Yet another meal with more Korean/Chinese goodies at KTown’s Feng Mao. Details here.
Author Archive for agavin – Page 31
Restaurant: Marche Modern [1, 2]
Location: 7862 Pacific Coast Hwy, Newport Beach, CA 92657. (714) 434-7900
Date: October 10, 2019
Cuisine: Modern French
Rating: Great food and service
This particular reunion of the Foodie Club: OC Edition has been in the making for months and follows the format of the previous dinner. Tonight’s them was loosely, coche vs. Domaine d’Auvenay (plus a “bit” of spectacular Champagne).
Due to group constraints, we had to meet deep in the OC at 6:00 — lots of traffic again. This time most of us didn’t do the double header (lunch + dinner) because we were so full last time (even me). Fred, however, is a beast and he met up with some other friends beforehand!
For our super duper elite Foodie Club OC dinner, we selected Marche Moderne — pretty much because it’s one of the best wine friendly restaurants in Orange County (which is a bit of a limited pool).
It’s high end modern French bistro.
Attractive modern decor.
Lots of sunset light.
Our special menu tonight.
Bread.
Butter.
Liz brought: 1969 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon Oenothèque. Vinous 98. One of the highlights in this range, the 1969 Dom Pérignon Œnothèque (Disgorged 2006) is magnificent A stunning, vibrant Champagne, the 69 Œno hits all the right notes. Lemon peel, white flowers, crushed rocks, slate and smoke all soar out of the glass. A thin veil of reduction adds character without being overpowering or dominant. Vivid in color and totally crystalline, the 1969 dazzles at every turn. What a gorgeous wine it is. (Drink between 2017-2027)
Santa Barbara Sea Urchin. Grapefruit Gelee, Fresh Oregano, Radishes, Avocado, Kosho lime vinaigrette. The uni was great, but some of the elements here didn’t quite gelee (haha). Maybe the grapefruit? Maybe the avocado. A touch weird.
From my cellar: 1998 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Caillerets. VM 92. Fred says much higher. A shockingly elegant and pretty Coche open from the beginning. The delicious Coche signature is present and try as you may you cannot detect any vintage flaws. The more I drink Coche Caillerets the more I am convinced I like it better than the Genevrieres. A wonderful wine that was in the discussion for WOTN next to 92 Coche MP, 99 d’Auvenay Puligny En la Richarde, and 00 d’Auvenay Folatieres. An impressive showing.
Fluke Crudo & Faux Gras. Burnt Shallots Creme, Thinly Sliced Maui Hearts of Palm, Yuzu Confit Marmelade, Beurre Monte Matsutake. Again a slightly bizarre combo of poultry liver and fish.
Kent brought: 1992 Coche-Dury Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. VM 98. Fred says: Darkest wine is the night next to the 98 Coche Caillerets, 99 d’Auvenay En la Richarde, and 00 d’Auvenay Folatieres. Also the most dense and ripe. The balance is there with the acidity and richness in play. There is fruit and rich honey notes but not leaning into botrytis. This continues to build throughout the entire 3 hours. Impressive power.
Egg & Caviar & Cured Scottish Ocean Trout. Kaluga Caviar, Sorrel, Beurre de Citron Confit. More uniform and successful than the previous two dishes. Hard to go too wrong with either egg and caviar or cured salmon and butter.
Fred brought: 1999 Domaine d’Auvenay (Lalou Bize-Leroy) Puligny-Montrachet en la Richarde. BH 91. Fred said: Given the comparisons to Chevalier Montrachet I was expecting power. Instead I got elegance and balance along with floral and mineral puligny character. This bottle is still young and needed 2-3 hours to slowly pick up weight and power. All the while it remains impeccably balanced, not unlike the 98 Coche Caillerets. I believe the best is yet to come and will try to wait another 5 years to open my next one. Lovely. Just lovely.
Sauteed Black Bass. Demi Jus de Bouillabaisse, Barigoule d’Artichaud, Calamari and Mussel, Olive, Basil Emulsion, Spicy Tomato Tartine. The Bouillabaisse “base” was nice. Fish maybe a touch dry.
Erick brought: 2000 Domaine d’Auvenay (Lalou Bize-Leroy) Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières. BH 95. Fred says: Wow. Now this has the power and weight of a Chevalier Montrachet. The most fruit forward of the bunch but supported by that d’Auvenay linearity. A massive and structured wine impressive richness and a hint hazelnut deliciousness. What a treat.
Civet de Homard & Dover Sole. Lobster in a Civet Style, Dover Sole, Gnudi, Chanterelle, Shallot Soubise.
With the sauce. Another slightly oddball mix. This didn’t do the lobster justice. Reduction was good though.
Premier Dessert. Rose & Lychee Sorbet, Eau d’ Hibiscus.
Close up! Nice refreshing sorbet. Texture isn’t as good as mine — of course.
Cheese — because it’s so great with wine. Nice cheeses too.
Strawberry & Pistachio Croustillant. Almond Butter Gateau, Citrus Mousseline, Pistache, Cassis Berry Sorbet. I love a good “Napoleon” although this was jazzed up a bit too much.
Because we didn’t just have 3 ice creams/sorbets from the restaurant, I brought 4 (never one to be outdone).
Nocciola Caramello Budino Gelato — Nocciola custard base made with Pure PGI Piedmont hazelnut paste, infused with house-made caramel (instead of sugar) then mixed with toffee and topped with Toffifay — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — so good it’s an instant signature flavor –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #hazelnut #nocciola #caramel #caramello #toffee #toffifay
Cinnamon Apple Pie Gelato — An intense cinnamon base layered with my house-made bourbon apple pie filling and house-made caramel — 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 #applepie #apple #cinnamon #caramel
Blood Orange Compari Sorbetto — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #bloodorange #orange #compari #cocktail #sorbet #sorbetto
Key Lime Pie Gelato – base is a key lime egg custard, layered with house-made frozen graham cracker and covered with house-made meringue — 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 #KeyLime #lime #custard #meringue #GrahamCracker #cookie
Overall, an incredibly epic meal.
Service was first class. We did the wine service though, which is how we wanted it with these wines. Which, by the way, were all incredible. The MP was probably in the “weakest” drinking spot — but that’s like calling Michael Jordan short because he’s not as tall as Manute Bol. Haha. Fantastic and very lucky that we had no flaws.
Food was “interesting” this time. Not as uniformly successful. It was certainly well made and executed, but the combos were a bit odd. Last time they felt much more harmonious.
Restaurant: Shandong Dumplings
Location: 80 N Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103. (626) 578-9777
Date: October 8, 2019
Cuisine: Shandong Chinese
Rating: Great home-style dumplings
Another of these small lunch outings with Yarom and I, this time also joined by Tony L.
There aren’t a ton of Shandong specific places in LA.
And this one is in the heart of old town Pasadena.
The homey interior.
They make them here.
The menu.
Peanuts, celery, cucumbers, shredded potato. Cold appetizers.
Hot and sour soup. I love this old school classic.
Lamb with fennel dumplings. I adore this boiled kind and the lamb ones have a lot of flavor.
Dry shrimp with egg and leek dumplings. Yeah, they look the same, but they don’t taste the same.
Chicken and celery. Nice celery flavor.
Ginger and spiced cabbage juicy steamed dumplings. These were among my favorites, with very delicate skins.
Pan fried pork bun. Yum!
Pan fried pork dumplings. Pretty much the Shanghai style kind. A bit bready, but the crispy bottom is fun.
Fried chicken bones. Not to the American taste, but full of flavor.
Pork. Boney, but there was lots of meat here.
Overall, this is a tasty place. The dumplings were way better than the couple meat dishes we had, and were great for casual homestyle dumplings. I really do love all dumplings, particularly the boiled and “juicy” soup dumpling kinds.
Restaurant: OOToro [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Location: 1569 Fairway Dr, Walnut, CA 91789. (909) 598-8299
Date: October 5, 2019
Cuisine: Japanese Sushi (with slight nod to China)
Rating: Ends of the earth, but very good
Chef Kaz of Totoraku, an occasional hedonist, sent us far east to this Sushi restaurant in 2016 and it was such a fun time that we had to return again for a sixth visit — it’s now become a twice a year thing.
And by far east I mean REALLY REALLY far east — to Walnut California. 40+ miles from my house. 20 miles past Alhambra (which most people consider to far to drive for food). It took an hour and twenty minutes on a Saturday night!
The slick looking location is in the heart of the affluent Chinese American San Gabriel Valley. But yes, it’s Japan, if perhaps catering to Chinese taste. This photo was shot at about 10pm after everyone else had left.
Here is the private room — the only way to go.
Yarom brought this ancient Burg. 1953 Chanson Père & Fils Beaune 1er Cru Bressandes. It was cloudy and we all swore it had no chance, but it was actually quite nice (for about 30 minutes before dropping off).
Ron brought: NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 167eme. VM 94+. Krug’s NV Grande Cuvée 167ème Edition is positively brilliant. Chef de Caves Eric Lebel and his team have always put tremendous emphasis on the craft of blending. Never has that discipline been more critical than here, with the 167, which is based on 2011, one of the most challenging harvests in Champagne in many years. Brisk and racy in the glass, the 167 is laced with a range of lemon peel, baked apple, brioche and floral notes. Readers should plan on giving the 167 at least a few years in bottle, as it is presently tightly wound and not at all expressive. The flavors are beautifully articulated. In many releases, the Grande Cuvée is richer and more overt. The 167, on the other hand, is airy, weightless and sublime. Most importantly, it is an unqualified success. This release is based on 2011, with reserve wines back to 1995. (Drink between 2021-2036)
Cod sperm with radish and ponzu. Looks like brain and has a soft squirmy texture — but tastes great.
1995 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. VM 94. The 1995 Krug is gorgeous. I chose it because one of my guests loves Krug and I thought the 1995 would have the right amount of complexity to pair beautifully with the smokiness in Saison’s caviar. Although the 1995 Krug is not a truly epic wine, it is in a sweet spot right now. (Drink between 2018-2023)
Oyster with uni and ikura (salmon eggs).
Close up. Bright, briney, and delicious.
2002 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 97. Another highlight in this vertical, the 2002 Salon is also fascinating to taste after the 2004. Rich, opulent and intense, yet also very classic in the Salon house style, the 2002 possesses superb persistence and depth. The radiant vintage has softened the contours and given the wine fabulous depth to match its decidedly powerful personality. At the same time, the 2002 remains quite youthful. Next to the brighter and more finessed 2004, the 2002 offers more of a baritone-inflected expression of Chardonnay. (Drink between 2016-2036)
Sashimi. Aji (Japanese horse mackrel). Wild snapper. Uni wrapped in halibut with shiso.
Left to right: Baby peach, Japanese pepper, Abalone, Whitefish tempura, and Japanese cucumber with miso paste.
2012 Louis Jadot Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 93. There is a hint of menthol sitting atop pretty aromas of acacia blossom, spiced pear and white peach scents. The delicious, muscular and pure broad-shouldered and powerful flavors possess fine size and weight that continues onto the concentrated and impressively persistent if presently compact finish. Those who enjoy their white burgs young should note that while this is very promising there isn’t great complexity at this early stage so I would very much be inclined to allow this to age for at least 8 to 10 years first. (Drink starting 2020)
Uni, Ikura, and house made tofu. The uni ikura pairing is a classic.
2013 Hubert Lamy Puligny-Montrachet Les Tremblots Cuvée Haute Densité. BH 90-92. An expressive yet cool nose is composed by notes of essence of pear and citrus that are nuanced with hints of apple and spiced tea. There is outstanding density and vibrancy to the relatively powerful and mouth coating flavors that possess plenty of sappy dry extract, all wrapped in a delicious, balanced and impressively lingering finish. This is a terrific Puligny villages and worth a special search to find. (Drink starting 2020)
Johnny crab — not sure how you spell that — but a lovely crab salad nonetheless.
2004 Bouchard Père et Fils Chevalier-Montrachet. VM 93+. Deep, bright aromas of pear, spring flowers and liquid stone. Penetrating and pure, with pear, citrus and stony flavors nicely framed by firm acidity. Still tight in the middle, but already conveys the precision of the vintage at its best. A real mouthful of wet stones on the very long finish.
Lobster sashimi, done 3 ways.
From my cellar: NV Krug Champagne Brut Rosé. BH 94. Medium rosé hue. A cool, restrained and highly complex nose that is not especially fruity displays a moderate yeast character along with slightly exotic aromas of mandarin orange and Asian tea, all wrapped in an enveloping array of beguiling rose petal scents. There is very good richness with a relatively firm supporting mousse that adds to the impression of richness to the superbly complex and highly textured flavors, indeed one could aptly describe this as more wine that Champagne. As such this is indeed a sumptuous Krug rosé that is difficult to resist already though it should reward extended keeping if desired. As I noted in the original 750 ml review, that while I am not always wowed by the Krug Rosé, this latest incarnation in magnum is strikingly good. (Drink starting 2020)
Roasted Blue fin tuna collar, kama-toro. This giant collar from a giant fish is one of the things that brought us back. The meat looked and felt like roasted lamb, but of course tasted more like tuna. It was very rich and solid and almost certainly the best cooked tuna I’ve ever had.
2009 Domaine Michel Niellon Chevalier-Montrachet. BH 94. Here mild reduction doesn’t materially diminish the appeal of the more elegant if ever-so-slightly less complex aromas that feature notes of stone, lemon zest, acacia blossom and spiced pear. There is superb intensity and simply gorgeous detail to the mineral-driven and impeccably well-balanced flavors and explosive finale. Still, as good as this is and it is indeed exceptional, the superior complexity of the Bâtard gives it the barest of edges in 2009. (Drink starting 2015)
Clam and the other clam.
Seared toro, uni mousse, actual uni, takuan, and gold flakes. This is incredible, partially because of the different textures: soft, mushy, smooth, crunchy.
Tempura vegetables and cold soba. First time I’ve had soba here and it was delicious.
1989 Clos Vougeot.
Chu toro sushi.
Kama toro sushi.
Seared red snapper sushi. Charred finish was amazing.
Kama toro again, slightly different way.
Some Grange from a previous night.
A5 wagyu sukiyaki.
The certificate for the beef, including cow nose print.
Here is the finished sukiyaki which was wonderfully beefy, and a touch sweet. I love sukiyaki.
Lobster miso.
Red Current Cassis Sorbetto! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Currents from Avignon, blended with Creme de Cassis –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #RedCurrent #current #cassis
I just can’t get enough of this flavor and had to use it as an excuse to practice my Italian Merignue —Italian Lemon Cookie Meringue Pie — Limoncello Zabaione base with lemon cookie flavor mixed with Italian Lemon Creme Cookies and Sicilian Candied Lemon and topped with house-made toasted Meringue — 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 #lemon #LemonCookie #cookie #Sicily #Sorento #Limoncello #Meringue #LemonMeringuePie
Salted Caramel Peanut Gelato — House-made salted caramel and integrated Chunky Salty Peanut base mixed with Toffee Coated Peanuts and Dark Peanut Butter Cups — 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 #caramel #chocolate #peanut #SaltedCaramel #Toffee
Dandelion Dark Sorbetto — a super intense Dandelion Small Batch 70% Chocolate plus Valrhona 100% Cocoa plus Callebaut 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 #Callebaut #chocolate #cocoa #sorbetto
Zoom!
The house dessert, Taro coconut ice cream. Not like mine!
Tonight’s wine lineup.
Overall, OOToro — while always good — showed for the third time that the private room is really the way to go. This was a great meal and much more subtle and sophisticated than some of the front room fare. Really great stuff — although we should have gotten the largest omakase for max variety, but even one down I was more than full (mostly because I ate so much roasted tuna).
As we often do, it was back to the Marriot parking lot for some valley-view drinking.
Restaurant: Republique [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12]
Location: 624 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036. (310) 362-6115
Date: October 4, 2019
Cuisine: Modern Bistro French
Rating: Nice (loud) space, tasty hip food, great service
This Sage Society dinner is like a return an old favorite as in the “old days” (a few years ago) they did most of their dinners here at Republique. Tonight is a special custom dinner featuring the wines of Champagne house Billecart-Salmon and a custom Walter Manzke menu designed by Walter and Sage Society chief Liz Lee. Additionally, Antoine Roland-Billecart is in the house to guide us through the epic wine tasting!
Still doing great even after 5 or so years.
We are, of course, in the private room. Way better than downstairs at this very loud but very good restaurant.
The somm for the evening gives some introductions…
The name speaks for itself.
Our starter wine was NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Réserve. JG 92. This particular bottle of Brut Réserve had been in my cellar since 2008, and it has aged beautifully and was drinking very well when opened this past spring. The excellent nose wafts from the glass in a mélange of apple, peach, warm bread, a touch of ginger, a lovely base of soil and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bdoied, complex and still rock solid at the core, with fine mousse, bright acids and lovely length and grip on the wide open, complex and classy finish. This particular release of Brut Réserve had been particularly steely out of the blocks, which is why I tucked some away to see how it evolved with bottle age. Yet again, a pretty strong argument for treating non-vintage Brut bottlings like other fine wines and cellar them for some time before starting to drink them! (Drink between 2014-2025).
Our special menu tonight.
NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Extra Brut. JG 92+. Billecart-Salmon has been producing their Millésime bottlings as Extra Brut since the 2000 vintage. The 2006, which is comprised of a blend of seventy-five percent pinot noir and twenty-five percent chardonnay was twenty percent barrel fermented in this vintage, and received a very modest dosage of three grams per liter. The wine is very fine, offering up a bright and classy bouquet of baked peaches and apples, pain grillé, almonds, a touch of citrus peel, lovely minerality and a nice dollop of fresh-baked bread in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and rock solid at the core, with refined mousse, bright acids and fine length and grip on the wide open and classy finish. Fine juice, and like a lot of 2006s, it is already drinking very well indeed. (Drink between 2014-2035)
2007 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Extra Brut. 91 points. Fine bubbles, light yellow, this is pretty good, ultra elegant & finesse.
2008 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Extra Brut.
agavin: to my taste, the extra brut is a little “too brut”.
Caviar Flight.
Here paired with the champagne.
And the descriptions of the individual caviar.
Antoine Roland-Billecart of Billecart-Salmon gives an impassioned speech.
NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Réserve. JG 92. This particular bottle of Brut Réserve had been in my cellar since 2008, and it has aged beautifully and was drinking very well when opened this past spring. The excellent nose wafts from the glass in a mélange of apple, peach, warm bread, a touch of ginger, a lovely base of soil and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bdoied, complex and still rock solid at the core, with fine mousse, bright acids and lovely length and grip on the wide open, complex and classy finish. This particular release of Brut Réserve had been particularly steely out of the blocks, which is why I tucked some away to see how it evolved with bottle age. Yet again, a pretty strong argument for treating non-vintage Brut bottlings like other fine wines and cellar them for some time before starting to drink them! (Drink between 2014-2025)
NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Sous Bois. VM 92. Bright yellow. Pungent orchard fruit and lemon curd scents are complemented by suggestions of vanilla, anise and smoky minerals. Toasty and silky in texture, offering juicy pear and tangerine flavors plus a deeper suggestion of candied fig on the back half. Closes sappy, focused and long, with repeating smokiness and strong mineral cut.
NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Sous Bois (disgorged 2014). I loved this one.
Mushroom Tarte Flambe. Delicious. Crispy cracker like base covered in flame broiled cheese and mushrooms. Like an oversized passing hors d’oeuvre.
NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru. 92 points. Very good. Nice nose showing citrus and good richness, with some vanilla and a touch of pastry cream. On the palate, lovely acidity, fine mousse, more citrus and some chalk. Clean finish.
2007 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Louis Brut Blanc de Blancs. 94 points. Light straw, refined bubbles. Crisp, with lemon and lemon curd, some creaminess paired with a nice chalkiness. (Would be easy to drink all day).
2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Louis Brut Blanc de Blancs. 93 points. Incredible balance on this bubbly. Sweeter mature and ripe yellow fruit, creme brulee, nuttiness, yet also a lemon tart and herbal character. Quite impressed. Medium sized bubbles on the mouthfeel. This is a solid champers, rather youthful with a very long and large history ahead.
1999 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Louis Brut Blanc de Blancs. 97 points.
Spot Prawns (with roe). Perfectly cooked and juicy. Only problem was that I impaled the sensitive area under my tongue with a crispy leg and had to extract it from my flesh with my fingers! Still worth it!
Margarita’s Baguette and Normandy Butter. The reason many of us go to Republique, this is some serious temptation to the low carb diet!
2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. 93 points. Pinot Noir dominant flavors and aromas, as the house style dictates, but also showing a linear Chardonnay brightness. Very good now.
2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. VM 94. The 2002 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart comes across as rich, powerful and opulent. This latest release of the 2002 was disgorged in July 2015 and finished with a Chardonnay-based liqueur whereas the previous release, disgorged in May 2014, was finished with a Pinot Noir-based liqueur. This is a distinctly vinous, almost shockingly raw, visceral Champagne from Billecart-Salmon. There is no shortage of volume or intensity, that is for sure. Stylistically, this year’s release inhabits a whole other world relative to last year’s release. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. (Drink between 2018-2042)
1999 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. VM 93. Bright yellow-gold. An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes fresh pear, iodine, white flowers and toasted brioche, with gingery spice and mineral notes adding vibrancy. Rich and weighty but quite lithe and focused, offering sappy orchard and citrus fruit flavors and a chalky mineral nuance on the back half. Closes on a smoky note, with excellent focus and lingering floral character. L422345 16273.
Dover Sole.
Filleted with a cauliflower mash. This is a “simple” fish prep but in Walter’s very capable hands is scrumptious.
2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Les Clos Saint-Hilaire. 96 points. Great.
1999 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Les Clos Saint-Hilaire. VM 96. Billecart’s 1999 Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is exotic and beguiling. Constantly changing in the glass, the 1999 offers exquisite aromatics, silky and a real sense of underlying phenolic structure. Crushed rose petals, licorice, smoke, game and tobacco add nuance as the wine opens up. With time in the glass, the personality of these Pinot vines becomes more and more expressive. The 1999 was bottled with no dosage, but that would be impossible to ascertain in a blind tasting. (Drink between 2016-2024)
Pork Belly Caviar. This dish apparently won on some kind of cooking show that Walter was on. It was rich, rich beyond belief. A cube of fatty steamed pork bellow, butter, some kind of puree, more butter, and caviar. Woah! Delicious too but I had to sit quietly for a few minutes to let my arteries recover.
1996 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. BH 95. An absolutely sensational nose that is floral, spicy, yeasty and citrusy with exceptionally subtle hints of red berries that can also be found on the wonderfully fresh and still beautifully youthful flavors that are crisp, precise and layered. If there is a nit, the finish is perhaps not quite as long as one might hope for but as this ages and “relaxes”, the length will come. A potentially great wine and all it needs is a bit more time in bottle.
1998 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. VM 94. The 1998 Cuveé Nicolas François Billecart (60% Pinot, 40% Chardonnay) is another beautiful wine. The aromas are especially captivating and highly suggestive of Pinot, but the Chardonnay seems to take center stage on the palate, where the fruit is highly expressive. Like the Bland de Blancs, the wine saw 50% malolactic fermentation and only 5% of the wine was aged in oak as the estate was in its early days of using oak and wisely chose a moderate approach. (Drink between 2013-2018)
1990 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Grande Cuvée. VM 95. Pale amber color. Extraordinary, ineffable nose of baked bread, oatmeal, toast, game, quinine, roasted nuts and ginger ale. Full-bodied, thick and utterly seamless, with superb, integrated acidity giving it great verve. Conveys a sensation of palate-gripping extract. Extremely long, slowly expanding finish throws off notes of pepper, ginger and nutmeg. Every time I returned to this wonderful Champagne I liked it more. (Robert Chadderdon Selections, New York, NY)
agavin: this might have been my WOTN. Amazing bottle.
White Truffle Risotto. Simple and perfect. Stunning creamy risotto with real fresh in season white truffles.
NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 92. Pale orange. High-pitched red berry, orange zest and jasmine aromas, with suave mineral and smoky lees notes adding complexity. Spicy and precise on the palate, showing very good punch to its strawberry and bitter cherry flavors. Opens up smoothly with air and picks up a bitter rhubarb quality that lingers onto the long, tightly focused finish. This bottling showed more brawny character than many past renditions of this cuvée, but with no lack of vivacity.
2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon. VM 94+. The 2006 Rosé Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon is powerful, intense and also classically austere in its make up. Crushed flowers, mint, red berries and cranberries are all finely sketched. The 2006 finishes with striking mineral-driven precision, and while it doesn’t have the opulence or exuberance of the 2002, it is still a very pretty and appealing Champagne. The Elisabeth Salmon is 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay, with about 8% still Pinot Noir. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. (Drink between 2018-2031)
2007 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Elisabeth Salmon. 92 points. Pink, slightly orange. Delicate bubbles. Hints of rose petal, and a touch of strawberry. Medium body, well balanced.
Chicken. That over simplifies the matter. There are mushrooms and reduction here. Delicious bird.
Cheese. The one course that was a let down. Actually rather lame — but we can forgive them after 7 perfect courses above.
My notes.
And the wine lineup.
Another amazing Sage Society dinner. Many of Sage’s wine maker dinners, all those that Liz puts together herself, are like this one, pulling out all the stops. This was a LOT of food — even for me — and the dishes were all custom for the wine and spectacular. And there was so much great champagne, really showing off both the house style and the very varied objectives of each cuvee. Quite educational too.
Too bad Erick handed me his cold that night (via the loaf of bread we shared) because I was sick the whole next week :-).
After a two year absence I return to Felix not once but twice more in October 2019. Check out all the new pastas…
Restaurant: Fia
Location: 2454 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403. (310) 586-1707
Date: September 28 & December 26, 2019
Cuisine: New American / Italian
Rating: Great Atmosphere / Tasty
With my parents and some various other friends in town for the holiday weekend I needed a place where we could do a 10-12 person dinner — ideally in a private room.
Fia is in the same (gorgeous) space as the old Wilshire, just with a new (more Italian, but not totally) concept. They have inside, lovely patio, and a cool private room.
FIA, A DISTINCT DINING CONCEPT LED BY DECORATED CHEF BRENDAN COLLINS (BIRCH, WATERLOO & CITY, MELISSE), COMBINES CALIFORNIA PRODUCE WITH EUROPEAN TECHNIQUE TO CREATE A GLOBALLY INSPIRED, SEASONAL MENU.
I forgot to photograph the patio, but above is our room. Now I do have to say that they had a pretty hefty “room minimum” here, and it required a set menu. The set menus were tons of food and fairly reasonable for what they are, but the “room minimum” was considerably higher than the set menu X 12 (which is how much the room fit) — so they wanted you to order an obscene amount of alcohol. As I bring my own wine… this was a little tricky, and more on that later.
Our set menu. We modified it a little bit on the fly (actually in advance, but they had some staff changes and the mods were lost, but then restored on site). We also added some food, which was gratuitous, but we were way under the room min anyway.
From my cellar: 2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. VM 94. The 2002 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart comes across as rich, powerful and opulent. This latest release of the 2002 was disgorged in July 2015 and finished with a Chardonnay-based liqueur whereas the previous release, disgorged in May 2014, was finished with a Pinot Noir-based liqueur. This is a distinctly vinous, almost shockingly raw, visceral Champagne from Billecart-Salmon. There is no shortage of volume or intensity, that is for sure. Stylistically, this year’s release inhabits a whole other world relative to last year’s release. Dosage is 4 grams per liter.
Hamachi, lime, chili, basil, radish. Very bright flavors, zesty, and a tiny bit spicy.
Hawaiian kanpachi, ginger, Calabrian chili, shallots. I liked this one best perhaps of the crudos because of the almost Thai (sweet and spicy and tangy) sauce.
Big eye tuna carpaccio, aqua pazza, avocado, black garlic. Good as well.
Heirloom cherry tomato, bocconcini, tomato consommé. Really nice “capresse” salad (in that it included tomatoes and mozzarella like cheese). The herbs and the vinegar tones brought it up a lot.
Bought from the list: 2017 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons. VM 90-92. The 2017 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru comes from 3.6-hectares located mainly in the heart of the valley. It offers light pressed flower scents on the nose with hints of nettle and dandelion. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, crisp and taut with a precise finish that just needs to develop a little more power. Very fine.
Rock shrimp cakes, horseradish aioli, caviar. Fritters.
Pudwill farms black mission figs, candied walnuts, ricotta, grilled toast. Delicious fig and ricotta combo, heightened by the balsamic.
Slowly roasted Brussels Sprouts, black garlic aioli. Nicely done Brussels.
Cauliflower with raisons (12/26/19). Cauliflower is the new black, it’s everywhere.
Artisanal cheeses from home and abroad, dried fruit, walnuts, truffle honey.
Heirloom green leaf salad, calamansi fennel seed vinaigrette. Is what it is.
Chicken liver mousse, port gele, toast, cornichons.
A zone of the liver. Replaces the “off the menu” fois gras — sigh. Pretty nice though, with the port gele adding that sweet note to go with the liver.
Burrata, San Danielle prosciutto, seasonal fruit on a waffle. Pretty, and we had the ham on the side — would have looked better all combined. Nice flavors too.
Prosciutto on the side.
Seasonal vegetable salad, mushroom vinaigrette, soft herbs. Probably the most boring dish of the night, but I’m not a vegetable guy.
From my cellar: 2009 Domaine René Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques. BH 89-92. A somewhat curious nose of reduction with a background herbal character leads to fresh, vibrant and stony middle weight flavors that are supple and almost delicate on the clean, austere and linear finish. This clearly is quite backward and youthfully awkward today though there is no reason that it shouldn’t sort itself out in time.
House made cavatelli, black truffle, parmesan, brown butter.
And with the truffles. Delicious and rich pasta with a lot of heft.
Risotto cacio e pepe, 24 month old parmesan, tellicherry pepper. One of my favorites, like a cacio e pepe congee really. Lots of cheesy bitey rice.
Acorn Squash Risotto, Sunchokes, Toasted Seeds, Goat Cheese (12/26/19). Also very yummy. Rich.
Dungeness Crab Ravioli, Scallop, Ginger, Champagne Crab Sauce. (12/26/19). Very tasty.
Hand cut capellini, lobster bolognese, san marzano tomato. Solid take on this zesty lobster pasta.
Braised rabbit tortellini, dates, pistachio, sage. Interesting sweet, savory, and meaty stuffed pasta. Really lovely.
From my cellar: 2007 Domaine la Soumade Rasteau Cuvée Fleur de Confiance. 95 points. Black/purple color with a lifted nose of blackberries, currants, and toasted vanilla. The palate is dense and volatile with loads of alcohol (15%) keeping it buoyant and ripe. Flavors of black currant, black tea, suede leather, and bitter chocolate form the core. Finishes long and silky with hints of tobacco. Just a great effort from Domaine la Soumade. It’s well-balanced, delicious, and unique for the appellation. Produced in a modern-style. Drink now until 2022.
Lasagna, Beyond Meat Bolognese, spinach, almond béchamel. Not as good as I hoped — mostly because of the vegan thing.
Stuffed Manchester quail, fig, prosciutto, brioche. Nice little stuffed bird.
Baja style whole grilled Dorade Royale. Well grilled fish.
Creek Stone Farm prime filet mignon, horseradish butter.
Torch that butter.
And after. A rich and solid hunk of meat.
Black sesame cake, sesame crumble, mango sorbet. Interesting textures.
Lemon merignue, lemoncello granite. Loved the multiple takes on lemon — I love lemon.
Chef’s box of macarons. Texture was too hard and they didn’t have a strong enough flavor — not the greatest macarons — but macarons are hard.
Overall, we had a great time, tremendous amounts of food, and very good service. The private room was lovely. The whole restaurant is gorgeous. Really atmospheric tres-la patio.
Food was better than I expected, and I had heard good things. Very bright flavors and the pastas were great. Mains were a little less exciting, but still good. I rarely love mains at normal restaurants.
Set menu food price was pretty reasonable too, although menu prices are fairly steep. But you can see that portions are good sized. The base menu was a lot and with our additions an obscene amount.
My only issues were some policy quirks. I don’t like the room minimum being a lot higher than the food price. And I wasn’t old about it until weeks after I booked the space (and didn’t feel like finding a new one). Room min was $1500 (tax and tip don’t count either). The largest set dinner menu was $106 a person (which isn’t bad). But the room sits a max of 12. We had 11, with only 9 adults. Even at 12, that would be $1272 which leaves $225 of alcohol — or $18 a person. Hard perhaps when you have people who don’t drink, but maybe possible. With our count there was a $500 gap — which I had to make up by buying two bottles off the list. I hate buying bottles off the list as they are about 4X retail and I have 1000s of bottles. Wine lists like Fia have some nice wines, but they are way too young in general, and they have a much smaller selection than I do in my basement. They just can’t afford to stock a broad range of wine — and certainly not in my specific taste. No new restaurant can so I don’t blame them for this.
Which brings me to the other policy problem: the curse of the annoying 2 bottle per table corkage limit. They did allow me to open 3, but I just don’t get the 2 bottle limit thing. Insert rant here — and this is not unique to Fia at all, but I’ll just complain here again about it again — but it doesn’t make any sense, not from a service level and not financially. I know they want to make a certain amount of money from alcohol sales. Fine. Calculate the per cover (person) average profit on alcohol and set a corkage to around that number. Don’t limit the bottles. It also makes no sense that a table or 1 or 2 can open 2 bottles and a table of 11 can also open only 2 bottles. Make it one per person… but wait… that’s still stupid. Just don’t have a limit. Charge the correct corkage. NO BOTTLE LIMITS. This dinner ONLY worked with the corkage limit because I bought 2 bottles and because we had a bunch of lightweights (keeping the number I needed to bring down). The limits make it IMPOSSIBLE FOR WINE GROUPS TO EAT AT THE RESTAURANT. We bring specific wines. We bring 1+ bottles a person. Doesn’t work with limits. We come during low volume nights (weekdays) and we order huge amounts of food. At $35+ a person of corkage (pure profit, no cost of goods) I’m sure we would always be a way above average table in terms of profit. If it’s not, raise the corkage to $40 or whatever. The limit just excludes us. So now if I want to come back here with one of my wine groups, we either have to come with only 3 people (and finesse the limit), or we have to call up and argue the house policy with the manager/owner. Crazy. Wine groups keep restaurants alive after the initial buzz has died down.
Restaurant: Brodard Restaurant [1, 2]
Location: 16105 Brookhurst St. Fountain Valley, CA 92708. Phone number (657) 247-4401
Date: September 26, 2019
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Rating: Solid
Crawls are usually a lot of fun, and after the super extensive Garden Grove / Westminster Vietnamese Food crawl we did a few months ago, my brother, parents, and went down south for a smaller (3 stop) version.
We started furthest south at Brodard.
Their interior is fairly modern.
Vietnamese menus can be very long, and this is no exception.
Roasted Duck Spring Rolls (Goi Cuon Vit). Tender roasted duck wrapped in rice paper with asparagus, scallions, cucumber, and cilantro served with plum sauce. Hoison (plum) sauce makes everything taste great.
Eggplant Tempura Rolls. Tempura eggplant, asparagus, cucumber, avocado, and cilantro wrapped in rice paper and served with soy vinaigrette. Not as good as the duck (or the pork we had last time).
Spicy Beef Salad (Goi Bo). Tender marinated beef wokked with Asian spices over lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions in spicy lemongrass vinaigrette. Delicious.
The check for reference.
Restaurant: Oc & Lau Restaurant [1, 2]
Location: 9892 Westminster Blvd Unit R, Garden Grove, CA 92844. (714) 583-8100
Date: September 29, 2019
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Rating: Great
This crawl returned to Oc & Lau as well, but this time to location 2, which is tucked behind the Garlic & Chives.
The exterior of location 1, but today we went to 2.
Interior of location 2 — much bigger than 1.
Big menu.
Coconut Swirly Escargot (Oc Len Xao Dua). After ordering the wrong snails last time I got it right this time — with the conical Vietnamese kind and the slightly sweet curry sauce. This sauce is amazing.
You have to suck the meat out of these little cones.
Empty shells.
Fried quail (Chim Cut Rotti). Much like the Chinese style quail. Great!
Weird purple yam and sticky milk free dessert. Oddly addictive.
The check again.
Restaurant: Garlic and Chives [1, 2]
Location: 9892 Westminster Blvd #311, Garden Grove, CA 92844.: (714) 591-5196
Date: September 29, 2019
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Rating: Great
Today we finish up at my favorite down here, Garlic and Chives.
The minimalist interior.
Slightly spicy edamame.
Grilled Turmeric Fish with Dill served on the skillet w/ vermicelli.
Vermicelli noodles and herbs served with turmeric fish. You wrap these up with the fish. Delicious and very much like we had a couple of times in Vietnam.
Baked Clams with Garlic & Chives. Or maybe Chili Garlic. Nice actually. Lots of flavor.
House Special Lobster. Sautéed in house special sauce with garlic, onion, jalapeños, on a bed of noodles. This was AWESOME. Tons and tons of flavor, particularly over the noodles. Way better than the Crustacean and probably 1/4 of the price.
Overall, a fun and very filling little adventure!
Restaurant: Miyabi Uni
Location: 1231 Cabrillo Ave Suite 101, Torrance, CA 90501. (424) 376-5135
Date: September 23, 2019
Cuisine: Japanese Uni
Rating: Delicious — Just make sure to take your gout medicine
Despite the possible health consequences of eating an entire meal of Uni (sea urchin) I’ve been dying to brace the brutal 405 traffic, head south, and try out…
Miyabi Uni. Yes, a Japanese restaurant so specialized almost everything on the menu contains uni!
Welcoming portals.
And a fairly spacious modern interior.
The uni extravaganza menu.
2004 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Brut Rosé. VM 95. A wine of exquisite beauty, the 2004 Dom Ruinart Brut Rosé has the pedigree to drink well for several decades. The 2004 is an especially vinous, textured Rosé. The berry, floral, spice and mineral-drenched flavors are finely sketched in this dramatic, strikingly beautiful Rosé from Ruinart.
2008 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles. BH 93. A textbook Pucelles nose of honeysuckle and citrus is trimmed in a discreet application of oak and a trace of exotic fruit, neither of which continue over to the delicious, round and quite generous medium-bodied flavors that possess excellent depth on the focused and unusually powerful finish. There is an ample amount of underlying tension that adds relief to the otherwise densely concentrated dry exact. This is quite simply terrific and while there is good power, the ’08 Pucelles remains a wine of finesse.
agavin: our bottle was fairly advanced.
From my cellar: 2012 Paolo Bea Arboreus. 93 points. Unique take on the Trebbiano Spoletino variety, with powerful soil and mineral leading the way to a complex finish of orange oil, lemon-lime spritz, passion fruit and white peach. Constantly shifting in the glass, this is a wine for those looking outside the box. More seabed notes on the back end of this developing, unique wine; aeration/decant suggested. 2018-2024
agavin: best pairing with uni
Look at the color!
The uni fun begins!
Miyabi Oyster. Fresh Kumiai oyster from Baja California with uni, ikura, black roe, and tasazu jelly. The Miyagi oyster trifecta — because uni makes everything better. Very bright and briny. Delicious.
Miyabi Uni Shooter. Fresh sea urchin, quail egg yolk, and Tosazu finished with tobiko eggs. Richness personified. Requires a tolerance of “soft” textures, but for me it was delicious.
Uni Cream Croquette. Sea urchin cream croquettes served with sea urchin cream sauce. A fried gooey version. Good, but not as good as some of the more raw uni preps.
Uni Toro Wrap. Fresh tuna belly rolled around uni with yuzu kosho. Super awesome rich bites!
Seared US Kobe Beef Tataki with uni. Marinated kobe beef and uni.
Soy Milk Tofu with Uni. Homemade soy milk tofu served with sea urchin and sweet soy sauce. This was super mild, with jiggly tofu and little chunks of uni. Probably could have used more uni if we weren’t having a ton of it in other dishes.
Uzaku. Sliced grilled unagi (fresh water eel), cucumber, and seaweed served with soy sauce vinegar sauce and jelly. No uni at all! Our only dish without, but it was delicious. Rich eel and bright tangy flavors from the jelly.
Chilled Uni Chawan-mushi. Chilled steamed organic egg and uni custard served with ponzu sauce. Delicious custard.
Gratuitous zoom!
Uni Tamagoyaki. Japanese style organic egg omelette with sea urchin served with uni soy sauce.
Here it is cut and oozing uni. Scrumptious. The uni egg combo is a great one and this was a fabulous prep. Light fluffy egg and rich uni.
Super uni, toro, bluefin, ikura donburi bowl. Various sashimi over rice.
Miyabi Uni Original Pasta. Soy sauce, garlic butter, and red chili spaghetti topped with fresh sea urchin, shiso leaf, and crispy seaweed. This is closest to an Italian pasta as it had a strong garlic feel and a quality like an uni spaghetti vongole. Delicious!
Premium Uni Cream Pasta. Finest grade Hokkaido sea urchin and Santa Barbara sea urchin and truffle butter cream sauce with fresh fettuccine. Now this is the serious deal. So rich, so delicious, so uni.
It comes with Italian style bread for mopping up the sauce.
Uni Miso Soup. Because, why not?
The return of S’mores Gelato — Valrhona Chocolate base with house-made Graham Crackers and toasted kosher Marshmallow topping! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — oh my! — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #chocolate #valrhona #s’more #marshmallow #GrahamCracker
Overall, this was a super fine meal and really delicious. Yeah, we walked away with our joints crunching and our fingers swollen from the salt, but we walked away happy. I thought I’d enjoy it — and I did. Every dish was tasty, but about half were super delicious, most anything with raw uni. Weakest was probably the croquette and the tataki — but they were still good.
Service was spectacular. This I didn’t expect. I mean Japanese service is usually very attentive, but the staff were ON IT too and super nice and accommodating.
Wine pairing here is “interesting” at best. My orange Italian wine worked out best. It’s an unusual wine, and doesn’t pair with everything, but it does do pretty well with uni. The White Burgundy was a bit oxidized, which normally would be a bummer, but turned out to work pretty well with the uni too. The rose champ was delicious, but probably the toughest pairing.
Restaurant: Colapasta.
Location: 1241 5th St, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 310-8336
Date: September 18, 2019
Cuisine: Italian / Just pasta
Rating: Simple menu, but good pasta, very casual
There seems to be a bit of a trend to opening pasta restaurants in Santa Monica.
Colapasta is a super casual small menu artisanal pasta place by Stefano De Lorenzo the main chef from La Botte years ago. The place is brand new and the concept is very similar to Uovo on the other side of the Promenade. They both have very short lists of classic pasta and little else on the menu.
The decor is simple and the space is modest — not too unlike Ramen Roll. haha.
The menu. You can basically see that it’s mostly pasta. A salad or two as well. No liquor license yet but they have applied for a 41 (beer and wine).
Zuppa di Granoturco. Sweet Summer Corn Soup.
Bresola Arugula e Burrata. Sliced paper-thin Aged Beef, arugula, Burrata. This is pretty much a perfect “salad” for me as I love Burrata (and this is a good one, either from Italy or more likely from Stefano locally, but in the Italian style and very good). The burrata and cured meat combo is one of my favorites. Arugula helps push it down.
Bigoli Aglio Olio e Acciughe (Campania). Bigoli Pasta with Garlic, Oil, Anchoives. This is a simple pasta, but with that anchovy pasta it has a delightful garlicky umami.
Casunziei (Dolomiti). Half Moon shaped Red Beet Ravioli, Brown Butter, Poppy Seeds. This is one of the chef’s signatures. It’s very Po River Valley (Mantua, Verona etc). Sweet and rich, quite delicious.
Lasagna Classica al Ragu (Emilia). Classic Beef Ragu Lasagna. The basta was delicate and the ragu had great flavor. It just needed a Béchamel sauce to be perfect.
Pasta lurks in the fridge.
Overall, this was a pleasant and VERY quick little meal. The pasta is good. It’s not radical or terribly LA in style like Felix or anything — it’s very homestyle (Italy) Italian. Very simple. They are, however, inexpensive, and well executed. So if you have a need for a noodle fix and don’t want to break the bank, you could do well here. Probably slightly more my taste than Uovo. Not nearly as good or as much variety as Heroic Wine Bar down the street.
Restaurant: Vespertine / White Rabbit [1, 2]
Location: 3599 Hayden Ave, Culver City, CA 90232. (323) 320-4023
Date: September 17, 2019
Cuisine: Modern Nordic Art Food? Russian Haut Cuisine?
Rating: White Rabbit dishes were great, Vespertine ones weird
Vespertine is a very unusual confluence of all sorts of artsy weirdness. It’s helmed by Jordan Kahn formerly of Red Medicine and currently of Destroyer across the street. I’ve generally been fond of Jordan’s unique culinary style. Tonight’s dinner is a combo dinner with Jordan hosting Vladimir Mukhin the chef from Russia’s most renowned restaurant: White Rabbit.
First of all, we have the bizarre building which seemingly was built (like much of this section of Culver City) without purpose and is now is host to the restaurant — only! I had an office across the street for 2 years as well, back when I founded Flektor.
In the back yard, so to speak, is this gigantic steel cactus tower. Yes, everyone needs an expensive cactus tower.
And there are kooky modern gardens.
This one we waited in at the beginning of the meal, and at the end for our final course (but more on that later).
As we waited here they had a Didgeridoo player. Yeah, weird.
Above the dining room is the entire kitchen floor. We didn’t (couldn’t?) hang out here long but it looked sweet (and immaculate).
The open roof deck (which feels like inside) is a sort of lounge floor where the meal began.
The four of us with Chef Vladimir Mukhin from White Rabbit!
In the lounge, the tree was prepopulated with crispy dried somethings.
Maybe pineapple crisps.
And dark hand towels.
A welcome cocktail of hibiscus and stuff.
Mysterious treats called coco lardo. I’m not sure if it was lardo, or “like” lardo. It did taste coconuty. I think those things inside were Linden buds.
Sunflower with caviar and pine-nuts. The pine-nuts are under the caviar. This was delicious — because it was good caviar.
Mackerel, Celery, Malt, I think. This was bright flavored but not brightly lit (except when I took this photo with the cel phone light).
Now we moved on down to the cool dining room, nearly temple-like in its silence — except for the spacey spa music and the sound of wooden spoons scraping on expensive stoneware plates.
I do have to say that tonight, probably because Chef Vladimir Mukhin was “in charge” of the floor, they were lax on the “rules” and didn’t give us trouble about tripods or using the cel phone as a light. I didn’t go all the way to using the big flash, but last time we were here when they enforced “no shutter sound”, “no flash”, “no light” and “no tripod” it was damn hard to take any half decent photos at all. Much better this time.
The napkins have their own box.
The wine pairing was mandatory. This sucks as I don’t love wine pairings and this was typical. A bunch of cheap, off the beaten path wines that are more weird than good.
2007 Dr Hermann, Erdener Treppchen “6” Kabinett Riesling. This was probably the wine I liked best of the pairings. It’s not expensive though, maybe $20.
I figured I’d photo the glasses this time.
The food menu.
Russian Black Salt. To prepare a black salt you mix in equal proportions rye flour and white salt of coarser or fine grinding. The mixture is wrapped in a linen cloth and scorched in a Russian wood burning stove for 8 hours, using exclusively dry birch wood.
Prawn, aged plum, bone marrow. The black salt was sprinkled on top. These were nice, sweet and tangy.
Hoto, Yamadanishiki Daiginjo, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.
Sake!
Markovnik and Scallops.
You break through the crunchy top for the delicious “meat” underneath.
2018 Onward Wines, Malvasia Petillant Natural, Suisun Valley.
Slight spitz.
Courgette, char roe, chicken fat, spruce.
The was very good. Bit of a pickled herring vibe.
Black bread. You could use it to sop up the delicious sauce.
2011, Brokenwood, Semillon, Hunter Valley, Australia.
Golden.
Salted milk mushrooms, green tomato, herbs. This dish was by Jordan Kahn and was his only fully successful dish of the night. Salty, light, and crunchy it was an excellent vegetable dish.
2011 Chateau Carbonnieux, Bordeaux.
Bigger glass.
Baked Cabbage and Caviar. This symbolizes Russia, in this case “the poor” of Russia in that boiled (or baked) cabbage is one of the main staple foods.
But with champagne butter sauce it then represents the “rich” of Russia (aka the Caviar and Champagne). It was actually a stupendous dish. The cabbage had great texture and in the rich buttery champagne/caviar sauce was scrumptious.
I can’t actually read the label.
Blanco.
Experimental Pumpkin, Guava, Madrone Bark. Another Jordan Kahn dish. I didn’t like it at all. I don’t love pumpkin and this was vaguely sweet, cloying, and had that soft obnoxious pumpkin texture. I didn’t even finish it
2017 Seabold Cellars, “Olson” Chardonnay, Monterey, California.
Fake Chard.
Black cod, radish, tangerine. Lovely fish dish.
2014 Ojai, “White Hawk Vineyard” Syrah, Santa Barbara Country.
Poor man’s Hermitage.
Fibers, Bracken Fern, Sacred Pepper, Aromatic Carnanel. Another Jordan Dish — like old rope — the beef version. Very over cooked beef stew/rope? Not so great.
Green Salad. This was the only failing Vladimir dish and I have a feeling it was Jordan making him do it. Supposed to be a “dessert” it was a weird sweet salad. Kind of gross, salad with a sweet flavor.
2003 Quinta do Crasto, Vintage Port, Douro, Portugal.
In a mug.
Black Cap Berry, Meadowsweet. A Jordan dessert. Terrible. Just cloying with a weird root vegetable tone — not what you want in a dessert.
The wine lineup.
The attractive but perhaps impractical bar area on the ground floor was used for the penultimate course.
Birch Inner Barc, condensed milk. Not bad. Weird though and it had an augmented reality app that was supposed to do something. We couldn’t get it loaded though.
The post dinner “dessert” spread back out in the garden.
Caramelized Sunchoke Mushroom. These were tasty, pretty much like a “bearclaw” or “apple fritter.”
Sorrel Curd, Wintergreen. It was dipped in this “cream.” Under the red was a mild whipped cream like substance.
Berries.
Zoom on the berries.
A weird book.
Sea Buckthorn Pearls.
It’s possible this was the Sorrel Curd, Wintergreen – hard to know with these things.
Cups for the tea.
Douglas Fir Tea — Vespertine loves pine and resin notes.
Two scents, one designed by each chef — lol — you get to take these home.
Overall, this was a great experience and very interesting. Quirky though. The building was amazing and the staff was very friendly. And fortunately Jordan’s oodle of rules was much more lax tonight — although there were still some.
Everything was still scented like douglas fir or something. Smells like spa. Sounds like spa. Looks like art.
For something so visual and aesthetic, it was very difficult to photograph — or even see you food. Everything was hidden. Hidden by darkness. Hidden by shadowy deep containers. Hidden by flowers or leaves. You can see that my descriptions were vague as they give you no menu to remember them by.
The Vladimir dishes tonight were fabulous. All were great except for the sweet “salad.” The Jordan dishes were almost a complete bomb — only the “mushrooms” was good. The rest all had this cloying, sweet, root vegetable thing going that I didn’t like at all.
The meal was expensive though — yet ingredients were fairly plebeian for the most pair (excepting the caviar). The mandatory wine pairings sucked. Not worth the money and most of the wines weren’t that great. It’s some fairly hard food to pair — although the Vlad dishes easier than the Jordan ones. Those are almost impossible to pair.
So in conclusion, I’d love to try White Rabbit in Moscow, but the whole “chef team up meal” idea doesn’t seem to totally work. It should have just been White Rabbit food here in the Vespertine space.
Restaurant: Jiang Nan Spring
Location: 910 E Main St, Alhambra, CA 91801. (626) 766-1688
Date: September 11 & November 3, 2019
Cuisine: Shanghai Chinese
Rating: Very good, but probably not the best in the SGV
Yarom and I set out on another small party SGV adventure and chosen Jiang Nan Spring (which we hadn’t been too because of this review from the LA times which asked “Does Jiang Nan Spring have the SGV’s best Shanghainese food?”
After our reconnaissance lunch (9/11/19), we returned (11/3/19) for a big group dinner.
They have a newish storefront on Main in the heart of Alahambra.
Interior is clean and free of the usual wall menus, TV’s etc.
For our 11/3/19 dinner we dined in this private side room (2 tables). This made for one of those giant 2 table CF dinners — I do much prefer my Chinese dinners to keep to one table.
The menu.
Boiled peanuts on the table.
Shanghai Duck (9/11/19). This cold marinated duck is flavored a lot like pork.
Cold Drunken Chicken (11/3/19). Nice for this kind of cold bland chicken. It had some good flavor, very nice (if cold) texture, and was quite moist.
Cold Smoked Fish (11/3/19). Classic Shanghai style cold fried fish. Smokey flavor.
Pork belly slices in garlic chili oil (11/3/19). Very tasty pork as the spicy/garlic sauce was excellent.
Chili oil.
Scallion pancake (11/3/19). Fine for what it is, but I usually find this a boring dish.
XLB (11/3/19) pork soup dumplings. Decent version of the always fabulous pockets of steamed pork. Not amazing house-made versions like at Juicy Dumpling, but still good.
Beef Roll (11/3/19). Not usually my favorite dish either, but a pretty good version of it.
See the inside.
West Lake Beef Soup (9/11/19 and 11/3/19). A mild goopy soup with tofu and beef, it was actually delicious. I had several bowls. I’m not sure what was so good about it — certainly texture — but it was very addictive.
Spare Ribs in Lotus Leaf (9/11/19 and 11/3/19). I’ve only had this dish once before, at another West Lake / Shanghai style SGV place, Chang’s Garden.
Inside is a sticky-rice coated pork spare rib. Delicious. Succulent, and lotus flavored. Rich and delicious. Very soft.
Sautéed Shrimp (9/11/19). I asked them if they had the green tea version, and they said they did, but we got the more regular Shanghai version. The shrimp were super succulent and with the vinegar quite delicious. Still, I wanted to try the tea version again.
Shanghai Style Pork Hock (11/3/19). Classic Shanghai dish.
This was a controversial dish. Among those of us who love “real” Chinese food, we LOVED this dish. It was moist, fatty, jiggyly (yes), but had tons of fabulous porky flavor. The other table, with lots of lightweight Chinese eaters found it “too fatty.” Of course, it’s supposed to be fatty!
Peking Duck (11/3/19). Even though it’s not a Shanghai dish, they do offer peking duck. The meat itself was solid but not the best ever or anything. Good flavor, but the skin wasn’t the crispiest possible.
And with pancakes — which were good but a bit large.
Hoisin and green onions.
David L, as always, demanded the “bones” from the duck. Sometimes there is meat on the bones, not really here. But I won’t be critical, as that means it just went into other dishes.
Yarom gnaws on one anyway.
Vegetables, soy beans, and bean curd (11/3/19). Very interesting dish. Nice crunchy texture.
Salted Egg with Chinese Squash (9/11/19). Like Zucchini with salty egg. Ick. I didn’t like this dish at all. Yarom did, but I’m not a fan of this sort of vegetable.
Seaweed fried fish (11/3/19). Crispy moist “fish sticks.”
Walnut shrimp (11/3/19). The classic, tasty, but lots of mayo.
Fried Tofu & Ground Pork with hot sauce (9/11/19). Or maybe it was Hunan Tofu. Not sure. This was actually pretty hot. Not exactly MaPo or Szechuan in style, but quite good.
We special pre-ordered Beggar’s Chicken (11/3/19).
The chicken is inside this pastry and they wallop it open with the mallet!
Inside it’s very moist, with tender meat, sweet Shanghai-style sauce, chestnuts, and other fruits and vegetables. Very interesting, if a touch rich.
Shanghai Purple Rice. Starchy!
Chocolate Peppermint Gelato — Chocolate base made with Valrhona 62% Satilla Chocolate and melted in peppermints, mixed with Mint Oreo Cookies — 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 #Valrhona #chocolate #oreos #peppermint #mint #ChocolateMint #MintOreos
Pistachio Lemon Cookie Gelato – using my new egg yolk based nut formulation with a custom blend of two Pistacchio di Bronte DOGC sources to produce an intense pistachio base, with layers of Southern Italian Lemon Cookies — 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 #pistachio #sicily #nuts #LemonCookie
Overall, Jiang Nan Spring has a good kitchen and most dishes were really tasty. I think the chef (or the menu) leans toward Hangzhou (the old Southern Song capital just south of Shanghai). I don’t really agree with the Times — I think Shanghailander is slightly better, but this was certainly a very good place, in the top 3 LA Shanghai places I’ve tried no question.
Our big two table CF dinner was polarizing as all the people who like adventurous Chinese food (including myself, Yarom, and the AFF) all loved it and the people who like their Chinese more “American” found it a bit over some magic textural or fatty line. They can head back to PF Changs!
For more LA dining reviews click here.
For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.
Restaurant: Sushi Miyagi
Location: 150 S Barrington Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90049. (323) 382-5635
Date: Sept 10 & October 1, 2019
Cuisine: Japanese Sushi
Rating: Top Shelf Omakase Sushi
Great sushi is always a good excuse to pull out the beloved Champagnes and White Burgundies.
And I was excited to hear that a new high end omakase sushi place had opened in Brentwood — in the conveniently located but anoying to park at junction of Barrington Ave and Place.
The space is small but attractive.
This is chef focused serious sushi, and so we pre-ordered the largest omakase possible — Erick even egged them on to a larger than offered menu.
Chef Shinichi Miyagi says about himself on his website:
Born in Osaka, the art of sushi mesmerized the chef at an early age and decided to devote his life as a “Decchi” (apprentice) under Master Higuchi at the age of 16. He opened his first “Kappo” (traditional style of cooking in front of a crowd) restaurant at the age of 25, and moved to LA at 29, working in numerous well known Sushi restaurants in West LA, Beverly Hills, and San Diego.
Through managing a Sushi restaurant in Manhattan Beach (i-naba), now in present day, he found an opportunity to try his skills as an executive chef in Brentwood/Los Angeles. The chefs many years of experience in choosing the freshest fish, will surprise even the most sophisticated pallets of this beautiful city.
His methods and techniques in preparation follows the traditional Japanese style, bringing out the true flavors of the fish. The chef also prepares two styles of rice, AKAZU SHARI (Red vinegar sushi rice), and SHIROZU SHARI (White vinegar rice). The SHARI (Sushi rice) will alternate depending on the fish being prepared, and we hope you enjoy the eclectic flavors of the different vinegars being used.
2017 Guillaume Selosse Champagne Ville-sur-Arce Largiller Extra Brut.
From my cellar: NV Jacques Selosse Champagne Rosé. VM 94. The NV Rosé is laced with the essence of crushed rocks, mint, chalk. white pepper and cranberry. Chiseled and vibrant in the glass, with tremendous energy, the Rosé is fabulous. This release is based on the V.O. blend of 2011, 2010 and 2009 vintages, with a touch (3-5%) still Pinot from Francis Egly, vintages 2011 and 2010. Disgorged November 7, 2018. (Drink between 2018-2026)
Marinated Sardines from Japan with dashi. Lovely soft delicate fish with the strong sardine oil flavors in perfect balance with the vinegary marinade.
Shigoku oyster from the pacific northwest. On the left with uni and on the right with caviar and yuzu. In the front is Japanese plum.
Buri with ponzu, daikon radish and green onion. Delicate and delicious sashimi.
On the left, monk fish liver. To the right, octopus (tako) with mozzarella, then tomato and on top seaweed from Okinawa with mountain yam. All scrumptious.
Toro tartar with caviar and wasabi ponzu. The nobu classic but perfectly executed.
Fresh king crab, grilled. Simply sweet crab meat.
2005 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Folatières. VM 92. Complex, leesy aromas of stone fruits, flowers, smoke and nutty oak. Dense, suave and ripe, with nuanced, lightly sulfidey flavors of white fruits, flowers and nuts. Layered and quite long. This, too, has turned out very well.
Tai sushi.
King mackerel sushi.
2010 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles. VM 95. The 2010 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles 1er Cru is an absolute killer wine from the late Anne-Claude Leflaive. Lucid in the glass, it has a crystalline bouquet with crushed stone, a touch of oyster shell, Nashi pear and citrus peel. The terroir seems to just burst from the glass. The palate is cool, calm and collected. The acidity is nigh pitch perfect, the tension palpable from start to finish. This is a live-ware Les Pucelles: edgy and citrus fresh, yet utterly composed and befitting a wine that frankly is Grand Cru in all but name. Tasted at Fook Lam Moon in Hong Kong. (Drink between 2019-2035)
2010 Pierre Morey Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 92-95. Here too there are vestiges of the malolactic fermentation present. The palate impression though is completely different compared to that of the Perrières as the intense and overtly powerful flavors are substantially bigger and even more intense, indeed almost painfully so, before terminating in a citrusy, explosive and stunningly long finish. While this is certainly large-scaled it is not without a certain refinement and this should amply reward long-term cellaring, in fact it will require it as this will not, in all likelihood, drink well young. (Drink starting 2020)
Baby barracuda sushi.
Blue fin tuna sushi.
O-Toro sushi. The rich tuna belly never disappoints — at least not at a place this good.
Shima Aji (striped jack) sushi..
Black throat sushi.
Golden snapper sushi with truffle paste.
2008 Giuseppe Quintarelli Cabernet (Franc) Alzero. 94 points. This was great. Shared with me at a restaurant. Had an Italian feel for a Cabernet. Very red fruit driven, with some roses and balsamic. Closest other wine I’ve had to this was the 2007 Sassicaia, but this wine has more energy and elegance. A different take on Bordeaux blends then most Bordeaux and even less like most Super Tuscans or Napa Cabernet. Elegance, acidity, and polish. Drinking nicely now.
This bottle has an unusual story as we had all of the sushi bar but one seat and that last chair was occupied by an older gentleman in the music business. We got to talking during dinner and he was extremely nice. Turns out he doesn’t really drink wine anymore but was a collector and he went out to his car and brought back two bottles of this extremely are Giuseppe Quintarelli. Now I’m a GQ fan — I even use his olive oil in some of my creations — but I didn’t even know he makes a Cabernet. It was great though.
The gentleman also picked up a huge portion of our tab too — just because he was that kind of guy! Thank you!
A5 Wagyu, truffles, uni, Mizutaki mushrooms.
A Yama-like bite of quail egg, uni, and toro.
Ikura (salmon roe) sushi.
Uni sushi.
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Sardine sushi.
Torched butterfish sushi.
Seared Toro with shoyu koji. So rich it tasted like beef.
Fermented squid guts — I gotta say, I like these.
Toro handroll.
Green tea ice cream. Much denser and less creamy than my gelato.
I brought these though, homemade old-fashioned chocolate fudge — made by me.
The wine lineup.
And the people lineup.
Sushi Miyagi is exactly the kind of sushi place I like best — all omakase and very traditional. This is some seriously good fish. Mostly just straight nigiri and a bit of spectacular sashimi and a handful of cooked dishes. This is really really good and instantly catapulted into the top westside sushi joints. Very friendly too. Intimate as well. Sushi at this level is all about the chef and Shinichi Miyagi is very talented.
Not for the sushi neophytes and roll loves, but fabulous for those of us who really enjoy great fish being showcased in a straightforward and delicious manner.
I also came in here a few weeks later for a quick lunch. The lunch menu is very reasonable given the (exceptional) quality.
Lovely little salad with homemade onion vinegar dressing.
Miso soup, of course.
BATTERA. Saba mackerel box sushi, salad and miso soup.
OMAKASE SASHIMI. Chefs best choice of today, 8 pieces of sashimi, salad and miso soup.
OMAKASE CHIRASHI BOWL. Chefs best choice of Sashimi pieces over a bed of sushi rice, salad and miso soup.
Restaurant: Ruby BBQ Food
Location: 9561 Garvey Ave Ste 1&2, South El Monte, CA 91733. (626) 279-6854
Date: September 20, 2019
Cuisine: Southern Chinese
Rating: Tasty, if a little “downscale”
Lately, because Yarom and I are diehard Chinese Food fanatics and it’s hard to find others willing to drive all the way to the SGV during the week for lunch, the two of us — with occasional extras — have been sampling some of the more casual eateries on our list of new places to try.
Enter Ruby BBQ Food — yes they actually include the word food in their name — just in case BBQ wasn’t clear enough. This is a very casual Southern Chinese place in a more Vietnamese section of the SGV.
It’s real casual, with a takeout counter and menu on the wall.
But it was crowded. We had to wait 15-20 minutes for a table.
They have roast ducks and the like to go too.
Now just to give you a bit of the flavor of the place, and these downscale SGV joints, ignoring Yarom’s protests I include this photo. This particular lady was at the counter ordering/waiting right in the middle of the lobby. This did not, however, stop her from clipping her nails and leaving them on the floor of the restaurant. Very local crowd. Still, bear in mind, I ate here right after and I’d happy eat here again. They actually have an “A” too.
The menu.
Free vegetable soup. Kinda boring.
Besides the soup, Yarom and I ordered 10 dishes for just the two of us — that’s just how we roll.
Eggplant Szechuan Style. Delicious. Soft eggplant dripping in tasty garlic sauce. Not particularly spicy.
Dry sautéed string beans. Also good. Nice crunchy beans.
Ruby BBQ Rib. Cold with great piggy flavor.
Golden pork. This and the next dish were pretty similar, both not too different than a panda express type dish. This one had less bone, I think, but the sauce was sweeter and a bit more overwhelming.
Pork chop. This one was more chew it off the bone and was very slightly better. But both were good.
Bamboo duck. Unusual heavy brown gravy with those rolled bean curds. The duck meat itself was dark and boney but the overall flavor was excellent.
Egg with shrimp. Surprisingly delicious shrimp omelet.
The owner of the restaurant just could not believe that we ordered so much so she gave us the last few dishes “to go.” She insisted. We opened them and ate them at our table anyway.
Ruby steamed chicken. My least favorite dish. Basically Hainan chicken. Fine for what it was, but it’s steamed chicken.
With a bit of garlic sauce.
Mapo tofu. Not spicy, but nice texture.
BBQ Duck. Quite good, particularly juicy and delicious dunked in the sauce below.
The duck sauce.
Apparently everything comes from “dept 01” but as you can see, it’s not an expensive department. Even the signature meaty BBQ dishes like the duck were barely $11!
Yarom with the owner and his leftovers.
Overall, while the atmosphere is “amusing” the food (particularly for the money) is pretty tasty. This is like working class real Cantonese/Chiuchow and while the Chinese equivalent of a greasy spoon, like many American greasy spoons, it’s also delicious. Service was gracious.
For more LA dining reviews click here.
For more LA Chinese dining reviews click here.
Now just to continue to paint the complete picture of this colorful little corner of Los Angeles — and part of what I think makes our great city great — I did photo the classic “old school Monterey Park bathroom.” It’s quite a looker. Again, not bashing Ruby BBQ. I like it and find it’s “unrefined” quality genuinely charming. Just painting the full unvarnished picture.
Restaurant: Capo [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
Location: 1810 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, Ca. 310-394-5550
Date: September 4, 2019
Cuisine: Italian with Cal influences
Rating: The food here is really very very good.
The Foodie Club comes to Capo fairly often as it’s close and really good. Atmosphere is great. Service is excellent. Only problem is a somewhat draconian wine policy. Yeah, they have a great wine list — but we have even biggest “lists” at home.
The gang at the table.
The current menu.
I did all the ordering tonight — with consultation — piecing dishes together from the menu into a series of share plate courses for the 6 of us. I prefer this style SO much to ordering individually. Who needs an entire steak? And who can resist 6 pastas?
Bread here is usually very good.
Tuscan white bean paste and some other kind of paste (maybe eggplant).
Trish brought: 1993 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2. 94 points. Nice!
Maryland crab torta. This really is Crab Norfolk, and it’s probably the best one I’ve ever had, and I spent summers as a boy in Oxford Maryland, land of the blue crab. This is a big juicy pile of delicious blue crab, drenched in butter, and their special touch is a little Meyer lemon in the mix. Bellissimo!
Michel Blanchet smoked salmon. With more white asparagus.
Burrata Caprese. Because burrata always makes everything better.
MZ brought: 2004 Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. BH 93. As it almost always is, this is the class of the cellar with more discreet wood framing a reserved but ultra elegant white flower and pungent limestone nose that merges seamlessly into fine, precise and intensely stony flavors that finish bone dry and with a vaguely saline quality. This is built to age and should provide at least 7 to 10 years of upside development. As with the Bouchères, there is a trace of reduction but not really enough to detract from the overall sense of outstanding quality though if you were going to try one young, I would suggest decanting it for 20 minutes first. (Drink starting 2012)
MZ brought: 2014 Château de Puligny-Montrachet Chevalier-Montrachet. BH 92-95. Equally discreet wood sets off the beautifully layered nose that blends together notes of citrus, wet stone, rose petal and subtle spice hints. There is excellent verve to the delineated and overtly muscular yet refined big-bodied flavors that possess an abundance of acid-buffering dry extract before terminating in a moderately austere and explicitly saline-infused finish that is like rolling rocks around in your mouth. This is very clearly built-to-age and is going to require at least 5 years to unwind and develop more depth. (Drink starting 2024)
Baja Sardines ‘al Forno.” Sardines salted and cooked on the wood fire grill. Pretty much Spanish style and delicious!
Foie Gras on toast. Big portion, but the sauce overwhelmed.
Toro Tartar. Like Nobu’s, but no wasabi ponzu. Really excellent actually.
From my cellar: 1969 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. VM 93. Biondi-Santi’s 1969 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva has aged gracefully. Dried flowers, mint, licorice, molasses, anise, brown spices, iron, game and tobacco grace the palate in a delicate, feminine Brunello that impresses for its overall balance and harmony. All the elements come together beautifully in the glass. The 1969 is now fully mature, although it has more than enough texture and Sangiovese acidity to hold on for another 5-10 years, perhaps a bit longer. The 1969 will always be more of a delicate Brunello with haunting, nuanced Sangiovese overtones and tons of personality. (Drink between 2015-2020)
Larry brought: 2000 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. Parker 96-100. Tua Rita’s 2000 Redigaffi has taken a big leap forward in its evolution. The wine is infused with black fruit, prune and blackberry preserves that come together to form an inky appearance and chewy consistency. Beyond those fruit tones are equally robust aromas of Teriyaki sauce, barbecue smoke and exotic spice. Redigaffi is a pure expression of Merlot and it delivers condensed, thickly extracted and syrupy aromas some 15 years after the harvest. The wine is like a time capsule that takes us back to a time when this richer and more opulent style was so enthusiastically embraced. My feeling is that the wine has not aged as steadily as was once predicted. Upon initial release, Robert Parker had given this wine 100 points, and if I’m not mistaken I believe it was the second Italian wine to earn such an honor after the 1985 Sassicaia. Since then, it has shed much of its fruit and has become more defined by its oak spice and tangy cedar. In the mouth, the wine shows abundant texture with integrated tannins.
Yeah, I’m kinda insane and I did the ordering, so I got us 6 pastas — yep, 6 pastas. And we each got a plate like this (followed by a second round below).
White Corn Ravioli with Black Truffles. This is always to die for.
Pasta with uni, squid, and shrimp. Really nice bright seafood pasta.
Herb Gnocchi, lardo, peas and black truffle.
Round 2: Flight!
Bucatini with lamb ragu. This is one of my favorite pastas. I love the bucatini, I love the gamey ragu.
Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe. Yum.
Risotto with Lobster. Excellent!
Erick brought: 2002 Domaine Xavier Liger-Belair Richebourg. 95 points. Great.
Steak Fiorentina. A giant “black and blue” piece of cow.
Colorado rack of lamb.
Beans!
The dessert menu.
The amazing classic chocolate soufflé.
Made even better with some slightly orange cream.
Tiramisu. Good, but not as good as mine.
Petit fours.
Great night. I just love Capo’s pastas. They do them in this correctly cooked, Italian but not Italian hearty style that is just filled with flavor punch. Balance is superb.
Our wines were fabulous too, if varied and perhaps not always perfectly paired.
Capo isn’t great value — it’s pricey — but they do make really really good food and have for 20 years. Every dish is excellent and it’s a pretty varied menu. They were way ahead of the curve too on the whole wood fired trend.
Restaurant: Dinner at the Borgese’s
Location: Santa Monica
Date: August 29, 2019
Cuisine: Italian influenced gourmet home cooking
Rating: Dinner of the year?
Dinner at the Borgese’s is a special backyard house dinner in Santa Monica cooked by the stunning pro-level home chef Borgese couple. The evening was set up by Michael K and because of the epic nature of the food we all pulled out some amazing wines to match.
The dynamic Borgese duo.
Their house has not only a wine cellar, but a cheese and meat larder!
Awesome backyard.
And lovely outside dining room.
Plus all this incredible wood fired oven set up.
Michael started us off with this actually fairly lovely bottled bellini.
2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 98+. The 2008 Cristal is a wine that takes over all the senses and never lets up. The brilliance and cut of the Chardonnay finds an extra kick of resonance from the Pinot Noir to carry the mid palate and finish in this stunningly beautiful, chiseled Champagne. Lemon oil, almond, flowers, dried herbs and Mirabelle plum are some of the many aromas and flavors that develop as the 2008 shows off its pedigree. The 2008 is a regal, towering Champagne from Roederer. That’s all there is to it. (Drink between 2023-2058)
Pretty place setting.
Our special menu.
2005 Domaine Ramonet Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 93. A fantastic nose of spice, wood toast, brioche, white flower, honeysuckle and citrus hints lead to rich, full, big and sappy flavors that really coat the mouth on the broad and palate staining finish. This is a big Bienvenues and while perhaps not as graceful as the 2000 or 2002, this is certainly stylish and deep. Like many of the wines in the range, it is also relatively forward by the usual standards of this wine yet it will certainly reward mid-term cellaring. (Drink starting 2012)
2013 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 93. A wonderfully complex and slightly riper nose offers up notes of honeysuckle, jasmine tea, peach and spiced pear. The superbly rich, classy and pure medium-bodied flavors possess impressive size, weight and mid-palate concentration while coating the mouth on the strikingly long, serious and energetic finish where a hint of bitter lemon appears. This is a relatively big and powerful BBM that will definitely need at least 5 to 6 years of bottle age before it begins to display glimpses of its full potential. (Drink starting 2023)
2014 Aubert Chardonnay Sonoma Coast. 92 points. This one does not fit with the others! Plus — fake chard!
Octopus on the grill.
Insalata di Posilipo. Octopus Salad. Tender octopus with citrus. Very tender and lovely.
From my cellar: 1999 Denis Mugneret Père et Fils Richebourg. BH 92+. Fascinating interplay of black fruit, earth, tobacco and Vosne spice framed by discreet hints of oak toast followed by sweet, supple and very intense flavors that last for minutes. This is not quite as ripe or opulent as most of the wines in this group though it sports excellent acid/fruit balance as a result. I like the more reserved style of this.
Jeff brought — thanks: 1996 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin. VM 97. A Burgundy of tension and bracing energy, the 1996 Rousseau Chambertin is simply magnificent on this night. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s stunning inner sweetness and perfume in what is an utterly glorious expression of Pinot Noir and Chambertin. I imagine the 1996 will still be compelling in 30 years’ time. Today is transcendental and deeply beautiful. (Drink between 2019-2046)
Tartare de Manzo. Beef tartare with truffle. Excellent tartare, perfect bread, and lots of truffle.
Plus we got direct to the mouth truffle shaving — like the truffle equivalent of an upside down tequila shot.
2011 Bruno Paillard Chardonnay Champagne Blanc de Blancs Réserve Privée.
From my cellar: 2006 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut. VM 96. The 2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé is at once rich and refined, a simply fabulous Champagne Rosè I won’t soon forget. Intensely perfumed, with the Pinot Noir-derived red berry and cranberry flavors that are not just concentrated, but also remarkably pure. It is one of the better Rosé bubbles I have had in the last year.
Calamarata Pasta con Branzino. Pasta with Branzino. A light Southern Italian style pasta. House made and really great texture and bright flavors.
The no carb guy got a pile of tuna or beef or something.
1989 Château Margaux. Parker 90. Dwarfed by its younger sibling, the 1990, the 1989 Chateau Margaux has a dark plum/garnet color and a big, sweet nose of new saddle leather, toasty oak, and weedy black cherry and cassis fruit. The wine is medium-bodied, with relatively elevated tannins, outstanding concentration and purity, but a somewhat clipped as well as compressed finish. This certainly outstanding wine has put on a bit of weight in its evolution in the bottle, but it is hardly one of the most profound efforts from Chateau Margaux. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025. Last tasted, 10/02.
1995 Château Margaux. Parker 95. Bottled very late (November, 1997), the 1995 has continued to flesh out, developing into one of the great classics made under the Mentzelopoulos regime. The color is opaque ruby/purple. The nose offers aromas of licorice and sweet smoky new oak intermixed with jammy black fruits, licorice, and minerals. The wine is medium to full-bodied, with extraordinary richness, fabulous equilibrium, and hefty tannin in the finish. In spite of its large size and youthfulness, this wine is user-friendly and accessible. This is a thrilling Margaux that will always be softer and more evolved than its broader-shouldered sibling, the 1996. How fascinating it will be to follow the evolution of both of these vintages over the next half century. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2040.
1996 Château Margaux. Parker 100! The 1996 Chateau Margaux, a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, must be a strong contender for wine of the vintage. It offers everything you desire from this First Growth. It is blessed with breathtaking delineation and freshness on the nose, understated at first and then blossoming with mineral-infused black fruit, hints of blueberry, crushed stone and violet. The palate is perfectly balanced with filigree tannin, perfect acidity, a wine where everything seems to be in its right place. Blackberry, crushed stone at the front of the mouth, just a touch of spice towards the finish that shows supreme control. This is a Margaux that seems to light up the senses. It was outstanding in its youth…something that has not changed one bit over the intervening two decades. This may well turn out to be the Left Bank pinnacle of the 1990s. Tasted July 2016.
Quaglia Fritta. Fried Quail. Scrumptious bird and batter. Some of the best fried fowl I’ve had.
1998 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. Parker 96. The 1998 Redigaffi (2,000+ bottles produced) is profound. I do not normally quote dry extract numbers, because taste is more important than the numbers. However, I could not help but notice one of the highest measured dry extract numbers I have ever seen in a wine with the 1998 Redigaffi — 39 grams per liter! Made from 100% Merlot, aged in 100% new Allier and Troncais French barrels, it is bottled without fining or filtration. An opaque purple-colored, powerful, enormously-endowed effort, it offers gorgeous black currant, plum, and blackberry fruit characteristics infused with spice box, chocolate, and vanilla. This harmonious wine oozes with extract and glycerin. Extraordinarily pure and impressive, with copious tannin nearly hidden beneath the wine’s superb richness, this beauty should be at its apogee between 2004-2020.
1999 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. Parker 99. The 250-case cuvee of 100% Merlot, the 1999 Redigaffi has an astonishing 36 grams per liter of dry extract, which exceeds most top Pomerols in a great vintage! Unfined and unfiltered, it is as close to perfection as a wine can get. The color is a deep saturated blue/purple. The powerful, pure nose offers smoke, licorice, black cherry, and blackberries. It boasts awesome concentration, a fabulously dense, viscous mid-section, and a finish that lasts for nearly a minute. This is riveting juice. Anticipated maturity: now-2015.
Homemade pasta at the ready.
Ravioli de Melanzana. Eggplant ravioli with a simple butter save sauce. Totally classic and absolutely amazing. Very simple authentic ravioli.
1990 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. 98 points. An extraordinary wine in fabulous shape. Still needs 90-120 mins in the decanter and can then be drunk over the course of 2 hours or more. Relish how every moment of it – it gets better as time passes but you need to go through all of those moments.
1996 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve. VM 90+. Good deep red. Deeper aromas of black cherry, raspberry, pepper and licorice. Broad-shouldered but very closed, showing less sweetness today than the ’96 Pignan. Red fruit flavors complicated by notes of leather, licorice and herbs. Strong acid/tannin backbone for aging. But tough going today.
2003 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. VM 98. “Now we take the monster out of his cage,” Jean-Louis warned me before pouring this. Inky, almost black in color. Elemental, hugely concentrated and powerful on the nose, which slowly unveils aromas of dark cherry liqueur, blackberry, cassis, espresso and a deep note of sweet tobacco. Impossibly rich and dense on the palate (the yields in 2003 were off by two-thirds), showing myriad dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors, with a suggestion of tapenade and an intense licorice quality. Remarkably, this takes on a mineral tone on the finish, which has the effect of further drawing out the amazingly powerful finish.
Agnello alla Legna. Wood fired lamb chop. Great tender lamb.
2009 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT. VM 96. Good full ruby. Superripe, pure aromas of blackberry, cassis, violet, minerals, milk chocolate and exotic spices. Superconcentrated, rich and seamless, offering explosive sweetness but also great verve, thanks to bright acidity that provides wonderful lift and clarity to the blackberry, blueberry and black cherry flavors. Finishes with ultra-suave tannins and a kaleidoscope of violet and Oriental spice flavors. A very great Masseto from a hot year, when I would have expected the merlot to suffer a bit. But unlike in 2003, when it wasn’t just hot but dry as well, Masseto’s unique microclimate allowed the merlot to avoid major stress in 2009. As good and refined as the Ornellaia is in 2009, I think the Masseto has an extra layer of complexity and depth.
2005 Harlan Estate. VM 95. Open-knit, sensual and perfumed, the 2005 Harlan Estate is super-expressive today. Like so many 2005s, the Harlan is a bit lacking in intensity and overall structure relative to the very best years. The 2005 is a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next 15-20 years. At some point during that arc of time, the 2005 is likely to become a bit frail, but that does not appear to be imminent. Even after thinning to a cluster per shoot, the clusters and berries were large, which required some bleeding in the tanks, a technique that is not often used at Harlan Estate. (Drink between 2017-2027)
Steaks on the grill.
Resting.
Bistecca Fiorentina. Giant slabs of rare beef. Nicely salted and bloody delicious.
Veggies at the ready.
Roasted carrots.
The chef Rocco Borgese (right) his cheffing partner and wife (left back) along with their daughter (center standing).
1986 Château d’Yquem. Parker 98. There is no other wine in the world like it, and there is no other luxury wine that can possibly justify its price as much as Yquem. The remarkable amount of painstaking labor necessary to produce the nectar known as Yquem is almost impossible to comprehend. This is a fascinating effort. With greater evidence of botrytis than the colossal 1983, but less power and alcohol, the 1986 Yquem tastes reminiscent of the 1975, only more precocious, as well as more concentrated. Several highly respected Bordeaux negociants who are Yquem enthusiasts claim the 1986 Yquem is the greatest wine produced at the property since the legendary 1937. Its enthralling bouquet of pineapples, sauteed hazelnuts, vanillin, and ripe apricots is breathtaking. Compellingly concentrated, the breadth as well as depth of flavor seemingly know no limits. This full-bodied, powerful, yet impeccably balanced Yquem should provide memorable drinking for 40-55 more years. Like the 1983, this is another winemaking tour de force. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2040. Last tasted, 4/91.
Mocha Bourbon Butterscotch Gelato — expresso infused milk, Valrhona cocoa, Knob Creek Bourbon, and a house-made Butterscotch Sauce — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #mocha #expresso #coffee #chocolate #Valrhona #butterscotch #bourbon #KnobCreek
Slightly tweaked second pass at — Almond Amaretto Truffle Gelato — Amaretto Zabaglione (egg yolk, amaretto, and sugar custard) Sicilian Almond gelato base with stacked layers of house-made Valrhona Almond Amaretti Ganache — 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 #Valrhona #almond #amaretto #amaretti #cookie #ganache #ChocolateTruffle
Tingly Passion Gelato — dairy passionfruit striped with blackberry coulis and steeped with Chengdu Street Market Szechuan Green Peppercorns — 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 #passionfruit #blackberry #coulis #SzechuanPepper #SpicySweet #passion
Banana Caramel Gelato — I hate bananas but I was convinced to make this, fresh banana base with house-made caramel — 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 #caramel #banana
NV Domaine Borgnat Ratafia de Bourgogne. Red dessert wine.
These will take the hair off your everything.
Calvados and even more crazy, chartreux — which I had never had before but is very green and interesting — herbal.
Most of the lineup. I think the dessert wines were off being consumed when I shot this.
Overall, this was an amazing dinner, arguably the best of the year so far.
First of all, the Borgese hospitality was awesome, the house lovely, and the food absolutely incredible. Best “home cooked” meal I’ve had. Maybe ever if you restrict it to chefs cooking in their own home kitchen. Just amazing. Every dish was great. Rustic but extremely delicious style. Superb homemade pastas. My gelato was darn good too :-).
Service was handled by the youngest Borgese (teen daughter) and her friend and was better than most restaurant staff. Super friendly and you can tell they do this a lot.
Wines were out of this world too. I like this kind of array of different wines covering a range of foods. I did the pairings (flighting out what we had with the menu). But everything rocked except the Aubert — I just can’t give fake chard any props. Really an embarrassment of riches.
We are heading back during the winter — can’t wait!
Restaurant: Skaf’s Lebanese Cuisine
Location: 367 N Chevy Chase Dr. Ste A, Glendale, CA 91206
Date: August 27, 2019
Cuisine: Lebanese
Rating: Awesome mezzes
Hedonist Anthony set up this particular dinner because he considers Skaf’s to be the best Lebanese in town. Now this is controversial — and the Armenian contingent at dinner doesn’t agree, but in any cases I trekked out to Glendale to check it out.
Street corner location in Downtown Browdown.
Inside is very casual. This is basically a lunch place. They did let us open our wines though.
Pickles and olives. The peppers were nice and spicy and the olives excellent. I enjoyed this dish as I kept munching on the olives.
Tabbouli. Tabbouleh is a Levantine vegetarian salad made mostly of finely chopped parsley, with tomatoes, mint, onion, bulgur, and seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Not everyone loves Tabbouli because it tastes so strongly of parsley — but I enjoy it for its cleansing and refreshing quality.
Labneh. Basically a yogurt cheese, similar to Greek yogurt. I love, love this stuff. I easily ate several of them and I love it with meat.
Hommus. A Levantine dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas or other beans, blended with tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and garlic.
Baba Ghannouj. Moutabal. Levantine appetizer of mashed cooked eggplant mixed with tahini, olive oil, possibly lemon juice, and various seasonings.
Pita Bread. Pretty standard.
Cabbage Salad. Loved this zesty salad — pretty much straight fiber to help move things down. I kept munching on it all night.
Fattoush Salad. The standard middle eastern salad. The dressing here was good, but I could do without the tomatoes or toasted pita.
Kibbeh Nayeh. Raw kibbeh is a Levantine mezze. It consists of minced raw lamb mixed with fine bulgur and spices. Kibbeh nayyeh is often served with mint leaves, olive oil, and green onions. Pita bread is used to scoop it. This is also a “more advanced” dish as it’s raw and “mushy.” I do like it a lot though, particularly with labneh!
Falafel. A deep-fried ball, or a flat or doughnut-shaped patty, made from ground chickpeas, fava beans, or both. Herbs, spices, and onion relatives are commonly added to the dough. It is an Egyptian dish as well as a very famous Middle Eastern dish, that most likely originated in Egypt. Not my favorite dish actually. I find falafel too dry and fried.
Cheese Roll. Carby, but delicious. Pretty much a cheese spring roll. The cheese inside is ricotta-like.
Kibbeh. A Levantine dish made of bulgur, minced onions, and finely ground lean beef, lamb, goat, or camel meat with Middle Eastern spices — then deep fried so it gets a crispy shell. Delicious with… you guessed it… labneh.
Maanek. Little tasty “snausages”. Lots of flavor.
Soujouk. Traditional Lebanese sausage with onions. Also lots of salty/meaty flavor. Delicious.
Frog legs with garlic. Super tasty frog leg variant. Lots of GARLIC! I have heard this called Aleppo style.
Spicy Potato. Kind of like potatoes bravos, minus the sauce.
Fried Cauliflower. Served with tahini as usual. This was in before cauliflower was in.
Hommus with Beef Shwarma. Not sure why this came so late. At an odd place in the meal.
Hommus with Chicken Shwarma. Same as above, but drier. I don’t really like chicken shwarma.
Shish Kebab (beef), Shish Tawook (chicken), and Kafta Kebab (ground beef). Garlic spread. I liked the Kafta best, particularly with the garlic paste.
Ashta. Fresh rose water flavored cream topped with bananas, strawberries, crushed pistachios and honey.
Ashta without bananas. I only ate this version as I don’t like bananas. But pretty delicious as I like the soft creaminess and the delicate rose flavor.
Mocha Bourbon Butterscotch Gelato — expresso infused milk, Valrhona cocoa, Knob Creek Bourbon, and a house-made Butterscotch Sauce — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #mocha #expresso #coffee #chocolate #Valrhona #butterscotch #bourbon #KnobCreek
Tingly Passion Gelato — passionfruit striped with blackberry coulis, steeped with Chengdu Street Market Szechuan Green Peppercorns — 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 #passionfruit #blackberry #coulis #SzechuanPepper #SpicySweet #passion
Overall, I enjoyed Skaf’s and thought that the Mezze, while fairly typical, were very fresh and delicious. But the meal was interestingly contentious. The Armenian contingent didn’t love it. I think a big part of this is that it’s not the typical kind of “clubby” place with the big tables and the hookahs. Now those are fun, and Skaf’s is totally a lunch place with like very little evening atmosphere, but it’s food is good — and tasted very fresh. It reminded me of Sunnin from the good old days when Mama used to cook there.
Also, as usual, the Mezze are way better than the mains. They don’t even have that many mains, just some kebab and shwarma. It should also be noted that Skaf’s is well executed traditional. There is nothing “new style” here like at Mizlala. All the dishes are dishes you can find at most Lebanese (or Levantine) places, just well executed.
Restaurant: Yunnan Restaurant
Location: 301 N Garfield Ave. Monterey Park, CA 91754. (626) 571-8387
Date: August 25, 2019 & October 15, 2022 & February 4, 2024
Cuisine: Chinese
Rating: Really interesting and delicious. Best cold bar in town.
I’ve been looking forward to this one, as I always love unusual regional Chinese.
It’s the usual SGV sort of frontage, including the B rating.
The huge menu.
The space is divided between a more formal back half with semi-private rooms and a more casual front.
Yunnan restaurant is well known for its extensive buffet of cold authentic Chinese appetizers.
All sorts of yummy cured and spiced meats.
Including the weird parts.
Like chicken feet.
Wood ear mushrooms, pigs ears, and some kind of fried treat.
Pickled vegetables and chicken.
Spiced tofu and garlic cucumbers.
Cold Appetizers (not so weird edition). Smashed cucumbers, pickled veggies, wood ear mushrooms, daikon, spicy chicken, and spicy beef and tendon. All of these were pretty good, especially the beef and tendon.
Cold Appetizers (weird edition). Smoked gizzard and sliced spicy pig head. These were both pretty awesome. The gizzard is salted and smoked then sliced like pastrami. The “head” has a weird but wonderful mixed texture and a fabulous chili oil flavor.
Peanuts, cucumbers, and preserved beans.
Gizzard, spicy tofu, and slice weird beef.
Spicy chicken and mushrooms.
Salted peanuts with anchovies. Better than normal peanuts.
Bean curd rice noodle. This was one of my less favorite dishes, although it was still tasty. Just soft and mild with the silken tofu.
Cold Sichuan Noodles. When mixed up these hearty noodles were quite spicy, a bit tangy, and rather delicious.
Local chicken with spicy sauce. Not a bad version of the cold spicy chicken in chilies.
Cold tofu with preserved egg. I really like this dish with the tofu tofu, pungent and salty egg with tangy sauce.
Chicken Gizzard with Wild Chili. Really delicious hot gizzard dish. Nice and tender, but with a chewy bite and lots of spicy/salty flavor.
Lamb with pickled pepper. Tasty and strong, with soft meat and lots of of flavor.
Fish with Szechuan special sauce. The classic boiled spicy fish. Hot with big chunks of fish.
Bean Curd Fish with Spicy Sauce. Very good version of this Szechuan classic.
Sichuan Fish Filet boiled with Green Chilies. This was a perfect version of this dish. The fish was soft and boneless and the broth intensely numbing and “green pepper” spicy with that semi-gelatinous fish bone thickness. Awesome.
Crispy Rice with Shrimp. The hot saucy dish was poured over the crispy rice which it slowly softens. I really liked the texture of this dish with the slightly chewy, slightly crunchy rice, the veggies and shrimp, and the light white pepper sauce.
Spicy Fried Chicken Wings. Really delicious. Juicy with a bit of numbing flavor.
Yunnan cured pork with leek and green pepper. This was an amazing dish. Salty, with tons of cured ham and leeky flavor.
Yunnan Style Pork with Leek and Red Pepper. This dish is awesome. The pork is a kind of smoked pork belly or bacon and pairs amazingly with the leeks, coating them in that night lardy flavor.
Cured Pork with Mushroom. I love this smokey pork.
Frog with Pickled Pepper. Tangy and hot. Lots of bones, but delicious.
Fried Squid with Chili Black Bean Sauce. Really nice flavor and chew.
Szechuan Special Cured Crispy Duck. Really tasty, pastrami like meat.
Yunann Style Dry Beef. Another great dish. Like a salty chipped beef. Crunchy and delicious. Some people didn’t love this dish, but I did. The beef is ultra thin, salted, and fried to crispy bacon-like texture. I really enjoyed it. It’s one of those dishes that starts off a little bland (or maybe purely salty) but grows addictive as you chew more of it.
Cumin Lamb. Nice rendition of the classic cumin lamb. Very spicey and the onions were chopped instead of sliced. This allowed them to pick up a lot of the cumin and chili sauce (not to mention the oil). Quite delicious.
Local Flavor Lamb. Just a bit different.
Sichuan Style Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables and Crepes. The “crepes” are buns that I skipped. The super fatty pork belly, however, was salty, melt in your mouth soft, and rather amazing. As usual it paired well with the “flavor” laden salted greens underneath. Great dish.
Cauliflower with Cured Pork Dry Pot.
Pea Shoots with Garlic. Perfect version of this classic Chinese green dish.
Omelet with shrimp. A solid omelet with succulent shrimp. Extra delicious with the chipped beef.
Eggs with Green Pepper and Green Onions. Pretty much a soft Chinese omelet with a bunch of green onions. Surprisingly nice. This was supposed to be eggs with Chinese chives but they ran out of chives.
Eggplant in Garlic Sauce. Fairly salt, and unusual, but great flavor.
Mao’s Style Pork in Brown Sauce. A touch sweet but quite tasty.
Sour and Spicy Cabbage. Nice and crunchy.
Key Lime Pie Gelato — base is a key lime egg custard, layered with house-made Graham Cracker and covered with house-made Torched Meringue — 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 #KeyLime #lime #custard #meringue #GrahamCracker #cookie
Citron au Courant Sorbetto – Fresh squeezed Lemons blended with French Currants (Cassis) — 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 #lemon #cassis #currents
Afterward off to Salju for a bit of sweet.
Service was very friendly at Yunnan and they recently got their liquor license and let us open our wines. But beyond that this is delicious and interesting cuisine. Quite salty, with a lot of cured meats and pickled vegetables. And they do have hands down the best cold appetizer “buffet” in the SGV. Super bargain prices too so overall a very fun and tasty place.
For my catalog of Chinese restaurant reviews in China, click here.
Restaurant: Private Chef, David Slatkin
Location: Bel Air
Date: August 23, 2019
Cuisine: American
Somehow this season I keep getting “dragged” into New World themed meals, so it’s back again to the house of my friend and wine journalist Jeff Leve for a slate of Cabernet Sauvignon featuring top wines from Sloan.
Member Jeff’s lovely backyard and features food by private chef David Slatkin.
Our host Jeff, and to his left one of the principals at Sloan.
Chef David Slatkin leans in.
2014 Sloan Asterisk. VM 93. A gorgeous second wine, the 2014 Asterisk has a lot to offer. Succulent red cherry, plum and pomegranate fruit give the wine much of its racy personality. In 2014, the Asterisk has terrific energy and brightness, with pretty floral and savory notes that add perfume. There is so much grace and class here, but readers should expect the slightly slender style that is typical of the year. (Drink between 2020-2024) Jeff Level 92. Soft, fresh, sweet and elegant, the purity in the fruit and the open, forward, refined style are the hallmarks of this wine.
2010 Sloan Asterisk. VM 91. Dark red cherry, plum, mocha, tobacco, licorice and spices flesh out in the 2010 ASTERISK. Rich, round and creamy, the Asterisk shows plenty of SLOAN ESTATE personality in a juicy, approachable style. The tannins could use another year or two to soften, but the wine’s balance is terrific. The blend is 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and drops of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. (Drink between 2014-2023) Jeff Leve 93. Purity, refinement, and elegance, with soft, silky tannins and sweet ripe fruits in a forward style that is drinking at close to peak today.
Meat and Cheese board — always yummy!
Beef tartar with crisps. A always love beef tartar.
2015 Sloan. VM 97. The 2015 Sloan is a powerful, dramatic wine endowed with tremendous textural depth. A rush of blackberry jam, grilled herbs, leather and licorice builds as this flamboyant wine shows off its alluring personality. Even with all of its obvious intensity, the 2015 possesses a good deal of freshness and structure. It is a tremendous wine by any measure. (Drink between 2022-2040) Jeff Leve 99. Deep, dark, brooding, powerful, rich, lusciously textured and packed with layers of sweet, polished, black, dark red and blue fruit. The tannins are soft and polished giving the wine the right balance between tannins, power and elegance.
2012 Sloan. VM 97. The 2012 Sloan is dark, sensual and voluptuous to the core. Soft edges and radiant, luxurious fruit add to the wine’s undeniably raciness. Absolutely impeccable, the 2012 Sloan is also a fabulous example of the year at its best. (Drink between 2020-2032) Jeff Leve 98. Deep, dark and powerful, the wine is equally round, plush and polished. Mouth-filling, sweet, multi-layered and complex, the fruit has a great sense of purity that comes through easily. If you like young Cabs, pop it now, else this will age for decades.
2009 Sloan. VM 96. The 2009 SLOAN ESTATE has fleshed out beautifully since last year. Exciting and totally voluptuous, the 2009 covers every inch of the palate with layers of mocha-infused dark fruit. The 2009 boasts striking inner perfume and sweetness, with generous plum, cinnamon, melted road tar and Christmas cake notes that wrap around the highly expressive finish. I imagine the 2009 is a vintage that will enjoy a broad window of drinkability starting pretty much upon release. The 2009 is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. SLOAN fans will note the Merlot is a little higher than normal in 2009. (Drink between 2014-2027) Jeff Leve 95. Forward, easy to drink, medium/full-bodied with an open, lush character and plenty of blackberries, espresso, fudge and smoke. The wine is soft and refined in the finish.
Delicious meaty pasta. Nice textural bite to the thick pasta.
2009 Abreu Cappella. Jeff Leve 98 Silk and velvet textures make the wine. This is such a great style. The showy, perfectly ripe fruits, soft, polished tannins, and layers of ripe, sweet, fresh and fleshy berries never quits. The fruit filled finish, with its nuances of smoke, dark cocoa, licorice and espresso hang wth you for ages. Drink this now, or wait a decade. This is a very special wine.
2012 The Debate Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard. 96 points. Dark fruit and chocolate on the nose. The palate was dark berries, red cherry, mahogany, chocolate and a hint of sage on the finish. The finish was full and lingering. A great bottle of wine So much better than the Dr Crane I had two weeks ago.
2013 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon T6 Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard. Jeff Leve 100. Just stunning in every sense of the word. Still inky dark in color, the wine is opulent, silky, sexy, lush and pure. Concentrated, balanced and energetic, the texture is polished velvet and the fruit tastes as good as it feels. It’s a knockout wine! The last time I tasted this was in 2016 and I noted it could eventually hit triple digits. Today, I no longer wonder as this is so above and beyond, it deserves 100 Pts.
Quail and mushrooms.
2007 Araujo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard. VM 95+. Good full ruby-red. Vibrant aromas of deep black raspberry, licorice and violet; quite expressive considering it was bottled about a month prior to my visit. Then dense, deep and very primary, with powerful yet suave flavors of blackberry, smoke, licorice, minerals, chocolate and earth spreading out to saturate the palate. An infant today but the wine’s superb persistence and finishing perfume suggest it will rank among the best vintages of this bottling. If there is ever a classification of Napa Valley cabernet vineyards, the Eisele Vineyard would clearly be a grand cru. Jeff Leve 94. Clearly not a wine of power, this is all about the elegant nature, soft tannins, balance, lift and vivacity. There is a purity to the fruit that shines though, along with touches of toasty oak, licorice, smoke and black fruits. This is ready for prime time drinking today.
2006 Colgin IX Estate. Jeff Leve 98. Spicy, suave, silky and intense, the fruit is perfectly ripe, sweet, fresh and pure. The wine offers that unique combination of density paired with refinement, lift, complexity and length. And this is still young, so pop a cork now to check it out, if you have a few bottles, or age it for another decade to see what happens.
2006 Harlan Estate. Jeff Leve 98. Wow! Talk about a wine with a lot going on. Initially, you discover the multiple layers of fruit. But it is the refined character, the soft, polished, silky tannins and the complexity that keeps you going back for another taste of all that ripe, deep fruit. Powerful, but elegant, this is gorgeous. Still young, it’s a nice time to start opening your bottles, but there is no hurry, as they are going to age for decades with ease.
Duck breast.
2002 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch. 96 points. Deep ruby, dark fruit, med. tannins, long finish; delicious, but out shone by the 05 Spottswoode, possibly related to a longer decant. I suspect this wine is still evolving & it needs more time or a longer decant; delicious!
2002 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Jeff Leve 97. It’s been ages since I last tasted this gem. It is hard to believe, this is almost 18 years old. The color remains dark. The fruit, which has softened over the years, continues to hold on to its youth. The oak is better integrated. But this is still about the power and layers of decadent berries, so I’d wait another few years before popping another cork.
2010 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Jeff Leve 96. Massive, powerful, concentrated and loaded to the top with layers of ripe, dark berries, jam, smoke, espresso, vanilla and licorice. Still primary, it is not ready for prime time drinking yet, as everything still needs to come together.
Beef.
2008 Sloan. VM 95. Bright medium ruby. Pure and high-pitched if reticent on the nose, offering aromas of blackberry, licorice, violet, menthol and sweet oak lifted by an element of dusty stone. Wonderfully suave, fine-grained and light on its feet, with a sexy oak element complementing the black raspberry, mineral and spice flavors. Very dense but not at all heavy, showing terrific floral energy and a light touch for this bottling, with no sign of dehydrated berries. The fruit still conveys a distinctly primary character but the wine’s verve makes it delicious already–in fact, I’m tempted to say that anyone who doesn’t love this is a spoilsport or a masochist. Wonderfully harmonious wine with the underlying spine to support a long evolution in bottle. The substantial dusty tannins show some obvious new oak. (Drink between 2018-2035) Jeff Leve 96. Ready to drink, medium/full-bodied, soft, fresh and polished. The wine serves up its smoky, blackberry, black cherry, smoke, coffee bean and chocolate essence with little effort.
2001 Sloan. VM 92. Good deep ruby-red. Ripe aromas of bitter cherry, blueberry, dark chocolate, violet and brown spices. At once ripe and dry, with good energy and firm structure leavened by a truffley sweetness and leather and tobacco leaf notes that reminded me of Bordeaux. A very nicely delineated, juicy, classically styled wine that finishes with firm tannic spine. But hardly an easy style, and in need of a bit of patience. (I much preferred this to the 2000 version, which was distinctly more leafy and peppery. With less flesh and depth, this wine’s tannins come across as a bit dry and green, in the style of the vintage.) Jeff Leve 96. Still holding on to its youth, the wine is massive, powerful, dense and intense. It is also a bit oaky, although there is more than enough ripe, sweet, dark fruits, chocolate, licorice and smoke to keep you satisfied.
2013 Sloan. VM 97. A huge, backward wine, the 2013 Sloan is deep, powerful and explosive, with huge dark fruit and tons of torrefaction, licorice and menthol notes that add gravitas. Readers will have to be patient with the 2013. All the pedigree of this great vintage is evident, but the tannins need time to soften. At times, the 2013 reminds me of the 2001. Jeff Leve 97. Smoky, with an espresso tone on top of all the layers of inky, dark black and blue fruits. Powerful, concentrated, lush and rich, the fleshy character retains freshness and purity, awarding you a long, mouthcoating finish.
Cheese plate.
Soufflé.
Homemade chocolate chip cookies.
The wine line up.
From my cellar: 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. (Drink starting 2017)
Cigars!
After the dinner proper a couple of us retired up the stairs to a lovely terrace on top of the yard and sipped our “bonus wine” (the 2002 Krug).
Great evening, even if the wines were bruisingly intense.
