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Eating Melbourne – Sarti

Mar09

Restaurant: Sarti

Location: 6 Russell Pl, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia

Date: December 31, 2017

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Very good Italian

Our final dinner in Australia was New Years Eve and we went to this excellent Italian restaurant…

Pretty front hidden on a side street.

Inside, bar, etc.

Outside patio currently hosting a private party.

Italian all the way.

The special New Year’s menu.

I ordered this nice Australian chard.

Trota Marinata. Semi cured ocean trout, white radish, grapefruit, salmon roe.

Rotolo di Coniglio. Rolled rabbit, quinoa salad, walnuts, baby carrots.

Fiori di Zucca. Zucchini flowers filled with goat’s cheese and chives.

Insalata di Polipo. Octopus salad, avocado puree, pomegranate.

Zucchini and goat cheese foam.

Il Pesce. Pan seared Barramundi, baby cucumber, orange, caramelized witlof.

Risotto alle Verdure. Pea pisotto, sugar snap peas, mascarpone, mint.

Green salad with nuts.

Fries.

Spaghetti alla Chitarra. Black ink pasta, WA blue swimmer crab, fresh tomato, garlic, chili.

Chocolate ice cream.

Pietre di Frutta della Passione. Passion fruit stones, what chocolate sponge, basil.

The crew at the table.

Downtown Melbourne

Overall, a very nice Italian meal. Australia has a lot of Italians and quite good Italian food. This was in that modern Italian style.

For more Australia dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Australia, eating-australia, Italian Cusine, Melbourne, Sarti

Sage at Rossoblu

Dec01

Restaurant: Rossoblu

Location: 1124 San Julian St, Los Angeles, CA 90015. (213) 749-1099

Date: November 1, 2017

Cuisine: Italian (Emilia Romagna)

Rating: Very tasty modern rustic style

Los Angeles Italian restaurants are getting more explicitly regional. Rossoblu is helmed by Chef Steve Samson (who opened at Sotto) whose family is from Bologna in Emilia Romagna — a city and region of epic food tradition (check out my own visit to the area here). This visit was organized by Liz Lee of Sage Society.

The location is in DTLA in one of those ugly market districts on the southeastern side of the city. The building looks new and certainly newly renovated with a slightly oddball but large front patio. The neighborhood is kinda sketchy.

Inside is modern and attractive with a slightly offset bar area.

And a spacious main dining room with very high ceilings.

The menu.

The kitchen is open and the hood huge — with one of those wood burning roasting ovens.

We each brought geeky central Italian wines. First the whites.

Liz brought: 2000 i Clivi Galea. 93 points. Very cold weather and herbal.

From my cellar: 2010 Paolo Bea Arboreus. 93 points. Very interesting orange wine. This is a wine that continues to exceed my already-high expectations for it. In this setting it held its own against two hearty pasta dishes—not the fare you would typically associate with Trebbiano, but then again this isn’t your typical Trebbiano. Bea’s decision a few years ago to add a touch more sulfur when bottling has increased the wine’s stability and reduced its oxidative quality somewhat, without losing any of the characteristics that make this wine what it is. Always a delight.

Kirk brought: 2010 Le Macchiole Paleo Bianco Toscana IGT. VM 88. Light, bright yellow. Honeydew and pineapple aromas, along with floral and grapefruit nuances. Juicy, spicy and high-pitched, offering brisk flavors of citrus zest, winter melon and fresh herbs. Finishes slightly dry, with refreshing bite and good spicy persistence.

Grilled buckley bay oysters. Brown butter, sage, parmigiano reggiano, lemon breadcrumbs. Certainly I’ve never seen these in Italy but these “almost like Oyster Rockefeller” oysters were quite good.

Grilled Santa Barbara spot prawns. Breadcrumbs, parsley, Romagnola Olive Oil. These were great prawns — although again you wouldn’t see this exact dish in Italy — and the row in particular was awesome.

Swiss chard ebazzone tartlet. Stracchino, Chicory Salad. A lot like a Greek Spanakopita. Behind it is a kind of Emilia Romagna cheese (stracchino) in olive oil.

Strozzapreti. Clams, shrimp, lobster mushrooms, tomato. Essentially a Gauzetto sauce. Very nice al dente bite on the thick pasta. Really lovely for a seafood pasta actually, although somehow felt a little more Southern Italian.

Valbruna’s Eggplant. Tomato sugo, parmigiano reggiano, basil. Bright pizza flavors. Nice fresh eggplant dish.

Whole grilled orata. lemon arugula. Nice fresh fish but with a strong grilled flavor — undoubtedly down on the wood fire grill.

Liz brought: 1985 Castell’in Villa Chianti Classico Riserva. AG 93. The 1985 Chianti Classico Riserva is a gorgeous wine. It has plenty of depth and richness to match its fabulous overall balance. The warmth of the vintage is very nicely balanced here. The bouquet is starting to show early signs of development, which suggests the 1985 won’t be one of the longer-lived vintages at Castell’in Villa, but it should continue to drink well for another 5-7 years, perhaps longer.

From my cellar: 1966 Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Riserva. 89 points. A little sharp but still in amazing shape given that it’s a 51 year old Chianti!

From my cellar: 1999 Paolo Bea Sagrantino di Montefalco Secco. AG 95. The wine was absolutely majestic. Tons of fruit!

Pappardelle. Sausage ragu, broccoli, ricotta. Very nice sausage and broccoli pasta. Very al dente with a lot of rich flavor.

Maltagliati. Procini & pioppini mushrooms. Dandelion greens, sage. Particularly tasty for a vegetarian pasta. The mushrooms were almost meaty. Again extremely al dente.

Very Emilia Romagna style puffy breads.

For the Salumi board. Sotto cenere / testa, whipped dry aged beef tallow. Mortadella DOP, prosciutto di parma (30 months), served with stracchino cheese.

Nonna’s Tagliatelle al ragu Bolognese. Beef, pork, not too much tomato sauce. Very traditional Bolognese with LOTS of meat. Good stuff.

Risotto. Yellow corn, chanterelle mushrooms. Lovely almost sweet / cheesy risotto. Nice bite to the rice.

Milk braised pork shoulder. caramelized cabbage. Really nice soft flavorful pork.

Coal roasted vegetables. Carrots, beats, etc. Sea salt. Olive oil. Was getting pretty full for veggies.

The dessert menu.

Tiramisu Tradizionale. Cognescenti espresso, blackstrap rum, mascarpone. As good a tiramisu as you get in a restaurant, although not as good as my own.

Fall Date Blondie. Nutmeg cream, maple walnuts, coppa di gelato. More like a spice cake with whipped cream.

Overall, Rossoblu (named after the colors of the Bologna soccer team), adds another great entry into the new LA Italian dining scene. It’s focused on Emilia Romagna, but more like the rustic home cooking of an older Emilia Romagna as filtered through LA sensibility. My own experiences in the region show considerably less rustication. But in any case Rossoblu is very tasty. The pastas in particular were fabulous — and I’m always a pasta fiend. Too bad, like Officine, Bestia, and Factory Kitchen, it’s located ALL THE WAY Downtown — 1:45 of traffic.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Italian Cusine, Los Angeles, pasta, Rossoblu, Sage Society, Steve Samson, Wine

Sauvage Estrella

Oct18

Restaurant: Estrella

Location: 8800 Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069. (310) 652-6613

Date: September 9, 2017

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Mirko is an awesome chef

Sauvages lunches are always fun and this time we head off to:

Estrella, a former hollywood hip spot that now hosts one of our favorite Italian chefs, Mirko Paderno formerly of Culina, Officine, and Oliverio.

We had the cute private room in the back all to ourselves

Chef Mirko Paderno on the right.

From my cellar: 2014 Montenidoli Vernaccia di San Gimignano Fiore. 90 points. Sweet and sour white fruits, good acidity here and nice persistence. Very likable and food-friendly, but also able to stand on it’s own.

The menu.

The main wines were all Barolo and Barbaresco.

1995 Azienda Bricco Rocche (Ceretto) Barolo Bricco Rocche. VM 91+. Similar red color. Very expressive, very Barolo aromas of cherry, tar and chestnut. Sweet and densely packed but very firm and stubbornly backward; with aeration, this showed complex, fresh flavors of cherry, raspberry and smoke. The strong tannins are nicely integrated. A rather powerful ’95 that should show more personality with four or five years of additional bottle aging.

1996 Albino Rocca Barbaresco Vigneto Brich Ronchi. VM 94+. Even deeper red ruby color. Pungently spicy, penetrating aromas of rose petal, violet and red berries. Thick, intensely flavored and sharply delineated, with strong acidity and plenty of buffering extract. This has superb material and outstanding grip and persistence. Firm tannins are in perfect balance with the wine fruit. Wow! This is aged in all new barriques, but I never would have guessed it.

1997 Azienda Bricco Asili (Ceretto) Barbaresco Bricco Asili. VM 91+. Medium red. Subdued but pure aromas of sappy redcurrant, cherry, dried flowers, leather and mint; the most complex of these ’97 Barbarescos. Suave and rich but impressively unevolved for a ’97 Barbaresco. Firm acids contribute to the impression of solid structure. Finishes firm and persistent.

From my cellar: 1999 Roagna Barbaresco Crichët Pajé. JG 93. The 1999 Crichet Pajè is a superb bottle of young Barbaresco, with the inherent elegance of this superb vintage working very nicely with the “nobly rustic” style of the wines at this epoch at Roagna. The bouquet is deep, pure and complex, wafting from the glass in a blend of cherries, orange zest, cigar smoke, a superb base of soil, nutskins, fresh oregano and a dollop of road tar in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with a sappy core, outstanding soil signature, ripe tannins and excellent length and grip on the tangy and focused finish. High class juice that is still in need of several years in the cellar to reach its apogee

Cauliflower Torino, castelmagno cheese founduta, summer truffle. Pretty much the Mirko signature dish. Always delicious. Creamy, cheesy, with that truffle goodness.

1988 Elio Altare Barolo Vigneto Arborina. VM 94. The 1988 Barolo Vigneto Arborina stands out for its forward, decidedly fruit-driven style. Soft, pliant and super-expressive, the 1988 is wonderfully expressive today. Hints of leather, smoke, tobacco, cedar and crushed flowers add nuance on the finish. The 1988 saw just four days on the skins and was the last Barolo aged partly in cask. Even today, the 1988 retains gorgeous freshness and delineation.

1997 Azienda Bricco Rocche (Ceretto) Barolo Bricco Rocche. VM 92+. Medium red, orange at the rim. Cool, highly aromatic nose of redcurrant, dried rose, clove, cinnamon, chocolate and loam. Highly concentrated and rich in the mouth; flavors of chocolate, marzipan and amaretto show an almost liqueur-like sweetness. Big but ripe tannins coat all the surfaces of the palate. Very impressive.

Polenta Taragna, duck prosciutto, butter and sage. Rough polenta with a that butter and sage flavor. Very rustic dish, but nice.

1989 Giovanni Corino Barolo Vigna Giachini. VM 91. Corino’s 1989 Barolo Vigna Giachini offers up cedar, mushrooms and a host of mostly mature aromas and flavors on a delicate, elegant frame. The tannins remain a touch firm, but there doesn’t appear to be much upside in holding bottles too much longer.

1997 Giovanni Corino Barolo Vigna Giachini. VM 92. Good full red. Fresh, spicy aromas of cherry, camphor, licorice and dried flowers. Fat, sweet and pliant; a step up in complexity and concentration from the Arborina. Finishes very long, with lush, fine tannins. A very successful, thoroughly ripe ’97 Barolo.

Pennoni all’amatriciana, guanciale, red onion, san marzano, pecorino. Nicely al dente, and tons of bacon fat flavor. Not was integrated or smooth as the Felix version though.

1996 Luciano Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis. VM 96+. The 1996, one of the estate’s best, takes things to another level. It shows an outrageous, well-delineated nose of fresh roses, minerals and menthol followed waves of dark fruit and licorice flavors that are just beginning to show the signs of early maturity, with exceptional freshness, length, and harmony. This opens beautifully in the glass, taking on an almost Burgundian elegance. A wine to marvel over. It is hard to resist this now, but it will be even better in another 3-5 years, and age gracefully for another decade, and probably more.

1996 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba. VM 94+. Medium red. Musky, complex aromas of black raspberry, licorice and lead pencil. Large-scaled but penetrating; tangy raspberry flavors are given great precision by the wine firm spine of acidity. Almost painfully young today. Finishes with explosive, very persistent flavors and firm but thoroughly buffered tannins. A bit dominated by its powerful structure today, but this wine really blossomed with aeration.

Black summer truffle risotto, chenterelle mushrooms, parmigiano reggiano. Gorgeous risotto. Mirko really knows how to get the perfect texture.

1998 Domenico Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra. VM 92. Domenico Clerico’s 1998 Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra is one of the most full-throttle wines of the vintage. Still deeply-colored, this authoritative wine possesses tons of mineral-infused dark fruit intermingled with French oak and menthol. This remains one of the most tannic and firm wines of the vintage. My impression is that the fruit will fade before the tannins melt away. Still, this is a beautiful wine Barolo to enjoy over the next few years, although it is not a wine for the timid.

2001 Domenico Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra. VM 95. Clerico’s 2001 Ciabot Mentin Ginestra was one of the first Barolos that really captivated my attention and for me it remains this producer’s most representative wine. It is a superb achievement and one of the highlights of the vintage.

Roasted squab, eggplant caponata, soft potatoes, natural jus. Stuart who organized this dinner loves game bird!

From my cellar as a bonus: 2008 Ferrando Carema White Label (Etichetta Bianca). VM 92. The 2008 Carema Etichetta Bianca wafts from the glass with sweet dried cherries, tobacco, sweet herbs and crushed flowers. A mid-weight, delicate wine, the 2008 is quite typical of these hillside vineyards. In 2008 the acidity is a bit on the high side, which readers should keep in mind when considering food pairings. This is a gorgeous wine from Ferrando.

Chocolate Mousse Cake, mixed berries.

Grapefruit aperol sorbetto by moi — I brought this one.

Cafe.

Cryptic notes.

Cute details in the room.

I opened this “bonus” wine: 1997 Maison Roche de Bellene Chambertin Collection Bellenum. 91 points. Seemed a bit uninteresting at first, but after about 5 hours of air, this was really singing. Very perfumed, elegant nose, with loads of soft red fruit, spice notes, and a touch of secondary. Great acidity on the palate, beautiful silky tannins on the finish.

These Sauvages events are always great fun and the wines were spectacular, particularly supported by Mirko’s sophisticated Northern Italian cooking. This is his fourth location in recent years but wherever he goes, there the cooking is!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Estrella, Italian Cusine, Mirko Paderno, Sauvages

Relocated to Officine

Oct06

Restaurant: Officine Brera [1, 2, 3, 4]

Location: 1331 E 6th St, Los Angeles, CA 90021. (213) 553-8006

Date: August 24, 2017

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Some of the best (new?) Italian in the city!

Sebastian tried to get me to go out to Glendale to a more uninspired Italian so I hijacked the whole dinner location over to Downtown’s Officine Brera. Another modern “rustic” Italian by the team that brought us Factory Kitchen, including master chef Angelo Auriana.

The area offers a mess of old brick 40s warehouses and factories which are being lovingly converted, allowing large spaces at reasonable rents (for now).

And inside the gigantic warehouse/factory space has been reconfigured with highly attractive duct work. Who would have thought that grungy 70 year-old factory windows could look so good?

For some weird reason, despite being impossible to get into last summer, and really good, Officine is much quieter now-a-days. It was about half full on our Thursday. I hope it picks back up. LA is a notoriously fickle market driven by hype, star power, and rent prices instead of food quality.

Tonight’s menu.

From my cellar: 2010 Abbazia di Novacella (Stiftskellerei Neustift) Kerner Praepositus. VM 90. The 2010 Kerner Praepositus is a more textured, creamier wine that the Sylvaner Praepositus tasted alongside it. Layers of fruit caress the palate in this effortless, totally gracious white. Ripe peaches, apricots, sage, savory herbs and wild flowers are all woven together nicely.

Fiore di Zucca. Crescenza-reggiano-pecorino stuffed zucchini blossoms, tempura batter. Always yummy.

Rustici. Baked stuffed vegetables, eggplant ,peppers, red onion, zucchini, tomato pepper sauce. Interesting, all these roasted vegetables stuffed with ground meat and cheese.

Carpaccio di Manzo. Seared beef sirloin, arugula, raspadura, Ligurian extra virgin olive oil. Solid, but not as much flavor as the tongue below.

Farinata. Chickpea “pancake” cooked in the 750 degree wood oven.

Sebastian brought: 2005 E. Guigal Condrieu La Doriane. VM 93. Light gold. Explosively aromatic nose offers a complex array of citrus and spice scents, notably tangerine, blood orange and nutmeg. Sappy and concentrated, showing great depth to the sweet but energetic citrus flavors. Really expands on the palate, with riper peach and nectarine flavors building through a strikingly long, elegant finish. “We’re after finesse and expression without heaviness here.” explains Guigal, who points out that this was raised in 100% new oak. “You can’t see it, can you?” he asked. Nope.

Stacciatella. Baby kale, white endive, mint, sage, stracciatella cheese, toasted almonds. Nice salad, particularly with the cheese.

Lingua Salmistrata. Sliced pickled beef tongue, parsley sauce, taggia olives, arugula salad. LOVED the tongue. We ordered a second round. Great tender meat, with pesto, cheese, and bright arugula.

Sebastian brought: 1996 Tenuta San Guido • Bolgheri Sassicaia. RP 92. Here’s a little gem from Tenuta San Guido that has never been reviewed in Robert Parker Wine Advocate (except informally by me one year ago in a Hedonist’s Gazette). I have consistently found the 1996 Bolgheri Sassicaia to be an impressive wine on the few occasions I have had to taste it. This is one of those rare underrated vintages that bring so much delight and surprise in an important retrospective such as this. As I recall from my informal tasting, this Sassicaia shows a heavy dose of Cabernet Sauvignon typicity but without the astringent medicinal tone or unripe greenness you might expect. Instead, it delivers a bright but balanced, tonic verve that is driven by the wine’s natural acidity. I had previously paired this wine with an oversized bistecca alla fiorentina t-bone steak and the marriage was perfect. This was a difficult vintage in Bolgheri, but the results in the bottle suggest otherwise.

Larry brought: 2001 Tenuta San Guido • Bolgheri Sassicaia. RP 88. The 2001 Bolgheri Sassicaia had never been previously reviewed in The Wine Advocate. When I saw that this wine was missing from the database, I asked to open a bottle. I also wanted to taste the 2002 Bolgheri Sassicaia (also missing from the database) but there are virtually no bottles left at the winery. It’s counterintuitive, but Tenuta San Guido did make Sassicaia in the difficult 2002 vintage. The 2001 vintage was promising when released but shows heavy warm weather aromas today. In fact, these jammy notes come as a big surprise and add to the wine’s weight and heaviness today. The results are somewhat muted and flat. The bouquet shows savory tones with cured meat, leather and bresaola. The fruit tones are dried and dark in character with plum, blackcurrant and dried fig. The aromas are evolved and mature. In the mouth, the wine shows thick density with gritty texture. Because this was a warm vintage, the wine showed plush tannins and round fruit flavors upon release. Those qualities can make longevity difficult.

Pappardelle al Pesto. Wide cut egg pasta, arugula pesto, crispy foraged mushrooms. Nice pasta but a mild pesto, probably because its arugula instead of basil.

Raviolini. Roasted three meat ravioli, rapini, cherry tomatoes, raspadura. Interesting with the fruit.

Mafaldine. Wide cut chestnut pasta, lamb ossobucco sugo, lodigrana, chives.

Gnocchi al Sugo. House-made potato dumplings, nebbiolo beef cheeks, castelmagno fonduta. By far the best of the pastas. Awesome meat/cheese factor.

From my cellar: 1990 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia • Ornellaia. RP 92. Another super effort from this producer, Ludvico Antinori’s 1990 Ornellaia is a worthy successor to the super 1988. Fat, supple, and loaded with black-cherry and curranty fruit, and a dash of vanillin from new oak barrels, this full-bodied, velvety-textured, opulent wine should drink well for 10-12 years.

Mark brought: 2000 Leoville-Las Cases. RP 98+. Tasted blind as a vintage comparison at the Valandraud vertical, the 2000 Leoville-Las-Cases is a quite fabulous, magisterial Saint Julien that is only just beginning to flex its muscles. It has a very intense and beautifully defined bouquet with mineral rich blackberry and bilberry scents, outstanding focus and harmony, and very well-integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, impressive backbone and focus in situ. There is a touch of mint infusing the fruit here, superb tension with a touch of mulberry and Hoi Sin lingering on the finish that still feels backward and sinewy. What was remarkable was to observe the melioration in the glass, achieving wondrous energy and delineation with time, still improving after a couple of hours. Buy it, cellar it, drink it. Tasted December 2016.

Marittimo. “Acquerello” carnaroli superfino rice, octopus sugo, cuttlefish, black mussels. Very nice seafood risotto.

Bassa Padana. Carnaroli riserva san massimo rice, luganega rope sausage, cotechino, grana. Awesome sausage risotto.

Milanese. Vialone nano rice veronese igp, saffron, wood oven roasted bone marrow, raspadura. The classic Officine saffron risotto with bone marrow.

Anthony brought: 2008 Sine Qua Non • The Line. RP 98. 2008 The Line: This wine was just released in April of this year, and is a blend of 87.5% Grenache, 11% Syrah, and 1.5% Viognier, with 21% whole clusters used in the Grenache component. Seventy-eight percent of it came from the 11 Confessions Vineyard and the balance from Bien Nacido and the White Hawk. It is no measly wine at 15.5% alcohol, but it displays extraordinary berry fruit and kirsch notes intermixed with lavender and other floral components. Intense, full-bodied, voluptuously textured, and stunningly pure, with no real noticeable oak (21% new French oak was used, most of it the larger demi-muids), this beauty has put on weight and is showing additional complexity since I first tasted it. Anticipated maturity: now-2023.

Carne Bovina. 30-day aged prime new york steak, heirloom baby carrots, roasted peppers.

Rombo Intero. Whole grilled european turbot, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, capers, taggia olives.

Roasted Turbot!

Dessert menu.

The lineup.

Torrone. Honey & nut nougatine semifreddo, warmed fudge sauce, amerena cherries. Awesome dessert. I love semifreddo, and nougat and amerena cherries? Yum!

Nocciola meringata. hazelnut meringue cake, gianduja feuilletine, chocolate cream, black grapes. Nice gianduja flavors.

Panna cotta di coco. coconut panna cotta, pistachio sponge, gelato, rum pineapples, tuile.

Pistachio gelato. Very Neapolitan version of pistachio, not strong in the nut department, but probably had a touch of marsala or something too.

Macedonia allo zabaglione. Seasonal stone fruits, sherry zabaglione, almond tuile. Very classic with the fruits and zabaglione (sherry, egg, sugar custard in this case).

Budino di cioccolato. Chocolate cream pot, whipped Chantilly cream, maldon salt, caramelized nuts. Love budinos — basically custard/pudding.Castagnole. Freshly fried goughnuts, anise sugar, salty bourbon caramel sauce.

Overall another amazing evening.

Food. The food at Officine is very good. It’s very Italian, with a fairly non Italian “vibe” to the place and a more modern share plates style.

Service. Service was great and we were treated like family. Wine service in particular is great.

Atmosphere. I love the big factory look. It’s a little loud, but not as bad as some (Bestia!). It wasn’t as crowded tonight as on all my previous visits and so was nicely not as loud.

Wines. Great wines.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Angelo Auriana, Italian Cusine, Officine Brera, Wine

Totally Toscana

Oct04

Restaurant: Toscana

Location: 11633 San Vicente Blvd #100A, Los Angeles, CA 90049. (310) 820-2448

Date: August 18, 2017

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Excellent upscale neighborhood Italian

I haven’t been to Toscana (other than one quick lunch) in over 10 years but Seb was willing to drive across the city so we headed out on a Friday night “double date” (my wife was my date obviously). The place has been open since 1989 but is still seriously holding its own. It was mobbed as was Bar Toscana next door.

Raw vegetables on the table. Toscana has had these for at least 20 years, probably longer.

Sebastian demos — a theme for this post.

From my cellar: 2013 Azienda Agricola Bucci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore. VM 92. Bright-straw yellow. Knockout nose combines orchard fruits, anise and crushed stone. Dense, juicy and brilliantly delineated, offering very pure, intense flavors of tangy stone fruits, almond paste and flinty minerality. Offers lovely grip and intense, lingering floral notes. This is much more minerally than the 2014 Verdicchio.

Crispy pizza-like bread.

Insalata Carciofi. Baby artichokes, fine slices of pecorino cheese, lemon, walnuts, fennel & fava beans.

Burrata. Creamy mozzarella, bibb lettuce, tomato. Love burrata of course.

Insalata di Pere. Spinach salad with pear, goat cheese and walnuts. My wife’s dream salad (she loves pear, goat cheese, and walnuts).

Prosciutto e Melone. Artisanal 24-months prosciutto di Parma with *melon

Tartufo Nero e Burrata. Burrata cheese and winter black truffle. Tasted of truffle…

Smelled like truffle!

From my cellar: 2007 il Cocco Brunello di Montalcino. 95 points. Great grapey brunello.

Trenette al Pesto. Linguine with pesto sauce. Nice solid classic pesto.

Ravivioli di Carne. Homemade veal ravioli with butter and sage. I love this old school butter and sage sauce with a meat ravioli.

Special spaghetti with king crab and shrimp. Great pasta too with lots of crab.

Risotto ai Funghi Selvatici. Arborio rice and wild mushrooms. A solid risotto.

Milanese. Pounded veal chop in bread crumb. Old school!

The lemon helped lighten it up. I was getting very full though.

Bone in.

The dessert spread. Like many traditional Italian places in Italy, Toscana has a great selection of tortes.

Blueberry torte. Fabulous buttery crust.

Chocolate mouse torte and profiterole. The torte had milk chocolate mouse, white chocolate mouse, and shaved white chocolate.
Overall, I was very impressed, and we should go back more often — far more often than once a decade. Toscana was a regular place for my wife and I when we were young and used to eat out late (Naughty Dog hours). I assumed it was “dated” but far from it, still a great Italian and one of the best in Brentwood (which is jammed with Italians).

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Brentwood, Italian Cusine, pasta, Pizza, Toscana, Wine

Seconds at Chi Spacca

May29

Restaurant: Chi Spacca [1, 2]

Location: 6610 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 297-1133

Date: April 17, 2017

Cuisine: Italian Steakhouse

Rating: Rich but delicious, a carnivore’s paradise

The little Mozza empire on Melrose now includes the Pizzeria, the Osteria, Chi Spacca, and Mozza 2 go. They do a great job with all their restaurants but their annoying corkage policy (2 bottles per table!) has limited my ability to attend. I only go to this sort of place with my wine groups (my wife being a near vegetarian) and so the limits make it near impossible. But anyway we managed to organize a small group after months of planning.

Chop chop.

The menu.

The small room.

The smoky in the room grill.

I ordered this off the menu.

2015 Bisci Verdicchio di Matelica. 91 points. Bright and crisp, very minerally. Nice summer wine. Great food wine too.

Grilled Octopus. pureed & fried ceci, parsley leaf. Very soft tender octopus. Basically as good as grilled octopus gets (which is pretty good).

From my cellar: 1974 Gaja Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo. 95 points. One of the stars in this tasting, the 1974 Barbaresco Sorì San Lorenzo is quite a bit fresher and also more powerful than the 1971. A huge core of fruit hits the palate, followed by savory herbs, leather, tobacco and smoke. The 1974 remains powerful and virile, with fabulous intensity for a wine of its age and a compelling interplay of tertiary nuance, dense fruit and plenty of structure to back it all up. Readers lucky enough to still own the 1974 can look forward to another 5-10 years of very fine drinking.

Focaccia di Recco. Fett’unta. Super light, crispy cheese “pizza.”

See the cheese, feel the cheese. Very very salty though.

Smoked burrata & roasted parsnips. garlic, thyme, honey. Okay, but arguably the most disappointing dish tonight (most were awesome).

1995 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. Big!

“Moorish” lamb shoulder chop. mint yogurt, cilantro.

mint yogurt.

A special salad of citrus, kiwi, etc.

2005 Château Cos d’Estournel. VM 97. I have been fortunate to taste the 2005 Cos d’Estournel three times in recent weeks and it has never been anything less than stunningly beautiful, as it is once again on this night. The interplay of dark, ripe fruit and the more mineral, savory-inflected nuances typical of Saint-Estèphe yield a compelling, wonderfully complete Bordeaux that simply has it all. An exotic mélange of graphite, gravel, smoke, cured meats and dark-fleshed fruits flow through to the explosive finish. Riveting today, the 2005 Cos will continue to thrill those fortunate enough to own it for several decades. Given its price vis-à-vis many of the high-flying wines of the year, the 2005 Cos remains a terrific relative value in its class.

Costata alla Florentina. Dry-aged bone-in New York steak. Solid beef.
2000 Harlan estate. VM 93-96. he 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.

Tomahawk Pork Chop. fennel pollen. The top (far) part is the pork chop itself, wonderfully tender and with a lovely flavor. The bottom long parts are the pork belly, similar flavor but WAY richer.

Roasted cauliflower. crushed lemon bagna cauda. Excellent!

Roasted potatoes. Lardo, rosemary. Flower of sliced crispy potatoes.

2004 Harlan Estate. VM 95+. Bright ruby-red. Superripe aromas of raspberry, currant and tropical dark chocolate. Sweet, lush and large-scaled, hinting at surmaturite and compellingly mouthfilling without coming across as heavy. This extremely ripe wine’s high pH seems fully buffered by huge dry extract. Finishes with big but lush tannins and outstanding palate-staining persistence. A bit port-like but with mineral and licorice notes giving it definition and grip.

Beef & bone marrow pie. beef cheek, cippolini, funghi. Wow! Like the ultimate beef pot pie — and I mean ultimate. Salty, though, like almost everything here.

Mashed potatoes.
The dessert menu.

1986 Château d’Yquem. 96 points. Deep honeyed gold colour. Nose of burnt carameled toffee, soaped new leather car seats and shoe leather, white shoe cream, apricots…very suave but complex. Palate is gorgeously honeyed, rounded, almondy burnished copper and with a medium-cut acidity to stop it getting cloying. Tooth-coating. Massive head-expanding resonance and reverberance and all so smooth-edged… quite silence creating. Wow! Hard to stop sipping. It just gets more head-expanding with more time in the glass and the mouth.

Banana cream slab. hot caramel. Even I loved this, and I hate bananas.

Butterscotch Budino. sea salt & rosemary pine nut cookies. OMG, I love these creamy puddings. I ordered an extra too just for myself.

Cocoa Nib Caramel Tart. whipped creme fraiche. Rich.

Seasonal Gelati & Sorbetti. Pistachio and I can’t remember what else.

Seasonal Gelati & Sorbetti. Passionfruit (great) and others.

Overall, I thought the food at Chi Spacca was quite awesome, if not exactly authentically Italian. Certainly more to my taste than any normal steakhouse. They should import some pastas over from Mozza though :-). From the menu I thought prices looked crazy, but the total turned out to be reasonable ($130 a person before tip) even though we went to town. Really to town as the above was for 6 people! It was salty though. Extremely salty.

Service was great too, and the atmosphere fun. My only complaint is with the bottle limit. The $30 corkage is fine. But the 2 bottle hard limit, apparently strictly enforced, is quiet annoying. It totally breaks down for wine dinners. Their list has interesting Italians, but the wines are too young. Plus I just resent having to buy off wine lists altogether (beyond the occasional white or rose). If they priced a fixed $30-50 markup, and had my kind of wines, it would be fine, but they always use a multiplicative markup. I’m not paying $400-600 for a $200 bottle!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Chi Spacca, Corkage, Gaja, hedonists, Italian Cusine, Meat, Steak, Wine

Italian? – Tom George

May24

Restaurant: Tom George

Location: 707 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90017. (424) 362-6263

Date: April 16, 2017

Cuisine: (Sort of) Italian

Rating: hits and misses both

Saturday night brings me Downtown to meet up with pal Sebastian.

He loves this difficult to park at unless you valet corner. And Tom George is a newcomer, a big attractive space that hosts a strangely named “Italian.” It’s the kind of Italian I don’t really get — where it doesn’t feel that much like an Italian restaurant.

The menu is kinda Italian. It has pasta and pizza. But kinda American too. And it’s certainly nothing like a menu you’d find in Italy.

We bought a Verdiccio or something like that off the list too, forgot to take a picture of it.

From my cellar: 2004 Tenuta le Potazzine Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. VM 93. The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva naturally offers a bit more structure and depth than the straight bottling. Powerful and intense, the Riserva also shows the wilder side of Sangiovese, with plenty of game, smoke, tobacco and licorice undertones. The 2004 has aged well, even if it is a bit rustic. Still, there is plenty to like.

Nduja sausage pizza. arugula, mozzarella, basil. This was a good pizza.

Hand chopped beef tartare. Quail egg, toast. Pretty straight up decent tartare.

We ordered some white truffle and just had it shaved to add ourselves.

They gave us lots of it, problem was it had no flavor — out of season?

Seb brought: 2007 Castello dei Rampolla d’Alceo. VM 97. Dark raspberries, cloves, menthol and crushed rocks wrap around the palate in the 2007 d’Alceo. Rich, voluptuous and sexy, the 2007 is very much a product of a vintage that yielded a crop of resonant, generous wines. The ripe, silky tannins will make the 2007 accessible relatively early, but it also has more than enough depth to age well for years. Today, the flavors are naturally still quite primary and there is still quite a bit of baby fat that has to melt off before the 2007 enters its prime drinking window. Still, there is a lot to like, including the wine’s huge, palate-staining finish. Grace meets power in the 2007. In a word: dazzling!

Spaghetti Carbonara. Guanciale, black truffle. This was a solid Carbonara. Definitely good. Not the best I’ve had in LA, nor even close to a good one in Italy, but certainly very enjoyable. Guanciale wasn’t crispy. I like it crispy.

Fettuccine duck ragu bolognese. Total fail. Looked good, but very little flavor.

Penne Vodka. Pork cheek bacon, basil. This was salty but delicious.

This wasn’t on the menu, but obviously it’s a whole fish with a ratatouille.

Seb also brought: 2014 Sine Qua Non Syrah Piranha Waterdance. VM 95-97. A striking, vibrant wine, the 2014 Syrah Piranha Waterdance is beautifully focused and energetic from start to finish. Plum, blueberry, lavender, mint, violet and sweet spices all take shape in the glass. This is an especially nuanced, sculpted Syrah long on class and personality. There is so much to like here. The 2014 is 81% Syrah, 8% Petite Sirah, 6% Mourvèdre, 4% Touriga Nacional and % Graciano, done with 26% whole clusters, all from Sine Qua Non’s estate vineyards: 35% Eleven Confessions, 34% Third Twin and 31% Cumulus.

Half jidori chicken, roasted miatake, brown butter sauce. I’m not normally a chicken fan, and this certainly isn’t very Italian, but it was good.

Butter lettuce. Cucumber, mustard vinaigrette. Never seen a salad like this in Italy.

Matcha Tiramisu. White chocolate. Nice texture, but the whole matcha and white chocolate is certainly very inferior to the traditional zabaione, coffee, chocolate, rum vibe.
Gelato. The dark is chocolate sorbet, which was good for no dairy but still a sorbet. The white was basil gelato. Nice texture, but the flavor was very very sweet and very mildly basil.

Overall the food here was a bit hit or miss. It didn’t feel terribly Italian, certainly not authentically Italian, although I heard one of the owners or managers speaking Italian. Some of the dishes were good like the pizza, the carbonara, and the chicken, but non were terribly memorable. Service was perfectly pleasant and the space lovely.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Italian Cusine, Pizza, Tiramisu, Tom George, Wine

Vietti Centro

Jan27

Restaurant: Drago Centro [1, 2, 3]

Location: 525 S Flower St, Los Angeles, CA 90071. (213) 228-8998

Date: January 22, 2017

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Great high end Italian

Back to Drago Centro for “yet another” Barolo dinner, this time hosted by Liz Lee of Sage Society and featuring Luca Vietti and the impeccable wines of Vietti, one of the most prestigious Barolo producers!

Located on busy Flower in DTLA.

We had the private room and a LOT of stems!

The special menu.

2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Millésimé. A super impressive bright young Champ.

Smoked salmon on fried toast.

Lobster potato croquettes.

Chef Celistino Drago in white, and our hostess Liz Lee of Sage Society in black on the right.

2015 Vietti Roero Arneis. 91 points. A very nice bright food wine.

Scallop crudo, EVO, yuzu dressing, parmesan crisp. Super bright and delicious with a bit of a Japanese vibe. Perfect wine pairing too.

Non shellfish version with yellowtail instead of scallop.

2011 Vietti Barbera d’Asti Superiore Nizza La Crena. VM 92. The 2011 Barbera d’Asti La Crena is deeply marked by the heat of the vintage and the inherent richness that emerges from these old vines. Black plum, dark cherries, licorice, melted road tar and smoke race across the palate in a deep, super-ripe Barbera that needs considerable bottle age to shed its baby fat.

agavin: our co-host Luca Vietti planted this vineyard 25 years ago!

2013 Vietti Barbera d’Alba Vigna Vecchia Scarrone. 90 points. Ripe, intense black fruit. Long, complex, rich and tasty. This is one I wish I could have spent more time with. It is very young and there is a lot going on. Should age beautifully.

agavin: Luca’s great grandfather planted these 100 year old vines right at the end of WWI!

Bread.

Quail and foie porchetta. Fig jam. This was the oddest dish of the night, cold quail (with the bone) stuffed with foie and pressed into a lump. Tasted pretty good, but the cold thing was a touch “unusual.”

For the vegetarian, a lovely Sicilian pasta with almond pesto.

2012 Vietti Barolo Castiglione. VM 93. The 2012 Barolo Castiglione is a gorgeous, radiant wine. Sweet red cherry, pomegranate, wild flowers and spices all meld together in a sensual, radiant wine endowed with striking presence and intensity. In 2012, the Castiglione is especially lifted, radiant and expressive, with striking purity and nuance. With time in the glass, the wine freshens up considerably, so aeration is a good idea for readers who want to open the 2012 early. This is a striking, seriously delicious Barolo from Vietti.

agavin: I really liked this elegant blended Barolo, made up of a number of grand cru vineyards.

2012 Vietti Barolo Brunate. VM 94+. A dark, powerful wine, the 2012 Barolo Brunate is the most brooding and inward of these wines. With time and a good bit of air, the Brunate becomes a bit more precise and nuanced, yet it remains a bit monolithic next to the other wines in the range. A host of savory herbs, licorice, tobacco and dark fruits meld into the huge, explosive finish. There is no shortage of depth or character, but increasingly the Brunate is being outclassed by some of its siblings. The competition is pretty tough at Vietti these days.

2012 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito. VM 96. The 2012 Barolo Lazzarito impresses for its precision and class, two qualities that aren’t easy to find in wines from this Serralunga site. Iron, smoke and white pepper lift from the glass in a vertical, structured Barolo endowed with real pedigree. A rush of pomegranate, red cherry jam, wild flowers and blood orange meld into the huge, bright finish. In 2012, the Lazzarito reconciles power and finesse like few vintages in the past. For the last few years, the Lazzarito has been knocking on the door of the big boys in this lineup, the Rocche and Ravera. Today, the Lazzarito makes a strong statement that it has arrived.

Spaghetti chitarra, venison and mushroom ragu. Celistino always knocks this kind of “traditional” pasta out of the park. Just a gorgeous meaty winter ragu. It might be almost a “simple” Bolognese, but this was a deathly good dish. The texture of the delicate pasta was delicious and the rich meaty/mushroomy ragu. Bellissimo!

The vegetarian pile O veggies.

2013 Vietti Barolo Rocche di Castiglione. A lineup of three giant monster Barolos!

2013 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito.

2013 Vietti Barolo Ravera.

Prime NY steak, chives sabayon, potato puree. Delicious!

The branzino version for the meat adverse.

Glasses anyone?

1999 Vietti Barolo Castiglione. VM 90. Medium ruby. Vietti’s Castiglione is a pretty, accessible Barolo. It offers a perfumed, floral nose and soft red fruit on a medium-bodied frame with fine but firm tannins and excellent length. My experience with this Barolo suggests it will reach full maturity around age 15. In 1999 Vietti did not bottle its Riserva Villero and that fruit ended up in the Castiglione, which no doubt contributes to this wine’s sense of overall balance.

2001 Vietti Barolo Rocche. VM 94. The mid to late 1990s were a period of considerable change in Piedmont, as the differences between traditional and more modern-leaning producers were especially marked during this time. Initially quite awkward, the 2001 Barolo Rocche takes a good few hours to come together. Now, fifteen years after the vintage, the track record for the 2001s is not as consistently brilliant as I had hoped. As a group, the wines are maturing faster and more unevenly than some of the surrounding top vintages, such as 1999 and 2004. Vietti’s 2001 Barolo Rocche is a good example of that. I very much like the wine’s demi-glace-like richness, but the bouquet only comes into focus after the wine has been opened for a number of hours. Even so, the 2001 gives the impression it will age faster than the 1999 tasted alongside it. These are pretty small quibbles, though, as all the wines in this flight are truly superb.

agavin: drinking superbly right now.

2001 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito. VM 92. The 2001 Barolo Lazzarito has aged quite well. Smoke, tar, incense and iron are some of the many notes that emerge from this powerful, intense wine. The Lazzarito shows considerable density and muscle, both of which will allow it to age gracefully. During this period Lazzarito was the wine that saw the greatest amount of French oak, and those notes, while present, are also nicely integrated.

Braised short ribs, risotto truffles. Amazing dish. Simple class truffle risotto perfectly executed with a nice fatty bit of meat on top!

And a version without the meat — still great.

1996 Vietti Barolo Brunate. VM 92+. Moderately saturated medium red. Complex, aromatic nose of redcurrant, camphor, mint, tobacco and brown spices. Lush, fat and chewy; denser and richer than the Castiglione Falletto bottling. Shows the powerful backbone and toothcoating tannins of the vintage. Late suggestion of mint.

agavin: powerful and racy.

1998 Vietti Barolo Lazzarito. VM 93. Saturated deep red. Highly perfumed nose combines raspberry, lead pencil, spices, dried flowers and truffle. Juicy, tight and high-pitched; sturdy, powerful and very firm. Finishes with serious but fine tannins and outstanding length. Very vigorous, youthfully unevolved Barolo with considerable aging potential.

agavin: drinking amazingly right now

1989 Vietti Barolo Rocche. VM 94. The 1989 Barolo Rocche is a bit reticent on this night. Although the 1989 is pretty, our bottles aren’t quite as explosive or intensely perfumed as the best examples can be. At its best, the Rocche is one of the finest 1989s. On this night though, the 1989 is merely outstanding. Much the same is true of the 1990 Barolo Rocche, which is very good, but also not quite as memorable as it has been in the recent past.

Assorted Italian Cheeses. Moleterno black truffle sheep pecorino. Roccaprina creamy goat cheese. Cassatica creme buffalo cheese.

Celistino drago in white and Luca Vietti in front of him in the blue sweater.

The full lineup.

Overall another stunning evening from Sage Society. The wines were incredible and it was amazing to taste such a variety and lineup (including 3 grapes and many grand cru Baroli) from such a storied producer — and even more amazing (and storied) to here Luca Vietti’s entertaining tales about the wines.

Plus, the food and service were amazing. Celistino is a great host and his menu, created by him and Liz Lee paired spectacularly. A great evening.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Barolo, Celestino Drago, Drago Centro, Italian Cusine, Liz Lee, Sage Society, Vietti, Wine

Molti Marino

Dec19

Restaurant: Marino Ristorante

Location: 6001 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038. (323) 466-8812

Date: December 14, 2016

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Awesome. One of the best Italian meals I’ve had in LA

Restaurants in Los Angeles are constantly changing, opening, closing etc. One of the recent changes I miss the most was the shuttering of Il Grano — certainly West LA’s best Italian, particularly in the fancy/modern department. I really miss it – as it was one of my favorites and has 9 write ups on the blog (I think the most of any restaurant).

But the amazing chef/owner Sal Marino has relocated (back) to his original family haunt, venerable Marino Ristorante on Melrose and continues to cook up his unique blend of amazing modern Italian. And if anything, he’s gotten even better.

The menu for tonight’s special Foodie Club year end dinner.

1996 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame. VM 95+. Deep, highly complex aromas of citrus skin, nutmeg, porcini mushroom, toasted almond and clove. Rich, dry and impressively deep; superconcentrated and oily. A chewy, spicy Champagne that seemed to grow fresher as it opened in the glass. Really explosive on the aftertaste, finishing with a clinging quality and powerful spicy, nutty flavors. A major mouthful of Champagne, at its best at the dinner table. Displays the combination of high ripeness and high acidity of this vintage at its best. This thick, rich, very powerful wine is still a bit youthfully disorganized and will be even better for a few years of additional aging. One of the standouts of my recent tastings.

Mexicola avocado and Dungeness crab. Eaten skin and all! Like a super fresh Italian California roll.

Snapper Tartar.

Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée. VM 94. The NV Grande Cuvée is absolutely stellar. This is one of the very best Grande Cuvées I can remember tasting. The flavors are bright, focused and beautifully delineated throughout, all of which make me think the wine will age well for many, many years. Lemon peel, white flowers, crisp pears, smoke and crushed rocks race across the palate in a vibrant, tense Champagne that epitomizes finesse. This release is based on the 2005 vintage and was disgorged in winter 2012/2013.

Amberjack & white truffle.

2002 Pol Roger Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 95. Pale gold. Intense, mineral-dominated aromas of candied citrus fruits, pear, anise, smoky lees and chamomile, plus a sexy floral nuance and a hint of sweet butter. Palate-staining orchard and citrus fruit flavors show outstanding depth and energy, picking up chalky mineral and spice notes with air. Strikingly concentrated and precise wine with strong finishing punch and noteworthy persistence. This concentrated, deftly balanced Champagne is built for a long, graceful evolution.

Sawagani – wild river crab. These little fellows were live and scampering in the bowl.

Then flash fried. No longer live, they are eaten as a whole bite and had a touch of spice. Amazing crunch and flavor!

From my cellar: 2010 Borgo del Tiglio (Nicola Manferrari) Collio Friulano Ronco della Chiesa. VM 94. Borgo del Tiglio’s 2010 Ronco della Chiesa shows what this hillside site in Cormons can do in cooler vintages. Still bright, focused and intensely saline, the 2010 bursts from the glass with grapefruit, lime, mint and crushed rocks. The 2010 will probably be appreciated most by readers who like tense, vibrant whites. Next to some of the other vintages, the 2010 lacks a little mid-palate pliancy, but it is quite beautiful just the same. I especially like the way the 2010 opens up nicely in the glass over time.

Nantucket Scallop Crudo, citrus salad. Delicious bright. Awesome pairing.

Buri Crudo. Amazing Italian/Japanese slices of large Buri.

Persimmon & Burrata. Best Persimmon I’ve ever had. Sweet and soft and non of that weird dusty finish. Amazing with the cheese too.
From my cellar: 2001 i Clivi Brazan. 93 points. Geraniums and menthol on the nose. On the palate, pear, apricot, white flowers, and notes of pineapple and lemon on the medium finish, with good acidity. Unlike a previous bottle, this didn’t show any significant oxidation, and it held up well over two days without fading. Well-stored bottles with good corks should be good for at least a few more years.

Hokkaido scallop, sea urchin, caviar. Amazing combo of umami and rich flavors.

1976 Alain Hudelot-Noellat Clos Vougeot. 95 points. Amazing shape for the vintage. Lots of cherry.

1983 Domaine Pothier-Rieusset Pommard 1er Cru Les Rugiens. 92 points. For a Burgundy that should be over the hill it’s drinking nicely. Crystal clear and very light ruby color. Poured straight from the bottle but with a little glass time it really started to show its stuff. Quite fruity and approachable. Has notes of cranberry cocktail with a twist of lemon.

Pizza al tartufo bianco.

With shaved white truffles!

This was one amazing pizza slice. I could have eaten the whole pie. Super soft (fontina?) cheese.

1996 Domaine du Clos de Tart Clos de Tart. JK 94. Fairly closed and tight nose of spicy black fruit framed in subtle new wood followed by medium weight, intense, relatively powerful flavors yet the tannins are elegant and quite fine. The overall impression is one of discreet breed and this delivers impressive if not incredible persistence. For the patient.

2003 Domaine Anne Gros Clos Vougeot Le Grand Maupertui. VM 91+. Full red-ruby. Brooding, superripe aromas of medicinal black cherry and cassis. Huge, chewy and backward; boasts impressive flesh and phenolic material but quite closed today, and not particularly sweet. This very rich but youthfully sullen wine finishes with substantial tannic spine. “Jammy but not cooked,” notes Gros.

Black Bass, stinging nettle, dehydrated olives. Great piece of light fluffy bass. As good as bass gets.
1982 Leoville-Las Cases. Parker 95-100. I have had perfect bottles of this cuvee, but, perplexingly, the bottles from my cellar tend to be broodingly backward and require plenty of coaxing. This huge wine is, in many ways, just as massive as Leoville Barton, but it possesses a greater degree of elegance as well as unreal concentration. Classic lead pencil, cassis, kirsch, cedar, and spice characteristics are abundant in both the nose and full-bodied flavors. The tannins are still there, and, at least from my cellar, this 1982 does not appear to have changed much in the last 10-12 years. One wonders how much patience admirers of this brilliant St.-Julien will continue to exhibit. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2050.

From my cellar: 1985 Gaja Barbaresco. ? points. This was stewy and very “mature.” I liked it, but many at the table considered it totally flawed — which it probably was — I just kinda enjoyed it.

Black tagliatelle Lobster. Home made squid ink pasta with chunks of moist lobster. Amazing.

Chef Sal Marino shows off his pasta dough. Eggy!

1998 Azienda Agricola Montevertine Le Pergole Torte Toscana IGT. JG 91. The 1998 Pergole Torte is a bit deeper-pitched and more black fruity than the more vibrant and red fruity 1999, but despite its slightly “cooler” profile, this too will be a fine bottle of wine at its apogee. The nose is deep and complex, as it offers up scents of black cherries, plums, a touch of bitter chocolate, herb tones, road tar, damp earth and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and still quite tannic, with fine focus, a solid core of fruit and very good length and grip on the firm, chewy and well-balanced finish. The 1998 does not possess the same generosity of youthful fruit as the 1999 or even the 2001 for that matter, and hence would be a bit more difficult to drink before it reaches full maturity, but with its sound acids and lovely complexity, it will be a delightful drink once it reaches its peak.

Cassonetti, celery root filled ravioli, black winter truffle.

With the truffle. This was an absolutely amazing pasta. The melt in your mouth shells, and the slick buttery sauce with the truffles. 11 out of 10!

1985 Antinori Solaia Toscana IGT. VM 94. The 1985 Solaia kicks off a flight of Early Classics. I have had the 1985 twice recently and it has always been impressive. It is also very much a wine of its era, which is to say if anything, it is too polished. This was an era in which wines were squeaky-clean. Well-stored bottles still have plenty of fruit although further upside appears to be limited.

1990 Antinori Solaia Toscana . VM 94. Tasted next to so many other great wines, the 1990 Solaia actually suffers a bit. I am sure it would be magnificent on its own, but here it comes comes across as a bit one-dimensional, with less opulence than vintages like 1994 and 1997, but less structure than the 1988 tasted immediately before. Overall, the 1990 is a hugely attractive wine that stops just a touch short of being truly profound.

agavin: both were great, but I liked the 1990 better.

Chicken & Polenta. Local farm polenta and chicken. Super moist and soft. Usually chicken doesn’t have enough flavor to handle this kind of treatment, but this certainly did.

2002 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. Parker 94. The 2002 Redigaffi is sweet and balsamic in its expression of jammy plum fruit, elegant and ample on the flow and with an expanding volume, firmness, and grip which should guarantee maximum pleasure for another decade and a half.

Lamb Ossobuco. This was bone sucking good. Super rich, stewed and fatty. Ron and I were literally gnawing on the bones.

Wagyu tagliata, sunchoke, pea tendrils. East meets west version of the New York strip, but with Japanese breed beef. Grilled bread was amazing too.

Sal through in: 2004 San Michele Appiano (St. Michael-Eppan) Sanct Valentin-Comtess Passito. 96 points. Awesome complex sticky.

Panettone. This ain’t your grandmother’s panettone. It was more like bread pudding.

Ramen Roll Gelato, made by me. I brought these in but Sal’s crew plated them. In the front is Macha White, green tea with white chocolate. In the back my amazing Hazelnut Caramel with pure traditional hazelnut (made from Italian Hazelnut Regina paste) and house made caramel.

The normal Marino menu looks great, but is certainly more classic than Sal’s special dinner fare like above. If you like adventurous modern Italian, I’d see if he can do a special tasting menu — likely he’ll be up for it. Or several people could put together something really interesting from the regular menu if they think outside the normal appetizer, entree, dessert box. But it’s with this kind of special dinner — and not to mention the great crew and our awesome wines — that Sal’s cooking really knocks your socks off. He is a nut for detail and ingredients. He grows tons of stuff at home — like over a 100 varieties of heirloom tomato — and really knows how to adapt and pair with wine.

I had a lot of great meals at Il Grano, but this was probably the most on point of all of them. Every dish was pretty much a knock out. Bright fresh ingredients coupled with bright fresh flavors. I’m still dreaming of that truffle Cassonetti.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or experience my gluttonous month-long food trips through Italy.

Or more crazy Foodie Club meals.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Foodie Club, Gelato, Italian Cusine, Marino, Sal Marino, Salvatore Marino, Wine

Wine Guys at Capo

Aug26

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

Location: 1810 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, Ca. 310-394-5550

Date: August 5, 2011

Cuisine: Italian with Cal influences

Rating: The food here is really very very good.

Capo is an occasional favorite of mine and I’ve reviewed it before HERE and HERE. They have a particular high end (but not formal) blend of California style (Farmer’s Market ingredients) and Italian tradition. But it’s not a strictly traditional Italian, more interpreted through a vaguely Tuscan / California vibe.

The intimate dining room.

They have very good bread at Capo, particularly the crispy things.

Capo always puts out this little humus-like spread. I suspect it’s fava beans. It’s addictive though.

We settle down to examine the MENU, which is big, and always a difficult decision because there is so much great stuff on it. They have an odd menu format, in which each item is identified by only it’s principle ingredient, forcing you to guess or ask how it’s actually prepared. Plus they have “fill in the blanks” on the menu which are filled in by a separate sheet of daily specials. No big deal, but it’s kind of bizare. Doesn’t matter though, as the food is great.

An amuse of tomato covered bread with salami. Yum!

English split pea soup.

Burrata black truffle bruschetta. Besides the shaved vegetables and the bread underneath this is a big blob of burrata, fresh truffles, and a whole poached egg! It was pretty good, but decidedly rich. In some ways similar to my special eggs, in some ways like the famous Melisse truffle egg.

Woodfire grilled octopus. Nice octopus. I think Brera’s was better, but this was very good. Strong char flavor from the grill.

Sweet corn and white truffle ravioli. Can we say buttery awesome? Nice truffle/butter/corn flavor. Super soft pasta. What’s not to love? (perhaps the price)

Dungeness crab risotto. A very nice mildly crabby risotto. Good texture.

Grilled branzino. Cooked on the wood fire. Strong char flavors but the meat inside was very moist and flavorful.

From my cellar: 1997 Gaja Langhe Nebbiolo Conteisa. VM 92-94. Good full ruby. Deeply pitched aromas of plum, currant, espresso, bitter chocolate and mint. Very intensely flavored and firmly built; not as dense as the Sori Tildin or San Lorenzo but sweet, vibrant and sharply delineated. Quite penetrating and solidly structured. Finishes very long, with rich but firm tannins.

Spaghetti Carbonara. Egg, cheese, pork cheeks, peas. A very nice (and rich) pasta.
This is buccatini with lamb ragu, and it’s one of the best pastas I’ve ever had. I’ve come back a dozen times for it. I love a good ragu, and the buccatini (spagetti with a tiny hole in the middle) is perfect. The dish is rich and meaty, divine. I always order it.

Aspen NY steak, medium rare. I’m not a steak guy, but this was some fine beef, seared black on the outside and red/pink on the inside.

Bread pudding. With a creme brûlée caramelized top! Oh boy!

And this. This was to die for. Meyer lemon semifreddo, with a blueberry or blackberry sauce. Everything about this was spectacular, one of my all time favorite deserts. The cold-soft texture, the bright lemon flavor, and the tart sweetness of the berries. OMFG!

A nice plate of little petit fours, not so usual at American Italians, more french. In Italy sometimes you’ll get treated to little almond cookies and shots of grappa or sambuca.

So to conclude, Capo is hands down delicious. The food is VERY VERY GOOD, and the service is top notch. The intimate little atmosphere is great also. It’s just very expensive — definitely not a good value — perfect if someone else is paying :-).

Three other Capo meals HERE and HERE and HERE.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for a legion of great eating in Italy itself, here.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: Capo, Italian Cusine, Santa Monica

Eating Majorca – Casa Michaela

Aug22

Restaurant: Casa Michaela

Location: Carrer d’Anníbal, 15, 07013 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain

Date: June 27, 2016

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Mixed (A taste of Brentwood in Palma)

We ended up at Casa Michaela by fairly random means — using the TripAdvisor app to find an Italian restaurant that was open, well rated, available, and nearby.

The decor is pleasant and contemporary. Despite being very well rated, there was no one else eating.

These cornbread-like breads were nice.

And the little taste of gazpacho.

Then basil bread.

Ensalada de rucola y pistachos con pera y parmesano. Salad with pears, parmesan, etc.

Langostinos en crusta de sésamo con mayonesa de wasabi. This was an interesting one. It looked like a salad, but the shrimp felt more like fried — even if they were only coated in sesame. And there was a good kick to the wasabi.

Simple pasta for my son.

Pasta alla Norma “berenjenas ricotta ahumada y tomates secos”.

Risotto with lobster and pistachios. A very good risotto, particularly as I like white seafood risotto, and the pistachios added a nice crunch.

Potatoes and asparagus.

Fresh sea bass filleted table-side.
Simple white wine sauce. The usual kind of nice filet.

Overall, Casa Michaela was a bit more mixed. My dishes were pretty good, particularly the lobster risotto. Some of the others in my party weren’t as thrilled. The menu is pretty similar to many contemporary LA Italian restaurants. Majorca is a weird place (for being in Spain) as it’s so British. There are a lot of Italian restaurants. I guess the British like Italian. Why wouldn’t they? Italian is a great, but Spanish food is also fabulous — and Majorca is supposed to be Spain.

Click here to see more Eating Spain posts.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Casa Michaela, eating-spain, Italian Cusine, Majorca, Palma

Eating Positano – Next2

Aug09

Restaurant: Next2

Location: Viale Pasitea, 242, Positano SA, Italy. +39 089 812 3516

Date: June 25 & 28, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Excellent updated style

My wine and food buddy Walker recommended we try Next2 while we were in Positano, and as it happened it was just a couple hundred feet from our villa — plus 115 stairs. Next2 as it turned out was not only our favorite Positano restaurant (of the 7 we tried), but a bit more updated and modern in terms of menu and presentation than most.

The menu.

2013 Pietracupa Greco di Tufo. 89 points. Oh so dry!

An amuse of caprese.

And one of bruschetta.

Bread. I like the crispy flat things.

Tre assaggi della tradizione. A selection of three traditional starters: a small pizza, stuffed zucchini flowers, and eggplant parmigiana. It all tasted as good as it looks.

Crocchette di verdure e provola, insalata all’aceto balsamico. Vegetable and smoked provola cheese croquette, mixed salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

Insalata caprino fresco, mandorle tostate e miele. Mixed greens with fresh goat cheese, toasted almonds and honey.

Carpaccio di pescato, finocchi, arance e sale al sedano. Catch of the day carpaccio (in this case amberjack), fennel and orange salad, celery salt.

2014 Cantina del Taburno Falanghina Sannio Falanghina del Sannio.

Penne pomodoro!

Penne with butternut squash and seasonal truffle.

Tagliolini, aglio, olio, rosmarino, pomodoro candito e scarola. Taliolini with garlic, olive oil, and rosemary served with roasted tomato and bitter green.

Gnocchi di patate, zucca, salsiccia e tartufo di stagione. Potato gnocchi, butternut squash, pork sausage and seasonal truffle.

Polpette al sugo, polenta e provolone del Monaco. Traditional meatballs cooked in tomato sauce served with polenta and Provolone del Monaco. Pretty old fashioned dish in some ways, even Italian American (which is basically modified Southern Italian cooking). But this version was really good. Maybe not quite as good as the ones at Gusto, but very good.

The dessert menu.

Chocolate gelato.

Chocolate torte with almonds and vanilla ice cream.

Cannolo nocciolato ripieno di mousse al mascarpone, sorbetto al caffe e baileys. Hazelnut cannoli filled with mascarpone cheese, coffee sorbet and baileys sauce. Yum!

Semifreddo of almond and hazelnut with caramel sauce.

Overall, Next2 offers up a really delicious take on modern Amalfi fare. It’s spiritually faithful, but turns up the style and presentation by a couple of notches. Not to the formal level of the Michelin places, but enough to feel fresher than the completely straight up trattorias.

Click here to see more Eating Italy posts.

By: agavin
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Tagged as: eating-italy, Italian Cusine, Next2, Positano, Wine

Eating Rome – Roscioli

Jun15

Restaurant: Roscioli

Location:Via dei Giubbonari, 21/22, 00186 Roma

Date: June 6, 2015

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Really superb updated trattoria food

Kicking off my Eating Italy 2015 is this update on the traditional Roman trattoria. I found it by extensive online searching for top Roman restaurants.

Roscioli is also a Salumeria.

Some of the wares up front.

A small section of tables crammed into the typical (and attractive) Roman interior.

The breads were pretty amazing. At least one was sweet.

These pizza-like flatbreads were delicious.

The long menu.

2006 Azienda Agricola Bucci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva Villa Bucci. VM 90. The summer’s Verdicchio Classico Riserva 2006 Villa Bucci flows with gorgeous layers of ripe apricots, peaches, flowers, smoke and minerals. This is a wonderfully rich, expansive Verdicchio That blossoms on the palate with notable complexity and nuance. At four years of age, it is still incredibly vibrant! The 2006 reserve can be enjoyed today, but it looks to have anche a very bright future ahead of it.

agavin: The server recommended this, and as I’ve never had an aged Verdicchio before I really wanted to try it. Very interesting and aromatic with a touch of oxidation and a nose almost like a white Burgundy. Really dry and complex.

This is also another local summer favorite, a blend of a Campari-like liquor and Prosecco.

Roman Arancini. Fried risotto.

Inside is rice, cheese, and a ragu. Really creamy and delicious.

BURRATA FROM ANDRIA WITH RAW PRAWNS TARTARE. king prawns tartare served with burrata cheese and finished
with favignana botargo curls.

Unusual but delightful combination of burrata with the raw prawn and the slight briny crunch of the botarga. Eaten in tiny mouthfuls to be savored, and an amazing pairing with the aged white wine.

PUGLIESE “BURRATA” WITH ANCHOVIES. anchovies from cantrabian sea (fished in 2014).

I haven’t generally paired burrata with fish, but it certainly worked here to showcase this even creamier version of the cheese.

FRIED ANCHOVIES. Fresch fried anchovies with pepper sauce and chilli.

A more elegant take on the classic little fried bait fish.

BUTTER AND PARMESAN. short pasta – rigatone – with echirè butter “demi-sel”, parmesan made from red cow’s milk, seasoned for 36 months and “bruna alpina” parmesan seasoned for 30th months.

My son’s favorite cheese is red cow parm, so he HAD to get this.

“LA MATRICIANA O AMATRICIANA”. bombolotto paffuto pasta tossed with san marzano dop tomatoe sauce, crispy cheek pig and romanian dop pecorino cheese.

Classic Roman. The pork was crunchy!

ANCHOVIES PASTA. home cooked fresh anchovies and egg, wild fennel, chopped tomato and toasted hazelnuts.

A slight update to Pasta con Sardo, the very unusual medieval pasta.

CHEESE AND PEPPER (CACIO E PEPE). tonnarello tossed with romanian pecorino cheese dop, “cacio” from moliterno, pecorino di fossa from sogliano del rubicone and malaisian black pepper.

Amazing pasta and nicely cheesy. Maybe not as much pepper as I might like but delicious.

“LA CARBONARA”. spaghettone pasta tossed with crispy pork cheek, malaisian black pepper, paolo parisi eggs and romanian pecorino cheese dop.

Another Roman classic. Really done to perfection. The airy porky crunch of the fried pork cheek was to die for.

chicory tossed with garlic, olive oil and chilly flakes.

Colon sweeper!

SALMON SELECTION. selection of salmons: scottish from cutherland, norwegian from vetvikja island and marinated with dill garnished with fresh lemon juice. A whole lotta lox!

ROMAN MEATBALLS. roman meatballs tossed in a rich tomato sauce garnished with smoked ricotta cheese curls and chestnuts polenta.

Really savory meatballs here. Lots of complex porky flavor and super light and fluffy. Great tomato sauce too.

Some little shortbread cookies with chocolate dipping sauce.

Overall, really really tasty food. Takes the classic fare, and for the most part neither deconstructs or reinvents it, but by using both amazing ingredients, slick execution, and lively plating, brings it up to date.