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Quick Eats – The Penthouse

Dec26

Location: 1111 2nd St, Santa Monica, CA 90403. (310) 393-8080

Date: June 11, 2022

Cuisine: American

Rating: Solid execution

Over the years I’ve gone to the Penthouse in various guises many times. Hey, I used to go to Toppers here in this space in the 1990s. Food has generally been pretty good, although hotel “trite” (aka very tame). Today was actually my birthday and we headed out for lunch with my family.

The space is lovely with great views.

The brunch menu.

Waffle. Strawberries,Whipped Cream, Vermont Maple Syrup, Melted Butter.

Condiments for the waffle.

Salmon Benedict.

Smoked Salmon Pizzetta. Meyer Lemon Creme Fraiche, Salmon Roe, Lox, Caramelized Onions, Cherry Tomato Confit, Chives. Great, but a touch too salty.

Grilled Wagyu Burger.

Inside said burger.

The view (from one side, it’s actually great — and different — on each side).

The Penthouse is actually pretty good for a hotel restaurant. Yeah, it’s American food (one of my least favorite cuisines), but it’s more interesting than most. And the space is great. At night it can be kinda hopping too.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Brunch, Family, Santa Monica, The Penthouse

Uncanny Valle

Dec29

Restaurant: Valle

Location: 1305 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291. (310) 299-9735

Date: July 17, 2021

Cuisine: Oaxacan-ish Hipster Mexican

Rating: Tasty, but the service was horrendous

For the last several years this space was home to MTN which was a Hipster Izakaya that I actually really enjoyed. Under the same owners it rebooted during the pandemic into a sort of “Oaxacan Inspired” Mexican place. It should be noted that Valle has subsequently closed for good and the owners (part of the Gjelina group) have walked away from the property.

Inspired.

This being post lockdown they turned the former parking lot roof garage into a fairly cute patio.

The menu.

From my cellar: 2012 Schloss Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner Reserve Tradition. AG 93. A haunting nose combines bittersweet perfumed iris, saffron and faint hints of smoky Latakia tobacco with intimations of grapefruit and apple that go on to supply satisfying primary juiciness of a satin-textured, strikingly buoyant palate. A mouthwatering upwelling suggestive of salted veal stock complements the inner-mouth perfume of a soothingly lingering tobacco- and pepper-tinged finish. (Drink between 2015-2030)

House-made Chips.

Guacamole.

Salsa.

Verdolaga. Purslane, plums, pepitas, mint-lemon dressing.

Tomato Salad. Heirloom tomatoes, seasalt, gomashio, epazote, crispy shallots.

Coliflor Rostizada con Mole Verde. Roasted cauliflower, green mole, pepitas seeds.

Baked Fish Collar. Marinated in mojo de ajo, arugula, red onion jalepeno.

Quesadilla de Flor de Calabaza. Squash Blossom, blue corn tortilla, quesillo, epazote.

Pork Belly taco.

Barbacoa de Borrego taco.

Pescado Taco.

Carne Asada. Grass fed hanger steak, grilled onion, guacamole, salsa molcajete, served with tortillas.

Pescado. Local rock cod vermillion, potatoes, tomatillo salsa.

Pork Chop en Mole Negro. Peades & Barnett pork chop, mole negro, pickled red onion, sesame seed, served with tortillas.

Barbacoa de Borrego. Cabbage, cilantro, lime, fermented chile salsa.

Churros con crema de chocolate.

The food was actually pretty tasty with strong zesty flavors but let me get into the “experience.”

While the staff was generally nice, the service was beyond bad. Textbook bad. It took about 30 minutes to get the waiter to come over. We asked for wine glasses. They never came. I had to go behind the bar and get them myself. It was probably 45-50 minutes in that we ordered. The poor single waiter had the entire patio to himself. He spent all of his time stuck at the POS (Point of Sale computer). They used the dubious system where the POS kicks orders in and runners bring it out — the waiter doesn’t bring (or check) anything. In this case nothing was coordinated. Bus boys would clear the plates and silverware. Food would come randomly with no plates or silverware. Waiter was never there. We would grab bus boys and ask for plates. I ended up going behind the bar again multiple times and bringing my own plates and silverware to the table. This happened for the entire meal. It took a good 1.5 hours longer than it should have. There was no coordination at all.

At the end I cornered the manager and gave her a friendly (but stern) earful as a fellow restaurant owner. She apologized vaguely and made excuses. She wasn’t listening. Textbook bad management.

It should be noted again that Valle has closed permanently. They blame the landlord on their web page. I have my doubts.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Family, Mexican, Oaxacan, Tacos, Valle, Wine

Tar and Roses Redux

Dec25

Restaurant: Tar & Roses [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 602 Santa Monica Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 587-0700

Date: July 16, 2021

Cuisine: American Tapas

Rating: Has not only held up but improved

Tar & Roses is a new American tapas-style place in Santa Monica, loosely in the vein of Rustic Canyon or Gjelina. Despite the relative crowding of this market, it’s an extremely popular addition.

The Chef & Owner is Andrew Kirschner, a Santa Monica-native who grew up in a family with a strong appreciation for travel, food and wine, Chef Andrew Kirschner initiated his cooking education at the age of fifteen with a summer job in the kitchen of a local restaurant. Like many great chefs, his culinary journey started as a job, but quickly turned into a passion. After Kirschner became the sous chef for Chadwick in Beverly Hills, and then a chef/partner at the popular neighborhood spot Table 8 in West Hollywood, where he met and bonded with his Tar & Roses sous chef, Jacob Wildman.

Years ago (2015) I had a few issues with service here, but after some good takeout experiences during lockdown decided to head back in summer of 2021 with my parents and family.

The space is airy and pleasant.

There is a nice patio too (not pictured) which is actually where we sat on this particular day.
The current menu.

YELLOWTAIL CRUDO. Citrus / Avocado / Jalapeño / White Soy. Very zesty.

OXTAIL DUMPLINGS. San Bai Su / Chili / Green Onion. Super tasty with a lot of umami.
MOORISH MARINATED LAMB KABOB. Banana Raita / Harissa. Nice grilled lamb flavor.

BABY ARTICHOKES. Garlic Confit / Parmesan / Lemon Yogurt / Mint.

BALSAMIC GLAZED RIBS. Aleppo Pepper / Fried Basil. Awesome.

Wood roasted baby carrots.

SQUID INK FETTUCINI. Octopus / Blistered Tomato / Basil.

From my cellar: 1996 Robert Ampeau & Fils Volnay 1er Cru Santenots. 91 points. Hazy, sour cherry, sous bois.

I brought another wine too a NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 168eme — but forgot to photo it.
SHELLFISH POT. Scallops / Clams / Mussels / Shrimp / Maitake / Curry. The broth was awesome with a very strong southeast Asian flavor.

ALASKAN KING SALMON. Tiny Beans / Escarole / Tomato / Salsa Verde.

WHOLE FRIED SNAPPER FOR TWO. Cold Soba Noodles / Dipping Sauce. Fabulous dish. The fish sauce (not pictured) really made the dish.

EGGPLANT. Crispy Garlic / Chili / Slivered Almonds. Hints of both Middle Eastern and Chinese.

KING TRUMPET MUSHROOMS. Soft Egg / Rosemary.

Overall, this was an excellent meal. The patio was great in the “mid-late covid era” and service was good. I think the food has tightened and brightened up a bit since their early days. I liked the variety of mildly exotic influences — and the flavors were strong.

Everyone really enjoyed it.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Champagne, Family, fish, Kurg, Tar & Roses, Volnay, Wine

Family Spago

Aug15

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

Location: 176 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210. (310) 385-0880

Date: June 29, 2018

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Still great

When looking for a “nice” place to go with my parents at the last minute guess what turned out to have space on a Saturday night:

This mainstay of the LA restaurant scene has managed to stay pretty current, which is impressive given it’s 3+ decades in business.
The current menu.

My mom and wife love champagne, so why not some: From my cellar: Jacques Selosse V.O. Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut. VM 94. The NV Extra Brut V.O. (Version Originale), taken from hillside parcels in Avize, Cramant and Oger, possesses striking aromatic presence allied to a rich, creamy expression of pure Chardonnay fruit. Beautifully textured and nuanced, the V.O. is superb on this night.

Bread.

Awesome crispy seed breads

Yogurt pesto like dip which was great.

Summer Endive Salad. Date Purée, Pine Nuts, Snap Peas, Baby Asparagus, Feta, Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette.

Heirloom Tomato Salad, burrata “Mozzarella”, basil-pinenut Aioli, Balsamic, Shaved Onions.

Big Eye Tuna and Kampachi “Chirashi Box”. Salmon Pearls, Ora King Salmon, Jalapeño-Yuzu Gel. Very good, nearly as good as at a top Japanese place, just very small.

Steamed Striped Bass “Hong Kong” Style. Bok Choy, Lotus Root, Sweet Soy, Jasmine Rice.

From my cellar: 1996 Domaine Jean Grivot Echezeaux. VM 92. Deep red-ruby. Very subtle, classy aromas of cassis, raspberry, coffee, mace and cardamom. Velvety, sweet dark berry and floral fruit offers enticing sweetness with perfectly integrated balancing acidity. Really silky and mouthfilling. Explodes and persists on the very firm aftertaste. Like the Beaumonts, this is quintessential ’96. Delicious.

agavin: 96 Tight. But pened up after a few min and was delicious.

Handmade Agnolotti with Sweet White Corn, Mascarpone, Parmigiano Reggiano. These are to die for.

And even better with truffles!

Ricotta Gnocchi. Braised Veal Ragout, Pecorino Romano, Parsley.

Pan-Roasted Half Jidori Chicken. Wild mushrooms, Yukon Gold Poato Puree, Natural Jus. (modded to reduce carbs so green beans instead of potatoes).

Devil’s Gulch Ranch Rabbit. Bacon Brioche Stuffing, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Shoulder Ragout.

And a little side of rabbit gnocchi.

The dessert menu.

A Sweet Take Away (6 piece). Plus some chocolate meringues.

Overall, a great dinner. Service was good, although not like it was when I came with Vahan 6 months before. Then we had all these bonus amuses etc. This was just a normal 5-top dinner. But it was very good.

I brought some good wines too 🙂

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Beverly Hills, Family, Spago, Wine

Family République

Oct25

Restaurant: Republique [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]

Location: 624 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036. (310) 362-6115

Date: September 16, 2017

Cuisine: Modern Bistro French

Rating: Nice (loud) space, tasty hip food, great service

This is my 11th time writing up Republique! Woah. My parents were in town and turns out they had never been, so we headed on over for a dinner nominally celebrating my awesome dad’s 75th birthday!

Busy and loud as always!

Le menu.

From my cellar: NV Savart Champagne Bulle de Rosé. 92 points. Light pink/salmon color; nose has some strawberry fruit, clean, a bit limited; palate is full bodied, wonderful mousse, plenty of red fruit with strawberry and raspberry, tart grapefruit citrus from start to finish, slight brioche, nice density throughout but also medium-plus acidity that gives it crispness and freshness; medium to medium-long finish. The palate is really strong here with an awesome balance of richness, fruit, grapefruit tartness, and fresh acidity throughout that keeps it exciting and fresh. One of the most enjoyable and complex NV Rose Champagnes that I’ve had, and one of the best priced too. If the nose opens up a bit more, this will be killer, but for now still wonderful. Seems like it may change over a few years in the cellar too. 92+
30 minutes air: After warming from fridge temp, the nose is a bit more aromatic with clearer strawberry fruit, now a slight chalkiness (a bit denser than just minerality).

The bread and Normandy butter is always amazing.

Kampachi Crudo. Green thai curry, watermelon, basil, peanuts. Really nice interesting flavors. Love the combination. Very “Thai.”

Spanish Bluefin Tuna Toast. Avocado, yuzu, smoked sesame seeds, sun gold tomatoes.

Heirloom Tomatoes, cucumber, tenerelli farms peaches, santa barbara pistachios. Can we say seasonal California cuisine?

From my cellar: 1993 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Saint Georges. VC 95. The 1993 Chevillon Les St. Georges is as fine a bottle of young Nuits as I have ever had the pleasure to taste, as it again seems to take the best of both the Cailles and Vaucrains and roll them into a whole that is more than a sum of its parts. The nose is deep, refined and regal, soaring from the glass in a mélange of black cherries, plums, violets, nutty tones, herbs, intense minerality, and woodsmoke. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, complete and youthfully complex, with a sappy core of fruit, brilliant acidity, great focus, and a very, very long finish of modest tannins and soil-driven flavors. This is a remarkable young wine that towers above many examples of the vintage that wear the grand cru label.

Hudson Valley Foie Gras. Steel-cut oats, applewood-smoked bacon, black mission figs, maple gastrique. Not sure what I thought about the oats but the foie and figs were perfect.

Charcuterie Board. Terrine, dry cures, pickles. I’ve had this a lot of times at wine events here, but it’s solid. Love the pates.

Simple pasta for my son. He liked it so much he ordered a second one!

Spinach Cavatelli. Wild mushrooms. Love the bitey texture and butter sauce. The pastas here are some of the best in the city. Better than 98% of all the Italian restaurants.

Sweet Corn Agnolotti. Chanterelle mushrooms. To die for. Absolutely incredible little pillows of sweetness.

Bucatini alla Carbonara. Pancetta, parmesan. Also buttery goodness!

From my cellar: 2001 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape. RJ 95. Bricking dark red violet color; ginger cake, pepper, garrigue nose; silky textured, pepper, very tart black fruit palate; long finish

Red wine-braised beef short rib. Braised kale, roasted carrots, fingerling potatoes, applewood-smoked bacon.

Cauliflower. Sweet potato, pomegranate, goat cheese, arugula, dukkah.

Mary’s organic roasted chicken. Summer corn, cherry tomatoes, basil. Getting full. They changed up the veggies for the season.

Les desserts.

Chocolate ice cream. Good flavor but still that hard ice cream texture — gelato is better!

Salted caramel chocolate cake. Like chocolate cake with caramel on top.

Plum crisp. vanilla ice cream. My dad’s style. This is, by the way, in about 20 République meals one of the first times I’ve had normal dessert here!

My Dad and I.

I haven’t just “eaten” here in a while — normally I’m at a private function — and I was impressed by how on point all the food was. Service was great too. There wasn’t that thing that sometimes happens at République where a 1 hour gap develops between dishes. The place is buzzing! Both with customers and staff and is humming along like a well oiled machine (this was a Saturday night). There is a reason why it’s one of the most popular major restaurants in the city.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (4)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: birthday, Family, French Cuisine, République, Walter Manzke

Friday Night Feast 2014

Dec04

As part of the annual ThanksGavin celebration it’s traditional for us to do a home dinner on Friday night, historically cooked by my cousin Abbe. But this year she abdicated the job to her brother Matt and his wife Andrea.

NV Casa Vinicola Botter Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Santi Nello. Bubbly to start. Zingy acids, excellent minerality, very small fizzy bubbles. Ultra refreshing.

More fancy olives.

The return of the artichokes.

Bread.

2007 Simon Bize Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Vergelesses. Burghound 90. As would reasonably be expected, there is just more here in every dimension with a more complex and more elegant nose that is layered and very fresh and this refinement continues onto the nicely concentrated middle weight flavors that display evident minerality on the sappy, intense and mouth coating finish that lingers and lingers. This is a terrific Savigny blanc and recommended.

My dad is in charge of cheeses, which means some stinkers.

And the “separated” non-stinky plate.

1995 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Sorì Paitin. IWC 91. Medium red, some amber at the rim. Plum, cherry and enticing smoky, toasty oak on the nose. Smoky, sweet and velvety, with insinuating flavor. Has firm backbone and finishes with some oak tannins but avoids dryness. Rather Pommard-like in its solidity.

agavin: this particular bottle had more funk on the nose than usual.

Homemade manicotti, stuffed with ricotta and smothered in mozzarella.

A version without the mozz for those who aren’t THAT into cheese. Not me.

1996 Faiveley Corton-Clos des Cortons Faiveley. IWC 94. Deep ruby color. Multidimensional aromas of violet, coffee, dried rose, clove, rare steak and seductive oak. Huge and tactile; really implodes in the mouth today. Extremely deep and lush, with the sheer sweetness to buffer its considerable acids and tannins. Oaky. Finishes extremely long, with very fine, tooth-coating tannins. With aeration, some of the baby fat melted away, and the wine’s powerful structure was manifest. Headspinning, old-style Burgundy, and very impressive. One to buy and cellar.

The main dish consisted of roasted pork sandwiches. Here they are coming out of the oven, notice the big hunks of bacon/pork fat added for flavor.

Matt sliced the meat.

And warmed it in its own jus.

Any pig haters had the option of turkey, a giant sliced breast borrowed from one of the previous night’s birds.

And provolone of two types, the regular and the aged sharp kind. Both from the Italian market.

Plus some very serious roasted peppers. These had a big hot long burn to them.

And sautéed broccoli rabe.

Fennel and celery salad.

Here is the plate with a bit of everything.

1994 Leoville-Las Cases. Parker 92-95. Michel Delon, a great man, is the consummate proprietor, meticulously administering this vast estate spread out along the St.-Julien/Pauillac border, separated from Latour’s finest vineyard by a mere ten feet. The 1993-95 vintages from Delon are brilliant wines. Leoville-Las-Cases remains one of the irrefutable reference points for high class Bordeaux. One of the more massive Medocs of the vintage, this opaque purple-colored wine exhibits fabulous richness and volume in the mouth. Layers of pure black-cherry and cassis fruit are intermixed with stony, mineral-like scents, as well as high quality toasty oak. Medium to full-bodied, with a sweet, rich entry, this wine possesses plenty of tannin, yet fabulous extract and length. Leoville-Las-Cases is one of the half-dozen great wines of the Medoc in 1994. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2025. This lion never falls asleep on the job!

Matt also “whipped up” some homemade pumpkin pie from scratch. There was a bit of ginger in there.

The actual pie itself.

And the brownie’s return.

These chessboard fudge squares were made by my cousin-in-law (cousin’s wife) Itsuki.

Overall, another fabulous evening of great food and company. Bravo Matt and Andrea.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Family, holiday, ThanksGavin, Wine

ThanksGavin 2011 – The Main Event

Nov25

Every year my mom and her sister cook up an incredible feast for the family. And every year, incredibly, the food gets slightly better.

We open with the real Chardonnay from my cellars (hauled 3000 miles): “The Domaine Fevre 2006 Chablis (there is a separate cuvee from purchased fruit which I did not taste) displays an uncanny combination of creaminess of texture with firm underlying suggestions of chalk and stone. Mouthwatering honeydew melon and lime run with the mineral suggestions right through to a long luscious back end of exceptional quality for generic Chablis.”

Then back it up with a red burg, cousin to last nights. Parker 93. “Super-ripe aromas of cookie dough, spices, and black cherry syrup can be found in the nose of the medium-bodied 2002 Nuits-St.-Georges Les Pruliers. Its fabulously satiny texture, concentration, and purity are immensely impressive. This medium-bodied wine coats the palate with innumerable black fruits, minerals, and spices. Projected maturity: 2008-2018.”

My mom in the kitchen, hard at work on the turkey.

her cohort and sister, also at work.

Turkey and stuffing.

The appetizer spread. Various breads and crackers (mostly picked over).

Caponata.

bean salad.

Guacamole. I didn’t make it, so it isn’t incredibly spicy. Sometime I’ll have to do a post on mine.

A decent chianti clasico. Parker 90. We had two fabulous meals right in this town in Chianti. “The 2007 Chianti Classico is a pretty red laced with dark cherries, dried flowers and spices. The perfumed bouquet melds seamlessly into a caressing, attractive mid-palate that turns delicate on the finish. The Chianti Classico is 95% Sangioveto and 5% Canaiolo. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2014.”

The main spread.

Bread from a great Philly bakery.

Two types of cranberry, this one is more a jam, with a bit of spicy kick.

And a cranberry relish.

Salad (dessing in the background).

Nuts, separated out for the allergic.

Marinated carrots, sort of Moroccan style.

Brussel sprouts. Don’t knock the veggie until you’ve tasted these.

Roasted beets. Yummy — and pink pee.

Butternut squash puree.

The turkey. We BBQ the big fellows on the charcoal grill.

Stuffing.

Gravy.

A total blockbuster. Parker 96. “The top effort, the 2007 Cotes du Rhone-Villages Rasteau Fleur de Confiance, is awesome. An inky/blue/black color is followed by a stunning bouquet of scorched earth, incense, blackberry jam, coffee, and spice. This full-bodied, massive, stacked and packed Rasteau is destined for two decades of life. Its sweet tannin and textured mouthfeel are compelling. Give it 2-4 years of cellaring and consume it over the following 20 years.”

This year’s plate.

And what little I left of it.

After dinner we move onto this incredibly grapey wine. Parker 01. “The 2007 Shiraz Angel’s Share reveals a Cote-Rotie-like nose with its scents of mineral, meat, game and bacon. On the palate there is plenty of sweet, spicy blueberry fruit, silky tannin, and incipient complexity. Give it 1-2 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2010 to 2017.”