Image
  • Writing
    • Andy Gavin: Author
    • About my Novels & Writing
    • All Writing Posts
    • The Darkening Dream
      • Buy the Book Online
      • Sample Chapters
      • Reviews
      • Info for Reviewers
      • Press Coverage
      • Awards
      • Cast of Characters
    • Untimed
      • Buy Untimed Online
      • Book Trailer
      • Sample Chapters
      • Reviews
      • Info for Reviewers
      • Press Coverage
      • Awards
      • Cast of Characters
    • Scrivener – Writer’s Word Processor
    • iPad for Writers
    • Naughty Dark Contest
  • Books
    • Book Review Index
    • Favorite Fantasy Novels
    • Andy Gavin: Author
    • The Darkening Dream
      • Buy the Book Online
      • Sample Chapters
      • Short Story: Harvard Divinity
      • Reviews
      • Info for Reviewers
      • Press Coverage
      • Awards
      • Cast of Characters
    • Untimed
      • About the Book
      • Buy Untimed Online
      • Book Trailer
      • Sample Chapters
      • Reviews
      • Info for Reviewers
      • Press Coverage
      • Awards
      • Cast of Characters
    • Naughty Dark Contest
  • Games
    • My Video Game Career
    • Post Archive by Series
    • All Games Posts Inline
    • Making Crash Bandicoot
    • Crash 15th Anniversary Memories
    • World of Warcraft Endgames
    • Getting a Job Designing Video Games
    • Getting a Job Programming Video Games
    • Naughty Dark Contest
  • Movies
    • Movie Review Index
  • Television
    • TV Review Index
    • Buffy the Vampire Slayer
    • A Game of Thrones
  • Food
    • Food Review Index
    • Foodie Club
    • Hedonists
    • LA Sushi Index
    • Chinese Food Index
    • LA Peking Duck Guide
    • Eating Italy
    • Eating France
    • Eating Spain
    • Eating Türkiye
    • Eating Dutch
    • Eating Croatia
    • Eating Vietnam
    • Eating Australia
    • Eating Israel
    • Ultimate Pizza
    • ThanksGavin
    • Margarita Mix
    • Foodie Photography
    • Burgundy Vintage Chart
  • Other
    • All Posts, Magazine Style
    • Archive of all Posts
    • Fiction
    • Technology
    • History
    • Anything Else
  • Gallery
  • Bio
  • About
    • About me
    • About my Writing
    • About my Video Games
    • Ask Me Anything
  • Contact

DRC at 71Above

May28

Restaurant: 71Above [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Location: 633 W 5th St., Los Angeles, CA 90071

Date: April 23, 2019

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Awesome in all ways

_

71Above is one of my favorite LA restaurants and I’ve been many times. In fact there are 8 previous write ups! Today the location plays host to a special DRC dinner that owner Emil organized with a special menu.  Chef Vartan Abgaryan has moved on to his own new place, Yours Truly, and 71Above is now seamlessly helmed by his disciple, Chef Javier Lopez.

Besides being located on the 71st floor (950 feet up!) of the US Bank building, being the highest restaurant west of the Mississippi, it’s owned and operated by my friend Emil Eyvazoff!
7U1A9159
Gorgeous build out.
7U1A9162
Look at the crazy view and the crazy fog on this weird spring night.

7U1A9167-Pano
We set up shop for this evening in the private room.
7U1A9175
Just a few stems.
7U1A9177
The special menu.
7U1A9189
NV Taittinger Prelude. VM 91. (a 50/50 blend of chardonnay and pinot noir; L2068TD00100): Light, bright gold. Mineral-accented lemon and lime pith on the nose, with complicating notes of honeysuckle and pear skin. Dry and precise, offering vibrant citrus fruit and fresh fig flavors and showing strong mineral spine. Finishes bright and long, with lingering floral notes and a touch of ginger.
7U1A9185
An amuse.
7U1A9291
2002 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. BH 97. There is a distinctly phenolic character to the secondary-tinged yet super-fresh nose reflects notes of bread, yeast, pear, baked apple, spice and a hint of citrus. The bold and full-bodied flavors possess superb complexity while being underpinned by a notably fine but dense mousse, all wrapped in a gorgeously persistent finish. This is a seriously impressive effort and one of the best of the Krug Brut vintage series released in many years. Note that while this should continue to age effortlessly, it could certainly be enjoyed now.
7U1A9192
Another amuse of Oyster, poached uni, caviar, tarragon, and champagne. Delicious.
7U1A9292
2002 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet. BH 93. More noticeable wood spice than in the prior wine combines with wonderfully pure green fruit and white pear aromas underscored by intensely stony notes, leading to ripe, chiseled, vibrant, wonderfully precise flavors that offer excellent definition. This really coats the palate and the finish lingers for several minutes. I like the punch here yet the intensity is delivered in an ultra refined, classy and pure style.
7U1A9293
2008 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 94. Here too the nose speaks of honeysuckle, citrus and lightly spiced pear aromas that serve as an elegant introduction to the pure, cool and understated middle weight flavors that possess outstanding depth of material and stunning length. This is a hugely long and quite serious yet impeccably well-balanced Bienvenues.
7U1A9294
2014 Louis Jadot Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 94. There is enough wood to notice surround the beautifully complex array of pear, white peach, lilac, acacia blossom and anise-suffused aromas. As is usually the case this is a broad-shouldered and concentrated effort with its imposingly scaled flavors that brim with palate coating dry extract before concluding in a youthfully austere and almost painfully intense finale. This is an impressive effort that is built to reward extended cellaring and indeed one that will need at least 6 to 8 years before it will display at least some of its full potential.
7U1A9205
Hamachi Crudo. Kumquat, coconut, lime, lemongrass, salsa seca, ginger, cilantro.
7U1A9295
1990 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux. BH 91. Intense, ripe and slightly roasted black fruit nose with developing complexity that leads to rich, full-bodied, rounded, sweet flavors underpinned by big tannins and the wine finishes with grand cru quality length. This is quite big and certainly dramatic but for all its richness and power, it’s not an elegant wine per se. All of that said, it’s still a relatively youthful wine and could be drunk now with pleasure or held for a few more years to fully round out the finish. Multiple and consistent notes.
7U1A9296
1996 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux. BH 91. The Domaine de la Romanée-Conti fashioned outstanding ’96s and while this will not challenge the dominance of its more esteemed stable mates, it is clearly a lovely effort. The expressive nose displays lovely spice and violet aromas that offer more elegance and finesse than usual and lead to rich, sweet and moderately structured flavors supported by bright but not aggressive acidity and excellent finishing persistence. I quite like the ’96 Ech and while it can finally be approached now with pleasure it should be capable of holding at this level for years to come. Multiple, and consistent, notes.
7U1A9230
Avocado and steak tartare. Avocado with citrus, seaweed, thai basil, puffed rice, black radish, sesame, lime oil. Wagyu sirloin tartare. Mustard, piquillo, marcona almond, caper, yolk, crostini. Very nice. The steak paired better with the reds, the avocado with the lingering whites.
7U1A9297
2014 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Echezeaux. BH 94. A wonderfully complex nose features a broad array of spice elements with those of plum, violet, sandalwood and Asian-style tea that are also trimmed in soft wood nuances. There is good punch to the refined, cool and pure medium-bodied flavors that possess better concentration on the balanced, persistent and youthfully austere finale where the only nit is a very subtle hint of warmth. Of all of the wines in the Domaine’s portfolio, in my view the Ech is the most improved over the last 10 years and it shows as the 2014 is bigger and more powerful than usual.
7U1A9298
2014 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Grands-Echezeaux. BH 95. Here the expressive nose is even spicier and more floral with its lovely array of rose petal, lilac and lavender scents adding elegance to the mostly dark pinot and earth aromas that are also trimmed in a bit of wood but in this case it is even more subtle. As is virtually always the case this is bigger, richer, more powerful and more muscular with excellent volume to the rich and mouth coating flavors that deliver superb length on the chiseled, robust and hugely long finale. Patience will definitely be required.
7U1A9299
2014 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Corton Domaine Prince Florent de Merode. BH 93. A notably floral nose consists of ripe plum, spice and plenty of earth while being trimmed in all-but-invisible oak. There is good power and muscle to the generously proportioned and notably rich big-bodied flavors that culminate in a robust finish that offers fine depth and length. This is not as concentrated as the best here but it’s clear that the vineyard work continues to push the quality level forward each year.
7U1A9240
Heritage Pork. Loin, fritter, mustard seed, pork jus. Great pork.
7U1A9300
1990 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Musigny Cuvée Vieilles Vignes. BH 89. As long time readers know, I have never thought very highly of this wine and I have had on the order of 3 cases of it without ever finding one that I thought was very good, let alone great. This would include a bottle that was air expressed directly from the domaine so my objections have nothing to do with storage, provenance or shipping. However, the bottle in this tasting displayed the best fruit/acid/tannin balance of any ’90 VV that I’ve yet had and while I would stop well short of according it the accolades that it once received in abundance, it didn’t not display the green finishing tannins and overtly advanced aromas that its predecessors have. In short, a wine of moderate promise and while by no means great, at least acceptable in the context of the extremely high standards of this wine and this vintage.
7U1A9301
1993 Domaine Comte Georges de Vogüé Bonnes Mares. BH 91. The ’93 Bonnes Mares is a big and burly wine with an expressive, intense nose revealing some aged notes to accompany the black fruit followed by muscular, concentrated, beautifully detailed flavors of excellent intensity first class length. While this is clearly an impressive wine of real quality, there is a rustic side to this wine that I’m not entirely convinced is ever going to completely disappear. Time will tell but it’s clear for the present that this is quite structured and will require at least another 7 or 8 years of cellar time, perhaps more but it should be worth the wait. Consistent notes since release.
7U1A9302
From my cellar: 1996 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares. VM 94+. Medium-deep red-ruby, with a hint of development at the rim. Deep, smoky aromas of espresso, bitter chocolate, meat and licorice, plus a floral topnote. Then penetrating, brisk and tightly wound, with terrific verve and structure. Boasts superb vivacity but comes across as surprisingly supple owing to its excellent extract. Finishes firmly tannic, with late hints of woodsmoke and chocolate. “The grapes ripened on photosynthesis during a clear, cold September, retaining strong acidity. The cool weather allowed for a natural cold maceration prior to the fermentation.”
7U1A9254
Wagyu. Japanese A5 8+ Grade Ribeye, broccolini, black garlic, peanut, grilled onion jus. This beef was incredible!
7U1A9304
1989 Château d’Yquem. VM 97. Laid-back, extremely young aromas of honey, creme caramel, smoke and earth; essence of semillon. Rich, large-scaled and powerful; really expands in the mouth. Lovely harmonious acidity and bright notes of orange peel and minerals give this very youthful wine great clarity of flavor. Classy and impeccably balanced. The subtle, oak-spicy, nutty finish goes on and on. Conveys an almost saline impression of extract. This should approach peak drinkability within the next eight to ten years and last for decades.
7U1A9270
Domestic cheeses and season accompaniments. Always love some good cheese.
7U1A9307
Gelato made by me:

Valrhona Dark Sorbetto – Doing the dariy free thing — a super intense Valrhona 63% Chocolate plus 100% cocoa plus cocoa mass — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — the best no milk straight chocolate I’ve yet made — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Valrhona #chocolate #cocoa #sorbetto

Mango Passionfruit Sorbetto – 95% mango, 5% passionfruit, plus a little lemon, just throws a bit of acidity into the too-sweet mango to brighten it up — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #mango #passionfruit

Toasted Almond Coconut Sorbetto – when I can’t use milk this Thai coconut milk base with toasted almonds from Sicily is pretty darn awesome — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #coconut #almond #CoconutMilk #ToastedAlmond #sicily
7U1A9277
Awesome wines.
7U1A9273
Chef Javier Lopez and the rest of the kitchen crew.
7U1A9275
Sommelier Catherine Morel on the right did an impeccable job.

Heading down!

Overall, 71Above is just a seriously well conceived and executed one-of-a-kind restaurant. Really, it’s more like a NY, Singapore, or Tokyo kind of concept. First of all, the view is just awesome. I can’t wait to come back on a really clear day. Particularly once they begin brunch service, a nice winter day will offer an observation deck like panorama.

But then Emil and crew built out such a lovely space to capture the drama. It’s modern, but welcoming. Not too loud, you can hear the conversation and the music both. And from when you enter off the double elevator ascent it folds from one experience to another: lounge, dining room, more intimate corridors, chef table, quiet and romantic view areas in the back, and a series of two adjustable private dining rooms. The attention to architectural detail is amazing.

Today’s dinner excelled on all counts. Service, food, company, and of course the wines. Sure the 2014’s were a “tad” young, but they still showed! We learned that they should be opened and decanted at least 12 hours ahead of time.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. 71Above Birthday
  2. James Beard at 71Above
  3. Summer at 71Above
  4. 71Above – Knights Who Say Wine
  5. Sauvages 71Above
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: 71above, BYOG, DRC, DTLA, Emil Eyvazoff, Gelato, Javier Lopez, Wine
Watch the Trailer or

Buy it Online!

Buy it Online!

Find Andy at:

Follow Me on Pinterest

Subscribe by email:

More posts on:



Complete Archives

Categories

  • Contests (7)
  • Fiction (404)
    • Books (113)
    • Movies (77)
    • Television (123)
    • Writing (115)
      • Darkening Dream (62)
      • Untimed (37)
  • Food (1,764)
  • Games (101)
  • History (13)
  • Technology (21)
  • Uncategorized (16)

Recent Posts

  • Eating Naples - Palazzo Petrucci
  • Eating San Foca - Aura
  • Eating Otranto - ArborVitae
  • Eating Lecce - Gimmi
  • Eating Lecce - Varius
  • Eating Lecce - Duo
  • Eating Lecce - Doppiozero
  • Eating Torre Canne - Autentico
  • Eating Torre Canne - Beach
  • Eating Monopoli - Orto
  • Eating Trani - Gallo
  • Eating Savelletri - Due Camini
  • Eating Carovigno - Già Sotto l’Arco
  • Eating Polignano - Tranquillage
  • Eating Ostuni - Cielo
  • Eating Venice - Quadri
  • Eating Venice - La Colombina
  • Eating Venice - Rossopomodoro
  • Eating Venice - Alle Corone
  • Quick Eats - Burgette

Favorite Food Posts

  • Food Home
  • Food Index
  • Foodie Club
  • Hedonists
  • LA Sushi Index
  • Chinese Food
  • LA Peking Duck
  • Eating Italy
  • Eating France
  • Eating Spain
  • Eating Türkiye
  • Eating Dutch
  • Eating Croatia
  • Eating Vietnam
  • Eating Australia
  • Eating Israel
  • Ultimate Pizza
  • Margarita Mix
  • ThanksGavin
  • Foodie Photography
  • Burgundy Vintages

Tags

Andy Gavin Arts beef Book Review books Burgundy BYOG California Champagne Chinese cuisine Chinese Food Cooking Dessert eating-italy Fiction Food Foodie Club Game of Thrones Gelato George R. R. Martin HBO hedonists Italian cuisine Italy Japanese cuisine Los Angeles lunch Naughty Dog pasta Pizza Restaurant Restaurant Review reviews Sage Society Santa Monica Santa Monica California Sauvages SGV side dishes Sushi Television ThanksGavin The Darkening Dream vegetarian Wine

Archives

  • May 2025 (3)
  • April 2025 (4)
  • February 2025 (5)
  • January 2025 (3)
  • December 2024 (13)
  • November 2024 (14)
  • October 2024 (14)
  • September 2024 (15)
  • August 2024 (13)
  • July 2024 (15)
  • June 2024 (14)
  • May 2024 (15)
  • April 2024 (13)
  • March 2024 (9)
  • February 2024 (7)
  • January 2024 (9)
  • December 2023 (8)
  • November 2023 (14)
  • October 2023 (13)
  • September 2023 (9)
  • August 2023 (15)
  • July 2023 (13)
  • June 2023 (14)
  • May 2023 (15)
  • April 2023 (14)
  • March 2023 (12)
  • February 2023 (11)
  • January 2023 (14)
  • December 2022 (11)
  • November 2022 (13)
  • October 2022 (14)
  • September 2022 (14)
  • August 2022 (12)
  • July 2022 (9)
  • June 2022 (6)
  • May 2022 (8)
  • April 2022 (5)
  • March 2022 (4)
  • February 2022 (2)
  • January 2022 (8)
  • December 2021 (6)
  • November 2021 (6)
  • October 2021 (8)
  • September 2021 (4)
  • August 2021 (5)
  • July 2021 (2)
  • June 2021 (3)
  • January 2021 (1)
  • December 2020 (1)
  • September 2020 (1)
  • August 2020 (1)
  • April 2020 (11)
  • March 2020 (15)
  • February 2020 (13)
  • January 2020 (14)
  • December 2019 (13)
  • November 2019 (12)
  • October 2019 (14)
  • September 2019 (14)
  • August 2019 (13)
  • July 2019 (13)
  • June 2019 (14)
  • May 2019 (13)
  • April 2019 (10)
  • March 2019 (10)
  • February 2019 (11)
  • January 2019 (13)
  • December 2018 (14)
  • November 2018 (11)
  • October 2018 (15)
  • September 2018 (15)
  • August 2018 (15)
  • July 2018 (11)
  • June 2018 (14)
  • May 2018 (13)
  • April 2018 (13)
  • March 2018 (17)
  • February 2018 (12)
  • January 2018 (15)
  • December 2017 (15)
  • November 2017 (13)
  • October 2017 (16)
  • September 2017 (16)
  • August 2017 (16)
  • July 2017 (11)
  • June 2017 (13)
  • May 2017 (6)
  • March 2017 (3)
  • February 2017 (4)
  • January 2017 (7)
  • December 2016 (14)
  • November 2016 (11)
  • October 2016 (11)
  • September 2016 (12)
  • August 2016 (15)
  • July 2016 (13)
  • June 2016 (13)
  • May 2016 (13)
  • April 2016 (12)
  • March 2016 (13)
  • February 2016 (12)
  • January 2016 (13)
  • December 2015 (14)
  • November 2015 (14)
  • October 2015 (13)
  • September 2015 (13)
  • August 2015 (18)
  • July 2015 (16)
  • June 2015 (13)
  • May 2015 (13)
  • April 2015 (14)
  • March 2015 (15)
  • February 2015 (13)
  • January 2015 (13)
  • December 2014 (14)
  • November 2014 (13)
  • October 2014 (13)
  • September 2014 (12)
  • August 2014 (15)
  • July 2014 (13)
  • June 2014 (13)
  • May 2014 (14)
  • April 2014 (14)
  • March 2014 (10)
  • February 2014 (11)
  • January 2014 (13)
  • December 2013 (14)
  • November 2013 (13)
  • October 2013 (14)
  • September 2013 (12)
  • August 2013 (14)
  • July 2013 (10)
  • June 2013 (14)
  • May 2013 (14)
  • April 2013 (14)
  • March 2013 (15)
  • February 2013 (14)
  • January 2013 (13)
  • December 2012 (14)
  • November 2012 (16)
  • October 2012 (13)
  • September 2012 (14)
  • August 2012 (16)
  • July 2012 (12)
  • June 2012 (16)
  • May 2012 (21)
  • April 2012 (18)
  • March 2012 (20)
  • February 2012 (23)
  • January 2012 (31)
  • December 2011 (35)
  • November 2011 (33)
  • October 2011 (32)
  • September 2011 (29)
  • August 2011 (35)
  • July 2011 (33)
  • June 2011 (25)
  • May 2011 (31)
  • April 2011 (30)
  • March 2011 (34)
  • February 2011 (31)
  • January 2011 (33)
  • December 2010 (33)
  • November 2010 (39)
  • October 2010 (26)
All Things Andy Gavin
Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved
Programmed by Andy Gavin