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Sotto Rossoblu Mashup

Nov17

Restaurant: Sotto [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 9575 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035 310.277.0210

Date: September 27, 2018

Rating: Bold flavors, off to a great start!

This was a peculiar lunch, the annual Chevalier’s “Grand Cru” lunch which was supposed to be at Rossoblu — but they had a kitchen fire and so it was relocated to their sister restaurant Sotto.

Sotto has a nice location on Pico underneath Beverly Hills.

I’ve never been here in the day and it looks far less bar-like.

And there is a big bar.

With live music, which is a typical Chevaliers thing.

I forgot to photo all the bottles today, but I did manage the opening white.

And the champagne.

Parmesan Crisps.

Wood grilled oysters, brown butter, sage, parmigiano-reggiano, lemon, breadcrumbs.

Crescentine Fritte, Burrata, Caviar.

The special menu for the day.

Wood grilled bread.

Marinated Big Eye Tuna. Blood orange, hazelnuts, white bean.

Handmade Garganelli, lobster, peas, morels. I always love pasta — and lobster, so a very nice dish.

Braised Veal Cheeks. Chestnut Gremolata, cauliflower stracotto, carrots.

Chef’s selection of cheeses.

Crispy bread for the cheese.

While it ended up being located at Sotto, I think they used the same menu they had intended at Rossoblu so it’s definitely a hybrid. Food was very good though.

Wine was sort of typical for Chevaliers. Medium quality Burgundy, mid range producers, too young. A lot of wines I would not buy myself — they just wouldn’t individually draw me in for either quality, rating, value ratio etc. Like I never buy Morgon or Beaujolais. If I buy random 1re Cru Chassagne or Puligny wines I buy from much better producers than Chevaliers does. I’ll only slum the producers a bit with Grand Cru wines — and not that much either. Chevaliers also often buys funny vintages (not this particular lunch).

For my first review of Sotto, click here.For my another of my reviews of Sotto, click here.

Or for a review of Drago, another Sicilian restaurant.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Chevaliers, Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, lunch, Rossoblu, Sotto

James Beard at 71Above

Apr18

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

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

Date: March 9, 2018

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Awesome in all ways

This is my sixth visit to one of LA’s latest and hottest event restaurants, 71Above. The first can be found here. Today the location plays host to a special James Beard Foundation luncheon in conjunction with the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin. It features dishes both by 71Above chef Vartan Abgaryan and a number of guest chefs.

Besides being located on the 71st floor (950 feet up!) of the US Bank building, being the highest restaurant west of the Mississippi, and showcasing the food of Chef Vartan Abgaryan, it’s owned and operated by my friend Emil Eyvazoff!

We have the entire place today for this large luncheon.

The cocktail wines.

The cookies hard at work.

On the left is Sommelier Catherine Morel who organized the gigantic wine efforts.

Today’s special menu.

NV Duval-Leroy Champagne Brut. BH 90. This is also distinctly cool and restrained with lovely nuances of green apple, citrus peel, tangerine, white flowers and ample yeast character. There is a relatively finely beaded mousse supporting the delicious and nicely intense middle weight flavors that terminate in a reasonably complex and lingering finish where the yeast component telegraphed by the nose is more pronounced. I like the crispness and delivery though I would be inclined to hold this for a few years in the hopes that more depth and texture will develop. To be sure, this is perfectly good the way that it is but it lacks the overall complexity needed to be at the next level.

2015 Henry Fessy St. Véran.

Oyster with Chili Lime Mignonette. Bright and delicious, if a touch hard to eat (neatly) standing around.

English Pea Panisse.

Foie Tart with Fennel Meringue. These sweet and rich puppies were so amazing I had about half a dozen!

We move on over to the tables and take our seats.

Bread and delicious French butter.

2012 La Chablisienne Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. BH 93. Out of the entire range of 2012s this is the wine that offers the clearest expression in terms of Chablis character as it would be almost impossible to miss this one. The purity and elegance of the green apple, lemon rind and essence of white flowers is remarkable and added to this are nuances of shellfish, saltwater and quinine. There is a lovely intensity to the delicious and overtly mineral-driven big-bodied flavors that offer excellent length and fine depth. Impressive and built to age.

agavin: cheap but good grand cru Chablis

Sweet Potato with Tahini, Snap Peas, Mustard and Harissa Vinaigrette. Guest Chef Jessica Largey. A nice salad. The Tahini dressing was very tahini (aka sesame and lemon juice). Made it feel very Middle Eastern.

2012 Domaine Latour-Giraud Meursault 1er Cru Les Genevrières Cuvée des Pierre. BH 91-94. Strong reduction flattens the underlying fruit to the point that it is impossible to read. This is a big wine with imposing size, weight and muscle where the underlying minerality adds lift to the explosive flavors and finish that are also supported by a citrus-inflected acid spine on the bone dry and hugely persistent finish. This is almost painfully intense yet it remains harmonious and well-balanced. This too is very much recommended provided that you have the patience to cellar it for at least 5 years as it’s unlikely to drink well before that.

Veal Lasagna with Parmesan Mousse, Bone Marrow Vinaigrette and Black Truffle. Guest Chef Timothy Hollingsworth. The sauce and the truffles were great. The lasagna itself was very dense, more a pile of pasta.

2007 Henri Boillot Chambertin. VM 93-96. Deep, bright, saturated ruby. Soil-driven aromas of black fruits and licorice. Brooding and pure, with brisk acidity giving a medicinal reserve to the sweet flavors of blueberry, licorice and flinty minerality. There’s a coolness and suavity here that screams out Chambertin. Penetrating, classy wine with a palate-saturating bitter chocolate finish hinting at great complexity to come. The tannins are perfectly integrated.

agavin: best wine of the day

2004 Domaine Trapet (Jean et Jean-Louis) Chambertin. BH 92. Deeply pitched aromas of warm earth, spice, game, smoke, crushed herb and pure dark berry fruit aromas perfectly complement the powerfully built yet refined flavors that are taut, muscular and focused. There is no excess here as it seems as though everything is in perfect harmony. No, it isn’t quite as elegant as the Latricières but it compensates with more concentration, depth and length. This is absolutely a top tier 2004.

agavin: From Mag. The meany greenies were blowing off, so not too bad for a 2004.

Spring Lamb: Rack, loin, fritter, crispy terrine, raisin, olive, red walnut. Very nice rare hunk of lamb. I actually really liked the loin. This was prepared by 71Above chef Vartan Abgaryan.

2010 Guy Breton Régnié. VM 91. Bright ruby-red. Highly expressive, floral bouquet evokes violet, lavender, red berries and spicecake, with a smoky overtone. Bright and racy on the palate, offering sweet raspberry and cherry flavors and notes of candied flowers and peppery spice. Finishes with very good energy and mineral cut, leaving a floral note behind.

Bittersweet Chocolate with Raspberry, Thyme and Red Wine. Fabulous dessert by pastry chef Gregory Baumgartner.

The crew of chefs and Emil line up for brief speeches.

Heading down!

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

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

Today the crew did a bang up job on this large scale lunch. This is a hard format, basically a banquet, yet food quality was spot on. Wines were nice too, although not at the level (for Burgundy) I would pick myself.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: 71above, Chevaliers, Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, DTLA, emil ey, Emil Eyvazoff, lunch, Vartan Abgaryan, Wine

Chevaliers – Terrine

Apr15

Restaurant: Terrine

Location: 8265 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048. (323) 746-5130

Date: April 7, 2016

Cuisine: French American

Rating: Yummy

Terrine has been on my “to try” list for a long time and it took a Chevaliers du Tastevin dinner for me to get there.
Located on Beverly not far from the Beverly center…

The pig says it all.

Very classy interior and bar.

Chevaliers always goes all out with its events.

NV Paul Clouet Champagne Grand Cru Brut. VM 91. Vivid yellow. Tightly focused citrus and orchard fruits scents are complemented by deeper hints of buttered toast and honey. Fleshy and dry on the palate, offering mineral-laced pear and tangerine flavors lifted by juicy acidity. Suggestions of tarragon and chamomile emerge on the finish, which leaves a dusty mineral quality behind.

There were a number of other great wines during the cocktail period too, but I didn’t get photos of them all.

2008 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne (magnum). Burghound 95. There is a hint of exoticism to the citrus, pear and white peach suffused nose that is presently trimmed in a noticeable, if very slight, touch of sulfur. The rich and extremely fresh middle weight plus flavors possess an impressive amount of dry extract as well as ample mineral influence on the austere and ultra-pure finish that seems to go on and on. This powerful and impeccably well balanced but presently closed effort should live for many years though it will probably come to its peak 10 to 12 years from now. In a word, fabulous.

Charcuterie plate. Various pates, pickles, and the like. I liked the reddish smoked meat and the country pate.

The menu for tonight’s special dinner.

We took over the whole restaurant.

2013 Comte Senard Bourgogne Blanc Ana. Burghound 86. A discreet note of exotic fruit adds breadth to the very fresh aromas that are composed by pineapple, pear and apple scents. There is fine richness and excellent volume to the lush and generously proportioned flavors that are supported by soft acidity on the sappy finish. This delicious effort should drink well immediately.

agavin: This is really a Aloxe-Corton Blanc, as the grapes come from the village.

Potage de Petits Pois. Lait fume, Croquant de Sarrasin. Soup Peas . Milk smoke , Crisp Buckwheat. A nice pea soup with crunchy buckwheat “grape-nuts” at the bottom.

Seriole a Cru. Citronette de Kumquats, Sesame, Radis du Japan, Ciboule. Yellowtail. Citronette of Kumquats, Sesame, Radish of Japan , Ciboule. A little bit of spice here and an interesting crunch from the radish.

2005 Marc Colin et Fils Corton-Charlemagne. BH 92. Here the wood influence is no longer subtle and while it does not dominate the green apple and white pear aromas, it does fight for center stage with them. The flavors however do seem entirely up to the job of integrating the wood as they are big, rich, powerful and well-muscled, brimming with both minerality and dry extract on the impressively long finish. This is a dramatic wine that is still in search of its center but there is time.

agavin: very young and oaky, but a super elegant wine with years left to it and nice acidity.

2006 Domaine Marius Delarche Corton-Charlemagne Reserve. 89 points. A nice wine but given the lack of complexity I’m thinking past peak. It all depends on your personal preference. A bit advanced and hot on the finish.

Terrine de Fois gras Maison, Fraises, Cresson, Vinaigre Minus 8. Terrine of Foie house fois gras, strawberries, watercress, vinegar, strawberries. Classic fruit and fois prep. I love this kind of fois best.

2004 Patrick Javillier-Guyot Aloxe-Corton. BH 86-89. A wonderfully attractive, fresh and picture perfect red pinot fruit nose nuanced with raspberry and ripe strawberry notes merges into delicious, full and generous, indeed even fleshy flavors that coat the mouth on the finish. This is easy to like but not simple and sufficiently forward that it could easily be enjoyed now.

agavin: 2004, ick. Not the worst meany greenies I’ve ever had, but definitely not appealing.

2010 Domaine Follin-Arbelet Aloxe-Corton 1er Cru Clos du Chapitre. BH 89-91. Discreet wood influence frames pretty, cool and ripe aromas of violets and dark cherry that infuse the expressive nose. There is good energy and a real sense of intensity to the well-delineated and mineral-infused medium-bodied flavors that possess slightly better finishing complexity.

agavin: young but nice

Agnolotti de Canard, haricots bolotti, chou vert de Savoie, Cantal. Duck Agnolotti, bolotti beans, green Savoy cabbage, Cantal. Yum, except for the beans, I can’t handle that much bean.

2002 Comte Senard Corton-Clos du Roi. BH 91. This is a big step up in aromatic complexity with ripe and notably spicy red pinot fruit that has hints of floral and violets to it. The powerful and round flavors retain a fine sense of detail to them and despite the muscle and solid structure, this remains particularly well balanced and with plenty of buffering sap on the mid-palate. Terrific quality here and this is recommended for those who are prepared to have some patience.

agavin: Nice. Just beginning to get into maturity.

2007 Comte Senard Corton-Clos du Roi. BH 89. A highly complex nose that is classic Clos du Roi with its earthy and intensely animale character to the nuanced and layered red, blue and violet aromas that complement well the textured and moderately concentrated medium weight flavors in the context of the vintage, all wrapped in a driving finish that possesses excellent length. This is certainly attractive as it’s notably more forward than usual but overall, it’s pretty rather than profound.

agavin: a little too young, even for a forward vintage.

Viandes en Duo. Plat de Cotes Braise, Bavette, Creme d’Avoin, Poireaux Sauvages, Fromage Blanc, Jus de Cuisson. Duo of meat. Cotes flat Braise, bib, Creme of Avoin, Wild Leek, White Cheese, Cooking Juice. The risotto like stuff was good but a little “wheaty”. I liked the braised short rib better of the two meats too. But nice dish and a very healthy portion of meat!

Bread for the cheese.

Assiette de Fromages. Cheese plate. Super creamy good stuff on the left, nice nutty cheese on the right.
Chocolats. Filled with caramel or some other liquid.

Overall, a super fun night with lots of great food and wine. I was very impressed with how Terrine handled things for a party of this size (the whole place!). Food was quite on point, and there was plenty of it. Very timely too. Wine service was good, with only a few timing hiccups — which is actually an A effort given how hard pouring a group this size with so many wines is.

All in all, pretty awesome.

For more LA dining reviews click here.