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Archive for July 2018

Eating Houston – Bombay Pizza

Jul30

Restaurant: Bombay Pizza Co.

Location:914 S Main St #105, Houston, TX 77002. (713) 654-4444

Date: June 15, 2018

Cuisine: Pizza and Indian!?!

Rating: Not bad

_

One of my son’s math contests brought us to Texas and so I returned to Houston for the first time in 25 years.


This was next to our hotel and I was intrigued by the name/concept and had to try it.

Looks like a pizza parlor.


The menu features normal pizzas, slightly Indian ones, and kati rolls.

Fries.

Cheese pizza. My wife liked it.

Tandoori Chicken Kati Roll. Basically a CTM burrito (with naan). Not as good as the smaller, plated, Akbar version, but still pretty tasty. A touch dry.

Tandoori Masala Shrimp Kati Roll. Not bad either, particularly with the mint chutney.

I wish I had had time to try one of the more interesting pizzas, like “Gateway of India” or something. I’ve long argued with some of my Indian restauranteur friends that they should make naan based pizzas with curry toppings. These aren’t naan on the pizzas though.

For more Texas dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Eating Houston – Tony Mandola’s
  2. Eating Houston – Brennan’s
  3. Ultimate Pizza – Day 3
  4. Ultimate Pizza 2012
  5. Ultimate Pizza in Review
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Bombay Pizza Co., Eating Houston, Eating Texas, Houston, Pizza, Texas

Eating Houston – Brennan’s

Jul26

Restaurant: Brennan’s of Houston

Location: 6692, 3300 Smith St, Houston, TX 77006.  (713) 522-9711

Date: June 14, 2018

Cuisine: Creol

Rating: Fancy tasty!

_

One of my son’s math contests brought us to Texas and so I returned to Houston for the first time in 25 years.


The second place my dad recommended was even older school than the first, having been open since the 70s and located in a lovely (by Houston standards) brick and tree neighborhood.

The inside was attractive, formal, and up to date except for the cove lighting.

The menu.

Garlic bread, of course.

They had some real wine on the list: 2014 Francois Carillon Puligny-Montrachet. BH 91. The slightly curious nose mixes reduction and floral aromas. On the plus side there is an excellent sense of underlying tension and detail to the utterly delicious medium-bodied flavors that possess a caressing mouth feel, all wrapped in a sleek, focused, complex and well-balanced finale. Note that this classy villages is well worth your interest and it should also drink well early.

My son didn’t order a first course but they brought him this berries and cream on the house!

House salad.

Fried Green Tomato Ravigote. Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Ravigote, Over a Citrus Reduction, Topped with Fresh Shaved Serrano & Garlic Chips. I don’t even like tomatoes but the waiter recommended this and it turned out to be fabulous. The crispy fried tomatoes, soft perfect crab, and the intriguing crunch/punch of the pickles all meshed perfectly. Great sweet/sour/savory combo.

Gulf Fish Pontchartrain. Jumbo Lump Crab, J&J Shrimp, Crispy Louisiana Oysters, Parmesan Mushroom Rice, and Brennan’s Creole Butter. Here it is again, fish with the “works” on top. Hard to go wrong friend and piled with all that goodness.

Pecan Crusted Speckled Trout. Lemon Scented Crushed Corn, Pickled Onion, and Hericot Vert Salad, Spiced Pecans with a Creole Meuniere Saucer.

The dessert menu.

Vanilla ice cream.

Pecan Pie again. My wife liked Tony Mandola’s slightly better, but this was still good.


Lemon Meringue Pie with blueberry coulis. Classic again, and delicious. Perfectly textured and balanced.

They have grab all you can Pecan Pralines at the door. I took A LOT and developed a rather extreme sugar hangover back at the hotel — so good!

Brennan’s had awesome service. Our waiter was superb. It really had a classy old school charm. Genteel and refined. Food was great too, particularly that crab and fried tomato appetizer.

For more Texas dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Eating Houston – Tony Mandola’s
  2. Eating Rome – Roscioli
  3. Eating Maryland – Tidewater Grille
  4. Eating d’Agliano – La Quercia
  5. Eating San Sebastian – Zuberoa
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Brennan's, Brennan's of Houston, Creol, Eating Houston, Eating Texas, Houston, Texas

Eating Houston – Tony Mandola’s

Jul24

Restaurant: Tony Mandola’s

Location: 1212 Waugh Dr, Houston, TX 77019. (713) 528-3474

Date: June 13, 2018

Cuisine: Creol

Rating: Old School but tasty!

_

One of my son’s math contests brought us to Texas and so I returned to Houston for the first time in 25 years.

My dad, who used to travel frequently to Houston for work, sent us to a few of his (old) favorites.

Tony Mandola’s had been around since well back into the 80s. It’s rocking that Houston feel.

And a somewhat dated interior, the heavy solid white plates, heavy glass stemware, and all that.



The menu, however, is full of creol goodness, which we don’t get a lot of in Southern California.

Not my usual fare.

And a glass of rose “champagne.”
Garlic bread.

Here the butter and garlic are inside — what’s not to love?

Oysters Domenico. Grilled oysters with bacon and sun-dried tomato butter. Bright tasting, salty, and delicious. Like pizza oysters!

Mama’s Gumbo. Mama Mandola’s seafood gumbo recipe served with rice. Had to try some classics. Nice.

Buttered pasta for the boy.

In Texas, even side Caesar salads come with bacon by default!

Salmon Sophia. Grilled salmon steak topped with jumbo lump crab meat and avocado dill relish (minus the crab in this photo).

Texas Red Fish Pontchartrain. Fresh red fish filet topped with rich brown butter Madeira wine sauce with crab, shrimp, and mushrooms. Good stuff and classically creol!

The dessert menu.

Vanilla ice cream.

Pecan pie! My wife loved it.

Coconut Creme Pie. This was one of the best coconut cream pies I’ve had since the Babalu bakery went out of business. I love coconut cream pie. sigh.

Tony Mandola’s felt a little 80’s Texas, and the plating isn’t the most elegant ever, but the food has held up well. Some very tasty stuff — with butter and crab and bacon on top!

For more Texas dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Quick Eats: Taverna Tony
  2. Tony Terroni
  3. Eating Majorca – Forn De Sant Joan
  4. Blue Plate Oysterette
  5. Eating Hanoi – Green Tangerine
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Creol, Eating Houston, Eating Texas, Houston, Texas, Travel

Seconds at Somni

Jul21

Restaurant:  Somni [1, 2]

Location: 465 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048. 310.246.5555

Date: June 7, 2018

Cuisine: Spanish influenced Molecular Gastronomy

Rating: Awesome

_

I’m a bit of a Jose Andres groupie as not only have I been three times to Saam, at least 10 to The Bazaar (REVIEW HERE), but also to brunch at Trés, and even to é by José Andrés (twice) and Jaleo in Vegas and several places in Washington D.C.

For those who don’t know, José Andrés is perhaps America’s leading practitioner of  my favorite culinary style: Spanish Molecular Gastronomy. This school of cooking, a radical interpretation of the preparation of food, was begun at El Bulli outside of Barcellona. Andrés cooked and studied there with master chef Ferran Adrià. I first encountered Andrés’s cooking in Washington DC at Cafe Atlantico, and its own restaurant within a restaurant, Minibar.

I’ve eaten molecular a number of times in Spain, for example at Calima and La Terraza. The Bazaar and Saam brought molecular style to LA.

Somni is the “secret” prix fixe only room within the Bazaar, which replaces the previous secret room, Saam. The new one has a format more like é by José André as it’s 10 seats and fairly theatrical. There are two seatings, and a $235 dollar a person (includes tip) tasting menu. They do allow dietary restrictions with advance notice.

Tonight was my wife and her sister’s birthday dinner.

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Somni has its own waiting tables out in the lobby before we move on to Somni proper. here they brought us an intro glass of Spanish wine (included).

The former Saam space has been opened up to the Bazaar kitchen, reformatted in lovely pale wood and with a semi-circular bar. It’s much more airy.

The whole kitchen is visible behind the bar. And there is a weird empty void space behind the guests.

The kitchen now merges into the Bazaar kitchen.

Homage to Spain?

Chef de Cuisine Zabala Aitor, hailing from Catalonia and Basque. He worked at El Bulli, Arzak, Aelarre, and ABaC!

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The vessels are all exquisite.
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The regular menu for tonight.
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And the special vegetarian (+ fish) menu — they also did a gluten free version and even printed that one out (not pictured).
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Hojita. A nitro frozen cocktail of rum. Delicious and strong.
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The first of the middle level of wine pairings.
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Almond shell. Looks like almonds, but you pop the whole thing in the mouth and eat it — soft, nutty, and amazing.
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Apple floret, cheese & beet. One of these cheese, apple, beet salads served in sponge form.
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Chicken skin and foie gras. Pretending to look like corn!
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The vegetarian replacement for the foie: coco curry.
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Idiazabal leaf.
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Pan con tomate y jamon. Classic toast with tomato pulp and jamon. The toast itself may not have actually been toast.
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Caviar & Truffle. Straight up briny goodness.
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The vegetarian version was avocado hand.
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The next pairing wine.
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Spot prawn and that’s it. Pure succulent Santa Barbara spot prawn steamed or sous vide or something. Incredibly fresh and juicy. Sucked out the head!
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The veggies got churro and mother mole.
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Live scallop with burrata. A lovely and delicious dish. All soft textures.
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The next wine.
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Croissant (potato based) with a dipping soup.
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Pigtail curry bun. You dip it in the curry sauce — incredible. This was an amazing dish.
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Strawberry negroni — frozen and alcohol filled intermezzo “cocktail.”
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Kohlrabi and snap peas.
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The actual peas were inside. Quite lovely. I like the green on green.
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The first red.
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Fireflies with pil-pil. This is the pil-pil, i think, a web to catch:
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These baby squid. Delicious when dipped in the sauce and very interesting.
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White asparagus for the veggies.
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Alubias y jamon. Sort of beans and ham — but spherized.
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A fried something.
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Turbot with mushroom tea. It had a BBQ flavor and a texture a bit like eel — very rich and soft.
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Here is the “tea.”
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More red.
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Japanese A5 & bone marrow.
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With the bone marrow sauce.
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Eggplant substitutes for the veggies.
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Nori empanada.
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A nice Sauternes for dessert.
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“Snowflake”. Under the sugary snowflake was ice cream, macha, and some kind of nut paste?
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Black forest pizzelle.
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Under the soft chocolate disc was the various black forest ingredients like cherry and Bavarian cream.
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Matcha doughnut. Inside was gooey matcha custard that just exploded out! Amazing.
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More desserts.
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Mochi.
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Merienda. A little white chocolate and nut paste sandwich.
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This was my wife and her sister’s birthday and so out came the little birthday men.

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Overall, the food was amazing at Somni. Much more advanced and “sophisticated” than the early Saam meals which were just Bazaar+. This is much more theatrical and formal, much more in the vein of E or minibar.

Service was excellent. First rate really and very attentive. Wine service was very slick too.

But things ran very smooth and FAST. A touch slower than the first time, maybe 2 hours, but too fast still! Yeah! It should have been 3. Maybe a few more courses. They do this, I assume, so they can comfortably get two seatings in and not be working super late. But it felt a bit rushed.

Because I knew it would be fast I just ordered the wine pairings. They were nice wines and quite interesting — probably didn’t add up that great a value by retail standards, but still a very tasty way to go. They were generous with repouring them during the course.

They said the first time that they change the food fairly rapidly, and roughly 40% did change, but it’s certainly not a total turn over in 3 months.

In our party of 3 we had 3 different meal variations (normal, pescatarian, and pescatarian gluten-free) and (with advance notice) they did a phenomenal job accommodating these with not only custom dish variations but 3 separate printed menus! We were also running late and out at the beach (in shorts) and so arrived in less than perfect dress — but they were totally cool with it (we had called in advance too, but I’m sure they would have been fine either way). Two people at our set came about an hour late. I highly recommend you DON’T do this as it messes up the experience but I could see the staff trying their absolute best to get them as many of the courses they had missed as possible.

The execution was very smooth. I’m surprised this isn’t more popular as they had an open spot or two and we were able to make the reservation a few days out.

For a previous Saam meal, click here.

For a meal and The Bazaar proper, click here.

Related posts:

  1. Seminal Somni
  2. Seconds at Sam’s by the Beach
  3. Seconds at Sotto
  4. Seconds at Chi Spacca
  5. Saam I am again
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: birthday, Dessert, José Andrés, Somni, Spanish Cuisine, The Bazaar, Wine

KTown Spicy Challenge

Jul19

Restaurant: Yup Dduk LA

Location: 3603 W 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90020. (213) 263-2355

Date: June 6, 2018

Cuisine: Korean Ddukbokki

Rating: Spicy!

_

I had just spent 2 hours at the China Consulate waiting in line when I saw this sign:

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How could I resist? What kind of lover of spice would I be?
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This little KTown hole-in-the-wall had a line of about 30 “kids” (18-25 maybe) waiting for a seat.

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The interior is new but minimal and judging from my 1 hour visit the cliental consists 95% of young Korean American women on their cel phones (later it was packed with more of same and hordes of them outside).

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The menu is very simple. Basically one dish (see below) with a variety of add-ins and a couple of carby sides.

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And here it is: Original Ddukbokki with Ramen Noodles and Yup Dduk Fries. This dish is basically a giant bowl of carbs (with a bit of sausage) drowned in gochujang sauce — that’s the red stuff in case you were wondering. And it’s topped with gooey mozzarella.
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Eating down a bit you can see the main contents: the fried carbs, noodles, chewy bean curd, chewy fish cakes, and really chewy cylindrical rice cakes. It’s carbs and spice. I got “original” level in the middle of the spice scale and I’m glad I did because despite my “skillz” at Szechuan, super hot Indian, and mega-hot Thai this sauce was oppressively hot. Both spice level and temperature. Even pulling the contents out and attempting to cool them down, I was left with a badly seared mouth. The volume and the very insulated bowl kept it near boiling for 45 minutes!

I should also point out that these dishes are big enough for 2-4 people and there is no small size. I couldn’t even finish half of it. I didn’t order sides either because it was so large, but sharing and having a few (non-spicy) sides would definitely be better.
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I drank at least two entire jugs of water!

This was a tasty dish — but I needed more people so I could share it, and I wish it wasn’t so temperate or cooled off faster because I really burned my mouth. Koreans and Japanese have asbestos tongues! It is a one dish restaurant, however, and VERY spicy — so don’t go if you don’t want a giant bowl of spicy carbs!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Spicy City!
  2. Spicy Noodle is Not
  3. Hawaiian Noodle Bar
  4. K-Town Report – Lee’s Noodles
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Ddukbokki, Korea-town, Korean cuisine, Korean food, Ktown, spicy, Yup Dduk LA

Quick Eats – Margo’s

Jul17

Restaurant: Margo’s

Location: 1534 Montana Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90403. (310) 829-3990

Date: June 2 & July 6, 2018

Cuisine: American

Rating: Fine brunch

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In the early 00s my wife and I ate most Saturday brunches on Montana in Santa Monica, and we tried everything there.
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This space, relatively newly opened as Margo’s was Ox & Son before it (did that) and Cafe Montana before that (ate there dozens of times — they had really awesome pies and cakes in conjunction with Balabu). As Cafe Montana I used to see Arnold Schwarzenegger all the time here.
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Anyway, now it’s Margo’s, so we tried it for brunch in a 3.0 incarnation. Space is darker.

The lunch/brunch menu.
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Salmon Benedict with potatoes. Solid.
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Breakfast Burrito with eggs, sausage, etc. A good one too, even if this is simple LA breakfast fare.


Biscuits. Can’t totally take the Southerner out of me.
Omelet with potatoes.
t

Fried chicken sandwich with fries.  It had cheese and aioli and pickles on it. Could have used more flavor.

Chocolate gluten free olive oil cake. Not too bad.

Certainly solid for local casual brunch. I’ll have to try again and sample more.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Quick Eats: Kreation Kafe
  2. Quick Eats – Bru’s Wiffle
  3. Quick Eats – Obica SM
  4. Quick Eats – Wilshire
  5. Quick Eats – Orto
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Brunch, Margo's, Montana, Santa Monica

Racy Rosaline

Jul15

Restaurant: Rosaline

Location: 8479 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (323) 297-9500

Date: June 6, 2018

Cuisine: Modern Peruvian

Rating: Good, but I liked his punchier places better

_

I’ve very much enjoyed chef Ricardo Zarate’s previous offerings, notably Picca and Paiche — unfortunately now closed. So I was excited to good with the Foodie Club guys to his latest, Rosaline on Melrose.

His own website says of Ricardo:

Born in Lima, Peru, ‘the godfather of Peruvian cuisine’ Ricardo Zarate is synonymous with indigenous South American foods. Immaculately executed and fused with his underlying passion, drive and kitchen ingenuity, Zarate’s cuisine has earned him widespread critical acclaim and praise from media and consumers alike.

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The newest is in a hip section of the Melrose drag, in the space previously occupied by Comme Ca, Chef David Myer’s bistro concept.
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The menu is MUCH shorter than at his old places.
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The build out, however is the best yet. Really pretty space. Foodie member Larry is friends with the architect, you joined us for dinner — stunning makeover.
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Lots of seating with a chic look.
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And a cool “garden” space.
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Paul brought: 2002 Dom Perignon Champagne. VM 98. The 2002 Dom Pérignon speaks to opulence and intensity. Rich, layered and voluptuous in the glass, the 2002 shows off its flamboyant personality with flair. Butter, cooked apple and tropically-leaning fruits mesh together effortlessly. Interestingly, with time in the glass the 2002 gains in freshness and energy without losing its essential opulence. The elevated ripeness of the year gives the 2002 Dom Pérignon distinctly Puligny-Montrachet leaning inflections. Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy adds that August that year was hot and very dry. Rain towards the end of the month and into early September freshened the vines and accelerated the final phase of ripening. This is yet another fabulous showing from the 2002, which continues to cement its reputation as a truly epic Dom Pérignon.

agavin: 2002 champs rule, this was a sexy beast.
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ensalada de beterraga. beets 3-ways, ricotta spread, burrata, candied pecans, blood orange vinaigrette. Richardo’s take on the classic beet salad.
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pimentones. padron peppers, ciruela amarillo miso, bonito flakes.
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ceviche crocante. halibut, crispy baby calamari, yuzu kosho marinated, aji amarillo leche de tigre. Fried calamari and super zesty sauce.
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tiradito de concha con erizo. live scallops, sea urchin, uni leche de tigre, crispy garlic. Love me some uni!

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kampachi ceviche. baja california amberjack, aji pesto, charcoal oven roasted sweet potato, aji limo lime dressing.
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From my cellar: 2010 Raul Pérez Bierzo Ultreia La Claudina. VM 93. Light, bright gold. Assertive aromas of fresh pear, iodine, marzipan and chamomile, with a suggestion of dried fig. Big, palate-staining and densely packed but energetic too, showing intense orchard and citrus fruit flavors and notes of smoky minerals and anise. Displays outstanding intensity on the smoky finish, which leaves zesty mineral and bitter quinine notes behind.

agavin: great food wine
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chicharron de paiche. popped kiwicha, fried amazonian paiche, yuzu aioli sauce. Not as exciting as the BBQ versions of this fish we used to get at Paiche.
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causa jar. eggplant terrine, potato mousse, avocado, botija olive aioli.
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corazon anticucho. beef heart skewers, rustic rocoto pepper, feta cheese, walnut sauce. Loved these. Chewy, but great flavor. Feed your inner Khaleesi.
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Fred brought: 2004 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese. VM 92. Aromas of baked apple, cinnamon and vanilla. The creamy, rich papaya fruit is still covered in baby fat, with the result that the wine’s underlying acidity is still almost completely masked. A full-blown auslese that is not yet showing the elegant spiciness that Muller’s wines generally develop.
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arroz con mariscos. sea urchin, diver scallops, tiger prawns, manila clams, seafood rice. I’m such a rice fiend — and an uni fiend.
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Fred brought: 1993 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Domaine Louis Jadot. BH 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.
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Larry brought: 2003 Louis Jadot Chambertin-Clos de Bèze Domaine Louis Jadot. VM 94+. Bright, deep red. Superripe yet vibrant and perfumed aromas of black raspberry, rose petal and minerals. Very ripe and highly concentrated; creamy yet firm, thanks to powerful underlying structure. A wine of great energy, density and soil character, and an infant today. Finishes with outstanding palate-staining persistence and a slightly saline quality. This should evolve spectacularly for at least 15 to 20 years. A great wine in the making.
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arroz con pollo. mary’s organic chicken breast, cilantro beer rice, huancaina feta sauce.
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chaufa paella. peruvian fried rice paella-style, pancetta, la chang sausage, bagoong, prawns.
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Mixed up. This was probably my favorite dish — a bit like Peruvian Chinese fried rice.
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juane de chancho. pork ossobuco, adobo, garbanzo soft tamale, hardboiled egg, wrapped in banana leaf.

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costillas. slow-cooked barbecue short ribs, grilled figs, apple coleslaw.

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anticucho bife ancho. 28 day dry-aged wood-grilled ribeye, sesame huacatay saucee.
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The dessert menu.
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From the owner, on the house! 1912 D’Oliveiras Madeira Verdelho.
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My BYOG adventures continue. Made by me, some fresh Sweet Milk Gelato.

On the left: Limoncello Zabaione Gelato, an eggy frozen zabaione made with Sorento Limoncello

On the right: Gluten Free Triple Chocolate Cloud, Valrhona chocolate base, Valrhona cream cheese fudge, and gluten free oreo substitutes
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Plated (by me).
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coffee flan // custard. pisco, banana creme fraiche cream, chocolate sauce, candied hazelnuts, banana chips. Other than the banana chips — amazing.
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chancay con leche // peruvian cake. goat’s milk manjar blanco, coconut milk, maracuya guava frozen yogurt, torched meringue, harry’s berries strawberries.
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bon bon bons! // ice cream. lucuma ice cream, lucuma, waffle crunch, popped quinoa // all dipped in peruvian illanka chocolate.
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Overall, it was a great evening with great company, amazing service, and really good food — but somehow I found things a bit less adventurous than at either Picca or Paiche, like he had cherry picked the most approachable dishes for a tamer hipster American audience. Now, given that he’s had a string of GOOD restaurants go under, that might be a good business move, but to a more out-there eater like myself it felt a little dialed back. Execution itself was spot on though and the whole thing did feel “easier”, slightly less Peruvian. I had really enjoyed Paiche, partially because it was fairly convenient and one of the only new style restaurants (briefly) in the Marina. But as there isn’t much of this style of food in LA, and it’s very tasty, it’s good to have him back on the scene doing great stuff.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Late Night Longo
  2. Keeping Paiche
  3. Paiche – Fusion Panache
  4. Saint Martha Modern
  5. New Century Lobster
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Foodie Club, Gelato, Peruvian cuisine, Ricardo Zarate, Rosaline, Wine

Hop Woo is Hop New

Jul11

Restaurant: Hop Woo

Location: 11110 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064. (310) 575-3668

Date: May 30, June 3 & July 25, 2018 and January 6, 2022

Cuisine: American and Szechuan Chinese

Rating: Surprisingly excellent Szechuan!

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Incredible as it sounds, just a few days after hitting up new Brentwood Szechuan GuYi Erick and I explore another new westside Szechuan. Plus, this is a composite posts with returns on my own and a Hedonist visit.
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This time disguised as venerable American Chinese Hop Woo, which has been serving a big menu of Cantonese inspired classics for years — but it turns out they have a new Szechuan chef and a secret Szechuan menu!

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The space is vintage LA Chinese.


At night, it’s packed with us Hedonists taking up 3 tables!
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Here is the special Szechuan menu. You have to ask for it. Some of the more challenging items they didn’t even bother to translate!
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The big regular menu has a few gems too, but everything here from my first two visits is from the Szechuan menu.
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Cold Szechuan Noodles (June 2018). Not even on the Szechuan menu, but they can make them. Basically nice wheat noodles with a tangy/spicy Szechuan chili oil sauce.
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You mix them up and they are quite addictive. But the third time I had them (7/25/18) they were different, heavier, not as much chili, and not nearly as good.
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Toothpick lamb (June & July 2018). The classic cumin rubbed lamb nibblettes. Quite nice.
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Griddle cooked Bullfrog (June 2018). Very nice sauce and flavor. Mind the little kermit bones.
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Griddle cooked lamb (June 2018). Somewhere between a griddle and a cumin lamb.
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Garlic Shredded Pork (June 2018). Big dish, full of flavor, and nice texture.
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MaPo Tofu (June & July 2018). Really a 9 or 10 out of 10 version of this favorite of mine. Tons of mala (numbing Szechuan peppercorn), you can see it dusted on top. Eaten over rice this is just so good. I have had this every-time I have been.
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Hop Woo Signature Fresh Rock Fish with Hot and Spicy Flavor (June & July 2018). A very nice white fish smothered in delicious chilies (and chili oil). Some good vegetables like lotus leaf are hiding in there too. Could use more veggies though.

Slightly spicy fried calamari (7/25/18). Not bad. Very fried.

Cold chicken in chili oil (7/25/18). Delicious dish of boneless white meat (and skin) with a tangy spicy Szechuan chili oil.

We liked the sauce so much we ordered some Hainan chicken (boiled chicken, ordered 7/25/18) to dump into the extra sauce. Tasted the same but had bones.

It came with this bagna caulda (aka garlic oil).

Spicy lobster (7/25/18). Salty and full of flavor. Excellent lobster actually, if perhaps very slightly over done.

Garlic greens (7/25/18). Typical greens and garlic.

Shrimp with chilies (7/25/18). This is normally chicken with chilies, but we got it with shrimp. Basically salt and pepper shrimp (you eat them whole) with dry aromatic chiles. Pretty good.

Cauliflower with bacon (7/25/18). Awesome dish. Nice crunch to the vegetables and made 10x better with the soft pancetta like ham/bacon.

Panda Express Fried Sesame Pork Balls (7/25/18). Someone wanted a “white guy dish” and this fit the bill perfectly. Tasty enough, but REALLY fried.

Fish filets with green peppers (7/25/18). A savory mix of regular green chilies (Jalepenos or Serranos) and Szechuan peppercorns. Nice flavor and burn and numb.

Braised eggplant (7/25/18). This might be their take on “fish flavor eggplant.” Hard to tell, but it was tender and had lots of garlic. Not that spicy.

Below is a return post pandemic 1/6/22 meal:

1A4A1005BBQ Pork (1/6/22). A bit chewy and overly sweet.
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Cold chicken with chili sauce (1/6/22). Great sauce. Chciken itself was a little big on the tendon factor.
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Garlic cucumbers (1/6/22). Pretty good.
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Jellyfish (1/6/22). A bit chewy.
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Honey Walnut Shrimp (1/6/22). Very tasty. Not the best ever version of this dish, but quite good.
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Sichuan Garlic Scallops (1/6/22). A bit sweet and cloying.
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Clams with garlic and scallions (1/6/22). Not bad, but not amazing either. Not so much clam meat.
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Whole fish with Rattan Pepper (1/6/22). Awesome broth. Fish was very tender. Lots of numbing. Bones, yes, but delicious. DOTN.
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“Peking Duck” (1/6/22). Not bad, but huge chunks of Southern Chinese style roast duck.
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Thin sweet hoisin.
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Buns.1A4A1061
Salt and Pepper Pork Chops (1/6/22). Very salty, but quite tasty.
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Mooshu Pork (1/6/22). Extremely mushy and not very good.

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Mexican Tortillas instead of real spring pancakes. Not kidding, just el patio.

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Orange Beef (1/6/22). Super sweet and fried. Kinda delicious in a dessert sort of wait.
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Cumin lamb (1/6/22). Pretty decent.

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Fried Rice Cake with Brown Sugar (June 2018). The owner gave these to us on the house. Very interesting Chinese dessert, all about the texture as usual. Chewy inside and dusty sweet on the outside.

Mandorla Tostata Stroopwafel Gelato (Toasted Almond) made by me for Sweet Milk Gelato (7/25/18) — toasted Sicilian almonds and Dutch Stroopwafel, because, why not?
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Classic oranges and Fortune Cookies.

Overall, I was very impressed with the Szechuan items. It’s not a huge menu of them, and they aren’t quite Szechuan Impression or anything, but a few of these dishes, like the MaPo Tofu and the fish were absolutely first rate. Nice balance of tangy, hot, and numbing. It’s great to have a few real Szechuan choices on the westside!

Given my repeat and must larger visit with a lot of dishes I actually think the Szechuan here is on par with a second tier SGV Szechuan like Lucky Noodle King or maybe Spicy City. Some dishes better, some worse. It’s not the BEST Szechuan in the city by any means, but it’s the real deal and surprisingly very good for Westside. The even have really legit dishes like MaPo tofu with pig brains!

On our 1/6/22 visit a certain spice hater forced us to order about 3/4 from the regular menu. It was pretty consistent that almost everything from the regular (Chinese American) menu was very mediocre while stuff from the Szechuan menu was pretty good.

For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.

Random wines, only a few of the ones we brought:









Related posts:

  1. GuYi — Szechuan in Brentwood?
  2. Cui Hua Lou – Szechuan Shed
  3. Hunan Mao
  4. Huolala Hot
  5. Hip Hot
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Chinese cuisine, Chinese Food, Gelato, Hop Woo, mapo tofu, Sichuan, spicy, Szechuan, Szechuan Chinese

Valentino Rayas

Jul09

Restaurant: Valentino Santa Monica [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]

Location: 3115 Pico Blvd  Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 829-4313

Date: May 29, 2018

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Fun and educational!

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Valentino is one of my most reviewed restaurants, particularly because Don Cornwell always uses it as a site for his Burgundy dinners. And when Ron suggested we do our Rayas dinner here I was skeptical, because it’s a bit staid, and when he suggested we order off the menu, I was even more skeptical — but this time Valentino proved me wrong.

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The menu, which a certainly haven’t seen in a while.
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Ron brought: 2006 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. VM 97.5. The 2006 Comtes de Champagne is striking, especially in the way it brings together elements of ripeness and freshness in a hypothetical blend of the 2002 and 2004. Smooth and creamy on the palate, the 2006 is all about texture. There is a real feeling of density and weight in the 2006, qualities I expect to see grow with time in the bottle. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. The 2006 has been nothing short of magnificent both times I have tasted it. Comtes de Champagne remains the single best value (in relative terms) in tête de cuvée Champagne. I suggest buying a case and following it over the next 20-30 years, which is exactly what I intend to do. There is little doubt the 2006 Comtes de Champagne is a magical Champagne in the making.
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Tomato Bruschetta. Classic.
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Various bread sticks.
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The have very good single source olive oil.
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Pougs brought: 2015 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly. VM 91. Pale, bright yellow. Precise but subdued scents of lemon and wet stone. Very pure but closed, conveying lovely energy and juicy, citrussy cut to its concentrated lemon zest, mandarin orange and stone flavors. Colin’s Chatenière may be richer than this wine but it doesn’t not have the same degree of energy. Finishes very smooth, seamless and long. Last year, Colin told me that this wine has only 12.3% alcohol.
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From my cellar: 1993 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. BH 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.
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Scallops with asparagus puree, asparagus, and mashed potatoes.
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Tartara di Tonno e Burrata. Tuna tartare with orange flavor burrata sauce. Possibly a slightly waste of burrata (which I discovered here at Valentino 23 years ago), but really nice combo.
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Polpo alla Brace e Fregula. Grilled octopus with squid ink infused Sardinian cous cous. A touch ugly but delicious.
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Smoked Quail, rolle on potato and asparagus salad with blueberry sauce. Not what I expected, but delicious.
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Larry brought: 1986 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve. RP 86. This wine has been fully mature since its release and continues to drink well, although owners are advised to consume it before the turn of the century. Not one of the most successful 1986s (a difficult as well as irregular vintage in Chateauneuf du Pape), it displays a medium ruby color with no signs of amber or orange. A peppery, herbaceous, celery-scented note competes with ripe cherry/kirsch aromas. Although medium- to full-bodied, with good glycerin and a velvety texture, the wine lacks the sweet mid-palate and inner core of extraction and depth found in the greatest Rayas vintages.
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Ron brought: 1989 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve. RP 98. The 1989 Rayas is finally beginning to live up to its immense potential. The color is a dense ruby/purple. The aromatics, which have consistently been tight and reserved, are beginning to reveal some of the framboise and black cherry liqueur-like scents for which this hallowed estate is known. Extremely full-bodied, powerful, and rich, with lots of tannin, muscle, and extract, the colossal-sized, tightly-knit 1989 is bursting at its seams. It requires another 3-5 years of cellaring. This is a prodigious Rayas that is just beginning to strut its stuff. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025.

agavin: great!!
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Jeff brought: 1997 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve. RP 90. It appears I may have seriously underestimated the quality of the 1997 Rayas when tasted from barrel. Tasted twice from bottle, it unquestionably merits a 90-point score. It is rich, deep, and intense. It is an elegant, ripe, evolved, forward, medium-weight Rayas with copious raspberry and cherry fruit. It should drink well young and last for 10-15 years.

agavin: a touch corked? or too much bret?
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From my cellar: 2000 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve. RP 93. The 2000 Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape, which Emmanuel Reynaud believes is better than 1998, came in at a whopping 15.2% alcohol. It is reminiscent of a hypothetical blend of the 1998 and 1999, with a medium to light ruby color, and a sumptuous bouquet of kirsch liqueur, spice box, and licorice. Full-bodied and fleshy, with low acidity, it is a sweet (from high glycerin and alcohol), seductive, intoxicating offering with no hard edges and a rich, fleshy mouthfeel. While it will be hard to resist, I feel the 1998 still has more structure. Anticipated maturity for the 2000: 2005-2016.

agavin: drinking amazingly, young even

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Erick brought: 2001 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve. RP 92. The 2001 Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape is more structured and slightly deeper ruby-colored than the light-colored 2000. It also possesses more acidity as well as depth. This terroir-driven effort reveals aromas of raspberries and sweet kirsch as well as a medium-bodied, vigorously fresh, lively style. There is also good flavor authority. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and consume it over the following 15. Like most Chateauneuf du Pape domaines, I did not see anything while tasting through the 2002 reds that would suggest they could be recommended in this publication.1A0A9316
Pougs brought: 2003 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve. RP 95. The 2003 Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape has gone from strength to strength and now looks to be the finest vintage since the monumental 1995. Deep ruby to the rim with that classic Rayas nose of flowers, kirsch liqueur, black raspberries, crushed rocks, and minerals, the wine is dense and concentrated, with a broad, savory mouthfeel, sweet yet silky tannin, fabulous persistence, and a blockbuster finish that just goes on and on. This is a reassuringly profound Rayas that seems to suggest that Emmanuel Reynaud has finally figured out this cold-climate terroir in a warm climate appellation. This wine should be given 3-4 years of bottle age, and drunk over the following 20+ years.

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Gnocchi Patate e Rapini. Potoato and rapini dumpling sateed with cherry tomatoes and jalapeno and creamy ricotta.1A0A9395
Risotto with fresh porcini.

Lasagnetta con ragu d’anatra e porcini. Lasagna with bechamel, duck ragu, and porcini.

All four pastas were great. They might not look the most modern, but they tasted amazing.

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Sea bass in Sicilian sauce.
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Costolette d’agnello. Grilled lamb chops over fava beans with roasted tomato and olive tapenade.

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l‘Ossobuco with risotto al parmigiano. Old school but awesome.
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Larry brought this sticky.
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A mixed plate of desserts. Their gelato isn’t the greatest, but the cannoli was very good.
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The wines were amazing (as they should be). The whites were great and the Rayas was stellar, particularly the 1989 and 2000. All were great though (the 01 and 03 just being young) except for maybe the 97 with its light corking.

Service was great as always, as Valentino really takes care of us — we are, after all friends of the owner, some for many many years. They moved us from a smallish table into our our dining room. Not a private room per se but they built a large table for us in the middle of one of the other rooms and put no one else in there — perfecto!

I was pleasantly surprised how good the food was off the menu, particularly as compared to my many boring sets of food at Don’s dinners. I guess they do it much better off the menu. And it’s always easier to handle a 6 person dinner, which really is a great number.

Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.
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Related posts:

  1. Sauvages Valentino
  2. Valentino – 2004 Red Burgundy
  3. Valentino – 2005 White Burg part 2!
  4. LaLa – Valentino
  5. Valentino – 2010 White Burgundy part 1
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Chateauneuf du Pape, Dessert, Foodie Club, Italian Cusine, Piero Selvaggio, rayas, Valentino, Valentino Santa Monica, Wine

Back to the Bazaar 2018

Jul06

Restaurant: The Bazaar [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Location: 465 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048. 310.246.5555

Date: May 26, 2018

Cuisine: Spanish influenced Molecular Gastronomy

Rating: Awesome, one of LA’s best places.

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I’m like a José Andrés groupie. I’ve been to every possible variant of his restaurants in LA, Vegas, and many in Washington. I’ve been here countless times, but today return with the Sauvages for a special Rioja lunch.No other restaurant in LA has the combination of ultra modern chic and whimsical playfulness that The Bazaar does — plus everything tastes great and you get to experience an great melange of flavors in one meal. If you haven’t been, or haven’t been recently, you should.

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I’ve been plenty of times where I don’t write it up, but this time we got the current tasting menu — which is by far the best deal and the way to go here — and I figured I’d do an up to date report.
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From my cellar: 2008 Clos Erasmus Priorat Laurel. VM 92. Deep ruby. Seductively perfumed, with soil-inflected aromas of cherry, dark berries, smoke, spices and dried violet, along with a strong graphite quality. Velvety and tangy on entry, then ripe and sweet in the mid-palate, lending impressive energy to the almost medicinal cherry and singed plum flavors. Lively on the bright, very long back end, which features lingering floral and mineral attributes. Very pretty now but built for short- to mid-term aging, say another four to six years.
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Sweet potato chips, yogurt, tamarind, star anise. The crisp chips are used to scoop up the fluffy cool yogurt, which has a pleasing fruit tang.
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Bagel and Lox Cone. The remainder of them are salmon roe with creme fraiche or cream cheese in the cone. Always a delightful little bite.
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Spanish olives, traditional and modern. Classic olives with pimentos and anchovy (back). This is followed (on the right) by “Spanish olives, modern.” Pureed olive has been “sphereized.” The flavor is basically the same, but these pop in your mouth to deliver a concentrated burst of olive.
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A newish take on the beet salad. Local Baby Beets. Smoked yogurt, pickled carrots, walnuts, avocado. This actually had a bit of heat (spice).
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Pa’amb Tomaquet. Catalan style toasted bread, tomato. Jamon Iberico. Traditional Spanish ham.
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Tuna Ceviche & Avocado Roll. Jicama, micro cilantro, coconut. Really nice bright flavors and interesting texture (soft and crunchy).
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Tempura Squash Blossoms. Black olive, ricotta, fresh tomatillo sauce.
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King Crab. Raspberries, raspberry vinaigrette. The crab and raspberry combo is something I haven’t come to complete terms with. Great crab though.
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Not your everyday caprese, cherry tomatoes, liquid mozzarella. This is a near perfect deconstruction of the caprese. The mozzarella balls explode in your mouth, and pair great with the pesto and the little crunchy crackers.
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Sautéed Shrimp. Garlic, tomato sofrito, guindilla pepper. There has been a sautéed shrimp on the menu since the start, but this newer version has more tomato. It’s great, but I probably prefer the more classic garlic/oil variant.

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Grilled Spanish Octopus. Caramelized onions, chicken escabeche, cherry tomatoes.
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Papas Canarias. Salty Wrinkled Potatoes, Mojo Verde and Mojo Rojo. The potatoes are very salty and you dip them in that slurry of parsley, cilantro, olive oil, and lemon juice. Really tasty. This has been on the menu since opening, but they recently changed the form favor (to have the potatoes on top of the sauce) and added the red sauce.
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Croquetas De Pollo. Chicken-béchamel fritters. Classic! Super hot and gooey inside. Nice.
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Seared Mary’s Farm Chicken. Honey dates, mustard caviar, mustard greens. In a way, this is like chicken with honey mustard sauce — but way better.
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Catalan Spinach. Apple, pine nuts, raisins. Old dish, slightly new form factor.
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I ordered this off the menu: 2011 La Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri Rioja Reserva. VM 92. Bright violet color. Ripe cherry and blackberry on the highly perfumed nose, with a sexy floral nuance adding complexity. Fleshy and seamless on the palate, offering sweet red and dark berry flavors with hints of vanilla and smoky minerals. Closes smooth, sweet and very long, with excellent clarity and spicy persistence. Very suave wine with the balance to age but also with the upfront fruit to make it quite attractive now.
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Coffee Rubbed American Wagyu Flat Iron. Passion fruit, pearl onions.
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Wild Mushroom Rice. Idiazabal Cheese. A very nice cheesy risotto.
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The deconstructed Philly cheese steak is one of my favorites. The “air bread” is super crispy with liquid cheddar. the beef is wagyu. On the right is The vegetarians got this “Hilly cheese steak” with mushroom instead of beef. Same cheese. Last year, at a catered event at the SLS I ate over 20 of the cheesesteaks!!
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Pan con Chocolate. Chocolate Flan with caramelized bread, olive oil, brioche ice cream. Great, just small.
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Hot Chocolate Mousse. pear sorbet and salty hazelnut praline. Very soft texture but with crunch. Nice salty chocolate hazelnut flavor.
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Traditional Spanish Flan. Vanilla and Citrus. I’m a huge flan fan and this Spanish classic didn’t disappoint. Great citrus notes.
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A few cookies.

I was at the Bazaar a few weeks earlier, and we ordered ala carte. Now the food was great both times, and very different things, but the tasting menu is such a better deal. Probably half the cost and we had way more — and more varied food. The problem is that if you order some of the super yummy “per piece” items by the person, it adds up really fast and you need a lot of the little bites — whereas the tasting menu includes basically all of the above for a single fixed (roughly $100) price.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for a full swath of all my José Andrés restaurant reviews, click here.

Related posts:

  1. Bazaar Treats
  2. Son of Saam – Actually more Bazaar
  3. Back to the Bazaar
  4. Food as Art: The Bazaar
  5. Sauvages Rioja at the Bazaar
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Bazaar, José Andrés, Molecular Gastronomy, Spanish Cuisine, The Bazaar, Wine

Great Grenache 2018

Jul02

Restaurant: John Gerber [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: Flintridge

Date: May 25, 2018

Cuisine: New American

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Today’s Sauvages lunch is a lunch in honor of  late Co-Poobah Steve Levin. It’s graciously hosted by Paul at at his beautiful home in Flintridge. This event is held outdoors in memory of the Zinfandel barbecues that Steve would hold for our group every summer at his home (it being Paul’s idea to maintain this fine tradition). To that end, we always enjoy a few Zinfandels at this lunch in addition to the theme wines for the lunch. The annual lunches at Paul’s home always rate very high on the scales for ambiance, camaraderie and food quality.

The main wine theme:  This year, as it has been the past few years for our lunch at Paul’s, our primary wine theme will be “Grenaches of the World”, in this case from the 2007 and older vintages (the older the better).  Just to be clear, “Grenaches of the World” means any Grenache or Grenache-based blend (at least 60-70% Grenache), as long as it is rated 93+ by a reputable critic, and is from the 2008 or older vintage.  Grenache-based wines from Australia, California, Washington, Priorat, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Sardinia (called Cannonau) or any other parts of the world are fair game as long as the wine has a qualifying score.


This California style building isn’t the house itself, but the amazing top of the integrated cellar.

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Trying to give you a sense of the mid century space.

We gather at one multi-wing table.

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Today’s menu.

Snacks

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NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée. Paul had a number of these in 375ml of some unspecified edition <=162?
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From my cellar: 2015 Stift Göttweig Pinot Noir Messwein. 90 points. Like grapefruit soda!
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2007 Lail Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Georgia. A strangely expensive Sauv Blanc ($100!), although tasty.
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2013 Bader-Mimeur Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly.
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2014 Peter Michael Chardonnay Mon Plaisir. VM 92. Peter Michael’s 2014 Chardonnay Mon Plaisir wraps around the palate with gorgeous depth and textural richness, two of its principal signatures. Candied lemon, succulent apricot and spice notes meld into the creamy, voluptuous finish. This south/south-east facing site at 1,600 feet planted with old Wente clone Chardonnay yields distinctly ample wines.

agavin: Fake chard!
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Tuna Poke chips. Light and delicious.
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Lobster medallions. On cucumber.
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Some rack of wild boar grilling up for later.

Flight 1

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1996 Alvaro Palacios Priorat L’Ermita. VM 92+. Saturated ruby-red, darker than the Dofí. Blackcurrant, black cherry, clove and Mediterranean spices on the nose. Dense, sappy and sweet in the mouth; lively, harmonious acids frame the wine very youthful black fruit and spice flavors. Finishes with substantial but smooth palate-saturating tannins and superb persistence. This is harder to taste today than the ’97, but should ultimately be the stronger vintage.
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Albert brought: 1989 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. JG 95+.  I have always been a fan of the 1989 Château Beaucastel, which I rank just behind the superb 1981 at this fine estate. The most recent bottle I tasted of this wine was still just a touch youthful, but offered up fine complexity on both the nose and palate and shows excellent promise. The bouquet is a blend of roasted fruitcake, cherries, new leather, venison, incipient notes of sous bois, woodsmoke and hot stones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and rock solid at the core, with a bit of tannin still to resolve, fine focus and grip and a very long, classy and slightly chewy finish. I would be tempted to give this wine a few more years to really resolve, as it will be a superb wine and it would be most enjoyable to drink it at the same plateau that the 1981 has been enjoying for a good decade already.

agavin: this bottle was too bretty for me, although I love this wine
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1989 Domaine de Marcoux Châteauneuf-du-Pape Vieilles Vignes. 95 points. Awesome.
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2000 Roger Sabon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Le Secret des Sabon. 94 points. Medium ruby. Exotic roasted aromas of surmaturite: black raspberry liqueur, dark chocolate, leather and earth. Shows a thickness and sweetness verging on porty, but the appeal of this bottle was reduced by some exotic, rather odd oak notes. Can this be right? (My sample of the 2001 was too low in SO2 and showing distinct oxidation notes.
1A0A9024
Fruitti de Mare. Octopus carpaccio, razor clams, scallops and spot prawns. We’ve had this dish here before, but it’s always a great showcase of seafood. The only problem is the dubious “pairing” with so much (admittedly great) Grenache.

Flight 2

1A0A9109
2001 Rotllan Torra Priorat Tirant. VM 91+. Deep red. Exotic coconutty oak on the rather port-like nose. At once sweeter and more primary than the Amadis, with a penetrating minerality. Also quite oaky, but has more jammy plum and blackberry fruit to stand up to the wood. Still, it’s hard to predict whether this slightly pruney wine will reward more time in bottle. Finishes with sweet tannins and good length.
1A0A9110
2001 Clarendon Hills Grenache Old Vines Romas. VM 94. Bright, deep ruby-red. Captivating aromas of black cherry, violet, licorice and espresso; a rather Rayas-like style of grenache. Chewy, rich and sweet but also quite suave. A succulent, superripe basket of fruits complicated by torrefaction notes of coffee and chocolatey oak. Long, chewy, powerful finish builds impressively. The ’99 version of this wine was aged in 100% new oak; here, 30% seems perfectly appropriate.
1A0A9111
2001 Clarendon Hills Grenache Old Vines Blewitt Springs. VM 91. Bright medium red. Very ripe, roasted flavors of raspberry and strawberry. Fat, rich, sweet and mouthfilling; offers a bit less verve than the Kangarilla but this is still shapely grenache. Finishes with big, mouthcoating tannins and impressive sweetness and volume. This is the Dolly Parton of the Clarendon grenache bottlings, notes importer John Larchet.
1A0A9112
2004 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul. VM 93. Explosively floral aromas of raspberry and wild strawberry complicated by mineral and lavender notes. Concentrated and deep, with sweet but nicely focused red fruit and bitter cherry flavors accompanied by exotic smoked meat and black walnut tones. An impressively rich, powerful wine, offering serious palate coverage and a long, very sweet finish.
1A0A9061
Oxtail Consommé. Stuffed morel mushrooms and spring vegetables. This was my dish of the day, and it was just a lovely meaty/mushroomy broth. I particularly enjoy morels too.

Flight 3

1A0A9113
2003 Clos Mogador Priorat. VM 91. Dark ruby. Superripe, potent scents of cherry liqueur, candied dates, dark chocolate and fruit cake. Fat to the point of unctuous, with a distinct sweetness to the rich dark fruit-dominated flavors; cedary oaky notes build through the finish, along with vanilla, baking spices and a suggestion of black olive. A bite of licorice root gives focus to the long aftertaste. For all the volume here, this has the balance for cellaring.
1A0A9114
2004 Spectacle Vins Montsant Espectacle. 93 points. Purple color with fast forming legs and aromas of eucalyptus, blackberry and violet. It’s balanced and has flavours of blackberry with a full body. Bright texture with a long finish.
1A0A9115
2003 Domaine de la Mordorée Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de la Reine des Bois. VM 93. Inky violet color. Rich, smoky and deep on the nose, with powerful scents of chocolate, creme de mure and kirsch, tinged by candied violet and cracked pepper. Concentrated and lush, with a round, velvety texture and abundant sweet plum, blackberry and mocha flavors. Finishes with ripe, round tannins, a very sweet note of cassis, and great length.
1A0A9116
2003 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée da Capo. VM 95-97.  Deep, dark red. Multidimensional bouquet of kirsch, cassis, red plum, pipe tobacco, grilled meat, licorice pastille and roasted coffee; this has nearly all of the Chateauneuf food groups. Utterly mouthfilling in its richness, with tremendous concentration of red and dark berries, garrigue, bittersweet chocolate and aged beef. Finishes with a velvety lushness, round tannins and palate-staining persistence. A simply remarkable wine: it finished at 16.2% but the alcohol only shows in the wine’s unctuous, almost oily palate feel.
1A0A9068
Wood Roasted Rack of Wild Boar. Sierra porcini and sea peas. A great rack. A little lighter and with a sweeter flavor for being boar (inside of lamb or something).

1A0A9082-Pano
On the far back left is our chef, John Gerber, formerly of the French Laundry!
1A0A9080-Pano
The panorama of most of the crew.

Flight 4: Cheese

1A0A9117
From my cellar: 2007 Clos Mogador Priorat. VM 93. Glass-staining purple. Explosively perfumed aromas of blackberry, cherry-cola, candied licorice and black cardamom, with a smoky mineral undertone and a hint of fruitcake. Lush, decadent dark fruit flavors show a liqueur-like density but don’t come off as heavy thanks to slow-mounting minerality and a touch of spicy black pepper. There’s nothing shy about this, and while there’s the ripeness and weight that I expect from this wine, there’s also a brightness that bodes well for aging.

agavin: very slight corked 🙁
1A0A9125
2005 Clos Mogador Priorat. VM 93. Opaque violet. A head-spinning bouquet of ripe blackcurrant, cherry liqueur, cola, candied plum, mineral and floral scents, along with a suave undercurrent of spicy oak. Deeply concentrated dark berry and cherry preserve flavors are impressively powerful and ripe, but improbably fresh too. Chewy tannins build on the finish but are overwhelmed by the intense, powerful fruit. This is a beast right now and in need of at least seven to ten more years in a cool cellar, maybe more. Then serve it with the richest red meat dish you can come up with.

agavin: after my bottle was corked Paul generously brought out this one. I have to remember to bring backups every time. I usually do, and it’s only when I don’t that it’s corked.
1A0A9118
2006 Sine Qua Non Grenache Raven Series. VM 95. Opaque violet. Complex bouquet of cassis, blueberry and pipe tobacco, complicated by smoky Indian spices and dried rose. Expansive and open-knit, offering sweet dark berry preserve flavors and complementary notes of candied flowers and fruitcake. The smoky element gains strength on the finish, which is long, energetic and refreshingly mineral-driven. This is remarkably lithe for such power; I underestimated its potential last year. Includes 94% estate fruit, vinified with 25% whole clusters.
1A0A9120
2007 Clos Saint Jean Châteauneuf-du-Pape Deus-Ex Machina. VM 96. Glass-staining ruby. The nose offers a drop-dead sexy array of berry, floral and mineral scents, along with nuances of spicecake and black olive. Impressively deep and sweet but also energetic, displaying dense red and dark fruit liqueur flavors and sexy floral pastille and baking spice qualities. The mineral quality comes on strong with air and lends lift and urgency to the very long, spicy finish. This is slightly more elegant than the Comte des Fous but just as potent.
1A0A9124
2006 Clos Erasmus Priorat. VM 95. Deep ruby. Heady, expansive aromas of raspberry, cassis, cola, star anise, smoky minerals and potpourri. Completely stains the palate with sweet red and dark berry compote flavors; a sexy floral pastille quality gains volume with air. Deep and powerful but graceful, offering a hypnotic melange of fruit, floral and mineral qualities and completely buffered tannins. This superb and very long wine will reward patient cellaring.
1A0A9098
Cheese Plate. Camembert di Bufala, Italy (water buffalo milk). Comte Fromagerie Charles Arnaud, Jura France (cow milk). Nerina Ash Aged, Italy (sheep and goat milk).
1A0A9102
My cryptic notes.

Flight 5: Zin

1A0A9119
I’m just a little too lazy to lookup all the Zin’s, so they are just pictured and listed on the list below.
1A0A9121

1A0A9122

1A0A9126

1A0A9127

1A0A9128

1A0A9129

1A0A9130

1A0A9131

1A0A9132

1A0A9133

1A0A9134
And this finishes the vast amount of wine.
1A0A90192018

Today I got really serious with the gelato transportation, hauling the Ifi Coolbox with 3 flavors I had made just that morning — notice my sexy custom logo!
1A0A9103
Saffron Almond Gelato. I steeped the milk with Persian Saffron and blended in Sicilian Romano Almonds from Sicily!
1A0A9104
Symphony in Pink – on the bottom Amarena Cherry Gelato and on the top, White Peach Rose Sorbetto.

1A0A9148
The wine list.


Inside the upper level of the cellar where staging occurred.

1A0A9138-Pano
And the full lineup!

Overall, a delicious afternoon — food and wine both! As a Burgundy nut, a often forget how delightful Grenache can be, but it’s really great stuff — and so consistent. Certainly a nice grape, if a powerhouse. Even the Zins were (relatively) enjoyable.

We did have WAY too much wine for the number of courses. We could have used an easy 2 or 3 more courses to stage it out. A couple years ago we had one more course and we could really use that as there is that extra Zin flight. I tried to “add” one with the gelato :-).

The setting really is magnificent. The weather was perfect, if a little cloudy. Just an ideal afternoon in the yard!

Related posts:

  1. Great Grenache
  2. Grand Grenache
  3. Sauvages in the Forest
  4. Alexanders the Great
  5. Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Sun
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, Grenache, John Gerber, lunch, Paul Wools, Sauvages, Wine, Zinfandel
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