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Archive for BOA

Pavie at BOA

Sep16

Restaurant: BOA Steakhouse [1, 2]

Location: 9200 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 278-2050

Date: February 13, 2019

Cuisine: Steakhouse

Rating: Okay food, no wine service

_

Certain parties like to put dinner at BOA for a number of reasons: distance (or lack-there-of), it’s half willingness to do no corkage (but NO wine service, including stems), and it’s classic steakhouse cuisine. I’m not a particular fan as it’s just meh in about all ways — except it’s pretty easy to get to.

This dinner has a Pavie theme.
7U1A4105
Innovative Dining, always has a style-over-substance approach and medium service. On the plus side they do waive corkage, but this has some costs (more on that later) and they are huge, mobbed, and not super attentive.
7U1A4131-Pano
We had a nice outside table, but it wasn’t a private room and was quite loud.

1A4A4446
From my cellar: 2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas François. VM 96. The 2002 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is outrageously beautiful. The ripeness of the Chardonnay is front and center in a Champagne that delivers the goods, big-time. An infusion of apricot, orange peel, crème brûlée, chamomile, hazelnut and honey give the 2002 its racy, exotic personality. I enjoy it most with bottle age, but the 2002 is undeniably beautiful right now. The 2002 is a stunning NFB. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne and 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, done partially in oak (20%). Dosage is 4 grams per liter. (Drink between 2020-2030)
1A4A4369
1A4A4370
1A4A4371
1A4A4372
The menu.
1A4A4448
2019 Château Pape Clément Blanc. 93 points. The 2019 Pape-Clément Blanc has an attractive and complex nose with yellow plum, lanolin and light smoky scents, very well-defined with neatly assimilated oak. Noticeable SO2 here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine acidity, lacking a bit of mid-weight density and thereafter it just seems to lose complexity with a tinned pineapple and Golden Delicious finish. This bottle may have suffered light strike. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.
1A4A4374
Tuna Tartare. Avocado, Wasabi Oil, Furikake, Crisp Wontons. Just ok.
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Hamachi Tartare. Yellowtail, yuzu ginger marinade, avocado, crisp lavosh. Better, but weird that they basically have two tuna/avocado tartares.
1A4A4382
Jumbo Lump Crab Cake. Remoulade, Fennel Frond Salad, Fried Capers. Decent.
1A4A4384
Chilled Saffron Prawns. Cocktail Sauce, Atomic Horseradish, Lemon. Nice shrimp but I didn’t detect either Saffron or Atomic Horseradish.
1A4A4388
Goat Cheese Baklava. Pistachios, Black Truffles, Frissee. Didn’t try because of the carbs.
1A4A4392
Jeff Leve’s Caesar Salad, no longer made table-side and without tasbasco.
1A4A4394
Not what it once was — definitely not legendary.
1A4A4395
Caesar Salad — their “lengendary” recipe. A bit mustard forward.
1A4A4447
2007 Domaine Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Clos de la Mouchère. VM 94. Peach, spices and minerals on the nose. Dense and creamy but quite dry in the mouth, with deep, nuanced flavors of yellow peach, apple and spices. Is this as brisk and fresh as the Perrieres? (A second sample was every bit as rich and offered a bit more inner-palate tension.)
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The Classic Wedge, chopped.
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The Classic Wedge. Crisp Iceberg Lettuce, Applewood Smoked Bacon. Not bad, but nor was it a truly great wedge. Definately not enough dressing and not cold enough.
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1998 Château Pavie. VM 92. The 1998 Pavie was Gerard Perse’s second vintage after buying the property and it was actually matured in 200% new oak. Now at two decades, it continues to be attired with a fresh and very attractive bouquet, blackberry, mulberry, clove and bay leaf, just a touch of Italian delicatessen in the background. I like the definition here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine delineation and a keen thread of acidity, quite classic in style with tobacco and a light seaweed influence towards the persistent finish. This is ageing supremely well and you can another 10 to 15 years of drinking pleasure here. Excellent. Tasted at the château. (Drink between 2018-2032)
1A4A4450
1999 Château Pavie. VM 92. The 1999 Pavie shows very similarly to another ex-château bottle encountered a few months earlier. It has an attractive bouquet that has mellowed in recent years, notes of bacon fat and mint infusing the red and black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, red fruit, a touch of hung game and a tarry finish that does not convey the same level of freshness and delineation as the 1998 and 2000 do nowadays. A seductive Pavie, though less turbocharged than subsequent vintages. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the estate. (Drink between 2019-2032)
1A4A4407
Wagyu Meatballs. Not bad, but maybe a lot of filler. Good sauce.
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Rosie’s Farm Half Chicken. Had a weird grilled flavor. Didn’t love.
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2000 Château Pavie. VM 96. The 2000 Pavie was tasted on two occasions. The first was from bottle at the château, where I felt it was quite sauvage and displayed more brettanomyces than I remembered. It was a peculiar showing. Then I tasted a magnum back in the UK, and this chimed more with previous bottles. Blackberry and crème de cassis feature on the nose, which is precocious and modern in style, though the new oak that once dominated this Saint-Émilion is now subsumed. The palate is full-bodied and dense, yet it does possess an alluring, silky texture. A sweet, precocious finish lingers extremely long in the mouth. (Drink between 2023-2045)
1A4A4453
2003 Château Pavie. VM 92+. Ruby-red. Superripe nose features port-like black fruits, violet, truffle, coffee and minerals. Superconcentrated, rich and layered, conveying a powerful impression of solidity. High-pitched flavors of blackberry and violet pastille along with lower tones of mocha, coffee and smoked meat. Finishes with big but noble, palate-dusting tannins and great persistence. The wine’s aftertaste saturates every square millimeter of the mouth. Ultimately more exotic, more roasted and heavier than the young 2004; a quintessence of the 2003 harvest.
1A4A4414
Marinated Skirt Steak Frites.
1A4A4452
2002 Château Pavie. VM 92. Saturated ruby-red. Sexy aromas of blackcurrant, black raspberry, plum, mocha, minerals, game and nutty oak. Superripe, rich and chewy, with a higher pitch than the 2001 owing to its firm acids. Quite suave and fine-grained but youthfully backward. Finishes with building, ripe tannins that coat the teeth, and lingering notes of plum, leather and chocolate. This will need a good eight to ten years of bottle aging, and should last for two decades or more.
1A4A4454
2003 Château Pavie. VM 92+. Ruby-red. Superripe nose features port-like black fruits, violet, truffle, coffee and minerals. Superconcentrated, rich and layered, conveying a powerful impression of solidity. High-pitched flavors of blackberry and violet pastille along with lower tones of mocha, coffee and smoked meat. Finishes with big but noble, palate-dusting tannins and great persistence. The wine’s aftertaste saturates every square millimeter of the mouth. Ultimately more exotic, more roasted and heavier than the young 2004; a quintessence of the 2003 harvest.
1A4A4417
21 Day Dry Aged Tomahawk for Two (or 8). We ordered it medium rare, came medium. Got another which was actually rare. Bearnaise sauce on the side.
1A4A4422
Lobster Mac N Cheese. Too many carbs. Ate a bite of lobster.
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Creamed Spinach with Crispy Onion. Excellent.
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Brussels Sprouts & Bacon. Had a balsamic glaze which made it a bit sweet.
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2004 Château Pavie. VM 93. Bright ruby, less black than the ’04 Pavie-Decesse. Sexy aromas of black cherry, violet, minerals and oak. Very suave on entry, then superripe, fat and rich in the middle and evolving slowly. Like the Pavie-Decesse, this benefits from substantial ripe tannins and lovely flavor definition, but today this shows a bit less vibrancy than either the ’04 Pavie-Decesse or the ’05 Pavie. But this very deep wine appears to be in a closed phase.
1A4A4456
2005 Château Pavie. VM 97. Six years have passed since I last tasted the 2005 Pavie. In that time, the wine has moved into its first plateau of maturity. Heady and explosive, the 2005 possesses tremendous richness right out of the gate. An infusion of inky dark fruit, chocolate, leather, spice, menthol and espresso greets the palate as the 2005 shows off its considerable charms. The style of the era is evident in the wine’s rich, extracted feel and strong oak inflections. My preference is to drink the 2005 now, as early signs of aromatic maturity are starting to set in. Tasted two times. (Drink between 2021-2030)
1A4A4457
2006 Château Pavie. VM 95. Good full medium ruby. Blackberry, black cherry, licorice and minerals on the nose. Suave on entry, then cool and minerally in the middle palate, with brooding black fruit flavors. Today this comes across as less fleshy than the 2007, with the result that the tannins seem a bit tough. But there’s plenty of sweet fruit lurking and a very solid spine for aging.
1A4A4442
Porterhouse Brooklyn with garlic and rosemary. Again ordered medium rare, again came way too cooked — but we were too lazy to send it back again.
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Sauteed Mushrooms.
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I love this flavor — Peppermint Bark Gelato — Base is pure peppermint milk (subbed the sugar with crushed peppermint candies) and it’s laced with house-made double-sided peppermint bark, Valrhona Dark Chocolate and Ivoire White! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — The Peppermint Bark recipe was developed by a famous pastry chef and author, the mum of a Naughty Dog Alum @nancy_baggett — this year I added the two layer thing which is awesome — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #dessertgasm #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #peppermint #bark #Valrhona #chocolate
1A4A4445
The wine.
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Food was ok. It’s not nearly — not even close to — as good as The Royce, but it’s better than more hack steakhouses like Del Friscos or terrible ones like Taylor’s. The place is gigantic and a bit of a factory. It was very crowded and the like. Service was friendly but a bit distant — and wine service non existant.

They did waive corkage. But on the minus side, and perhaps because of this, they didn’t touch the bottles (maybe a good thing), so we did everything. AND they very strictly limited us to THREE glasses each (up from two last time). They directly told the staff not to give us any more. This is mostly the fault of certain parties who just aren’t willing to pay for corkage (which covers stem cleaning/washing).

The group has learned to break up the courses which is good, but of course really there should be more of a red/white balance. It’s hard to know if the food has changed or my taste has but it seemed lamer than it was a few years ago. Not terrible or anything, but just sloppier and a bit blander. Execution is just so-so. They can’t even do salads that well.

The wines, however, were excellent!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Related posts:

  1. Harlan at BOA
  2. Double Eagle is Pretty Standard
  3. Sauvages Bordeaux
  4. Sauvages Bordeaux
  5. Lawry’s Chateauneuf
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BOA, Bordeaux, BYOG, Gelato, hedonists, Pavie, steakhouse

Harlan at BOA

Feb10

Restaurant: BOA Steakhouse

Location: 9200 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 278-2050

Date: December 13, 2019

Cuisine: Steakhouse

Rating: Pretty good food, mediocre service

_

Continuing my December run of Steakhouse dinners is a huge Harlan vertical.
7U1A4105
This was originally intended to happen at Arthur J Steakhouse in Manhattan beach, but was redirected to BOA Sunset. Now BOA has decent food, but it’s run by Innovative Dining, which has a style-over-substance approach and medium service. On the plus side they do waive corkage, but this has some costs (more on that later) and they are huge, mobbed, and not super attentive.
7U1A4131-Pano
We had a nice outside table, but it wasn’t a private room and was quite loud.
7U1A4107
7U1A4108
7U1A4109
The menu.

In order to better organize the food/wine progression I formed a 6 course “plan” with Yarom and Larry. This consisted of seafood/salad, red apps, steak 1, steak 2, steak 3, desserts.

Course 0: Aperitifs

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From my cellar: 2007 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut. VM 97. The 2007 Comtes de Champagne Rosé is a total knock-out. Racy and exuberant in the glass, the 2007 wraps around the palate with stunning textural depth and resonance. The 15% still Pinot adds structure and persistence to a creamy, inviting Rosé Champagne that will leave readers weak at the knees. Hints of rose petal, dried cherry, cinnamon and dried flowers meld into the sublime finish. This is about as good as it gets. Wow! (Drink between 2018-2038)
7U1A4137
Salted butter.
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Passable bread, but nowhere near as good as The Royce, Mastros, or many other steakhouses.

 

Course 1: Seafood / Champ

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2002 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 97. Taittinger’s 2002 Comtes de Champagne is a great way to kick things off. Rich, radiant and lush, with all of the exotic ripeness of the year in evidence, the 2002 Comtes delivers the goods. This bottle is perhaps a bit more forward than others have been, but it is nevertheless very fine. (Drink between 2017-2037)
7U1A4141

COLOSSAL BLUE CRAB COCKTAIL. Nice chunks of crab meat.

Course 2: Salads / Whites

7U1A4111
2012 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis 1er Cru Séchet. VM 92+. Stony aromas of white pepper, biscuit and white truffle. Dense and energetic, with a distinctly savory saline quality leavening the intense lemon and mineral flavors. Finishes stony and very long, with terrific energy and grip. Very youthful in the early going.
7U1A4112
From my cellar: 1996 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. 94 points. Golden yellow, big, reductive so we decanted it for an hour, more accessible & opened up to reveal a rich, relatively full bodied wine, not at its peak.
7U1A4151
BLT WEDGE. applewood smoked bacon, crisp iceberg, tomato, avocado, creamy bacon dressing.
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TABLE-SIDE CLASSIC CAESAR. This is just the romaine waiting to be prepped.
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The empty bowl.
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Mustard.
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Condiments.

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Whipping up the dressing.
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The Caesar itself. Very peppery and tangy. Nice. One of the best restaurant caesars. Not quite as good as my own homemade one, but very good.

Course 3: Red Apps

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1993 Harlan Estate. VM 97. What a joy it is to taste the 1993 Harlan Estate. The aromatics alone are captivating. Wonderfully nuanced and expressive, the 1993 is peaking today. Time has softened the tannins, yet there is plenty of depth, especially for a wine of this age. Readers can look forward to another 5-10 years of exceptional drinking. Although the vines were naturally younger when the 1993 was made than they are today, and winemaking has evolved, the reality is that the 1993, like many of these wines, really needed quite a bit of time to be at its very best. (Drink between 2017-2023)
7U1A4119
1993 Harlan Estate. VM 96. It is fascinating to taste the 1996 Harlan Estate after the 1999. Tightly wound and almost Old World in spirit, the 1996 is compelling from the first taste. Although the 1996 doesnâ’t have the natural Napa Valley opulence that runs through so many other wines in this tasting, itâ’s balance is simply impeccable. Scents of tobacco, leather, cedar and spice add aromatic intensity. For a 21 year-old wine, the 1996 is still quite powerful. As good as the 1996 is, there is a perceptible aggressiveness in the tannins that are hardly, if ever, seen in todayâ’s wines. (Drink between 2017-2027)
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TABLE-SIDE PRIME STEAK TARTARE. quail egg, house-made pickles, grilled toast.
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All mixed up. This was a decent tartare, but not as good as at the Royce. Maybe too much in the pickle department.

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Toasts and extra pickles.
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ROASTED BONE MARROW. red onion jam, kimchee, micro herbs, grilled bread. Not that huge a marrow fan.

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GOAT CHEESE BAKLAVA. pistachios, black truffles, frisee. This was awesome. Sweet and cheesy with great texture. A savory dessert hybrid.

Course 4: Lamb and Fries

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1998 Harlan Estate. VM 92. Good full red-ruby. Coolish but attractive nose combines blueberry, violet, licorice and lavender; still quite primary. Then juicy and intense if on the lean side, with a captivating floral freshness, brisk acidity and surprising succulent persistence. This will never be an expansive style of Harlan Estate but I like its intensity and verve and give it the edge today over the 2000. The high quality, and satisfying ripeness, of this wine is no doubt largely due to the fact that only a tiny quantity of juice was bottled under the flagship label.
7U1A4121
1998 Harlan Estate. VM 95+. Good medium ruby-red. Slightly high-toned aromas of dark raspberry, spicecake, licorice and minerals. Densely packed, ripe and savory, with its very ripe, slightly inky flavors of dark berries and licorice extended on the back end by strong saline minerality. This highly concentrated, powerfully structured wine boasts excellent acidity and the ripe tannic spine for further positive development in bottle. Finishes with a repeating licorice quality and outstanding palate-staining length. (14.5% alcohol) (Drink between 2019-2039)
7U1A4193
sonoma lamb t-bones. Okay, but not like the amazing ones at The Royce.

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TRUFFLED CHEESE FRIES. Gluttonous, but yummy.
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HAND CUT CRISPY FRIES. Why bother when there are cheesy ones?

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CRAB & BLACK TRUFFLE GNOCCHI. Excellent.

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Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.

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My “civilized” first meat course plate.

Course 5: Ribeye

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2000 Harlan Estate. VM 93. The 2000 Harlan Estate is in a beautiful place today. Soft, open-knit and nicely mellowed by age, the 2000 is absolutely gorgeous, with soft contours to match is engaging personality. Mocha, black cherries, leather and spice are all quite forward in this succulent Harlan Estate. The 2000 might not be a profound Harlan Estate, but it is a striking wine that is peaking today and that should continue to drink well for at least another few years. (Drink between 2015-2020)
7U1A4123
From my cellar: 2000 Harlan Estate. VM 95. Good deep ruby-red. Blackcurrant, minerals, graphite, mocha and leather on the nose. Sweet and tightly wound, with a violet topnote and terrific depth of flavor. This powerfully structured wine has plenty of meat on its bones. The tannins are huge but refined. This must be among the three or four longest wines of the vintage, with the violet quality persisting on the aftertaste. (I retasted the 2002 on this occasion, and this elixir of a wine continues to be one of the greatest California cabernets of my experience, with a knockout nose of black raspberry, minerals, tobacco and crushed stone; a superconcentrated essence of cabernet on the palate; and an almost confectionery finish of incredible persistence. My latest sample merited a solid 98.)
7U1A4117
2000 Harlan Estate. VM 95. Open-knit, sensual and perfumed, the 2005 Harlan Estate is super-expressive today. Like so many 2005s, the Harlan is a bit lacking in intensity and overall structure relative to the very best years. The 2005 is a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next 15-20 years. At some point during that arc of time, the 2005 is likely to become a bit frail, but that does not appear to be imminent. Even after thinning to a cluster per shoot, the clusters and berries were large, which required some bleeding in the tanks, a technique that is not often used at Harlan Estate. (Drink between 2017-2027)
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21 day dry aged bone-in ribeye.

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With garlic.
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MAC N CHEESE. Ok, but I’ve had better.
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SEASONAL MUSHROOMS.
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LOBSTER MASHED POTATOES.

Course 6: Tomahawk

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2006 Harlan Estate. VM 95+. Deep ruby-red. Captivating aromas of redcurrant, sage, leather and game, lifted by a floral note. A sweet, juicy midweight, quite primary and closed today but with lovely inner-mouth floral lift apparent already. This is about sweetness more than sheer opulence. Most impressive today on the very long, building finish, which features suave but firm tannins and excellent lift to its lingering flavors of red fruits, forest floor and tobacco. A great performance for the year and sure to be long-lived.
7U1A4115
2009 Harlan Estate. VM 97. Bright, saturated ruby. Alluring aromas of blueberry, cassis, licorice, minerals, mocha and nutty oak. At once thick and lively on entry, then densely packed and compellingly deep in in the middle palate, with its dark fruit, smoke and graphite flavors conveying a subtle savory quality that nicely buffers the wine’s sweetness and alcohol. At once harmonious and gripping for the year, this reverberating, palate-staining wine spreads out on the back end without losing its verticality–if that’s possible! Impeccable tannin management here. (Drink between 2020-2040)
7U1A4114
2010 Harlan Estate. VM 100. The 2010 Harlan Estate is a total head-turner. Powerful, dense and exotically ripe – as so many wines are in this vintage – the 2010 dazzles with magnificent intensity. Baritone inflections run through the black cherry, graphite, smoke, tar and licorice flavors. Heat spikes at the end of what was generally a cold growing season yielded wines that bring together structure and fruit density. (Drink between 2018-2037)
7U1A4232
Tomahawk.

7U1A4234

Sautéed Broccoli Rabe.

Course 7: My Gelato

7U1A4240
Mango Coconut Cheesecake Gelato — this one is serious — Mango Cheesecake base layered with house-made Graham Crackers and house-made Coconut Cream- Ceese Icing and sprinkled with Candied Mango –created by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #mango #cheesecake #creamcheese #coconut #icing #GrahamCracker #CandiedFruit

Moose Avenue Gelato — Ice cream fans should get the joke — pure Tahitian Vanilla gelato base layered with Valrhona Milk Chocolate Ganache and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups –created by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #vanilla #valrhona #chocolate #ganache #Reeses #PeanutButterCups

7U1A4242
“Plated.”
7U1A4134
The pre Harlans.
7U1A4126
And the Harlan lineup.

Food was pretty solid. It’s not nearly as good as The Royce, but it’s better than more hack steakhouses like Del Friscos or terrible ones like Taylor’s. The place is gigantic and a bit of a factory. It was very crowded with holiday parties and the like. Service was okay but a bit distant.

They did waive corkage. But on the minus side, and perhaps because of this, they didn’t touch the bottles (maybe a good thing), so we did everything. AND they very strictly limited us to TWO glasses each. At first they blamed this on being crowded and said “we can get you more later” but the manager had informed the service not to. We asked repeatedly and were denied. When two of us went up to the bar and got a single extra glass each the manager tracked down a third person and TOOK THE GLASS. And he told the staff not to give us any more. This is pretty unforgivable and violates the rules of hospitality. It’s one thing to not bring a whole extra set, but it’s totally different to circumvent active efforts on the part of a guest to get a glass. Whoever had this idea should just be tossed out of the restaurant business. Two stems was just not sufficient to work through our wine. 3 barely was. Even with breaking up the food into so many flights, several of the courses needed three stems.

My plan to break up the courses — despite a tiny bit of grumbling — worked much much better than the single wave of steaks and sides. If we had tried that here we would have had to get through 8 Harlans in about 10 minutes! Gulp!

The wines were excellent. I liked the 90s ones best myself as I like a bit of age on my wine. The 2010 was so young and hot (alcoholic) and slutty, although it had a certain hedonistic pleasure to it.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Related posts:

  1. Dinner at the Borgese’s
  2. Double Eagle is Pretty Standard
  3. Italian House Party
  4. Bubbe’s Kitchen – Traktir
  5. Top Island Seafood
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BOA, BYOG, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gelato, harlan, hedonists, Hollywood, steakhouse

BOA Birthday Blitz

Nov22

Restaurant: Boa Santa Monica

Location: 101 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 899-4466

Date: November 20, 2013

Cuisine: Steak

Rating: Awesome night. Crab was amazing!

_

I’m not normally a huge fan of  Innovative Dining Group, as they tend far toward style over substance with their trendy collection of sushi and steak joints. However, BOA, their high end steak house, made a convenient and excellent location for Hedonist mainstay Ron’s 70th birthday bash.


Ron is a Hedonist OG and besides being a nice guy has a hell of a cellar filled with great wines.


19-20 or twenty of us showed up for his bday bash and BOA put us in the private “room” (more an alcove). This is about a quarter of it. Besides being loud (like everywhere else in BOA) it was a great little venue.


With a modernist twist.




The menu is typical high end steak fare, but as you’ll see, the execution is top notch.


We brought so many wines that I just organized these into flights, this being the champagne starter. We had a LOT of wine and there were so many it was impossible to try all the good ones — not because they ran out, just because there were too many.

From magnum, 2000 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Coeur de Cuvée. Burghound 94. A moderately yeasty yet elegant nose that is fresh, complex and carries touches of both ~i#pain grillé~/i# and citrus blossom while leading to intense, pure and gorgeously deep flavors that possess first class breadth and genuinely excellent length. While still on the way up, after 30 to 45 minutes it began to display notably deeper and broader flavors that are at once powerful yet refined. A terrific effort that is absolutely worth your attention.


A tasty roll, presented by hand model Sarah.


From my cellar, 1996 Chapoutier Ermitage Cuvee de l’Oree. Parker 99-100. It is no secret that I adore Chapoutier’s luxury cuvee of white Hermitage called Cuvee L’Oree. Made from 90-year old vines and microscopic yields of 10-12 hectoliters per hectare, this wine flirts with perfection. It is a compelling white Hermitage. Made from 100% Marsanne, it is as rich and multidimensional as the fullest, most massive Montrachet money can buy. It is unctuously textured, yet extraordinarily and beautifully balanced. I suspect it will drink well early in life, and then shut down for a few years. It should last for 4-5 decades. The 1996 possesses some of the most amazing glycerin levels I have ever seen in a dry white wine. In short, this wine must be tasted to be believed.

I’m not sure how I feel about this wine I brought. I’ve owned it (well cellared) since release and it’s a Parker 99-100 wine, but while it had a really interesting nose there was a certain density and massiveness, plus a bit of funk and an “older” taste (but not like white Burg) .


2006 Domaine Guy Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Charmes. Burghound 92. This is at once ripe yet cool and reserved with a seductive mix of orchard fruit and brioche aromas that are strikingly elegant and refined before introducing equally elegant and pure middle weight flavors blessed with ample dry extract that confers a textured and full-bodied palate impression to the explosive and palate staining finish. As one would expect, this is finer than the Bouchères though perhaps not quite as deep. A choice.


2002 Jean-Paul & Benoit Droin Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. Burghound 91. while it is impressively scaled and an excellent white wine, I am somewhat under whelmed if the important criterion is to produce wines typical of Chablis. In short, excellent white, average Chablis.


2009 Domaine Michel Niellon Chevalier-Montrachet. Burghound 94. Here mild reduction doesn’t materially diminish the appeal of the more elegant if ever-so-slightly less complex aromas that feature notes of stone, lemon zest, acacia blossom and spiced pear. There is superb intensity and simply gorgeous detail to the mineral-driven and impeccably well-balanced flavors and explosive finale. Still, as good as this is and it is indeed exceptional, the superior complexity of the Bâtard gives it the barest of edges in 2009.


1994 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Heimbourg Vendange Tardive. Parker 96. The 1994 Gewurztraminer Heimbourg V. T. exhibits a light to medium gold color, an exotic, honeyed cherry, lychee nut, rose-scented nose, thick, rich, moderately sweet flavors, fabulous purity, and a finish that lasts for nearly a minute. The wine is still unformed, but it can be expected to last for 20+ years, becoming increasingly dry in taste as it evolves. This wine bordered on perfection – it is that pure, rich, concentrated, ageworthy, and impeccably well-balanced. The grapes are harvested at strikingly high sugar levels, and would qualify as an off-dry, medium sweet wine. It is best served with foie gras, or at the end of a meal by itself. This wine is made in extremely limited quantities (under 100 cases).


Goat Cheese Baklava. Pistachios, black truffles, frisee.


Charred tuna Tartare.


Table-side Classic Caesar.


They mix it up the old school way.


I have to say, this might have been the best caesar I’ve ever had. It looks typical enough but it had a real peppery bite.


Baby greens, tomatoes, seasonal fruit, mustard vinaigrette.


BLT. Applewood smoked bacon, crisp lettuce, tomato, avocado, creamy bacon dressing.


The wedge. Crisp iceberg, vine ripened tomatoes, shaft blue cheese dressing.


Baby beet & watercress. Goat cheese foam, frisee, toasted caraway, pistachios.

This suffered a little from too much beet, too little other.


1998 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Bonnes Mares. Burghound 94. Massively dense in every respect with astonishing concentration of deeply pitched and still 100% primary fruit that complements the compelling, robust and powerful flavors that feature notes of cassis, blueberries, black cherries, minerals and earth, all wrapped in a mouth coating and fantastically long finish. The tannins are massive as well but the fruit is so dense I do not worry at all about the prospects for extended evolution in the cellar. A complete and utterly classic Bonnes Mares.


1998 Louis Jadot Bonnes Mares. Burghound 88. Quite deeply colored and this is presently almost opaque with very earthy, gamey fruit aromas and extremely dense, beautifully complex, texturally elegant flavors and while this is very long, the finish is rather dusty with a somewhat astringent quality to the tannins. Very good rather than exceptional quality.

I actually thought this was drinking a bit better (more hedonistically) than the Roumier!


1996 Domaine G. Roumier / Christophe Roumier Ruchottes-Chambertin Michel Bonnefond. More Roumier!


Out comes our special order giant crab. We had THREE of these puppies!


Close up!


This is just one of three ways they prepped the crab. I didn’t get pics of the other two but the body was cooked and tossed with some herbs. The lower part of the legs were flayed open for the picking and on separate plates. But this part was crazy good. It was trivial to just pop out giant fresh nuggets of crab from those leg segments.

It was AMAZING! And I’ve had A LOT of crab. I spent most of my summers in Oxford MD, home of fresh blue crabs.


Some sauces. There was also drawn and melted butter (not pictured). All we were missing was one of those super potent yellow mustards (Chinese style).


Jumbo Sea Scallops.


1989 Palmer. Parker 96. Deep garnet-brick. Dark chocolate covered cherries, espresso, cinnamon, rose petals, tree bark and loam. Medium to full body with layers of concentrated fruit and spice flavours supported by crisp acidity and a medium+ level of fine tannins. Very long finish.


1995 Leoville-Las Cases. Parker 95. If it were not for the prodigious 1996, everyone would be concentrating on getting their hands on a few bottles of the fabulous 1995 Leoville-Las-Cases, which is one of the vintage’s great success stories. The wine boasts an opaque ruby/purple color, and exceptionally pure, beautifully knit aromas of black fruits, minerals, vanillin, and spice. On the attack, it is staggeringly rich, yet displays more noticeable tannin than its younger sibling. Exceptionally ripe cassis fruit, the judicious use of toasty new oak, and a thrilling mineral character intertwined with the high quality of fruit routinely obtained by Las Cases, make this a compelling effort. There is probably nearly as much tannin as in the 1996, but it is not as perfectly sweet as in the 1996. The finish is incredibly long in this classic. Only 35% of the harvest was of sufficient quality for the 1995 Leoville-Las-Cases.


1996 Montrose. Parker 91. The 1996 Montrose reveals outstanding potential. It boasts a saturated dark ruby/purple color, and aromas of new oak, jammy black currants, smoke, minerals, and new saddle leather. This multi-layered wine is rich and medium to full-bodied, with sweet tannin, a nicely-textured, concentrated mid-palate, and an impressively long finish.


1998 Penfolds Grange. Parker 96-99. A wine that flirts with perfection, and should rival the 1986 as one of the legendary Granges produced, the 1998 has one of the highest alcohol contents (nearly 15%) as well as one of the highest percentages of Shiraz in the blend (97%). Its stunning purple color is accompanied by exceptionally sweet aromas of blackberry liqueur intermixed with barbecue spices, an endearing, smoky earthiness, pepper, roasted meats, and coffee. Huge, massive, unctuously textured, and extraordinarily youthful, this impressive wine is a candidate for perfection. It should continue to evolve over the next three decades.



1990 Penfolds Bin 920. Parker 93. Deep garnet colored, the nose here is slightly closed to begin and needs a few moments to open, revealing earthy / evolved notes of dried mulberries, figs, tobacco leaf, dried Mediterranean herbs, dusty earth and a hint of aniseed. Medium to full bodied, it is very rich in the mouth with a firm level of grainy tannins, very crisp acid and a good long finish.


2003 Domaine du Pegau Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Da Capo. Parker 100. For the fourth time, the Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo has been produced, and for the fourth time, it has received a perfect score although I might back off the 2000’s perfect score based on the fact that it seems to be more of an upper-ninety point wine than pure perfection these days. The 2003 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee da Capo has distanced itself ever so slightly from the 2003 Cuvee Reservee. Before bottling and immediately after bottling, these two wines’ differences were not as evident. At present the Capo reveals that extra level of flavor, power, complexity and richness. It is a big wine (16.1% alcohol – less than in the 1998, but more than in the 2000 and 2007) boasting a dark plum/garnet color as well as a stunning bouquet of aged beef intermixed with pepper, herbes de Provence, and steak au poivre. This unctuously textured, full-bodied Chateauneuf possesses enormous body, huge flavors and sweet, velvety tannins. Still youthful, it has not yet begun to close down, and I’m not sure it ever will given this unusual vintage. It is a modern day classic that should continue to provide provocative as well as compelling drinking for 20-30+ years.


1996 Guigal Cote Rotie la Landonne. Parker 93-96. The 1996 Cote Rotie La Landonne is a wine with tremendous intensity and tannin, as well as a pronounced roasted herb, smoked meat, and Asian spice-scented nose with tell-tale black fruits, melted tar, and truffle notions in the background. Rich, powerful, and massive, this effort will require 3-4 years of cellaring, and will last for two decades.


New Zealand Lamb T-Bones with cabernet sauce (sort of Bordelaise, but not as good). The lamb was very tasty, but the bones in the middle were hard to see and made sawing the meat out tricky.


New York Strip (I think).


Some steak with a rub.


And another steak.


Bine-in Kansas City Filet Mignon.


I’m guessing this was the veal with a rub (blackened?).


And a steak with a rub cut open.


Just a little wine on the table (and remember, this is about 1/4 of the room!).


2008 Caldwell in a giant signed magnum!


2008 Screaming Eagle Second Flight. Parker 92. The 2008 Second Flight emerges from the glass with black cherries, plums, mocha, espresso and chocolate. This is an especially round, rich vintage for Second Flight. All the elements are in the right place, but overall, 2008 does not appear to be one of the estate’s very finest years. Of course, that is in relative terms. The 2008 is 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and 47% Merlot.


2006 Hundred Acre Cabernet Sauvignon. Parker 96-100. Finally in the bottle, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon  is the only wine from that vintage I tasted. Most of these wines spend 38-40 months in barrel and as a result seem to be remarkably elegant and complex without showing any new oak. This cuvee is a selection from Kayli Morgan that has been aged longer. Notes of spice box, white chocolate, espresso and sweet black cherries and black currants tumble from the glass of this full-bodied, round, generously endowed wine that has no hard edges.


2009 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Parker 94-100. The 2009 wraps around the palate with layers of dark fruit. Seamless, rich and inviting, the 2009 is pure opulence and richness. Bittersweet chocolate, mocha, plums and spice box are some of the many notes that flow through to the rich, enveloping finish. A round, layered wine, the 2009 stands out for its depth and total plushness.


2001 Clarendon Hills Astralis (Shiraz). Parker 99. The 2001 Syrah Astralis Vineyard may be just as compelling as the 2002. Tighter because of being in the bottle, it is an extraordinary effort that offers the essence of graphite, blackberry liqueur, espresso, and acacia flowers, all combining into an olfactory smorgasbord for the senses. Sensationally concentrated, with sweet tannin, but neither weighty nor over the top as might be expected for a wine of such extreme richness, it is an extraordinarily well-delineated Syrah that should hit its prime in 10-12 years, and last for 30-40. Hail Caesar … I mean Roman!


2010 Château d’Abzac. This was for testing the Coravin.


Now the sides: Lobster twice baked potato!


Truffled cheese fries. These were pretty amazing and VERY creamy.


Sautéed seasonal mushrooms.


Apple hazelnut brussel sprouts.


Crab & Black truffle gnocchi. Amazing!


Mac-N-Cheese. Good too. Nice and creamy.


Creamed spinach.


Chipotle lime corn.


Truffle Parmesan Cauliflower.


My plate, loaded. This nearly did me in — although it was awesome. As Larry said, I hit my wall. About halfway through the plate I just had to pause for a while.


An awesome time was had by all.


2004 Tokaj Hétszőlő Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos.


1992 Fonseca Vintage Port. Parker 97. Fonseca has scored in both the 1991 and 1992 vintages. The 1992 is a majestic young port that should ultimately rival, perhaps even surpass this house’s most recent great efforts (1985, 1977, 1970, 1963). This colossal vintage port reveals a nearly opaque black/purple color, and an explosive nose of jammy black fruits, licorice, chocolate, and spices. Extremely full-bodied and unctuously-textured, this multi-layered, enormously-endowed port reveals a finish that lasts for over a minute. It is a magnificent port that will age well for 30-40 years.


Butter cake (and ice cream).


Chocolate something cake.


Cookies and ice cream (yummy).


Cheese cake.

These were some solid desserts, but I still think Mastros has the most uber desserts, all those giant well down classics. However, usually by the time one gets here, the tank is pretty damn full!


More drunken smiles.


Ron brought out this ancient brandy for his official birthday moment. Good stuff — and it’ll put hair on your chest.


They gave him his cake with an impressive sparkler!


Michael Carpenter, one of our members and a wine dealer, was trying out this cool recent gadget. I bought one myself a couple weeks ago and it’s awesome. The Coravin is essentially a hollow needle that punches through a cork, allowing argon to be injected and wine to be sucked out. The cork then resealed and you have stolen some wine from the bottle without opening it!


Savoring.


Our lovely and helpful server!

Overall, this was a knock out evening. We had a great crowd and incredible wine. The restaurant really took care of us and I was pleasantly surprised at how good the food was. Everything was extremely tasty, from the caesar, to the incredible crab.

Afterward, we broke up into two separate after-parties. Us Westsiders went next door to the Ye Olde King’s Head pub and cracked open one of my bottles.

From my cellar, 1970 Gros Frère et Sœur Vosne-Romanée. 92 points. It was still very much alive and drinking quite beautifully. A veritable chameleon in the glass, the aromas kept changing every time I brought the glass to my nose. First sour cherries, then papaya, then raspberries, then red clay, then lemon rind, then caramel — it was intoxicating. The palate, on the other hand, was a bit simple and one-dimensional, but I thought the nose more than made up for it. A lovely wine!

For more LA dining reviews click here,

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

Yarom with the manager (I think, I was too drunk to find out)

Related posts:

  1. Birthday Party, Hedonist Style
  2. Ultimate Pizza – The Birthday
  3. Il Grano Birthday
  4. Hedonists at STK again!
  5. Wine on the Beach
By: agavin
Comments (3)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: BOA, BOA Santa Monica, hedonists, Meat, Steak, Wine
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