Searing crispness. A real food wine and ready to handle that Spanish vinegar.

Alzinger Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Loibner Steinertal (missed vintage). 92 points. Intense ripe aromas of pineapple, cantaloupe and white pepper. Quite concentrated, warmly rich and powerful, yet cool, austere and focused. Mineral spices and a nearly salty impression linger on the long finish.

Sardines, olives, marcona almonds. One is supposed to get all the elements together into a bite.

Max from Saison brought some real goodies like this ultimate “bourgogne”:

2007 Coche-Dury Bourgogne Blanc. 92 agavin. Crisp, mineral, with a ton of matchstick reduction.

And:

2011 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. IWC 96. Pale yellow. Bracing aromas of lemon, ginger, chalk and spices. At once dense and penetrating, with outstanding citric cut to the complex, slightly high-toned flavors of lemon zest, white pepper, minerals and subtle resiny spices. Here, too, the wine’s intense chalky character gives it an impression of stronger acidity than the numbers would suggest. Boasts terrific fruit intensity, and the wonderfully precise finish goes on and on. A great showing today, and one of the superstars of the vintage.

And:

2010 Domaine Leroy Bourgogne Blanc. 91 points. Tight and crisp.

Gaspatxo de remolatxa. beet gazpacho, chestnut honey yougurt, mint oil. Zesty with a lot of flavor. Sweet and tangy.

2013 Château d’Esclans Côtes de Provence Rosé Whispering Angel. 87 points. Pink color with fast forming legs. It’s somewhat balanced and has flavours of prune with a medium/full body. Flabby texture with a medium finish – Excellent choice.

2004 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes. Burghound 88. Elegant and bright red pinot fruit nuanced by background elements of earth, spice and a touch of anise with supple, forward, soft and sweet flavors that offer a bit more concentration and complexity but at the expense of the same fine precision and detail. I like the balance and finishing intensity and there is a touch of forest floor as well.

agavin: all that above if you can ignore the 2004 vintage character: sucking on a raw green pepper stem!

2005 Domaine des Perdrix Echezeaux. IWC 92-95. Good bright ruby. Musky aromas of blackberry, minerals, violet and dark chocolate. Densely packed, superripe and sweet, with brisk acidity giving energy to the black raspberry flavor. Fresh and impeccably balanced. This very suave, broad wine really coats the palate with violet and bitter chocolate flavor. Finishes with sweet tannins and real grand cru persistence. The crop level here was roughly 30 hl/ha, vs. about 40 for the village wines. “We had a good crop level in 2005,” said enologist Robert Vernizeau. A highly promising vintage for this estate, whose youngest vines, according to Vernizeau, were planted in 1972.

agavin: great young Burg.

Olives am Bitets. Olives,, peppers, cauliflower, toasted almonds, manchego. Pickled veggies and cheese.

1964 Martinez Lacuesta Rioja Reserva Especial. 94 points. Glorious red fruits, some leather, herbs and spice, silky but with a nice underlying acidity. Long finish. Extra point for ageworthiness.

1964 Bodegas Riojanas Rioja Viña Albina. 93 points. Very pale almost translucent. Ethereal, perfumed, still delicious but fading fruit; light bodied. Wonderful but on a genteel downwards slope into old age.

1968 Federico Paternina Rioja Conde de los Andes Gran Reserva (I think). 92 points. Fully mature but vital; lots of wood and vanilla but also lovely red fruit, a discreet richness; on the palate very harmonious, tannic but not dried out or too woody, considerable charm, flavours of red fruit and spices, good length. A distinguished wine, a nobleman.

Bunyols de Bacalla. Cod croquetas, citrus aioli.

From my cellar: 1973 Bodegas Olarra Rioja Añares Crianza. 92 agavin. Still vital, with fig jam notes.

1985 R. López de Heredia Rioja Viña Tondonia. 90 points. Here, the oak is apparent, still, but doesn’t stand out as excessive because there is so much else to draw one’s attention: the silkiness of the mouthfeel, the length of the palate, the creaminess of the texture against the earthiness and other secondaries and tertiaries on the palate. Wow.

1989 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. 91 points. This Rioja is now 25 years old – color is dark red with long legs; nose with leather and graphite; taste very complex and spicy with dried fruits and ripe berries; Rioja at its best – all the tannins are round now – the wine is smooth with a medium finish – will last 3-5 more years in this shape

Flori-col amb allets. Caramelized cauliflower and broccoli, spicy chili oil, garlic, and hazelnuts.

2004 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904. IWC 94. Bright red. Heady aromas of dried red berries, cherry, smoked meat, vanilla and potpourri, with a spicy element gaining strength with air. Fleshy and seamless in texture, offering sappy red fruit and floral pastille flavors and an undertone of sweet vanilla. The spiciness comes back on the finish, which features suave floral and cherry-vanilla qualities and sneaky tannins. This classic, old-school Rioja is delicious now but is destined for a long, graceful evolution.

agavin: glad I have a bunch of these in my cellar!

1989 Talbot. Parker 87-90. Dark ruby with moderately endowed notes of sweet black currants intermixed with licorice, compost, and some weedy tobacco, this medium-bodied wine has low acidity, attractively ripe fruit, but a somewhat short finish.

Amanida remolatxa. Watercress, beets, goat cheese, beet emulsion.

2004 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Parker 92. The 2004 Pichon Lalande is a strong effort for the vintage (much better than their underwhelming and much more expensive 2005). A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits a deep ruby/purple color as well as scents of cocoa, espresso roast, black cherries, and cassis. Medium to full-bodied, opulent, and fleshy, this classic wine cuts a stylistic persona somewhere between the 1995 and 1996. It can be drunk now or cellared for two decades.

agavin: Interesting, has a similar annoying pepper finish as do all the 2004 red Burgs.

Braves Trencades. Fried Potatoes with Chorizo and ham, and a fried egg. Like ultimate breakfast.

2001 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard. Parker 98. Having performed spectacularly well last year in the retrospective of ten-year old Napa Cabernets, this 2001 remains incredibly young, with all of its potential waiting to burst forth. Its dense purple color is followed by notes of mulberries, creme de cassis, blackberries, licorice, graphite and subtle smoke. The wine reveals fabulous fruit along with full-bodied power and a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood. Forget it for another 4-5 years and drink it over the following 25-30 years.

2001 Jacob’s Creek/Orlando Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. 90 points. Dark ruby colour, good clarity. Dark berries, strawberry, some spice & herbal nose. Softens with time out of the bottle. Smooth and medium length palate; dark berries with adequate tannins. A little tart, improving with time in the glass. Good drinking now but with some cellar time still left.

Paella de arros negre. Squid ink paella, carabineros (giant mediteranean prawns). You eat the prawns separately (delicious!). Then you mix the black rice with the aioli and squirt lemon on. Delicious, briny, savory, and quite salty. Perhaps a little too salty, but awesome nonetheless.

2011 Hope & Grace Pinot Noir Doctor’s Vineyard. 92 points.

2004 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 99. This vintage shocked me when I did my retrospective earlier this year, and the 2004 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select acquitted itself brilliantly in the vertical of Hillside Selects. It was a hot year, a relatively early harvest and there were worries that the heat had stressed the grapes, and there would be a lack of physiological ripeness and nuance. Those worries have not manifested themselves in this great Cabernet Sauvignon. Inky/purple-colored with notes of blueberry, blackberry, cassis, spring flowers, and a touch of toast, the wine is opulent, voluptuous and full-bodied with sweet tannin, just enough acidity to provide freshness, vibrancy and delineation, and a spectacular finish that goes on 40+ seconds. This is a killer, a showy and flamboyant style of Hillside Select that’s already drinking beautifully and should continue to do so for another 15-20 years.

Paeella Verda. Rabbit, pork, bomba rice, artichokes, garrofo beans. Good, but not as good as the squid ink.

2004 Torbreck Descendant. Parker 98. The 2004 Descendant, an old oak-aged blend of 92% Shiraz and 8% Viognier from a 12-year old vineyard, offers up notes of blackberries, ink, sweet truffles, and acacia flowers. There are 1,000 cases of this full-bodied, intense, rich blockbuster. It will drink well for 10-15 years.

2005 Colgin IX Syrah Estate. Parker 95. Colgin is one of the reference points for just what heights mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux varietals, and more recently, Syrah, can achieve in Napa Valley. This beautiful estate and winery overlooking Lake Hennessey is owned by Joe Wender and his wife, Ann Colgin (equally renowned for her auctioneering skills), who are assisted by David Abreu, the well-known Bordeaux wine consultant, Dr. Alain Raynaud, and Allison Tauziet, who has skillfully replaced the brilliant Mark Aubert. As the scores and tasting notes suggest, this was an exceptional tasting. Colgin’s 2006s are among the finest wines produced in the vintage.

Wagyu and two kinds of sausage, blood sausage and chorizo. The sausage was very salty, but tasty and the wagyu was amazing.

1995 Chateau d’Yquem. Parker 95. Served from an ex-chateau bottle. The 1995 Chateau d’Yquem is moving into its secondary aroma phase. A deep golden color, it has a dense and almost Barsac-like bouquet with tangerine, apricot, acacia and melted candle wax. It displays good intensity, unfolding beautifully in the glass. The palate has a strident opening, with a slight bitter edge that lends this Yquem great tension. One can discern layers of marmalade infused with honey fruit, with a powerful, spicy finish that lingers long in the mouth. This is drinking perfectly now, but will surely age with style over many years.

Crema Catalana amb Compota Citrica. Catalan custard, mandarin compote, smokey ice cream. Delicious and creamy.

NV Valdespino Jerez-Xérès-Sherry El Cardenal Palo Cortado Vors. This is excellent…nutty, acidic, dried fruit..this has it all, and was wonderful with some quince, bread and cheese..very interesting and intriguing.

Arros amb llet. Rice pudding, caramel, vanilla ice cream. Good with a nice creaminess and the cinnamon.

NV Alvear Montilla-Moriles PX 1927. 92 points. Ink, dark spices, toffee, burnt caramel, juicy tar, dark soy, oyster sauce, fino flores, smoked prunes, hint menthol. Taste is similarly liquid toffee, chocolate, thick and unctious, savoury yet sweet and lightfooted. Residual grandma herbal joint oil, creamy rich butterscotch, burnt biscuit, honey treacle. Beautiful and powerful balance to the incredibly dark and bitter chocolate cake, with all the right elements just to lift and soften – a strong and fantastic finish to an incredible gastronomic journey.

Xocolata. Xocolate pate, blanqueta olive oil, smoked salt, passion fruit ice cream.

One of the many wineos joining us for this excess, Saison sommelier Max Coane. I’m very fortunate to be booked into 3 Star Michelin Saison next week for what should be another epic All Things Andy Gavin dining experience. Stay tuned!

All in all another great evening of pure hedonism. SOS is rocking on. It is right in there in the current “wood table, paper menu, small plates, loud room” thing that dominates new restaurants in LA right now. The food is quite Catalan/Valencian and very good. It’s quite salty, sometimes a little too much. Not crazy salty (like I’d sometimes get in Japan), but noticeable. Flavors are very strong (a good thing IMHO). The service was 11 out 10. Everyone pulled out all the stops.

Oh, and our nearly 30 bottles of great wine didn’t hurt either!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Grüner Veltliner, hedonists, Naureen Zaim, Perfecto Rocher, Smoke Oil Salt, Spanish Food, Stephen Gelber, Wine

Hedonism at Sea Harbor

Jan05

Mega Hedonist brunch at classic SGV Dim Sum Palace, Sea Harbor. Full details here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Sea Harbor

Truly Deeply Sick and Twisted 2

Jan02

Title: Wetlands

Author: Charlotte Roche

Genre: WTF NSFW

Length: 241 pages

Read: December 30, 2014

Summary: Fascinating… oddly

I stumbled across this short oddball novel last night, grew curious, given that it sold a million copies in Germany, and was made into a film — so read it today in an hour and a half. It’s not very long. I’m not even sure it’s very good, but it was very quick. The film version recently toured Sundance, so you can get a glimmer via the preview.

Wetlands is a sort of literary equivalent of Human Centipede. In some ways, it’s so perverse you just can’t help reading/watching. There are two things going on in this tight little first person tale. First is Helen’s “unusual” (many would say grotesque) point of view and its inherent fascination — and I have to admit, it’s perversely fascinating. Second there’s an attempt to make the delivery of said POV actually have a meaning.

The first works. The second doesn’t (for me).

Helen is a girl who likes sex, avocados, and bodily fluids. She has a particular fondness for anything “dirty.” She spends the entire novel in the hospital reminiscing. She’s there for a shaving cut gone particularly bad, in a place where the sun don’t shine. And she falls in love with her male nurse for no particular reason. During her mental wanderings she explores all aspects of her particular “tastes” for what one might consider the gross. No body fetish is left untouched. No fluid unspilled. No orifice is safe. She likes it all. Wallows in it really. Roche has a knack for this — and we have to wonder about the warm wet corners of her own mind — but it’s quite effective. Probably shocking for many. Really. I’m not easily shocked, but I was impressed by the lengths to which she went (as an author). I’m not sure I’ve ever read anything short of a twisted internet story quite so NSFW.

I’m fairly convinced the above ick factor was the major driving force behind the book. And the resultant buzz behinds sales. That and it being Germany. Not that any of this offended me — I can not be offended by such things — but the author tried to give meaning to this poor disturbed teen’s emotional state by interjecting a “plot” involving her divorced parents, her one sided attraction to her nurse, and her need for attention. In general, the dialog is impoverished and no one other than the narrator/protagonist has any development. So when what seems to be a totally one sided affair reverses on the penultimate page, it felt entirely forced and hollow.

So in terms of the book’s conventional character arc the novel fails miserably. But it does succeed at painting this oddball, fascinating, rather perverse character portrait. And I “enjoyed” my 90 minutes.

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