agavin

Author Archive for agavin – Page 35

Crawling with an Old Friend

Feb27

The SGV (or San Gabriel Valley) of Los Angeles is not only a Chinese Food mecca (best in America) but lends itself to the peculiar but extremely fun tradition of the “food crawl” or as we sometimes call it the “SGV Parlay.” This involves heading out there and visiting multiple locations in the same day. Everything is so close together and the density is very high.

My oldest friend, Brent, and I have been eating Chinese food together for about 40 years so on this particular Sunday night (January 27, 2019) when he was in town we went out at about 4pm for the crawl.

First stop the Hunan Chili King and late Lucky Noodle King mini mall. This is a classic old school SGV mall, probably from the 70s.

Here’s HCK, the best Hunan joint I’ve been to in the state.

They were decorated for Chinese New Year.

And here’s Brent.

Hunan style cold cucumber salad with marinated cucumber, Cilantro, and chilies (everything has chilies). This was really tasty, and one of the least spicy dishes. The marinate lent it a slight cool quality. Very salty though.

Snails with preserved vegetables. This dish was amazing! Sure it’s an “advanced” dish, and incredibly spicy. Hottest dish we had that night by far. Super deep potent heap. The combo of the chewy snails and the unusual pickled green beans (with their crunch) was stunning.

This might have been our most expensive stop too. Lol.

Next over to King Kho Bo for some dried snacks like dried seasoned mushrooms and whacky New Year’s coconut strips.

Then into this weird low rent mall. Like a cheap mall in China as there are all sorts of “stores” tucked away inside this vast drop ceiling hall. Pretty ugly! And classic SGV charm (actually is fairly charming).

Speaking of charm, this guy in the parking lot drives a manga rice rocket!

Next we moved over to another (newer) minimall on Valley. I’ve eaten here at Mian, Mei Long Village, J &J, and Tasty Dining! This is in the heart of Alahambra and very dense.

Mian, where we decided to get some Szechuan on, gets a serious line. About 30 min at 7pm on Sunday for 2!

This place is much newer (2 years) and popular with the young Chinese couples on cel phones — wait, that’s all young Chinese (and other) couples.

Weird cold tea.

Slightly fermented spicy cabbage adorn the table — like Szechuan kimchee.

The awesome cold smoked plum juice — so good (too much sugar when you guzzle it though).

Egg custard with ground pork. One of those delicate fluffy egg custards covered in savory ground pork. Yum! I really enjoy the texture (and taste) of this kind of custard and with the pork was fabulous.

Beef in chili sauce. Quite spicy, dry, and nice.

Szechuan Cold Noodles.

You mix up the above cold noodles and eat. These were superlative. Nice noodle texture, good weight, and this scrumptious tangy chili sauce. Loved them. I adore when the acid balance is right and these really had it down. A bit of nuttiness, but not nearly as nutty or heavy as a dan dan — different, but great.

Then we went across the mini mall to the Foot Soak for a 1 hour Foot Massage ($20!).

This particular FM “spa” is one of my favorites because the guys on staff are strong and do a good job. There is NO GLAMOUR here. In fact, it has the oddest (not for the SGV but to the uninitiated) ambiance. The chairs are packed together almost touching and period Chinese dramas (in Chinese, of course) play on the TV. Plus, quite a number of people just hang out or sleep. The massage is good though and the price right ($20 is for a full 60 min).

Now on to our third minimall, well actually welcome to the Maxi-Mall. The California Mini-Mall’s GIANT SGV cousin.

You could spend all day in this mall, there are so many restaurants, coffee shops, bakeries, and massage places. But since we’d done two spicy spots, we figured we’d finish up with some awesome carbs. Juicy Dumpling is upstairs.

They have a glassed in dumpling workshop!

Brent pounds the hard stuff — tea!

XLB (xao lao bao) “sweet”. Also known as Juicy Pork Dumpling. Really nice version of the classic. Soft skin. Juicy. Good filling. Maybe not as good as a Din Tai Fun, but great still. They have two types here — savory and sweet. We ordered the sweet because it’s more unusual. I kinda like it, although maybe not as much as the savory.

Pork and Shrimp Dumpling. Great version of the pork and shrimp, with delicate but pronounced flavors. Like the savory pork only version but with a shrimp inside!

Giant Crabmeat Juicy Dumpling. You eat this with a straw! People said this was a gimmick, but the slurry of crab and pork inside this thing was to die for. And after you burn your tongue slurping it out you can cut it up and eat the shell like pasta.

Here with the straw — so good, just watch you don’t burn your tongue.

As our final (7th!) stop we wanted some boba tea. There were options to choose from, like Boba Ave but we went instead to:

Whacky name.

Typical young clientele.

Slick modern (industrial) decor.

They double as internet cafe and offer unusual savory treats. Brent joked that “real men” would polish off the evening with an egg and prosciutto waffle — couldn’t manage it.

Instead just got a milk boba tea (small for me).

Overall, a total blast of a night. It’s really hard to convey how fun these crawls are — which is the purpose of this post. It feels kinda like teleporting to a section of a some slightly (American) Chinese city for an evening. Everything is so close together and if you like Chinese food the density of places is off the chart. We walked by a good 15-20 other places that looked delicious, some of which I have been to, many not.

This whole adventure was probably about $120 for the both of us too, including the Foot Massage and tip. Food was probably $80. With 4 people it would be even cheaper (each) and one could try more dishes. Hard to crawl with more than about 4-6.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Chinese cuisine, crawl, dumplings, Hunan, parlay, SGV, Shanghai Cuisine, Sichuan, Szechuan, XLB

OOToro Five O

Feb25

Restaurant: OOToro [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Location: 1569 Fairway Dr, Walnut, CA 91789. (909) 598-8299

Date: January 26, 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 fifth 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.

A bit of the menu. We got the Shiki Omakase this time + maybe some tempura. It was enough, although I would still maybe prefer the even bigger one.

From my cellar: NV Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Extra Brut Extra Old. 91 points. Gentle, frothy texture. Light on its feet, but possesses a wonderful balance between freshness and aged nuance. Subtle wine, no hard edges, very refined. Perhaps lacks a little intensity, and layers of flavour in the middle, but it is completely convincing in its smooth as silk style. Great wine to start start a meal.

Cod sperm with radish and ponzu. Looks like brain and has a soft squirmy texture — but tastes great.

2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne. VM 98. The 2002 Dom Pérignon speaks to opulence and intensity. Rich, layered and voluptuous in the glass, the 2002 shows off its flamboyant personality with flair. Butter, cooked apple and tropically-leaning fruits mesh together effortlessly. Interestingly, with time in the glass the 2002 gains in freshness and energy without losing its essential opulence. The elevated ripeness of the year gives the 2002 Dom Pérignon distinctly Puligny-Montrachet leaning inflections. Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy adds that August that year was hot and very dry. Rain towards the end of the month and into early September freshened the vines and accelerated the final phase of ripening. This is yet another fabulous showing from the 2002, which continues to cement its reputation as a truly epic Dom Pérignon.

Live halibut with yuzu and wasabi. Very light but scrumptious.

2014 Maison Alex Gambal Chassagne-Montrachet. BH 89. This is also quite expressive with its aromas of resin, pear, apple and fresh citrus. There is a lovely purity to the intense and beautifully delineated middle weight flavors that possess a succulent mouth feel on the balanced finish that is also clean, dry and very solidly complex. This is more refined than usual plus it offers excellent quality for a Chassagne villages. Recommended.

Oyster and clam. Great raw shellfish duo.

Yarom and the younger chef.

2002 Domaine Henri Boillot Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières. Weird, not CT entry! Our best still white of the night.

Sashimi plate. Shima aji, toro and otoro. I forgot to photo it myself, so this is Arnie’s (mobile phone) picture. Fish itself was each one better than the next. The toro here is stunning.

Scallop and shellfish inside bamboo. Interesting new one.

2013 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. VM 94. Vivid yellow. High-pitched aromas of fresh citrus and orchard fruits, quinine, jasmine and chalky minerals, with a smoky quality emerging with aeration. Sappy and expansive on the palate, offering Meyer lemon and poached pear flavors plus a hint of anise. Alluringly sweet and broad on the finish, which clings with excellent tenacity and lingering notes of honeysuckle and chamomile. The blend of power and vivacity here is quite deft.

Hokkaido Uni on edamame tofu. Tofu was a bit interesting, uni was fabulous. They love wasabi here.

Sine Qua Non Deux Grenouilles. Not even sure of the year. Tasted like hermitage blanc.

Live lobster sashimi. He was squirming a bit. That green stuff was okra and wasabi and was incredibly potent (and delicious).

2016 E. Guigal Côtes du Rhône Rosé. VM 90. Cheap but good. Bright orange-pink. Ripe red berry and tangerine flavors and a subtle herbal flourish on the expressive nose. In a plush yet lively style, offering bitter red currant and cherry flavors braced by a spine of juicy acidity. Clings with very good tenacity on the red-fruit-dominated finish, which is given a zesty edge by a late jolt of white pepper.

Monk fish liver and seared toro and pickles. Incredibly bite. Super rich and unctuous. Plus gold and caviar for good measure.

Mountain potato tufu with ikura and wasabi. On the milder side (except for the wasabi).

From my cellar: 2001 Domaine Anne Gros Clos Vougeot Le Grand Maupertui. 94 points. Lovely strawberry, vanilla nose; ripe cherry palate with sweet tannins, tight yet; medium finish

Uni, toro tartar, avocado and truffle. Oh, this dish how I love these. A Yamakase style dish but pure goodness.

Seared beef rolled around fresh snow crab. Unique and delicious.

Yarom with the older main chef.

Kama toro. And the crazy good fatty tuna collar. The best toro ever.

Red snapper and golden eye snapper sushi. Fabulous.

Kanpachi sushi.

Fake pinot (can’t see the year or vineyard).

Uni pasta with clams or mushrooms. Amazing tiny bite of pasta. The yellow stuff around was a kind of cured fish egg like bottarga.

Lobster shabu shabu. This delicious broth was the host for dipping…

A5 wagyu. The fat then melted into the broth.

And one could dip the cooked meat into the sesame sauce.

Seafood tempura. They really make a great mixed tempura here with lobster, eel, and more.

2008 Sine Qua Non Roussanne Jinete Bajo Vin de Paille. VM 95. Deep gold. A highly aromatic, pungent bouquet of orange marmalade, apricot nectar and yellow plum, with exotic honey and spice notes. Lush and creamy in texture, with deeply concentrated, sweet pit and tropical fruit flavors and a strong note of candied citrus. There’s surprising energy and lift to the finish, which leaves juicy peach and orange notes behind. I’d serve this as a dessert, by itself. This clocks in at 11.8% alcohol, with 240 g/l of residual sugar.

Poached sweet white miamoto pear with condensed milk.

I also brought gelato I made:

Another new flavor — Orange Cinnamon Gelato — I steeped the milk with blood orange rind, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — oh my! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #NomNom #dessert #orange #cinnamon #vanilla #nutmeg

Riffing on a theme — Raspberry Passionfruit Amaro Sorbetto! — the Amaro and Passionfruit offsets the cloying sweetness of the Raspberry nicely — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #raspberry #passionfruit #amaro #cocktail #sorbet #sorbetto

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. I was tired tonight and skipped the post dinner parking lot antics.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, ootoro, SGV, Sushi, walnut california

Sauvage Spring

Feb22

Restaurant: Spring Place

Location: 9800 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. (310) 591-8884

Date: January 25, 2019

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Excellent neighborhood Italian

We Sauvages have been following chef Mirko Paderno around for a while now, from Oliverio, to Officine, to Culina, to Estrella, and now to Spring Place. The wine theme for today’s lunch is Nebbiolo (namely Barolo and Barbaresco).

This is one oddball location, a sort of business club in the heart of Beverly Hills with a restaurant. How they possibly pay the rent for this gorgeous (empty) space is beyond me.

Everything is quite modern and attractive.

We had this huge private dining area to ourselves.

2004 Bruno Paillard Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 90. The 2004 Brut Millesime Blanc de Blancs is made in a fairly rich style for Chardonnay in this vintage, with a bit more body and overall breadth than is found in most 2004 Blanc de Blancs. Pear, baked apple, apricot pit, sage, mint and butter meld together in an open-knit, expressive, poised Champagne to drink now and over the next 5-10 years.

Various breads.

Here is chef Mirko in the whites.

Our special menu, designed by Stuart.

2016 Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis. 89 points. Nice mineral driven wine. Great mouth feel.

Amuse-Bouche. Kumamoto oyster, yuzu and ponzu citrus vinaigrette & hamachi nigiri eel sauce. More Japanese than Italian, but quite tasty.

Flight 1:

From my cellar: 1978 Cantine del Castello Feudale di Montegrosso d’Asti Barbaresco Riserva Speciale. 90 points. A touch shaken up so there was a lot of sediment.

1997 Albino Rocca Barbaresco Vigneto Brich Ronchi. VM 93. Good full deep red. Superripe aromas of roasted plum, redcurrant, marzipan, grilled nuts and pungent oak spices. Dense, fleshy and seamless, with compelling depth of flavor. This wine has the sheer buffering material to handle the high percentage of new oak in which it was aged.

2001 Giorgio Pelissero Barbaresco Vanotu. VM 91. The estate’s top botling, the Barbaresco Vanotu (made from parcels in Neive and Treiso) is a superb wine with penetrating aromas of alcohol and toasted oak. It offers outstanding balance, in its round, lush personality, with a lingering note of balsamic sweetnes on the exquisite finish. Made from parcels in Neive and Treiso.

Antipasto. Beef tenderloin battuta, black truffle infused soft egg yolk, black truffle, and tonnato sauce. I mixed it all together. Very coarse texture on the beef which I liked, although it felt slightly Italian old school in that way. Lots of truffle flavor and beefiness with that umami thing from the tuna sauce.

Flight 2:

1967 Giacomo Borgogno & Figli Barolo Riserva. JG 89. The 1967 Barolo “Riserva” from Borgogno is a good, solid example of the vintage that shows the sturdy style of the house in this era. The bouquet is complex and still fairly youthful, offering up scents of cherries, licorice, road tar, herb tones, forest floor and a touch of blood orange in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and tangy, with a good core, fine focus and balance and still a touch of backend tannin perking up the long and gently autumnal finish. This is quite elegant in profile for the Borgogno wines of the sixties, and while it is not the most complex example of the fine ’67 vintage, there is a lot of pleasure to be found here.

1990 Prunotto Barolo Cannubi. 93 points. Started out nicely and evolved beautifully to the last sips. Wonderfully perfumed and complex with nascent signs of tertiary development and a light puff of silky tannin still standing guard. Lovely now, but seems poised for continued positive development. Important to stand this up a few days before drinking and pour carefully as there is quite a bit of sediment here.

1996 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Riserva Granbussia. VM 95+. Deep, full red. Great subtly sweet aromas of redcurrant, plum, spice cake, minerals, dried fruits and marzipan; a wine of compelling perfume. Extremely tightly wound and vigorous, with great sappy verve and powerful framing acidity. Fruit flavors are lifted by an exotic suggestion of orange peel. Very youthful and long, finishing with great thrust and buns of steel. A tightly coiled wine with a long future, perfectly representative of this great vintage. “This will last 30 years without any problem,” promises Aldo.

agavin: huge and amazing wine

1996 Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana. VM 93. Dark ruby-red. Classy, sappy aromas of black cherry, currant, dark chocolate, cola, tobacco and nutty oak; hints at a medicinal austerity. Silky and dense but with no loss of focus. A very concentrated, deep wine with chewy extract. Extremely long on the aftertaste. The noble tannins reach the molars.

Pasta. Maccheroncini amatriciana, smoked bacon, onion & pecorino cheese. Classic Roman dish. Pasta itself was perfect. It was a very good dish, but not quite as “porky” (and salty) as I like in amatriciana.

Flight 3:

2000 Paolo Scavino Barolo Riserva Rocche dell’Annunziata. VM 97. The 2000 Barolo Riserva Rocche dell’Annunziata is another exceptional Barolo. Impossibly fine, silky tannins support sweet red cherries, raspberries, rose petals and spices, all of which come together in the open-knit style that is typical of this great site. This, too, is another fabulous Barolo from Scavino.

2000 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Cicala. VM 92. The 2000 Barolo Cicala opens with gorgeous notes of crushed berries. It is a relatively small-scaled, lithe Cicala that shows excellent freshness all the way through to the long finish. The wine gains freshness and focus in the glass, with suggestions of menthol and pine that add lift.

2001 E. Pira & Figli (Chiara Boschis) Barolo Cannubi. VM 91. The 2001 Barolo Cannubi is a pretty wine, but despite its considerable charms, it remains heavily marked by French oak, which was 100% new in this vintage. There is plenty of intensity in the dark fruit, along with pretty suggestions of flowers, spices and mint that add complexity. Still, I can’t help wondering what the 2001 might have been like with a less overt use of French oak. A recent magnum was naturally fresher than the normal bottle. I would prefer to drink the 2001 sooner rather than later.

Risotto acquerello, black winter truffle & parmigiano reggiano. Amazing dish, best of the day. Very simple with good truffle quality.

Gratuitous Zoom!

Flight 4:

1998 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sorì Tildìn. VM 93+. Full ruby-red. Restrained but pure aromas of currant, plum, menthol and roasted meat. Supple, rich and seamless; less sweet and accessible today than the Costa Russi but already shows superb generosity of texture. Finishes with sweet, building tannins and excellent length. This may well shut down in bottle.

1998 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Sorì San Lorenzo. VM 96. The 1998 Sorì San Lorenzo is one of the most pleasant surprises in this tasting. Fresher than the 1997 – even if not as voluptuous – the 1998 captures the best qualities of the year. Smoke, tobacco, menthol, plums and black cherries are all laced together in a silky, perfumed wine that is stunning today. This is a terrific showing from the 1998.

2004 Enzo Boglietti Barolo Arione. VM 93. The 2004 Barolo Arione stands apart from Boglietti’s wines from La Morra. A powerful, sinewy wine, it captures the essence of this Serralunga vineyard in its autumn leaves, iron, licorice, tar and dark fruit. There is plenty of richness and depth here as well, but the wine possesses an additional level of brute force and thrust. This too is a beautifully expressive wine loaded with personality. As is the case with Boglietti’s other Barolos in this vintage, the Arione develops nicely in the glass. Ideally a few years of cellaring are warranted, but my impression is that some of the wine’s tannins may never melt away completely.

2004 La Spinetta (Rivetti) Barolo Vürsù Vigneto Campè. VM 93. La Spinetta’s 2004 Barolo Campè has softened nicely with time. When it was first released, I thought the 2004 might be slightly lacking in fruit, but all things considered, it has held up nicely. Today the 2004 is forward, juicy and supple, with plenty of up-front fruit and overall generosity. With air, the wine comes together nicely, as the strong French oak accent softens and the fruit emerges more fully. Attractive scents of super-ripe red cherries, mint, cinnamon and wild flowers meld effortlessly into the seamless fruit. The racy, sleek finish captures the essence of the La Spinetta house style.

Secondi. Roasted quail, cauliflower puree, eggplant caponata & natural jus. Very nice little bird.

Bonus Flight (for cheese):

2004 Paolo Scavino Barolo Carobric. VM 94. The 2004 Barolo Carobric is in a great place today where it is starting to show the first signs of aromatic complexity, yet it also clearly has plenty of upside for the future. Firm yet nicely integrated tannins give the 2004 much of its energy. Sweet tobacco, plums, underbrush, cherries and melted road tar linger on the multi-faceted finish. Carobric is a blend of fruit from Cannubi, Rocche di Castiglione and Bric del Fiasc.

The gang at the table.

Crisps for the cheese.

Nice set of cheeses including parmesan with balsamic, stilton, and a Barolo cheese.

Dessert Flight:

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 <em>cuvée</em>, but with no lack of vivacity.

Two gelatti I made myself, stacking up the BYOG count:

Food was excellent. Not perfect, but Mirko is a really really good Italian chef and it was as always, very good. Particularly the Risotto and Beef Tartar.

Setting was weird but gorgeous.

Service was very friendly but super slow. Food service suffered from at least two 35-45 extra minute insertions between courses making it a four hour lunch! This kitchen probably isn’t tuned for large special parties. And the wine service was well intentioned but kinda laughable. Emil and I had to organize and open the wines ourselves and the waiter was pouring them SO slowly the food was done before the first wine got around. Pours were uneven too. Clearly he hadn’t really done this stuff before — but he was nice and well intentioned.

Wines were excellent. Nothing really flawed and I do love good Nebbiolo.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Barbaresco, Barolo, Gelato, GYOG, Mirko Paderno, Nebbiolo, Sauvages, Spring Place

Isole e Olena il Pastaio

Feb19

Restaurant: Il Pastaio [1, 2]

Location: 400 N.Canon Drive. Bevery Hills, CA 90210. Phone: 310.205.5444

Date: January 24, 2019

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Superb

Liz Lee of Sage Society always puts on fabulous winemaker dinners. She focuses on making every element perfect from the location, food, wines and has some of the best winemakers in the world.

For Isole e Olena — one of Tuscany’s greatest producers — she selected il Pastaio, one of the many Drago restaurants. Normally, Giacomino Drago (one of the several chef brothers) helms il Pastaio — a Beverly Hills mainstay — but tonight Celestino was supervising this special dinner. Celestino and I have been friends for nearly twenty years since we met when he catered the dinner the night before our wedding!

Il Pastaio has a nice private room — or maybe it was a section of the restaurant that can be closed off for special events.

But it was decorated with illuminated trees and ceramics from Caltagirone Sicily (the Drago’s are Sicilian).

There is a cute wine room too.

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru. 92 points.

Crispy Shrimps, Fennel Marmalade. Like a little spring spring roll, but the combination with the fennel jelly was fabulous. Sweet and interesting.

Foie Gras Crostino, Caramelized Onions, Aged Balsamic. Great combination of rich foie, sweet onions, and savory crostino.

Scrambled Eggs and Truffles. Simple but perfect.

Close up of the table.

And my spot.

Liz Lee introduces our winemaking guests.

In the center is Paolo De Marchi, legendary owner and winemaker of Isole e Olena. His family originally hails from Northern Italy but in the 1950s they bought the Isole e Olena and through lots of hard work and innovation brought it to the peak of Tuscan wineries.

The lady in red is the highly selective importer.

Our special menu.

Drago bakery bread.

2016 Isole e Olena Chardonnay Collezione Privata Toscana IGT. 90 points. Very well made Chardonnay in a modern style, ripe fruit, rich but fresh, lovely complexity, lots of savoury oak, especially on the slightly resinous finish, very good length.

2012 Isole e Olena Chardonnay Collezione Privata Toscana IGT. VM 93. Another super-impressive wine, the 2012 Chardonnay Collezione Privata races across the palate with gorgeous nuance and pure texture. Apricot, white flowers, spices, butter and French oak all meld together in a Chardonnay that stands out for its texture and balance. Today, the French oak is quite evident, but that should be less of an issue over time. I have seen Isole’s Chardonnay age well in the past, and expect to see the same here. The textured, impeccable finish makes it impossible to resist a second taste. I am typically not a fan of Italian Chardonnay. This is about as good as it gets.

2011 Isole e Olena Chardonnay Collezione Privata Toscana IGT. VM 89. Almonds, butter, pastry and juicy yellow stone fruits emerge from Isole e Olena’s 2011 Chardonnay. Paolo De Marchi has done a remarkable job with this wine considering how difficult the vintage was for whites. The 2011 shows the ripeness and breadth of the year in its volume, yet all the elements are beautifully balanced. This is about as good as it gets in 2011.

Sea Food, Sea Urchin Panna Cotta. This is the second sea urchin custard I’ve had recently! There was a lot of it too, and it had that interesting sweet/rich/briny quality. The seafood was impeccable as well. Lovely dish, and actually a great pairing with the more mature Chardonnays.

2015 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico. VM 87-89. Tasted from tank just prior to bottling, the 2015 Chianti Classico is very pretty. Surprisingly medium in body, especially for the year, it is a model of total sophistication. It will be interesting to see if the 2015 gains a bit more flesh. Today, it is on the lighter side, even by the estate’s historical standards.

agavin: this is IEO’s basic Chianti. It’s a pretty blend, very much a great Italian table wine.

Scallops Saltimbocca, Cream of Forbidden Black Rice. I’ve never had the forbidden cream before! Great scallop nicely offset with the pancetta.

2016 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT. no reviews at all.

agavin: Cepparello is IEO’s “Super Tuscan” being basically a pure Sangiovese.

2015 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT. 93 points. dark red, dark ripe cherries, masculine, lovely style of Sangiovese, rich & round
2014 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT. VM 97. The 2014 Cepparello is one of the truly great wines of the vintage. Vivid and intense in all of its dimensions, it exudes purity from start to finish. Silky tannins, expressive aromatics and beautifully delineated, bright, layered Sangiovese fruit are some of the signatures. In 2014, Paolo De Marchi produced an epic Cepparello for the ages. Don’t miss it.

2013 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT. VM 96. The 2013 Cepparello is superb. Polished, silky nuanced and exceptionally beautiful, the 2013 exudes freshness and energy from start to finish. Succulent red cherry, plum, lavender and rose petal are some of the signatures. Aging in French oak shapes the wine nicely without marking it excessively. The purity of the flavors is striking. This is an especially cool, savory Cepparello built on finesse and persistence rather than power. Rain during harvest robbed the wine of some of its breadth. Otherwise, this is a striking Cepparello. I can’t wait to see how it ages.

Wagyu Beef Carpaccio, Pickle Mushrooms, Truffle Pecorino, Truffles. Fabulous Carpaccio. In fact, probably one of the best I’ve ever had. Great beefiness, olive oil, and truffle notes.

2013 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione. 95-96+ points. Tasted after the outstanding 2015 Cepparello, this also is an absolutely stunning wine. A little more restrained on the nose maybe showing dark fruit, spices, tobacco, floral notes. Lots of fruit, powerful tannins, wonderful acidity in near perfect balance on the palate. Big, dense and concentrated, but not heavy. Like Cepparello, quite elegant in fact with lots of finesse. Super persistence to the finish. Keep. 95-96+.

agavin: Gran Selezione is even pricer (and rarer) than the Cepparello and is like the ultimate Chianti. Generally Paolo blends the Sangiovese with a bit of French wine like Syrah or Cabernet depending on the year. Selection is fierce and he uses only the best sections of the vineyards meticulously sorted.

2010 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione. VM 98-99. The 2010 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione is extraordinary. A wine of pedigree and class, the 2010 boasts magnificent intensity and depth yet never comes across as heavy. The flavors are layered, nuanced and beautifully delineated in the glass. Plum, black cherry, spice, menthol and sweet spices are laced into the exquisite finish. The 2010 is a stunner today, but also has plenty of upside for the future. A reduction of time in barrel vis-a-vis the 2006 has paid off handsomely. The 2010 is going to be expensive, but it is worth every penny. Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot round out the blend.

Cavatelli Wild Boar Ragout. I couldn’t help think of how Paolo told us that he hates the cinghiale (the Tuscan white boar) because they mess with the vines — so he enjoys the revenge of eating them. This pasta was amazing, as Celestino’s hearty ragus always are. It was rich and porky. The cavatelli had that awesome thick chew.

2006 Isole e Olena Chianti Classico Gran Selezione. VM 93. Isole e Olena’s 2006 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, a wine that was originally produced for home consumption, turned out to be the drawing board for the Gran Selezione. Cherry jam, earthiness, spices, mocha, sweet herbs and French oak all meld together in the glass. The 2006 is marked by a slightly oxidative note in its aromatics it has always shown – the result of having spent three and a half years in oak. Otherwise, the 2006 is exceptional.

agavin: interesting that this was my favorite and the professional reviewers liked the younger wines.

2006 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT. VM 96. The 2006 Cepparello is a super classic wine. It brings together the best elements of the house style in its breathtaking aromatics, delineated fruit and striking overall balance. All of the elements are in the right place for the 2006 to develop into a spectacular wine. The 2006 stands apart for its nuance, depth and overall detail. Juicy red cherries, raspberries, rose petals and licorice build to the huge, dramatic finish. The 2006 is one of the all-time great Cepparellos. It bears more than a passing resemblance to the stunning 1988. The 2006 has blossomed beautifully in bottle over the last few years, and it is now clear I underestimated its potential.

2005 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT. VM 94. The 2005 Cepparello is glorious. A dark, mysterious wine, the 2005 has put on considerable weight in bottle, while the flavors have turned quite somber, with plenty of espresso, dried flowers, mocha, tar and licorice overtones woven throughout. The 2005 can be enjoyed today, but it also has more than enough stuffing to last for another 10-15 years. It is one of the real triumphs of the vintage. Specifically, the 2005 exudes a strong, assertive personality that simply can’t be denied. In 2005, proprietor Paolo De Marchi blended in a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon to add structure.

agavin: again I liked this less structured, less “big” wine.

2004 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT. VM 95. The 2004 Cepparello has fleshed out beautifully since I last tasted it. Dark raspberries, flowers, licorice and spices blossom from the glass as the wine opens up over time. When it was young the 2004 was a much more linear wine, but since then it has put on a lot of weight. Today, the 2004 comes across as a modern day 1982 because of its balance of aromatics, fruit and structure.

Rabbit Cannellone, Squash Puree. This was a novel (and very Italian) dish. The rabbit was like a pink meat filling — not unlike dumpling filling. It was rolled into the pasta and than the unusual sweet squash sauce.

2014 Isole e Olena Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione Privata Toscana IGT. 92 points. Paolo has some pure Cab and Syrah cuvees too.

2013 Isole e Olena Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione Privata Toscana IGT. VM 96. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione Privata is superb. A delicate, nuanced wine in this vintage, the Cabernet Sauvignon speaks in hushed tones. Silky tannins and highly expressive aromatics add to an impression of total finesse. In many vintages, the Cabernet can be quite big, but not in 2013. This is a brilliant showing from Isole and proprietor Paolo De Marchi.

2015 Isole e Olena Syrah Collezione Privata Toscana IGT. 92 points.

2011 Isole e Olena Syrah Collezione Privata Toscana IGT. VM 94. The 2011 Syrah Collezione Privata is a big, powerful wine. Dark cherry, smoke, plum, pipe tobacco, cedar, leather and menthol notes make a strong opening statement. Plush and deep on the palate, the 2011 is super-inviting. A dollop of Viognier rounds out the blend. This is one of the most intriguing Syrahs being made in Italy today.

Pan Roasted Lamb Loin, Eggplant, Apple Fritters. Yum, lamb.

2000 Isole e Olena Cepparello Toscana IGT. 91 points. Red berries and rose hip tea in the nose, all a bit high toned. Much personality, elegance, consistence right from the start but playing all cards only for so. with some patience: clearly best sip on day 3 from remaining small tasting glas. Good length, great robustness, sweet fruit expression. Great wine.

1998 Isole e Olena Cabernet Sauvignon Collezione Privata Toscana IGT.

1997 Isole e Olena Syrah Collezione Privata Toscana IGT. 90 points.

Wagyu New York Steak, Potato Gnocchi, Parmesan Cheese Cream, Pea Tendrils, Balsamic Sabayon. Boy was I getting full — and this was some great beef!

2008 Isole e Olena Vin Santo del Chianti Classico. Sticky!

Italian Cheeses. Liz normally doesn’t like sweets at the end of red wine meals as to not conflict with the wines but I twisted her arm and brought some of this:

Another new flavor — Orange Cinnamon Gelato — I steeped the milk with blood orange rind, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — oh my! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #NomNom #dessert #orange #cinnamon #vanilla #nutmeg

Have a few wines!

My cryptic notes.

And some glasses.

As always from Liz and Sage Society an impeccable dinner. Lovely setting, Drago food at its best (and a rare and excellent showing these days with Celistino helming the kitchen), individual labeled stems for every wine (and there were A LOT) and perfect wine service!

Plus Paolo talked and was available all night we really got an insight into the creativity and energy that has made him one of Tuscany’s best winemakers. He engaged in all sorts of experiments with various clones, sites, variants, and techniques in the vineyard, individually pressing and separating small batches of differing grapes. In this way he was able to isolate his best plots and some variations and techniques that really enabled him to push his winemaking forward.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Chef Celestino won the left and Paolo De Marchi in the middle.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Celestino Drago, Chianti, Chianti Classico, Drago, Gelato, Il Pastaio, Italian Cusine, Liz Lee, Paolo De Marchi, pasta, Sage Society, Seafood, Tuscany, Uni, Wine

Eating Mammoth – Jimmy’s

Feb15

Restaurant: Jimmy’s Taverna

Location: 248 Old Mammoth Rd, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546. (760) 934-2515

Date: January 3, 2018

Cuisine: Vaguely Greek

Rating: Nice decor, middling execution

I’ve been to Jimmy’s once before and found it middling, as it “seems” like a Greek Taverna but doesn’t really satisfy with the hearty classic food like the real versions (I’ve spent 4 summers in Greece). They do have a nice build out and friendly service, however. Plus when I had a reservation screw up (on my part) they were extremely accommodating.

The menu reads ok.

From my cellar: 2007 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Pruliers. BH 91-93. A distinctly animale note characterizes the more deeply pitched nose that is very Nuits in character with pungent earth notes suffusing the red and blue pinot fruit aromas that introduce rich, full and seductive medium plus weight flavors as the dry extract confers a velvety quality to the wonderfully complex finish that delivers outstanding length. The rounded tannins are moderately firm and this will require 8 to 10 years in the cellar first before it will really blossom. Highly recommended.

HUMMUS. chickpea, tahini, roasted garlic, lemon.

DUNGENESS CRAB STACK. mango, papaya, avocado, spicy passionfruit puree. Not bad.

Flaming cheese! (classic)

SAGANAKI. Ouzo-flamed kefalotyri cheese “Opa!”.

KING CRAB RISOTTO. saffron, asparagus, parmesan, mascarpone, blood orange broth. They don’t know how to make risotto — the texture was horrible on this, very over cooked and pasty. Now I know risotto is hard, but if you can’t do it, don’t do it.

WILD MUSHROOM RISOTTO. mascarpone, chevre, wild mushroom ragout, parmesan crisp. Same terrible texture. Maybe they aren’t using the right rice, maybe they just don’t know how to do it.

CIOPPINO ~ FISHERMAN’S STEW. shrimp, mussels, oyster, salmon, potato, tomato broth.

MOUSSAKA. ground lamb, tomato, herbs, eggplant, mushrooms, cheese sauce. The taste of this moussaka was okay, not amazing, but fine, but the portion size was a bit laughable for an entree. It’s like the size of a (small) creme brule!

Overall, I got a similar feeling from Jimmy’s that I did a couple of years ago. Build out is great (for Mammoth), service is good, and they have a nice looking menu for the most part, but they don’t executive super well on everything. I’d prefer just hearty well done classic Taverna food like at Tony’s.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Greek cuisine, Jimmy's Taverna, Mammoth, Mammoth Lakes

Quick Eats — Ippudo

Feb13

Restaurant: Ippudo Santa Monica

Location: 1403 2nd St, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Date: January 17, 2019

Cuisine: Japanese Ramen and Buns

Rating: Buns were very good, ramen decent

Ippudo is a very well hyped Japanese ramen chain moved to New York. Oddly they are owned by Panda Express (which is trying to move upmarket). They announced (and presumably signed a lease) taking over the old Taberna Arros y Vi space over two years ago!

So finally, after months of being up but not open, they finally do open. Took me a bit to get in too after all that time, but a really rainy day drove me in.

This is a weird (and overly large) space on 2nd street. And although the street is being taken over (finally) by lunch options this space has a bizarre side entrance and poor visibility. Neat brick building though.

The interior is enormous and nicely built out for a ramen joint.

They have a bit of a bar too, but not super big. They are pretty organized.

The menu is basically buns and a variety of ramen. I had to try both.

Trio of buns.

Pork Bun. Pork Belly with special BBQ sauce and mayo. This was a good one. The fatty belly meshed perfectly with the soft bready bun (and its light sugar content). The mayo just seamed it all together.

Yakiniku Bun. Sliced beef cooked in Japanese BBQ sauce and mayo. This was the weakest of the three and didn’t taste like Yakiniku at all, more like that steamed meat that is often found in udon. I’m pretty sure they don’t grill it.

Ebi Katsu Bun. Deep fried shrimp katsu with spicy chili mayo. This was pretty good though, like a fried shrimp sandwich Japanese bun style. Lot ‘o carb though.

Karaka Spicy Ramen with egg. The original Tonkotsu pork broth with an added kick, thin noodles topped with our special blend of hot spices, fragrant garlic oil, pork belly chashu, bean sprouts, kikurage mushrooms and scallions. For my first ramen here I didn’t load it up (only adding the egg). The broth had a nice flavor. It was pretty straight tonkotsu, but good. The noodles were a touch thin for my taste, but classic ramen noodles. I got them al dente and they were. The chasu was good but not a ton of it. The spicy meat and oil was actually pretty spicy and did add some nice kick. I debated asking for some vinegar to add acid, but didn’t bother.

Overall, the build out is large and very attractive. Service was great and the place is slick and clean.

I really liked the buns, particularly the pork bun. The ramen too was very good, if a touch “straight up.” After Killer Noodle, I have a hard time with any ramen that isn’t incredibly intense. For me it sets the standard by not even really being ramen, instead closer to dan dan mein.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: buns, Ippudo, Japanese cuisine, noodles, Pork bun, ramen, Santa Monica

Sauvages Chinois

Feb11

Restaurant: Chinois On Main [1, 2]

Location: 2709 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 392-9025

Date: January 11, 2019

Cuisine: Asian Fusion

Rating: Still good decades later

When I first moved to LA 25 years ago, Chinois was already a vibrant pillar of LA’s hot high end dining scene. It represented the kind of cool “fusion” of east/west cuisines that was so novel at the time, and almost never seen (by me) back on the East Coast.

The interior has been kept up, and still has that funky late 80s hip modern style. And while this is a long way from the starker more “rustic/urban” decor that is popular now, I still think it looks good.

For today’s Sauvages lunch — which is the annual Tête de cuvée Champagne lunch — we set up “next door” in the private room. I’d no idea this was even here, but it’s huge.

This is a newer Chablis producer I’m very fond of:

2012 Christophe et Fils Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu. 92 points. Medium yellow. Quite ripe fruit but a whiff of seashell behind this. Pretty plush feel-you definitely sense the wood influence. More pear and yellow apple than citrus fruit character, some spice (unusual for Chablis), late iodine and limestone, lowish acidity. The wood plus ripe fruit plus low acidity make it veer in the direction of more southerly climats, but there is just enough Chablis character to identify it as such. To be drunk over the short term, that’s for sure.

2017 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont. JG 94. The 2017 Sec bottling from the Le Mont vineyard is another gem from Domaine Huët. The bouquet is bright, pure and nascently complex, offering up scents of lemon, apple, quince, bee pollen, chalky soil tones and a topnote of spring flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and more closed in personality than the Le Haut Lieu Sec, with a bit of the backend dustiness of shutdown young Vouvray already starting to throw its weight around, but with excellent depth at the core and impressive focus. The finish is long, beautifully balanced and intensely flavored, with great energy and grip. This is dynamite wine in the making but unlike the Le Haut Lieu Sec, I would be tempted to tuck this away in the cellar right away and not drink any bottles during its first couple of years, as I have the sense that this is going to shut down quite briskly and it will be pointless to waste bottles early on, particularly given how much potential there is here for down the road! (Drink between 2028-2060)

Champagne chilling.

Today’s special menu.

Passing appetizers:

Slightly spicy/sweet toro cones. This has been a puck staple for decades and it’s still fabulous.

Same with the Jewish Pizza, which is creme fraiche and lox. Delicious!

Sweet and sour scallops. Very nice.

Wagyu with asparagus. An amped up version of the cocktail classic.

Mini crab cakes.

Flight 1:

From my cellar: 1996 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. VM 97. Taittinger’s 1996 Comtes de Champagne is another highlight. The flavors are only now beginning to show elements of complexity, a great sign for aging. Gently spiced and buttery notes suggest the 1996 is about to enter the early part of its maturity, where it is likely to stay for another decade or so.

1988 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 97. After the lackluster 1990, things get back on track quickly with the 1988 Salon, a wine that is absolutely peaking today. From one of the all-time great vintages in Champagne the 1988 Salon exudes power and explosive intensity, with superb balance and pulsating acidity that gives the wine its drive. A host of candied lemon peel, hazelnut, smoke, licorice and anise overtones meld into the super-expressive finish. Disgorged à la volée, with no dosage.

1996 Ployez-Jacquemart Champagne Liesse d’Harbonville. JG 95. The Réserve Liesse d’Harbonville is Ployez-Jacquemart’s Tête de Cuvée and it is a fantastic example of the 1996 vintage. The wine is barrel fermented four to five year-old Burgundy barrels and does not go through malolactic fermentation. It is made from a blend of seventy percent chardonnay and thirty percent red grapes, and then is aged a minimum of ten years in the cellar prior to disgorgement and release. The bouquet on the 1996 is deep, complex and truly stunning, as it soars from the glass in a blaze of apple, nutskin, tangerine, brioche, beautifully complex minerality and a topnote of citrus zest. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite intensely flavored, with a great core of fruit, refined mousse, snappy acids and great length and grip on the complex and very intense finish. A terrific bottle of bubbly that is still on its way up and should prove to be one of the reference point wines of this great Champagne vintage.

1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. BH 97. A distinctly reticent but elegant nose with a purity of expression that is truly impressive to experience as it’s relatively high-toned and while the yeast comes up with air, it’s relatively muted at presence, combining with intense, precise and superbly detailed and complex flavors that culminate in an explosive and wonderfully long finish. This may very well rival the sublime ’90 in time even if it’s not quite as concentrated. This is still a baby so there is absolutely no rush whatsoever.

Potato and leek soup with crostini topped with black caviar. Really nice rich (creamy) soup that paired perfectly with the champagnes.

Flight 2:

2002 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 96. The 2002 Cristal (Re-Release) is just as arrestingly beautiful as it has always been. Exotic, powerful and sensual, the 2002 is just starting to show all of its cards. The 2002 was magnificent when it was first released. Since then, it has only grown in breeding. In this vintage, Cristal is silky, sensual and open-knit, with enveloping fruit and striking textural resonance. It’s great to see the 2002 showing so well. I had high expectations when it was first released, and those expectations now appear to have been more than justified.

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.

2000 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses. BH 95. This is more mature than the 2001 with a beautifully layered nose of yeast, lemon rind, brioche, dried flowers and spice hints. There is excellent volume and superb intensity to the firm mousse that despite the firmness exhibits a very fine bead. This is exceptionally impressive in the mouth with the same striking complexity of the nose coupled with positively gorgeous length. A knockout that could be drunk now with pleasure or held for a few more years first; personally I would opt for the latter but either way, this is a classic Clos des Goisses.

2000 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. BH 96. A wonderfully layered and nuanced nose features an intense yeasty character to the maturing fruit that displays interesting phenolic characters, in particular petrol, along with aromas of apple, pear and soft citrus hints. In contrast to the nascent maturity expressed by the nose the flavor profile is still tight and backward with a genuinely gorgeous texture, all wrapped in a strikingly persistent and highly complex finish. For my taste the 2000 Brut is at an inflection point as the nose does offer enough maturity so that it’s really quite pretty whereas the palate impression is substantially younger. As such it really just depends on how you prefer your Champagne because I suspect that the nose will be very mature by the time the still very youthful flavors attain their majority. For my taste preferences it would be no vinous crime to begin enjoying this now but be aware that this will age for a very long time. The best approach is probably to buy 6, or even 12, bottles and enjoy them over a longer period of time.

Seared Blue Fin Tuna with fresh Santa Barbara Uni. This was an insanely delicious dish — it was all about that uni sauce.

Flight 3:

2004 Dom Perignon Champagne. VM 97. A wine of nuance, precision and understatement, the 2004 remains all grace. Time has softened some of the contours, but the flavors remain fresh and vibrant. Medium in body, the 2004 can be enjoyed now or cellared for several decades. This is a gorgeous showing from the 2004, a wine that has been captivatingly beautiful from the first time I tasted it years ago. There is something effortless about the 2004 that is hard to capture with words. The 2004 doesn’t quite have the obvious breeding of the 2008 and 2002, nor the obvious power of the 2003 or 2006, and yet it is harmonious, sublime and totally sensual.

2006 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 97. Broad, ample and resonant on the palate, the 2006 Cristal dazzles with its pure richness and volume. Readers need to give the 2006 another 4-5 years in bottle, perhaps longer, as the wine appears to be shutting down a bit. Tasted next to the 2002, today the 2006 is a bit less opulent but just as intense, layered and deep. This is a fabulous showing. 10,000 cases imported in the US.

2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. 93 points. nother great 2006 Tete’ level champagne. I’ve drank other people’s btls of this from prior vintages but this was the first plunge on my own with the 2006. Good idea! Specifically bought this with our 40th Anni in mind but was tempted by a Tait Comte & Dom P too. Said to be 60% Pinot Noir mix of Premier & Grand Crus from Montagne de Reims / Grande Vallée de la Marne along with 40% Chardonnay from Côte des Blancs. This was killer tonight and uniquely different from the more feminine Comte I often go to for special occasions. This showed tremendous power and intensity while still delivering refined elegance. The palate is a zesty, bright & driven mix of; mineral dominated citrus, trace stone fruit, spice and brioche. Racy & intense and at the same time richness and expansive fruit. And,not remotely oxidative, yea! Ultra fresh and alive. Just fantastic!

2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare. BH 91. The very fresh and nicely complex nose reflects notes of green apple, yeast, pain grillé and plenty of citrus characters. The clean, succulent and fleshy medium-bodied flavors are shaped by a moderately firm effervescence while offering good depth and length on the vaguely sweet finish that some may find more than they prefer as I did. To be sure this is a lovely wine with fine depth but I prefer a drier style.

Loup de mer wrapped in won ton skin atop sauteed vegetables in Riesling sauce. Really nice textural play with the soft fish and the crispy wonton.
Our hostess presides.

Flight 4:

2008 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame. 93 points. Pale straw color.pastry dough aromas. Notes of fresh lemons and limes with a fine minerality. Solid bead. Give this plenty of time. 92-93+ points.

2008 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée. VM 96. The 2008 Coeur de Cuvée (magnum) is positively brilliant. It is also likely to require quite a bit of time to be at its very best. Even so, the 2008 shimmers with tension, energy and polish. Lemon confit, chalk, chamomile and white flowers are all finely cut in this chiseled, super-expressive edition of the Coeur de Cuvée. The 2008 boasts incredible fruit density and structure, with distinctly mineral and graphite notes that develop in the glass. In a word: dazzling! Unfortunately, there are just 395 magnums to go around. Disgorged November 2016. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. (Drink between 2018-2028)

2008 Dom Perignon Champagne. VM 98+. The 2008 Dom Pérignon is fabulous, but quite remarkably, it was even more open when I tasted it a year ago. Bright, focused and crystalline in its precision, the 2008 is going to need a number of years before it is at its best. Lemon peel, white flowers, mint and white pepper give the 2008 its chiseled, bright profile. Several recent bottles have all been magnificent. What I admire most about the 2008 is the way it shows all the focus, translucence and energy that is such a signature of the year, and yet it is also remarkably deep and vertical. In other words, the 2008 is a Champagne that plays in three dimensions. (Drink between 2020-2058)

2009 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 96. Rich, creamy and radiant, the 2009 Cristal captures all of the natural generosity of the vintage while also retaining a good bit of freshness and aromatic intensity. Immediate and totally sensual in its allure, the 2009 will drink well with minimal cellaring. All things considered, at this stage, the 2009 comes across as relatively restrained for a wine from a warm year.

Stuart felt he needed a red:

2003 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée. VM 94. Deep red. Strikingly complex nose offers powerful scents of red berries, spicecake, cured meat and potpourri. Velvety red berry and kirsch flavors stain the palate, picking pick up candied lavender and fruitcake nuances with air. The spiciness builds on the finish, which echoes the cherry note. This wine was most noteworthy for its power in the early going (I rated it 92-94 shortly before it was bottled) but has become more graceful and now conveys a stronger impressive of pure, spicy fruit.

Braised short ribs sake soy glaze, truffle oil drizzle and potato puree. A big chunk of nice soft osso-bucco-like beef.

My cryptic notes.

Dessert

From my cellar: NV Drappier Champagne Rosé Brut Nature Dosage Zero. VM 90. Pale orange. Mineral-accented red berries and citrus fruits on the nose, complemented by hints of candied rose and white pepper. Stony and precise, offering lively strawberry and orange zest flavors that expand slowly with air. Closes spicy, stony and tight, with very good clarity and floral persistence.

A simple dessert by the house with a bit of cake, whipped cream, (boring) ice cream, and fruit sauce.

Torta di Frutta alla Mandorla Siciliana Gelato (Sicilian Fruit & Almond Tart) made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — toasted Sicilian almond base with Homemade Sicilian Marzipan Cake and Candied Sicilian Lemons & Oranges — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #almond #ToastedAlmond #Mandorla #lemon #orange #cake #AlmondCake #CandiedFruit

Blackberry Passionfruit Amaro Sorbetto! — like a frozen aperitivo — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #blackberry #passionfruit #amaro #cocktail #sorbet #sorbetto

My BYOG streak continues!

Overall, Chinois still has a sharp kitchen and great service. This was an atypical meal for Chinois in that everything was custom, nothing off the menu. It was less “fusion” or less “Chinese” than the menu food with more subdued flavors (to pair with the Champagne). But I think they did a bang up job and every dish was delicious.

The Champagnes were amazing. Not a bad bottle in the group and both the older and younger ones were delicious in their own rights.

I think the decor has aged great and is actually more unique now.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

To see all the Sauvages posts, click here.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Champagne, Chinois, Gelato, lunch, Santa Monica, Sauvages, Wolfgang Puck

Quick Eats – Heroic Deli

Feb07

Restaurant: Heroic Deli

Location: 516 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 490-0202

Date: January 10, 2018 and September 2, 2019

Cuisine: Hoagie+

Rating: Very good, if pricey, sandwich

Heroic Deli is a new entry into the Santa Monica lunch scene by Adam Fleischman (my ex biz partner) and Jeffrey Merrihue. It’s putting the modern spin on the Italian American “hoagie” concept.

They took over the old Real Food Daily / Erven space on Santa Monica Blvd.

Pretty old building — no parking at all.

Besides the sandwiches (and a few salads) they have a small but nice Italian wine list. Not that very many people are going to order wine during the day with their sub.

This is a weird space, divided into two halves, each of which has a separate loft. The build out is attractive though.

Here’s the main side loft.

In the back half (what used to be the main restaurant part at Erven) is this gorgeous table and a sort of wine bar concept. Not sure that I get it without the bar tender though. But again the decor is cool.

Hand painted Zodiac ceiling.

Zeus lightning bolt panel, etc.

Here’s Jeffrey, who like me at Ramen Roll is very hands on operationally.

The short but sweet menu.

Housemade potato chips and Italian Corn pie (corn, eggs, cream, green onions, salt & pepper).

The chips had a perfect texture, with that slightly “charred” taste that real housemade potato chips often have.

The corn pie was lightly sweet, on the borderline between sweet and savory, soft and fluffy with an interesting texture.

Eggplant Parmesan. The Heroic version is sautéed and then baked, but not breaded. It’s vegetarian and gluten free and quite excellent.

The OMG Sandwich. Imported Italian Prosciutto, capocollo, mortadella, porchetta, smoked mozzarella, artichokes, roasted tomatoes, house made giardinera, mustard, truffle mayo.

They make the bread and it was very good. Crunch, but also with good spring and not so hard/chewy that it scratched my mouth (which I hate). The sandwich was meaty, but not super meaty, with a very strong and lovely acidity from the tomatoes and giardinera (vinegar pepper sauce). It’s not huge and it is $15 which is a lot for a hoagie. It tasted great and didn’t give me heartburn (which some traditional Italians will). This is a very modern riff on the classic Italian hoagie. If you look at a world’s best “classic style” one like at Sarcone’s (Philadelphia), this has a LOT more condiment. Probably it actually tastes better too, but it isn’t as “cold cut” or “provolone” forward as the classic.

They also have fabulous Calabrian pepper paste which I was using as a dip for my potato chips. Warning, only do this if, like me, you think this looks “no big deal” (spice wise).

Batista. Fresh flash fried, summer zucchini, Italian bufala mozzarella, parsley, garlic, white wine vinegar. With added prosciutto. Also a very good sandwich. The zucchini, which I don’t even normally like, was nice and crispy with a bit of a pesto taste that married perfectly with the mozzarella and (added) prosciutto.

I also had a Scala (not pictured). Chef Barbara’s braised short ribs, sauteed peppers, smoked mozzarella, caramelized onions. Very delicious as well.

I’ll have to come back and try some of the other sandwiches — my low carb diet is just making it hard. Passing out to customers the other varieties looked good. Delicious in fact. You can tell that each is seriously crafted out of great ingredients. Now, is there a big market in Santa Monica for double price Italian slightly small subs that actually ARE better than the cheaper versions? Can that cover the high Santa Monica rent? That I don’t know. But I do know that I personally find it worth the extra few bucks for a better sandwich.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (6)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Adam Fleischman, deli meats, Heroic Deli, Italian Cu, Jeffrey Merrihue, Sandwich, Santa Monica

Eating Mammoth – Skadi

Feb06

Restaurant: Skadi

Location: 94 Berner St a, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546. (760) 914-0962

Date: January 2, 2019

Cuisine: Nordic

Rating: Excellent kitchen for Mammoth

Skadi is Mammoth’s one “hate cuisine” (by my definition) restaurant. It’s relatively recent and I’ve been meaning to go for a while.

Named for the Viking goddess of hunting and skiing, Restaurant Skadi opened on the winter solstice of 1995. The restaurant moved to its new location in the summer of 2015. The ten-table restaurant is intimate and inviting. Hand-carved Norse dragons adorn the ceiling beams. Art and photography from Northern Europe and the Eastern Sierra hang on the walls. Scandinavian light fixtures cast a warm glow over the open-kitchen.

Chef Ian Algerøen’s menu is carefully crafted to reflect his Norwegian heritage and his time working in the Swiss Alps. Featured menu items include a house-cured Gravlax, house-smoked trout, Canadian duck breast with spatzli and lingnonberries, and crispy skin salmon. The staff at Skadi is as passionate about food and wine as we are about the region. We look forward to serving you and sharing our mutual love for dining and the great outdoors.

From my cellar: 1993 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. 95 points. Perfect bottle, very golden.

The menu.

Savory Crepes layered with Wild Mushroom Duxelle & Jarlsberg Cheese. Porcini mushroom and amontilado sherry coulis.

Special lobster salad with green beans. Bright fresh flavors.

Tartar of Japanese Hamachi & Scallops with Tamaki Rice. Ponzu, wasabi aioli, furikake, sricacha and tobiko. I tasted a bit of this. Strong Japanese influences of course and interesting textures.

Smoked Red Deer Heart with Cloudberries & Spruce Salt. Brunost goat cheese and knekkebrod seed cracker. Sounds scary but it tasted great. The meat and bread were quite dry, but the unusual umami cheese and the sweet jelly really complemented.

Pan Roasted Crispy Skin Salmon with Brown Butter & Lemon. Butternut squash puree with sage, spinach, fried capers and toasted pine nuts.

Special seared tuna.

Grilled Choice New York Steak with Cafe de Paris Butter. Dauphinoise potatoes, caramelized onions and haricot vert.

Pork Belly Confit & Roast Spiced Tenderloin & Smoked Sausage. Brussel sprouts, ciponlini onion, fingerling potato and cinnamon peach puree. Nice mix of flavors, particularly the tender confit and the very flavorful sausage.

Canadian Duck Breast with Arctic Lingonberries, Juniper & Aquavit. Spatli, haricot vert and rodkal.

The dessert menu.

Gateau Financier with Lychee Sorbet. Compressed Pineapple and Coconut meringues. Deconstructed, but nice flavors.

Tasting of Skadi’s Chocolate Desserts. Gateau Opera, wild honey dark chocolate mousse and chocolate meringues.

Frozen Caramelized Macadamia Nut & Vanilla Parfait. Dark Chocolate Sorbet, bittersweet chocolate & caramel. Basically a semifreddo, and I do love those.

Petite fours. In Mammoth!

Overall, we had a very nice time at Skadi. It was quiet, even during this busy weeks when lousy places like Campo have 3 hour waits — Mammoth folk don’t know fine dining. The service was comfortable and very friendly. I liked the food. It was interesting and Nordic. It might even be good enough to compete in LA — not that it would be pushing out Bestia or anything, but it was solid and had a distinct style. Most stuff in Mammoth is just lousy except as measured against the most casual pub fare.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Ian Algerøen, Mammoth Lakes, Nordic Cuisine, Skadi

Takao Reprise

Feb04

Restaurant: Takao [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Location: 11656 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049. (310) 207-8636

Date: December 27, 2018

Cuisine: Japanese / Sushi

Rating: 8/10 creative “new style” sushi

I’ve already covered Takao in some detail HERE and then separately here, here, and here, but we went back (we go often). The full menu and some information on the history of the place can be found through the first link. However, I haven’t written it up in a while so I thought we’d take another look.

This particular meal is another take on the medium sized omakase, which is a very good deal (in a relative high-end sushi kind of way).

From my cellar: 2010 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc. VM 93+. Bright yellow. Gingery peach, toast, crushed stone and smoky minerality on the slightly reduced nose. Rich, sweet and plush, with a touch of spice to the ripe, smoky stone fruit flavors. Boasts an almost glyceral sweetness today, but this very young wine needs time in bottle to lose some of its baby fat. Philippe Drouhin notes that this wine always gets reductive during elevage and that this quality takes at least a year in bottle to dissipate. He likes Clos des Mouches old, pointing out that the 2004 and 2002 bottlings are still young. But then Drouhin admits that he generally prefers older wines because he dislikes the aromas and flavors of new oak.

We start off with abalone, monkfish liver, and sweet shrimp with caviar.

Three kinds of live octopus sashimi.

New Style Tai Sashimi with truffles.

Toro and uni.

Mushroom and fish egg custard. Traditional Japanese egg custard with mushrooms and fish. Like creme brulee without the crust or the sugar and with fish!

Pan fried crab cake with aioli.

Grilled mackerel.

Pan seared wagyu.

Sushi — I would have eaten 5 plates.

Clam miso.

Coffee jelly with fruit and ice cream.

Another intensely satisfying Japanese meal down the gullet. As you see, we keep going back to Takao and while the style remains the same, the ingredients mix it up substantially each time. I would have liked a tempura course tonight. Solid place. More reviews here: [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6].

For more LA area sushi, see here.

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Brentwood, Japanese cuisine, Omakase, Sashimi, Sushi, Takao

8 (Million) Ways to BBQ in LA

Feb01

Restaurant: 8 BBQ

Location: 863 S Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90005. (213) 365-1750

Date: December 24, 2018 & March 17, 2019

Cuisine: Korean Pork BBQ

Rating: Tasty Stuff

Christmas Eve (and day) are great excuses to go eat Asian food because — l it’s just tradition — and they’re open.

I was sorta hankering for SGV Chinese but Yarom wanted to keep it “local” and head to KTown.

The debate as to which place to grace with our rambunctiousness eventually settled on 8 BBQ — which was good by me because I’d never been and it was on my list.

8 BBQ, which used to have some other name, is a KBBQ place that specializes in pork belly BBQ — specifically 8 different flavored variants!

It was packed (we had to wait a bit) and was equipped with the usual Korean ventilation.

The table was preset with banchan and these interesting looking perched grills — which struct me as a burn/spill waiting to happen.

The banchan parade included spicy pickled bamboo or radish (hard to tell).

Noodle salad.

This awesome spiced cold tofu.

These pickles.

And this incredibly addictive but simple salad — Yarom and I ate two bowls of it ourselves (there was another bowl on the other side of the table and like most banchan it was “infinite refills”).

Pineapple on the grill?

Oh, and these marinated daikon are less for munching but for wrapping meat in.

We ordered combo A to start which included 8 flavors of pork belly, seafood soybean stew, banchan, salad, and mozzarella kimchi fried rice on 12/24/19. On 3/17/19 we ordered combo A and a beef combo.

And they immediately start grilling up an infinite supply of kimchee and spicy bean sprouts.

This is the seafood soybean stew, which was pretty tasty — although it’s always hard to eat those crab claws.

I think some kimchee went in here to “spice it up.”

A different kind of kimchee soup — no seafood.

Here is the 8 ways of pork belly. From left to right: wine, original, black sesame, garlic, herb, curry, miso, and red pepper paste.

They start grilling up the first 4. Look like bacon — I wonder why?

And a bit like fish when half cooked.

Then it gets cut up. The waiter does most of the grilling. Of this set, I probably liked sesame and garlic best. Wine was kinda weird.

The second set starting off.

And done. This whole set was really yummy. Loved curry, miso, and red pepper.

Then we ordered some steak’ums — I mean Prime Beef Brisket.

Grilling. They keep replacing the kimche etc.

Finished beef. Nice, but not a TON of flavor.

Prime Korean Style Boneless Rib.

On the grill. This was meatier with a good steaky flavor.

Marinated Galbi Bulgogi.

On the grill. This was my favorite beef as the marinate gave it a ton of sweet/soy flavor.

A chunk of the beef plate.

Grilling.

The whole rib eye.

Grilling

And cut. Super juicy. Delicious. We ordered 2!

Thick cut pork belly.

Grills up nice and juicy.

Starting our mozzarella kimchi fried rice by throwing some of the already grilled kimchee in the pot.

Then here is the rice, seaweed, greens.

That goes in too.

And the mozzarella on top.

I snapped a picture of it all melted and while it’s hard to see the cheese it was insanely good. I always like kimchee fried rice but the mozzarella really takes it up a bunch of notches.

I convinced people to try this Spicy Buckwheat Noodle and it was also insanely good. The slippery noodles had great texture and there was a good bit of kick and a really nice tangy/spicy vibe to the sauce.

There was some vinegar and Korean mustard in case you wanted to have even more tang and (mustardy) spice.

Here are the noodles all mixed up.

Then we ordered the secret “9th pork belly” the Bulgogi style marinate.

On the grill. This was a great pork too as it had that signature Korean sweet/soy thing going on.

And to finish a steamed egg which was soft and pleasant.

On 12/24/19 I wasn’t drinking this evening and there were only 5 of us be here were the wines:

Piggy!

Overall, I was really impressed with 8 BBQ. The menu isn’t gigantic but it has just enough variety to make a really interesting meal and the food quality and taste was really good. You wouldn’t go every week because there isn’t a ton of variance here, but I’ll certainly be back as it was really delicious. Pretty “low carb” friendly too (except for the fried rice and noodles).

Afterward we wandered out into the cool misty Christmas Eve night in sear of Boba Tea — brining us to the Kung Fu Tea House!

Amusing snacks.

And the usual assortment of bobas and slushies.

A constant stream of old kung fu movies were playing on the TV!

Weird shrimp and squid chips.

And our quintet of teas. I got a passionfruit slush (40% sugar) with a bunch of bobas and jellies. They have a lot of jelly options here. Awesome night!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: 8 BBQ, bbq, boba, Christmas Eve, hedonists, Korean BBQ, Korean cuisine, Korean food, Ktown, Pork Belly, spicy, Tea

Sebi Mastro’s 2018

Jan30

Restaurant: Mastro’s [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Location: 246 North Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, Ca 90210. 310-888-8782

Date: December 23, 2018

Cuisine: Steak House

Rating: My favorite LA Steak joint

For the third year (sort of) in a row, my friend Sebastian picked Mastros for his birthday dinner — no complaints here — so we all hauled out the wines and headed across town.

We setup in the luxurious Penthouse!

Chevy even printed up a flyer.

Wine service tonight was extra good — way better than on some previous visits.

From my cellar: 2007 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. VM 96. Taittinger’s 2007 Comtes de Champagne will be nearly impossible to resist upon release. Soaring aromatics, mid-weight structure and soft contours give the 2007 its alluring personality. Lemon oil, white flowers, mint, chamomile and green pear add brightness and freshness throughout, with a persistent, clean finish that makes it impossible to resist a second taste. Today, the 2007 comes across as a slightly more open version of the 2004, with freshness that makes that wine so appealing, and a touch of textural richness that recalls the 2002. Although the 2007 does not have the explosive energy or verticality of the profound 2006, it will drink better earlier. The 2007 has been positively brilliant on the three occasions I have tasted it so far.

Pretzel bread — gotta love it.

From my cellar: NV Philipponnat Champagne Royale Réserve Rosé Brut. BH 92. A moderately fruity nose reflects notes of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, yeast and a subtle citrus nuance. There is a really lovely sense of energy to the delicious, round and nicely voluminous flavors that are shaped by a moderately fine effervescence that carries over to a lingering and solidly complex finish that is drier than the 9 g/L of dosage would suggest. One of the aspects that I particularly like here is that unlike many examples of rosé that tend to be prettier than they are deep, there has very good depth. Like the Royale Réserve, this could easily be held for further aging but it is so attractive now that there is no particular reason to do so. This bottle was unfortunately a touch corked.

Beef Carpaccio with capers, arugula, and parmesan. Awesome and a bit lighter.

2009 Dom Perignon Champagne. VM 94+. The 2009 Dom Pérignon is open, seductive and radiant, as it has always been. Soft curves, mid-weight structure and tons of plain allure make the 2009 impossible to resist in its youth. This bottle, the best I have tasted so far, offers a distinc citrus and floral-driven profile that adds a good deal of brightness. Above all else, the 2009 is a gorgeous Champagne to drink now and over then next few decades. This is the first time in the house’s history that a vintage was not released sequentially.

A seafood tower. The quality of the seafood here is impeccable and the only thing we had to complain about was that there wasn’t enough! Really for five we would have expected the two or three story version Still there were amazing shrimp, claws, king crab (didn’t taste frozen), and oysters. We should have gotten the Dungeness chunks — this year our tower was a bit skimpy.

Zoom in on the tower.

Mustard, cocktail sauce, atomic horseradish.

From my cellar: 2001 Gros Frère et Sœur Richebourg. VM 92. Good full red. Superripe but sappy aromas of red cherry, sassafras and bitter chocolate. Penetrating and highly aromatic in the mouth, with raspberry, spice, mineral and floral flavors. At once dense and pretty, finishing with firm-edged tannins, lively acidity and an explosion of sappy red fruits and minerals.

Bone marrow and toast — have a bit of fat! Actually not my favorite as I don’t love the texture of bone marrow straight up.

Foie Gras. Awesome as you would expect!

Escargot and pastry. One of my favorites of the aps.

I can never read the vintages on these fake pinots.

Beef tartar.

Chevy likes a “fry course.”

With peppercorn and Béarnaise sauce.

1999 Château Mouton Rothschild. VM 90. Full medium ruby. Currant, meat, mocha and grilled nuts on the nose. Lush, sweet and smooth, with just enough vinosity to maintain its balance. A vin de plaisir whose lovely fruit and sweet, harmonious tannins make it very easy to taste today (the chateau carried out a gentler, shorter extraction in ’99). But doesn’t have quite the length or grip of a top year.

1999 Château Margaux. VM 93. Medium ruby. Expressive aromas of black raspberry, Cuban tobacco and grilled nuts; a bit more red fruit in character than either the 2000 or the 2001. Silky, seamless and enveloping, but the wine’s excellent vinosity gives its creamy fruit very good definition. Consistent from start to finish. Tannins are substantial but fine, allowing the fruit and floral flavors to linger impressively. Along with Latour, an early candidate for the wine of the vintage.

Wagyu tomahawk steak.

Bone in rib eye. Awesome piece of beef, but theoretically about the same cut as the tomahawk.

Steamed broccoli for Seb.

Lobster mashed potatoes. Lots of lobster this time.

1999 Château Mouton Rothschild. VM 90. Full medium ruby. Currant, meat, mocha and grilled nuts on the nose. Lush, sweet and smooth, with just enough vinosity to maintain its balance. A vin de plaisir whose lovely fruit and sweet, harmonious tannins make it very easy to taste today (the chateau carried out a gentler, shorter extraction in ’99). But doesn’t have quite the length or grip of a top year.

1990 Château Mouton Rothschild. VM 94. Bright red with a pale rim. Knockout nose of aromatic herbs, strawberry, sweet spices and acacia flower; yet another wine strongly marked by its cabernet franc presence. Fresh and vibrant, this absolutely dances on the palate with strawberry, sour red cherry and raspberry flavors complicated by gunflint and herbs. High acidity provides great clarity and cut to the long, floral, smoothly tannic finish. This has improved considerably with bottle age. Harvested from September 18 through October 3, this Mouton offers amazing balance and fragrance. In 1990 Mouton was still using a heavy toast for its barriques, which resulted in a smoky quality in the wines that was considered by many to be just as typical of Mouton as its opulence. “But we began turning things back in 1993, as we saw that our 1992 was a little unbalanced from the use of heavily toasted barrels,” said Tourbier remarks.

2003 Château Mouton Rothschild. VM 95. A heady, exotic wine, the 2003 Mouton Rothschild takes hold of all the senses. The ripeness and exuberance of the year comes through in spades as this dramatic, opulent wine shows off its radiant personality. The 2003 can be enjoyed now, but it could also use another few years for the tannins to soften. Still, the 2003 is pretty hard to resist today. This is an exceptional, deeply satisfying Mouton endowed with notable richness but also exceptional balance. Hints of toffee, torrefaction and dark spices are laced into the finish. In 2003 the blend is 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, all brought in between a fairly narrow window of ten days between September 15 and 25.

Lamb chops.

And even better, the evil “king crab truffle gnocchi.” Yes that’s right. Cream, cheese, truffles, crab, potato. What could be better?

Zoom!

Sautéed mushrooms (type 1).

Sautéed mushrooms (type 2).

Larry brought: 1976 Domaine de Caplane.

Compared to regular nocciola this is like a 6ft vertical flame monster vs a Ferrari F1 — it’s Caramel Toffee Chocolate Pretzel Hazelnut Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Hazelnuts from Torino Italy, layered with homemade toffee Valrhona chocolate pretzels and homemade caramel — oh my #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #Caramel #Valrhona #hazelnut #nocciola #pretzel #ChocolatePretzel #toffee

Blueberry Blackberry Cheesecake Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — blackberry/blueberry cream-cheese base with get this: homemade graham cracker frozen butter — oh my #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #blackberry #blueberry #cheesecake #GrahamCracker #creamcheese

Plated (by me).

The all important Butter Cake. This is “Mastro’s signature warm butter cake ala mode.” Basically a pound cake with an extra four sticks of butter or something. It’s really sweet and really good. Goes well with the magic whipped cream (see below).

With berries.

The full wine lineup.

Chevy and Mary.

Michelle and Seb.

Mastro’s, while a zoo, and expensive, is a spectacular steak house experience. You can really feel your heart palpitating as you roll out of here!

Overall, another perfect steakhouse birthday!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: birthday, BYOG, Gelato, Mastros, sebastian, Steak, Wine

Goodbye Valentino

Jan28

Restaurant: Valentino Santa Monica [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

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

Date: December 14, 2018

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: My last meal here!

It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of the venerable and classic Valentino in Santa Monica. It’s been around for nearly 40 years and was at one time (in the 90s) the best Italian Restaurant in LA, if not the country, being one of the first American Italian places to offer extremely Italian, highly refined, ingredient focused food. Now it’s been a bit long in the tooth for some time now, and the cheffing not what it once was, but I’ve been there for so many wine dinners it’s like a second home.

So for our final Sauvages lunch of the year — oddly Bordeaux themed rather than Italian — we celebrate the legacy of the grand dame of LA Italian Fine dining.

Starting with some Champagnes.

There were so many wines this afternoon that I’m feeling too lazy to write them all up.

Now the passed appetizers:

Crocchette of polenta stuffed with egg and cheese?

Crostini with burrata.

Shrimp wrapped in bacon.

Arancini cheese balls.

Pizza Bianca.

Decorated for the holidays.

Or special menu today.

Whole Calamari Stuffed with Lobster and Braised in Light Tomato Broth and Oregano. I didn’t love this dish. A touch fishy.

I Tortini Gemelli di Melanzana e Fungi. Twin flans of eggplant and wild mushroom. These I liked because I’m partial to the soft baked texture of flans.

Spaghetti al Cipollotto with pancetta, mild onions, cherry tomatoes, parmesan & buffalo blue. Nice pasta. I always love some good pancetta with my pasta.
Duet of Stuffed Rabbit and Quail. Very meaty.

I forgot to take the picture of their dessert which was Budino alla Vaniglia e Croccante and Italian Praline-Caramel Pudding. My gelato (below) was plated next to it and was better, of course :-).

Excellent dessert wine.

The holiday flavors continue — Traditional Cassata di Siciliana Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Sicilian Christmas cake as a gelato, with a ricotta almond base mixed with candied fruit and dark Valrhona chocolate chunks — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #Cassata #Valrhona #CandiedFruit #fruit #chocolate #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese CassataSiciliana

The holiday flavors continue — Eggnog Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — pure traditional eggnog made as a gelato with a real rum/sugar/egg zabaglione core — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #eggnog #rum #nutmeg #cinnamon #egg #zabaglione

Macchiato.

The filled room.

The afternoon served as a sort of parting function for owner, host and restaurant luminary Piero Selvaggio — and somewhat by coincidence Wolfgang Puck was there and joined in.

Everyone cheers Stuart on as he toasts his friend Piero.

The whole lineup of Bordeaux.

There was a ladies table at this event. Kinda a bit funny with its own wines, and they ordered off the menu rather than having or set lunch.

Piero and Wolfgang taste and drink.

Service was great as always, as Valentino really takes care of us — we are, after all friends of the owner, some for many many years. Sommlier/wine director Paul was in the house and handled all the wines to perfection.

The food itself was fairly typical of recent Valentino set menus with some nice dishes and a few more ho-hum ones. Piero is such a fine host that I really wish he had kept both the food and decor a bit more up to date. Spago has actually done a much better job of this and is still quite busy (and expensive).

To see more Sauvages lunches, click here.

Below is the long parade of Bordeaux. There were some seriously excellent wines in the bunch including the 1990 Margaux and 1982 Haut Brion!

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Bordeaux, BYOG, Dessert, Gelato, lunch, Piero Selvaggio, Santa Monica, Sauvages, Valentino, Wine

Molto Miro

Jan25

Restaurant: Miro

Location: 888 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90017. (213) 988-8880

Date: December 13, 2018

Cuisine: Contemporary American Italian (not fully Italian)

Rating: Not super Italian. Some dishes great, some just good

After the Dama dinner, most of us in attendance decided to visit Sandi on her home turf (she’s the head sommelier at Miro).

Bracing the traffic, Erick and ventured downtown.

It’s a short building on a taller block…

But inside has a very attractive, if loud and cold, build out and a whisky bar downstairs.

The menu is sort of Italian — or Contemporary American Italian. It doesn’t feel like an Italian owned place and there are numerous dishes that have no analogue on the boot.

Before Sandi could enjoy herself she had lots of work taking care of all the bottles!

2012 Domaine Michel Voarick Corton-Charlemagne. 89 points. I’ve never heard of this CC producer! Most of these notes were by Peter at this dinner. Darker gold; muted nose, slight walnut, hazelnut, touch caramel, not pre-mox but seemed to have poor storage and prematurely aged aspect; pretty high acid, decent, but should have more going on IMHO.

Bonus from my cellar: 2011 Villa Diamante Fiano di Avellino Vigna della Congregazione. 92 points. Darker gold, almond color; Earthy note, walnut, almond nuttiness with sour fruit, ample bod, long, good acidity, slight bitter finish; really cool, good age now, excellent with a variety of the Italian dishes, esp. the grilled octupus.

2002 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Luchets. RJ 92. Slightly dark, in good shape premox wise but had a band-aidy rubber reduction thing going on that was distracting. good medium mouthfeel, acidity, but didn’t excite.

ROASTED BEET SALAD. avocado, castelvetrano olives, orange segments, sumac vinaigrette, pistachio crumble. Good salad with a nice crunch.

CAPRESE SALAD. heirloom tomato, basil, mozzarella, balsamic reduction, olive oil. Not my thing as I don’t love (raw) tomatoes.

GRILLED PEACH. burrata, prosciutto, basil, honey.

WOOD-GRILLED OCTOPUS. chorizo, fingerling potatoes, pickled tomato, achiote paste. Really tasty but surprisingly VERY spicy (and I love spicy but it killed the wines except the fiano).

From my cellar: 1998 Gaja Barbaresco. 93 points. Dark ruby-purple, good depth of color for this age especially; blackberry and savory notes, showing a little brown sauce age, oak showing a bit compared to the Mascarello ’08; rich, softer tannins starting to resolve, more of a Brunello character to me, or even a Cali Pinot with a rich mouth, oak, and sauce thing. Not too complex, better with meats than pasta. Preferred the Mascarello for its elegance. Showing a little age, in a good place now, will hold for a long while.

2008 Giuseppe E Figlio Mascarello Barolo Monprivato. 93 points. Red cherry, dried cherry, lightly savory, elegant, just ripe, tannins starting to resolve, in a really good place, even if quite young. My WOTN, classy, pure, true.

SQUID INK CORZETTI. lobster, tarragon, cherry tomato, saffron. Very interesting shape, texture and color.

HAND-CUT SPAGHETTI. pork bolognese, gremolata, parmesan. Nice meaty bolognese.

UNI TAGLIATELLE. sun-dried tomato, braised leeks, gremolata, lemon. I thought I’d like this more than I did — not bad, but I expected to love it.

1999 Clos Erasmus Priorat. 93 points. Good dark purple, cloudy; rubbery aspect, reduction with age? 75 % Grenache but quite dark in character (5% CS and 20% Syrah), still a little Black cherry syrup thing going on, tannic still, a bit one dimensional, I little off on this bottle.

2011 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. Vinuous 95+. Nice dark berries with a hint of red cherry, some good lift, good balance, the youngest red of the night and pretty refreshing actually, oak showing up front but not obnoxious, good softer mouthfeel, balanced, delish, good with meats.

LASAGNA. pork Bolognese, spinach egg noodles, béchamel, fontina, parmesan. VERY GOOD classic lasagna. Lots of strong red sauce flavor.

1994 Dominus Estate. 95 points. Great dark berry notes, dried cassis, tootsie rool; cool complex stuff going on, tannins almost all resolved, really good right now, won’t get better, drink up, why wait. Actually worked with Uni pasta as I found older Bordeaux seems to as well. But the Fiano was best with the uni.

2004 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard. 89 points. This had a strange rubber thing going on as seemed to be the case with a couple other wines tonight as well; just wasn’t firing on all cylinders.

TRUFFLE MUSHROOM. fontina, mozzarella, artichoke, green olive, avocado, chives. Did not particularly like at all. Weird.

SPICY ITALIAN SAUSAGE. fontina, mozzarella, Calabrian chili, pickled onion, oregano. I expected to like this but the dough was all wrong. Ruined both pizzas.

2002 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Spottswoode Estate Vineyard. 93 points. Earthy, dark leather, underbrush serious cab, still in its youth, structured, cigar tobacco, feeling quite youthful.

2007 Larkmead Vineyards LMV Salon. 92 points. Good Bordeaux blend softness to this as opposed to the more structured Spottswood Cab, and seemd a little more aged maybe b/c of this, despite the fact it was 5 years younger! nice, smooth, good cab blend, with the prime rib-eye.

BRAISED BEEF SHORTRIBS. wild rice pilaf, roasted young carrots, natural jus. A touch dry.

16oz. PRIME RIBEYE. roasted asparagus & rainbow carrots, pickled cherry tomatoes, garlic potato puree.

PISTACHIO CRUSTED LAMB CHOPS. grilled shishito, sweet corn, gremolata. These were very good.

Fries were just ok.

The first of many large batch holiday flavors — Peppermint Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — peppermint candy base laced with peppermint bark! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #peppermint #candy #holiday #winter

Overall we had a great time at Miro. We had the private room to ourselves — thank the big guy as the main room was so concrete clad and loud. Sandi did a great job taking care of us and service was excellent — particularly the wine service. And speaking of wine, we had a wide selection of really nice juice tonight.

Food had me slightly perplexed. The place is like part Italian / part steak house. The pizzas weren’t good at all, but most of the pastas were solid, some like the ragu and lasagna excellent. The apps were generally good too and the mains not really Italian at all, and not so much my personal style, but certainly tasty enough.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, DTLA, Gelato, hedonists, Italian Cusine, Miro, Sandi, Wine

Rooftop Umeda

Jan23

Restaurant: Umeda

Location: 6623 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 965-8010

Date: December 12, 2018

Cuisine: Modern Japanese

Rating: Pretty good Matsuhisa style Japanese

Tonight’s dinner is an interesting mash up gang containing about half people from the old Foodie Club dinners of the 2015-2016 time frame (helmed tonight by Walker) and a whole bunch of Will’s friends (previously unknown to me but very cool).

For me this was the start of a bruising 5 night out holiday run.

It takes place at Umeda, a modern Japanese restaurant. But firstly…
Walker is also friendly with the building owner and designer and so we went upstairs before the meal to his private rooftop deck.

A rather awesome little Hollywood lookout.

Chef Takuya Umeda who started his culinary career in Sapporo, Japan in a sushi restaurant between 1981 to 1987. He fell in love with the art of sushi. With his heart and passion set on becoming the best sushi chef, he started working in London at Saga Japanese Restaurant between 1987 to 1995.

Clean light wood interiors.

The kitchen is very organized.

The wine theme was Champagne!

2007 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée. VM 95. Interestingly, the 2007 Coeur de Cuvée comes across as a bit more youthful than the 2008 tasted alongside it. Another year in bottle seems to have only brought out the wine’s freshness and energy. Freshly cut flowers, pears, mint and almonds are some of the signatures, but it is the wine’s vivacity that I find most striking today. The 2007 is a bit less creamy and multi-dimensional than the 2008, but it is impressive just the same.

1969 Perrier-Jouët Champagne Réserve Cuvée Rosé!

Oyster with caviar and miso sauce. A touch sweet, but great.

1995 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 96. The 1995 Cristal (Late Disgorged) is fascinating to taste, as it is quite different in style from the original release. Because of the extra three years or so on the lees, the 1995 Cristal (Late Disgorged) has picked up a reductive note that is not typical of Cristal. Scents of lime, crushed rock, lemon and slate gradually open up in the glass. The 1995 remains taut and chiseled, with crystalline purity and exceptional overall balance. The wine feels wonderfully alive as it tempts all of the senses with its compelling personality. This is a superb showing from Roederer.

2006 Dom Perignon Champagne. VM 96. Powerful, dense and tightly wound, the 2006 Dom Pérignon is fabulous today. To be sure, the 2006 is a broad, virile Champagne, but I find it compelling because of its phenolic depth and overall intensity. Chef de Caves Richard Geoffroy adds that August was quite cold and wet, and that ripening only happened at the very end of the growing season. Although numbers alone can never explain a wine, I find it interesting that the 2006 has more phenolics than the 2003. Readers will have to be patient, as the 2006 is easily the most reticent Dom Pérignon in the years spanning 2002 and 2009. I am confident the 2006 will have its day, but in its youth, it is not especially charming or easy to drink.

A first little round of sushi:

White fish (maybe snapper) with shiso, toro, uni, mackerel, and hand pickled ginger.

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.

The next round was Nobu style sashimi (I think the chef worked for Nobu at some point, maybe at Matsuhisa).

New Style Salmon Sashimi. With olive oil, sesame, chives. This dish (popularized by Nobu) hides the fish, but it is tasty.

Oyster with ponzu. Love these.

Snapper with garlic.

2006 Ruinart Champagne Dom Ruinart Blanc de Blancs. VM 96+. One of the highlights among this year’s new tête de cuvée releases, 2006 the Brut Blanc de Blancs Dom Ruinart is a powerful, almost tannic Champagne built on structure and intensity. Then again, much of the Chardonnay here comes from the Montagne de Reims, where wines tend to naturally be quite broad. Even though it’s now ten years old, the 2006 is much less expressive than either the 2002 or 2004 at a similar stage. I expect it will be quite a few years before the 2006 is truly ready to drink. Over the years I have been fortunate to taste Dom Ruinart back to the 1970s, and while I don’t think the 2006 will need decades to be at its best, it certainly does look like a long distance runner. There is plenty of citrus and floral driven intensity, although the bouquet is less toasty and open than it often is. In short, the 2006 Dom Ruinart is a wine for those who can be patient. It will be a fine investment for those looking for a wine to cellar to commemorate special occasions. Lot L AJSXAC.

More sushi.

Kanpachi (probably) with chili, a silver skinned fish, eel, and ikura (salmon roe).

2011 Pessac-Léognan de Chevalier Blanc. 90 points.

More sashimi, often called taradito in this context owing to its Peruvian influences.

The classic yellowtail jalepeno.

Scallop with yuzu and chili.

A light fish with a tangy sauce.

Tuna in a lettuce wrap.

J.M. Labruyère Champagne Grand Cru Prologue. BH 90. A discreet if mildly fruity nose consists of citrus, white peach, yeast and a whiff of brioche. The juicy and attractively vibrant middle weight flavors are shaped by a moderately firm if not especially fine mousse, all wrapped in very dry and crisp finish that offers reasonably good depth and persistence. This is appealing in its fashion even if it is less distinguished than its two stable mates.

1995 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc des Millénaires. VM 95. The 1995 Brut Blanc des Millenaires shows just how compelling this often overlooked vintage can be. Layers of lemon, pastry spices, crushed rocks and savory herbs literally jump from the glass in this exquisite, perfumed, beautifully delineated Champagne. The 1995 shows lovely flavor complexity and nuance from its extended time in bottle, yet it also retains plenty of freshness, verve and acidity. This is a great showing from Charles Heidsieck. The 1995 was made before the tenure of the house’s current team, headed by CEO Cécile Bonnefond. It will be very interesting to see what develops at this historic property over the coming years.

Persimmon with mushrooms and cheesy cream sauce. This was the most unique dish of the night. I don’t usually like persimmon but this was pretty good. Weird though with the sweet and creamy.

Mysterious underwater champagne.

2015 Samuel Billaud Chablis Grand Cru Blanchot. VM 91+. Bright yellow. Ripe peach and ripe pear aromas are enlivened by flowers and white pepper, with the spicy oak element complementing rather than overwhelming the nose. Tight and strict in the mouth, with its lemon and softer citrus flavors framed by an edge of acidity and a peppery accent that I did not find in the Vaudésir, Preuses or Bougros. Conveys a slightly astringent stoniness but this wine is ripe enough to expand in bottle and absorb some of its acidity (4.3 grams per liter) with four or five years in the cellar. Perhaps it was not a bad idea to pick this fruit earlier than anticipated.

Old style sushi. I like these pressed heavily marinated old school sushis. Although these aren’t SUPER old school or anything. And the roll in the back with the rice paper is decidedly “LA”. For some reason, LA ladies decided that rice paper was healthier than seaweed — which I’m sure it’s not since seaweed has about zero calories and lots of nutrients.

2014 Louis Latour Corton-Charlemagne. BH 92-95. Moderate reduction presently renders the nose difficult to evaluate but there is lovely intensity to the strongly mineral-inflected and muscular big-bodied flavors that display fine cut and plenty of punch on the pure and relatively refined finish that delivers flat out superb length. This is potentially excellent though note well that it’s going to require plenty of bottle age to realize its full potential.

2008 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. BH 96. Here too the elegance of the nose is simply stunning with a layered and perfumed aromatic profile trimmed in an almost invisible touch of oak that allows it to ooze Chablis character and in particular, a fine minerality that continues onto the impressively concentrated and palate staining flavors that possess striking precision on the explosively long and bone dry finish. This is a great Les Clos that will make old bones.

Kobe beef skewers. Not, I think, serious A5. But tasty.

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.

I also opened but forgot to photo:

1979 Drappier Champagne Carte d’Or Brut. 94 points.

2014 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc. VM 93. The 2014 Smith Haut-Lafitte Blanc has a lively, crisp bouquet with mineral-driven citrus fruit, fine chalk and flint-like scents, dare I say almost Chablis-cum-Bordeaux! The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity, quite vibrant with good depth although the second half is missing the tension that I hope for, certainly what those splendid aromatics deserve. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

More rolls. Interesting stuff in them and sweet sauces. Yummy though. I was still hungry and had to eat other people’s rolls. lol.

2014 Jean-Michel Stephan Côte-Rôtie Côteaux de Tupin. VM 91. Bright violet. Smoke- and spice-tinged blue fruit and violet aromas show excellent clarity and a hint of cured meat. Sweet and sappy on the palate, offering concentrated dark berry, floral pastille and allspice flavors plus a subtle suggestion of gaminess. The very long, lively finish features firm, minerally cut, an echo of juicy blue fruit and dusty tannins that add shape and gentle grip.

Meatball ramen soup?

The gang pretty much took over the restaurant.

1989 Zind-Humbrecht Tokay Pinot Gris Clos Jebsal Vendange Tardive. 95 points. Brilliant. A wow from the first sip; deep gold in colour with stunning aromatics – an array of honey, florality, light botrytis spice, apricots, and peach compote all coming together, and a palate that’s also tremendously complex and very light on its feet with bright acids cutting through the copious sweetness here. It’s a fantastic dessert wine, and I’m glad I have a bunch more – this seems to be at peak right now.

Like Matsuhisa, Umeda forgoes the whacky Japanese desserts in favor of Japanese influenced modern desserts like this red bean green tea parfait.

The first of many large batch holiday flavors — Peppermint Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — peppermint candy base laced with peppermint bark! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #peppermint #candy #holiday #winter

A new variant on an old flavor — Cold Pressed Expresso Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — cold pressed expresso base (usually I hot brew it) with Valrhona Dulcey Stracciatella! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #expresso #Dulcey #Valrhona #Stracciatella #ColdPressed #ColdPressedCoffee #coffee

The full wine lineup!!

After dinner it was back up to the roof for more drinking.

And a deadly Scotch!

Overall, a blast of a time, if a tad exhausting (got home at 2am which is rare for me).

Food at Umeda was quite good. I had low expectations actually coming in as the website pictures looked all LA ponzu style Japanese. Probably most people who come here eat that but his Omakase was certainly more interesting. Part Nobu-style, part his own thing. A bit Hollywood but always tasty. Building is lovely too. Great Champagnes and crew as well.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Champagne, Gelato, Japanese cuisine, late night, rooftop, Sashimi, Sushi, Takuya Umeda, Umeda, Walker

Nothing Boring about Bavel

Jan21

Restaurant: Bavel

Location: 500 Mateo St, Los Angeles, CA 90013. (213) 232-4966

Date: November 26, 2018

Cuisine: Modern Middle Eastern

Rating: One of the best tasting new places in town

Bavel is a new Modern Middle Eastern place from the Bestia people — and like that place it’s hip and crowded. It’s own webpage describes it as a Middle Eastern restaurant from Chefs Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis. With family roots in Israel, Morocco, Turkey, and Egypt, Ori and Genevieve have always wanted to open a restaurant that showcases the cuisines of their family lineages, bringing together the flavors and dishes they grew up with.

Ori and Genevieve were both born in the Los Angeles area – Genevieve was raised in Southern California, while Ori and his family moved to Israel where he spent his formative years.

Ori grew up traveling with his family and was exposed to fine dining across the globe, but it wasn’t until his year-long stay in South America, where he realized his passion for cooking. Genevieve is a self-taught pastry chef who started baking out of necessity to satisfy her sweet tooth. At the time, she was studying to be a classical French horn player.

In 2001, Ori returned to Los Angeles. He landed his first kitchen job at an Israeli cafe, before working at La Terza—the restaurant where Ori and Genevieve, who was a hostess, met for the first time. From there, Ori spent time in the kitchens of Pizzeria Mozza, All’ Angelo, and under chef Gino Angelini at Angelini Osteria, where he worked for four years as chef de cuisine.

In 2012, Ori and Genevieve pursued their dream of opening their first restaurant, Bestia and in 2018 their second restaurant, Bavel. With a background in the field of interior design, Genevieve played a key role in the design of both restaurants. When not in the kitchen, Ori and Genevieve can be found spending time with their daughter, Saffron.

It’s also located in the DTLA Arts District, which would be cool except for being so darn far for me.

The interior is large, stylish, not particularly Middle Eastern (on purpose) and very very loud (unfortunately).

We ate out on the patio — which wasn’t nearly as attractive and had worse chairs but was much much quieter (which is actually more important). I wish restauranteurs would get off their louder is better horse. It’s really annoying.

The menu — we ordered most of it.

Kirk brought some fake Chard. 2015 Alheit Vineyards Chenin Blanc Magnetic North Mountain Makstok Skurfberg. VM 91. Restrained aromas of citrus fruits and flowers, plus a whiff of crushed stone. Offers noteworthy texture and sweetness in a still-reserved package. There’s minerality here and a positive dryness to the wine’s stone fruit and citrus flavors. The firm, spicy finish is not at all harsh. Quite strong on the back end. I suspect this will blossom in bottle.

FARM CHEESE. rose petal za’atar, olive oil, maldon, buckwheat loaf. This was standing in for Lebneh — or is a lebneh variant. The bread was amazing. Tons of flavor and nicely grilled. Loved the yogurt-like cheese and olive oil too — I always do.

Close up of the cheese.

FOIE GRAS HALVA. creamy paté, date puree, black sesame, buckwheat loaf. Same bread. Kind of sweet. One of those foie and sweet preps. I liked it a lot though.

DUCK ‘NDUJA HUMMUS. creamy garbanzo beans, jerusalem mix spice, herbs, pita. This might be the bavel signature dish. The “original” in Lebanon would be beef, pine nuts, and onions on top of the hummus. This variant was superb and the pita was also top notch.

A close up of the hummus, of course.

Two vintages of the same fake pinot. One was okay, the other kind of middling.

I wish these American winemakers wouldn’t stick the vineyard and vintage info in such small type on the side, but they do. Better than the ones that put it on the back (hate that) but still couldn’t read it. I think one was 09, the other very recent. Can’t remember. I don’t buy fake pinot.

GRILLED PRAWNS. harissa marinade, cured zucchini tzatziki, herbs, lime. These were superb. Really really great. The prawns were juicy, full of briney flavor, and a certain sweet char. It paired perfectly with the tangy tzatziki.

GREEN LIP MUSSELS. makrut lime, coconut milk, ginger sofrito, white wine, citrus, serrano chile. This didn’t feel Middle Eastern at all (more Thai) but it did taste amazing. Really fabulous mussel prep. Coconut curry-like.

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER. hawaij chile sauce, lime leaf, crème fraiche serrano dip, pistachios, dried flowers. I’m not a vegetable person but this was one of the best dishes of the night! A more fried variant is a Lebanese staple but this was just incredible cauliflower packed with flavor.

And the creamy dip really knocked it up.

Kirk also brought this overpriced fake pinot. 2005 Sine Qua Non Pinot Noir Over & Out. VM 92. Ruby-red. Exotically perfumed nose features energetic raspberry and blackberry scents complicated by cinnamon, mace and fresh rose. Plush and sweet, offering powerful red and dark berry flavors, suave tannins and impressively chewy finishing grip. Less a pinot than a Sine Qua Non wine, and that’s not a bad thing.

agavin: I didn’t like it at all. Doesn’t taste like pinot at all, more like Syrah.

LAMB TARTARE. burnt onion crème fraiche, pickled chive blossom, mint, cinnamon, toasted sesame, laffa. Good stuff, very tangy.

The laffa? Not to be confused with luffa?

FRIED QUAIL. cardamom date sauce, pickled celery, smoked yogurt, fresh herbs. Awesome. The sauce was quiet sweet. Like fried chicken with some interesting Middle Eastern dessert reduction.

David brought: 1989 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. 93+ points. I have always been a fan of the 1989 Château Beaucastel, which I rank just behind the superb 1981 at this fine estate. The most recent bottle I tasted of this wine was still just a touch youthful, but offered up fine complexity on both the nose and palate and shows excellent promise. The bouquet is a blend of roasted fruitcake, cherries, new leather, venison, incipient notes of sous bois, woodsmoke and hot stones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and rock solid at the core, with a bit of tannin still to resolve, fine focus and grip and a very long, classy and slightly chewy finish. I would be tempted to give this wine a few more years to really resolve, as it will be a superb wine and it would be most enjoyable to drink it at the same plateau that the 1981 has been enjoying for a good decade already.

LAMB FLATBREAD. Spicy fermented sausage, grated tomato, red onion, parsley, pine nuts, nigella seed, mint, sumac.

Marinated Tomato. Whipped feta, smoked eggplant powder, savory, sea salt, olive oil. People didn’t love this dish. The feta was very salty and I think people expected a sweet/creamy vibe like with burrata. I’m not a tomato fan, so it was hard for me to tell.

GRILLED DORADE. herb-stuffed, red chermoula, preserved orange, smoked anchovy. For a fish, it was very good as the paste on top was spicy and had a lot of flavor.

From my cellar: 2006 Tenuta San Guido Bolgheri Sassicaia Sassicaia. VM 95. Bright red-ruby. Complex nose melds red cherry, blackcurrant, minerals, dried herbs and a delicate oaky vanillin nuance; the fruit aromas show an almost roasted quality without going over the top. Sweet, concentrated and nicely fresh, with an impression of strong extract and a hint of exotic fruits to the flavors of ripe red and dark berries, chocolate, plum and wild herbs. The candied fruit quality carries through on the long, smooth finish, where there’s a trace of heat and hints of menthol and minerals. A very successful Sassicaia but, in my notebook, just a little below the lofty heights of the 2001 or 2004. But given the quality of this wine, that’s quibbling.

AGED HALF DUCK. breast kebab, confit leg, duck bone broth, green amba, chicory salad. If this was half a duck, it was a VERY small duck! It did taste good, a bit like peking duck.

duck bone broth.

2002 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. 93 points. Such a great wine. Italian merlot. Loads of blueberries, black cherries and such a rich and voluptuous wine. Awesome texture. Supple and generous. But balanced and so well made. Plenty of life left in this bottle. Really enjoyable.

SLOW ROASTED LAMB NECK SHAWARMA. tahini, amba, pickled vegetables, laffa. Yum!

tahini, amba, pickled vegetables.

The tagine before opening.

BRAISED PORK TAGINE. prunes, serrano chile, cous cous, cashews.

cous cous, cashews and the usual tagine “sauce.”

The dessert menu — oops I mean dessert menu.

Yarom had this ice wine in his bag.

LICORICE ROOT ICE CREAM BON BON. sour licorice caramel, muscovado cake, caramelized white chocolate, maldon.

CARDAMOM APPLE PRUNE CAKE. date toffee sauce, cream

STRAWBERRY SUMAC & SWEET CHEESE PASTRY. pistachio ice cream, labneh cream, cured sumac

PAGLAVA. rolled walnut & apricot filled pastry, farm cheese, honey, dried borage flower

COCONUT TAPIOCA. passion fruit, basil syrup, lime zest, coconut tuile

Desserts were excellent too!

The red wine lineup.

We also ran into Liz Lee and a friend — what a coincidence!

Bavel is a really great new addition to the LA scene. The only similar spot food-wise I’ve been to in LA is Mizlala — which is also fabulous (if more casual). While LA has lots of Israeli, Lebanese, and Moroccan places, Bavel (and Mizlala) really notch the cuisine up with their bright flavors, fun fusions, and attractive plating. Service was fine. The place is too loud. The food is amazing. Unlike Bestia, Bavel is fairly liberal in allowing you to open wine bottles — but they do charge a medium-high corkage. It’s tres LA and would be great for out of town guests if it weren’t so far and hard to get into.

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
Comments (0)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Bavel, hedonists, Hummus, Italian wine, lamb, Liz Lee, Middle Eastern, Wine

Elephant Jumps

Jan18

Restaurant: Elephant Jumps

Location: 8110 Arlington Blvd, Entrance is on Gallows Rd., Falls Church, VA 22042. (703) 942-6600

Date: November 24, 2018

Cuisine: Thai

Rating: Very nice modern Northern Thai

On our last night of the ThanksGavin 2018 trip, back in the Washington DC area, we decided to check out a new Thai place my parents have been frequenting.

This is a newer place and has a cute name.

And a newish large mall as its location.

The interior is small but cute.

THAI SPICY SHRIMP SOUP. Tom Yum Goong shrimp, mushroom in thai herbs spicy soup.

FRIED WATERCRESS SALAD. Yum Puk Num Todd Grob fried watercress. served with minced chicken, fresh lime juice, onion, chili sauce.

EGGPLANT BASIL. One of those traditional Thai preps, a light slightly sweet, slightly spicy basil sauce, with sliced eggplant being the “main” ingredient.

GREEN CURRY with CHICKEN. green curry paste, coconut milk, eggplant, mushroom, basil. Had a bit of heat, although nothing like Jitlada.

CRISPY COCONUT SHRIMP. Fried shrimp with lots of coconut in the batter. Like an excellent Thai version of the American appetizer classic!

Overall, Elephant Jumps was quite nice. Stylistically it’s a bit like a Northern Thai place like Renu Nakorn — including the big mall — but Elephant Jumps is a bit more modern and stylish, with a smaller menu and slightly less intense flavors. Still, you could smell the fish sauce in the air, this is real Thai, with a lot of flavor.

For more ThanksGavin dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: curry, Elephant Jumps, Northern Thai, Thai, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2018, Washington DC

Salty Saturday 2018

Jan16

Salty Saturday is the traditional family bagel and lox brunch we do on the Saturday after ThanksGavin.

For the last couple of years it’s been hosted at my cousin Matt’s house.

Prep work in the kitchen.

In his sunny dining room.

Across the way is the kids table.

And a look at the spread.

Olives.

Cucumbers and tomatoes as condiments.

Cucumbers and onions — looking pretty.

Capers and chives.

I like my cream-cheese with chives in it.

Muenster and Swiss. Always makes me think of the Muenster Rebellion but I love it still.

Two kinds of whitefish salad. Chunky smoked.

And creamy whitefish salad (lots of mayo). I actually like this one better.

Two kinds of lox, regular and pastrami lox — which I now love. Low salt too considering.

Pickled herring.

Roasted beets.

Matt made a frittata too.

And here is my plate — delicious but it did induce ridicule for including 4 full bagel halves!

To combat the salt, I also tried a strategy of pounding a cold press coffee, which seemed to work.

See here for more ThanksGavin posts.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Deli, Lox, Salmon, Salty Saturday, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2018, thanksgiving, whitefish salad

Fatty Friday 2018

Jan14

It’s tradition at ThanksGavin (the 4 day feasting our family engages in each November) for one of my cousins to host the Friday Night dinner, which is like thanksgiving night all over again (but with different food). This year, Matt and his wife Andrea handled BOTH nights!

2015 Jacques Perritaz Cidrerie du Vulcain Apple Transparente.

Colorful peppers being prepped.

Appetizers of muhamara, tapenade, olives.

Cousin Matt ordered these incredible tomahawk steaks over the internet!

Check them out in scale.

Matt is on the left seasoning them.

And close up of before going on the grill.

Matt somehow got these tomahawk steaks perfectly cooked first try.

Because it was a steak, he made an awesome wedge to go with it — and with the romaine scare it was actually hard to find even iceberg lettuce.

The ice berg lettuce.

A fully prepped (minus tomato) wedge salad. Amazing rich blu cheese dressing.

Salmon for those who don’t eat meat.

Bread, peppers.

Greens.

Potatoes.

Cauliflower.

Amarone goes great with meat.

Here are the steaks being sliced.

And what was left about 10 minutes later.

Bone it!

For dessert, we begin with my mom’s rustic cranberry tart. Looks perfect doesn’t it?

Pumpkin — oops butternut squash — pie.

Grandma’s brownies and blondies.

Cut up.

Apple pie from the previous night.

Candies.

Ice cream for ala mode.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Steak, ThanksGavin, ThanksGavin 2018, thanksgiving, Wine

Back East – IHop

Jan11

Restaurant: IHOP

Location: 481 Old York Rd, Jenkintown, PA 19046. (215) 886-6150

Date: November 23, 2018

Cuisine: Breakfast

Rating: Cheap at least

The morning after Thanksgiving we decided to pack up and head to east coast classic…

IHOP! Yep, Andy Gavin in a cheap mass market chain — take a photo now!

The inside is like a cleaner version of what I remember.

The table too, with the fake wood and the rake of flavored syrups.

The menu is prettier than it used to be!

What would a cold Philadelphia morning be without hot chocolate?

Pancakes and scrambled eggs.

Some kind of omelet.

A scramble of eggs, potatoes, avocado, salsa etc.

Pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Pretty much the ultimate American breakfast classic.