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Scopa Italian Roots

May02

Restaurant: Scopa Italian Roots

Location: 2905 Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 90292. (310) 821-1100

Date: March 24, 2018

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: New style rustic Italian

My wife loves Italian food so we like to test out any (decent looking) new Westside entry into that crowded arena.

Scopa (and it’s long winded colon name) is near Washington and Venice, right down the street from one of my favorite Indian places.

The space is totally in that new hard surfaces, bar-like, industrial new style.

The menu.

I just got a glass of Italian rose.

Steak Tartare. Capers, quail egg, lemon, chives, lardo toast. Very good version of classic Steak Tartare (which in Italy is more often veal). The lardo added a unique take on it.

Crispy Squash Blossoms. Ricotta, mozzarella, tomato, chili flakes. Nothing novel here, but well done and a good sized portion.

Rigatoni, vodka sauce, chili flake, basil, fresh ricotta.
Lasagne. Italian sausage, meat sauce, parmesan locatelli. The new rustic style loves the curly parm. This lasagna was solid. I would have liked a more intense sausage flavor but it was good.

We didn’t have a chance to order that much, but what I did have here was solid. Well executed on straightforward modern rustic. Not “more interesting” like Sotto, but more a crowd pleaser version of such. The format is fairly Millennial friendly — a bit loud. They have a big bar and cocktails (which I rarely bother with).

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Italian Cusine, Marina del Rey, Scopa, Scopa Italian Roots

Bold & Loud at Leona

Apr08

Restaurant: Leona

Location: 123 W Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 90291. (310) 822-5379

Date: April 5, 2016

Cuisine: American Small Plates

Rating: Bold flavors, many hits, a few misses, and uneven pacing

The Hedonists have long been frequenters of Wilshire, and so when chef Nyesha Arrington opened her own place in Marina del Rey we wanted to check it out.

Leona has a typical but attractive contemporary space with open kitchen, bar, and high ceilings.
There’s a pretty extensive porch too.
The problem with those high ceilings and hard surfaces is a nearly deafening din. LOUD, even at the end of the night with only a few people in it.

But anyway, on to the food.

Ron brought as usual: NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. VM 92. Pale orange. High-pitched red berry, orange zest and jasmine aromas, with suave mineral and smoky lees notes adding complexity. Spicy and precise on the palate, showing very good punch to its strawberry and bitter cherry flavors. Opens up smoothly with air and picks up a bitter rhubarb quality that lingers onto the long, tightly focused finish. This bottling showed more brawny character than many past renditions of this cuvée, but with no lack of vivacity.
The current menu. There aren’t that many dishes, and we were 13 people, so I ordered most of the menu and they brought 4-5 of each dish.

From my cellar: 2002 Louis Jadot Corton-Charlemagne Domaine des Héritiers Louis Jadot. VM 96+. Knockout musky, soil-driven aromas of lime, chicken broth and crushed stone. At once dense and penetrating, with elegant but seriously intense flavors of lime, lemon, powdered stone and mint. Wonderfully light on its feet for a wine with this degree of power and thrust. Great building aftertaste shows superb density and cut. This should age like a red wine, and will be spectacular in 8 or 10 years.
COCTEL MIXTO. Local Seafood, Radish, Cilantro, Crispy Rice Paper. This was one of the weaker dishes. It was fairly hard to eat, and even harder to get the ceviche on the crisp.

Ron brought: 2007 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros. BH 92-95. Here too there is a very subtle influence of wood that frames ripe yet elegant and impressively pure aromas of citrus, spice hints, tidal pool and oyster shell notes, all of which are picked up by the highly complex and deep big-bodied flavors that are incredibly intense and quite unusually for Bougros, possess ‘hot knife through butter’ cut and delineation. An atypically elegant effort for the appellation.

CITRUS CURED TAI SNAPPER CEVICHE. Fire Water, Crispy Sweet Potato. This raw fish, by contrast, was fabulous. Looked good. Tasted great. Interesting textures and really bright flavors.

2005 Faiveley Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Chaignots. BH 88-91. Strong wood influence currently dominates the dark berry and black raspberry-infused nose that precedes the somewhat woody medium weight flavors that are round and sweet with fine depth and complexity but the wood is not subtle and it causes me to question whether it will cause the finish to eventually dry out?

BABY ICEBERG. Local Blue Cheese, Hard Cooked Egg. Not bad, but I kinda missed the goopy cold Blue Cheese dressing.

Brock brought: 2000 Domaine du Comte Liger-Belair Vosne-Romanée Clos du Château. BH 88. This has opened considerably since last year with expressive, intense aromas of Vosne spice and a bit of toast followed by medium weight, beautifully defined flavors and solid length. The tannins are ripe though firm and show through on the lingering finish. The same mineral character of the 2001 is present here as well. Very solid quality here.
CRISPY SMELT. Kennebec Potato Crisps. The chips were a bit chewy, but this was some really great fried fish. Lots of batter, but light and crunchy and oh so delicious.
Chile de Árbol House Malt Vinegar took it to the next level.

Brian brought: 1996 Maison Champy Chambertin-Clos de Bèze. 94 points. A bit more mature than we were expecting, and clearly further along in development than my bottle three years ago. Nonetheless, this remains an enjoyable bottle of Beze and a nice example of at peak burgundy. My red wine of the night actually.

LAMB BELLY WONTONS. Tat Soi, Crispy Artichoke. I really liked these. Nice texture and rich lamby flavor.

Ron brought: 1996 Maison Roche de Bellene Clos Vougeot Collection Bellenum. 89 points. Open for hours. Really tight at first; took a good 30 minutes to get anything off the nose. Darker fruits, oak, five-spice, and the longer it is open a touch of truffle. Medium+ weight, long finish due to integrated but prominent tannins.
“BACON & EGGS”. Potato Crusted Duck Egg, Smokey Bacon Broth, Chives. Super creative great tasting dish. The fried egg was seriously crusted in there in those yummy potato strips and the big chunks of crispy bacon were awesome.

Larry brought: 2008 Louis Jadot Grands-Echezeaux. VM 93. The 2008 Grands-Echezeaux is wonderfully expressive in its aromas and flavors. Clean, mineral notes frame an attractive melange of sweet red cherries, flowers, licorice and spices in this mid-weight, intensely long Burgundy. This is a classy effort from Jadot. Nice, but not yet in balance. Needs at least 10 more years.
FOREST MUSHROOM PIZZA. Tallegio Cheese, Tarragon, Orange Zest. Not a bad pizza, if a little earthy.

Brock brought: 1998 Bruno Giacosa Barolo Riserva Le Rocche del Falletto di Serralunga d’Alba. 95 points. Young and tight, but still going to be a great wine.

SPRING PEA “RISOTTO”. Burrata Cheese, Red Wine Reduction, Quinoa, Almond Crumble. Very soft, with a tapioca like texture to the risotto, but I loved the mix with the burrata and it was light, refreshing, and delicious.

2002 Dominus Estate. VM 92+. Red-ruby. Cool, shy aromas of currant, blackberry and licorice, with a leafy, medicinal aspect. Dense, fat and structured but also quite penetrating and powerful, with black fruit, licorice and herbal flavors and a strong impression of extract. This offers noteworthy energy in the mouth, and finishes quite claret-like, with fine-grained tannins and sneaky length. A sample from another bottle that had been decanted for 24 hours showed a suaver texture but had not lost its solid tannic spine. Offers excellent potential but not quite the length of the 2001. Champy notes that the pH of 3.87 is the lowest in recent years here.

agavin: drinking nicely now

TAHINI ROASTED CARROTS. Mint, Turmeric Oil. This was probably our least favorite dish. Just kinda mush.

1996 Whitehall Lane Petite Sirah. Big.

DUTCH FRIES. Kale Salt, Seaside Sauce. Salty, but good.

1994 Peter Lehmann Shiraz Stonewell. VM 88. Ruby-red. Aromas of redcurrant, chicory and smoked meat complicated by herbal nuances. Thick, ripe and suave, with lovely fleshiness but not at all overly sweet. Finishes with dusty tannins and good length. Rather subtle, sophisticated shiraz. Also tasted: 1998 The Barossa Chardonnay, 1995 Mentor Barossa Valley, 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Valley*, 1998 The Barossa Shiraz*, 1996 Eight Songs Shiraz Barossa, 1998 Botrytis Semillon Sauternes Barossa.

LOCAL BLACK COD. Sweet Onion Jus,Japanese Mustard Greens. Very soft and full of rich umami flavor. Nice!

2000 Château Calon-Ségur. VM 90. Full red-ruby. Musky aromas of tart red berries, smoke and meat, with a light medicinal nuance. Suave on entry, then rather tightly wound, even a bit youthfully dry. Fairly rich wine, but the redcurrant, smoke and spice flavors are presently dominated by solid underlying structure. Finishes firmly tannic, with sneaky persistence.

CAULIFLOWER ALIGOT. Smoked Mozzarella. Loved the cheesy top. Very nice gooey stuff.

2005 Chanticleer Cabernet Sauvignon. 87 points. This blend of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Sangiovese captivates immediately with aromas of cassis, fraise des bois, Morello cherry, cantaloupe, spearmint, tarragon, cedar, and vanilla. It offers luscious, ripe, dark-berry fruit, juicy natural acidity, and creamy oak notes. The silky, mouth-filling Cabernet shows its tannic structure only on the slightly drying finish, which is also imbued with a gorgeous, long-lasting blackcurrant note. A mere 405 cases were produced.
MEATBALLS DE CORAZON. Piri Piri, Crispy Plantains, Roasted Beef Jus. We had high hopes for these, but it was like they dumped 2-3 times too much seasoning in the meat balls rendering them VERY salty and a bit too spicy (even for me, mostly because of concentration). Not good at all.

2001 Neal Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain Estate. 92 points. Nice black cherry, plum, currant up front. Typical earthy H.M. notes throughout. Smooth tannins on the end, good finish.

CRISPY DUCK CONFIT. Kumquat Chutney, Red Chard. Solid and tasty.

1991 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. 91 points. Evolved, almost fully mature Cabernet nose that combines black fruit and cedary and earthy elements. It’s just a touch short on the finish, which is surprising given the lovely aromatics and good mid-palate depth.

BULGOGI BRAISED SHORT RIB. Roasted Bone Marrow, McGrath Mustard Frills. The meat was very tasty. Some thought it a bit salty, although compared to the meatballs this didn’t bug me.
Fun evening and some great eats.

Food was very creative and about half of the dishes were great. Most others were just “good”, but a few, like the carrots and meatballs were oddly off. Leona either need a bit of a menu tune up or there is too much kitchen variation. Still, I really enjoyed the plating, interplay of textures, and flavors of most of the dishes. There was some nice novelty to them as well, which is rare, so I was basically impressed by the food.

Service tried real hard, and the were SUPER NICE in accommodating our giant table. I picked all the stuff off the menu and they did a good job sequencing it and bringing a large number 4-5 of each dish. After 2 dishes I tried to scale back the number to 3-4 but we got a new server (shift turn over?) and the message never got through. The result was we had too much of each dish, leading to skipping dessert, and people being full too early in the progression. This was mitigated by the reasonable pricing. More serious, was that at the end of the night, with the mains, even though the place was emptying, the gap between dishes grew very long. I’m sure the kitchen was a bit overwhelmed with our giant size, but combined with too much food the slow pacing altered the meal momentum and “agitated the locals” (i.e. the dinners).

My biggest problem with Leona has nothing to do with food or service, and this is in the context of some really good food, is the noise level of the space. It’s just WAY TOO LOUD. Really, this is taking “loud is cool” to ridiculous levels. We couldn’t hear each other. I’m not a supporter of this trend — put up some sound dampeners.

Price was super reasonable for all we had.

Wines were great — of course 🙂

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Corton-Charlemagne, hedonists, Leona, Marina del Rey, Nyesha Arrington

Amazing Akbar

Aug15

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

Location: 3115 W Washington Blvd, Marina del Rey, CA 90292. (310) 574-0666

Date: August 11, 2014

Cuisine: Indian

Rating: Bold and balanced flavors

ANY CHARACTER HERE

It’s time for my Hedonist group to return to LA’s best Indian restaurant, Akbar (Marina Del Rey branch). Too many Indian places focus on low cost buffets of very over cooked food, but Akbar cooks everything to order — even baking their own Naan when you place the order. They are more focused on the cuisine of the Punjab (Northern India), with very good curries and kormas. You can get anything from extremely mild to blow the top of your head off. Once I had the “pepper lamb” on 5 (max heat) and my scalp sweat for hours.

Because my beloved Santa Monica branch has closed 🙁 we went to the original Marina Del Rey location. The food is just as good, but it’s a tad further (for me).

Chef Avi commands the kitchen.

The Menu can be found here, although the chef designed our feast directly.

2007 Bellavista Franciacorta Gran Cuvée Brut Rosé. 89 points. A light fruity champagne style wine from North Italy.

The chutney’s and pickles. The green one is mint, the yellow-ish coconut, the one with corn spicy-pickled vegetables (yum! and oh, so gut burning) and the back corner a tangy one.

2008 Williams Selyem Blanc de Noir Drake Estate Vineyard. 91 points. Clear with white tiny bubbles. Tight lime and flowers on the nose. Secondary tangerine and yeast. Lite body and hyper-focused on the palate. Devine, bright citrus fruit. Superb yeast integration…soft textures without the cloying baked notes. Loads of floral action on the back. Super structured. Long finish.

Chicken Kati Roll. Roti stuffed with highly spiced diced chicken, onions, and tomatoes. I love this dish, which contains a contrast between the tangy spiced meat and the sweet mango sauce.

Vina Somoza Godello Neno Godello Sobre Lias. Very interesting spanish white.

2012 Wolfgang Puck Chardonnay Master Lot Reserve. Didn’t try. I’m a white Burg whore.

Buffalo seekh kabab. Tender and lean.

2012 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Trocken. Nice dry riesling.

2006 Dönnhoff Schloßböckelheimer Felsenberg Riesling Felsentürmchen Spätlese. 92 points. Lovely mineral, tart grapefruit, petrol nose; tasty, ripe lime, green fruit, mineral palate; medium finish.

Shrimp Pakora. Like coconut shrimp — but not quite.

2004 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Ferrington Vineyard. Burghound 89. Noticeable but not dominant wood frames ripe cherry and black raspberry aromas that introduce sweet, round and slightly sweet flavors that finish with moderate acid bite. I suspect that this will come around and harmonize with a year or so in bottle and as such, my score offers the benefit of the doubt.

agavin: too much oak!

Tandoori grilled fresh Banzino. Inside, the fish was “stuffed” with some curry. Lots of flavor and very moist!

2008 WillaKenzie Estate Pinot Noir Pierre Léon. Burghound 91. A perfumed and spicy nose of black cherry and plum marries seamlessly into rich, focused and attractively supple flavors that possess both good detail and solid mid-palate concentration, all wrapped in a firm and built to age finish. This balanced effort still displays a bit of wood on the finish but the concentration is such that it should eventually absorb all of the oak. Also worth considering as this is lovely.

“Good old” Chicken Tikka. Tender morsels of chicken.

From my cellar: 1998 M. Chapoutier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Barbe Rac. Parker 94-6. Chapoutier’s 1998 Barbe Rac is close to full maturity. It exhibits an abundance of Provencal herbs intermixed with new saddle leather, kirsch, framboise, and spice box. The intoxicatingly heady, complex aromatics are followed by a full-bodied, lush, succulent style of wine with a relatively high alcohol/glycerin content and loads of fruit. This wine is drinking terrifically well after going through an awkward stage about two to three years ago.

1998 Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker 92-95. That may explain the open-knit, complex notes of tree bark, black cherries, licorice, seaweed, pepper, and floral notes in the 1998 Beaucastel. The wine is medium to full-bodied, has nice, sweet tannins, and is surprisingly open and approachable. This wine has reached the beginning of its plateau of maturity, where it should last for at least a decade or more.

Lamb on the grill.

Tandoori Lamb Chops. Really flavorful.

Mango Chutney.

Some of the curries in pre-heated form.

And a bunch of them being worked up.

1996 Smith-Haut-Lafitte. Parker 90. The 1996 Smith-Haut-Lafitte is the quintessentially elegant Bordeaux. With a dark ruby/purple color, it displays a beautiful presentation of blackberry and cassis fruit nicely dosed with subtle new oak. On the attack, the wine is sweet and pure, with striking symmetry, and a compellingly balanced mid-palate and finish. Although not as big as some blockbusters from this vintage, it is extremely complex (both aromatically and flavor-wise), and impressive for its restraint, subtlety, and impeccable balance.

agavin: too structured right now

Chana Masala. Chick peas.

1995 Sociando-Mallet. Parker 90. This accessible, yet tannic example of Sociando-Mallet possesses a deep ruby/purple color, and excellent aromatics consisting of jammy black cherries, blackberries, and cassis, as well as subtle notes of minerals, earth, and new oak. This is a deep, long, muscular, tannic wine that is structurally similar to the 1996. Patience will be required from purchasers of this high class wine.

agavin: since I’m used to drinking the likes of 89 Lynch and 85 Margaux, this third rate Bordeauxs are just so-so to my palette.

Saag Paneer. Farm cheese with spinach.

2003 Turley Wine Cellars Petite Syrah Estate. Parker 91-93. The 2003 Petite Syrah Turley Estate (200 cases; 14.2% alcohol) is a soft, civilized Petite Syrah, a varietal known for producing massive, backward, almost brutally concentrated and tannic wines that need at least a decade to become drinkable. This 2003 is a surprisingly elegant, opulent example with wonderful concentration in addition to atypical accessibility.

agavin: pretty decent actually

Prepping the giant venison kofta with curry.

Venison kofta curry. Tamarind, tomato, onion flavored. Really delicious.

2000 Joseph Phelps Insignia Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 90. The 2000 is a mid-weight, elegant effort with lots of black currant, violet, earth and forest floor characteristics. Medium-bodied with excellent ripeness and sweet tannins, it is one of the more successful wines I have tasted from this vintage. The wine is close to full maturity and should keep for another 10-12 years.

Chicken Tikka Masala. The best I’ve ever had. Deliciously rich and flavorful.

2002 D’Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz. Parker 93. After re-tasting the 2002 The Dead Arm Shiraz, I believe my initial rating is correct. It still plays it close to the vest, exhibiting loads of cassis, asphalt, smoke, and barbecue spice-like aromas along with full-bodied flavors. While well-made and impressive, it remains backward and restrained, and does not appear to be up to the quality of either the 2003 or the great 2001.

agavin: not bad with the spice

Coco lamb. This is one of my favorite lamb curries. It’s very rich and usually quite hot.

2007 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. Parker 97. The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is unlike any wine I have ever tasted from Dunn. Layer after layer of flavor saturates the palate in this opulent, full-throttle Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2007 possesses dazzling textural richness, depth and sheer intensity. Purists may prefer more structured vintages, but for a producer known for such slow maturing wines, the 2007 is a huge pleasure to taste today. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2037.

agavin: pretty good, despite being crazy young. Actually more than pretty good.

Dal aka lentils. Beware the consequences!

2006 Kosta Browne Pinot Noir Russian River Valley. Burghound 87. A high-toned raspberry and cranberry fruit nose that also displays subtle spice and menthol hints introduces round, supple and easy to like flavors up until the finish that is overtly warm if attractively sappy. Be sure to keep this cool because the warmth really comes up if the temperature rises even slightly.

Mushroom Pillau.

1998 Chateau Saint Jean Cinq Cepages Proprietary Red Wine. Parker 89-91. Made in a light style, the medium-bodied 1998 Cinq Cepages (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 6% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit-Verdot) exhibits a sweet nose of toast, earth, cedar, licorice, black cherries, and chocolate. There is excellent concentration, but because of the vintage conditions, this wine does not possess much volume, breadth of flavor, or intensity. Drink it during its first 10-12 years of life.

Freshly made naan.

1993 Yalumba Sémillon Botrytis Family Reserve. Pretty good sticky.

Galub Jamun. Fried cheese balls in syrup. When I was younger I thought these were basically donut balls, as that’s what they taste like. It’s also worth mentioning that we named a character in Way of the Warrior after this dessert.

2003 La Tour Blanche. Parker 92-96. Ex-chateau bottle tasted blind in Sauternes. The La Tour Blanche ‘03 offers yellow flowers, melted candle wax and honey on the nose with Muscat-like aromas developing in the glass. The palate is well-balanced on the entry with lemon curd and honey notes, though it needs just a little more acidity to give it tension and freshness. The finish is quite linear, springs no surprises, and just drifts a little when you seek more tautness and race. Still, this is a pleasurable, if not profound La Tour Blanche.

agavin: loved it

Rice pudding. I love rice pudding, but I like a particular consistency (relatively thick). For whatever reason, tonight’s rice pudding was more to my taste than the Santa Monica locations. Quite nice and refreshing in fact.

The chaos!

Akbar has long been my favorite LA Indian, and this meal was probably my best yet there. The balance of items was great — and very plentiful — and the flavors incredibly bright and spot on. The brothers Kapoor (below) are also wonderful hosts. All in all an exceedingly fun evening.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
Comments (2)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Akbar, hedonists, Indian cuisine, Kapoor, Los Angeles, Marina del Rey, Marina del Rey California, Naan

Uni All the Way Down

Aug26

Restaurant: Kali Dining [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Location: 13488 W Maxella Ave Marina del Rey, CA 90292 Apt #559

Date: August 16, 2013

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Uni Awesome

Independent chef Kevin Meehan of Kali Dining is a friend of mine from my Hedonist group and even cooked up that same group’s start of summer blast. Kali Dining is his concept for hosted “dinner party,” where you sign up for a special meal and join him at a big communal table in Marina del Rey.

This is about half the table. Finding it is the challenge, as the location is hidden within the gargantuan Stella apartment building right in the center of the Marina. Alcohol is BYOB, which is great by me. The below wines were “paired” and brought by moi and and fellow Foodie Club co-president Erick.

1990 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. Burghound 93. A truly wonderful nose of simply knockout complexity features notes of yeast and baked bread along with now fully mature aromas of a variety of floral notes and spice hints that gives way to mineral-suffused round intense and detailed medium full flavors that also offer outstanding depth on the sappy and mouth coating finish. This is drinking perfectly now. A beautiful effort of real style and grace.

These are three main hosts, on the left foreground Keven Meehan, and on the right guest chef Octavio Olivas from the Ceviche Project and on the far left his wife. Kevin has worked in the kitchens of Mirabelle, L’Orangerie, Bastide, Patina, and more, having lead the kitchen at Cafe Pinot for several years.

Octavio serving up some of tonight’s special ingredient.

The them tonight is everyone’s favorite spiny fellow: Uni! This is all fresh from Santa Barbara.

2009 Jean-Max Roger Sancerre Cuvée C.M. A rare artisanal Sancerre from one of its top producers this had a striking minerality and crispness that paired brilliantly with the oysters below.

Oysters with champagne mignonette, uni, and caviar. Really fantastic, three kinds of briny notes that balanced perfectly.

Baby heirloom salad with burrata.

2006 Cantine Lento Lamezia Greco. Another unusual white I thought would go well with Uni. This Southern Italian had a strong oxidized quality, but still plenty of fruit. Really quite nice.

Hamachi cerviche with uni. Leche con tigre, corn nuts, bits of seaweed, tomato, and a slice of orange. The leche was much more subdued here than in typical preparations and that actually allowed us to taste the subtlety of the hamachi and uni. Really nice blend.

An uni free version.

A very nice bit of rosemary bread.

2012 Collestefano Verdicchio di Matelica. IWC 94. Pale straw-green. Knockout aromas of quince, pear, white peach and white flowers are complicated by lemony minerality on the vibrant, captivating nose. Rich and broad on entry, then explosive in the middle palate, saturating the mouth with bright, lively floral and fresh citrus flavors that are intensified by penetrating acidity. Finishes extremely long and creamy-rich, expanding to coat the palate and teeth with lingering white peach and floral flavors. The bright acidity conveys an almost weightless mouthfeel to this seamless, rich, extremely concentrated wine. You can tell that owner Fabio Marchionni studied white wine in Germany. This is but one of many outstanding vintages for this wine. Let me be clear: I think it is probably Italy’s single greatest white wine buy.

Uni risotto with pork rinds and a bit of pesto. Yum! This was a fabulous rice full of richness and flavor. The pork rinds also gave it a bit of crunch which was spectacular.

A different, vegetarian, version.

1993 Louis Jadot Clos Vougeot. Burghound 93. This has finally reached its full maturity with an earthy and beautifully complex nose that is backed by big¡ dense and very intense flavors that possess solid underlying material all underpinned by largely if not completely resolved dusty tannins and a long finish that offers excellent richness. This has only just reached its maturity and there would be no risk in allowing this to age for up to another decade as it will last for a lot longer than that. Multiple¡ and largely consistent¡ notes.

Top end blue fin tuna with pesto, onion, and potato. My wife declared this one of the best tunas she has ever had.

1996 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. IWC 89-92. Deep ruby-red. Spicy aromas of cassis, black plum, black cherry, roasted nuts and shoe polish. Fat and sweet, with good depth of flavor and harmonious acidity. Thick but ripe tannins coat the tongue.

Beef rib eye cap with uni hollandaise, potato, onion, pesto, and squid ink onion marmalade. The combo of the beef, marmalade, and uni sauce was spectacular. Possibly the pesto was superfluous, but it was a lovely dish.

2009 Castello Ducale Falanghina. Another coastal seafood Italian. Crisp and fresh with a bit of sapidity.

Uni, avocado mousse, cookie crisps, and I can’t remember what the white thing was. Good, but the weakest of the dishes. Probably uni isn’t really made for desserts. Haha.

The uni free version.

This was the wine damage.

Overall, a lovely dinner. This is a fun format allowing for lots of conversation. The food was fantastic, as I’ve come to expect from chef Meehan, with each dish flavorful and well balanced. I love the freedom to pair wines ahead of time too. Great fun.

For more Foodie Club meals click here.

For more LA reviews click here.

The view out the apartment window.

By: agavin
Comments (5)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOB, Dessert, Foodie Club, Hamachi, Kali Dining, Marina del Rey, Santa Barbara, Uni

Paiche – Fusion Panache

May09

Restaurant: Paiche

Location: 13488 Maxella Ave, Marina del Rey, CA 90292. 310.893.6100

Date: April 19 & 26, 2013

Cuisine: Japanese Peruvian

Rating: Flavors that Pop!

Paiche is a new joint in the Marina del Rey mall complex (near the Theaters). It’s the third Peruvian brain child of Ricardo Zarate and Stephane Bombet who brought us Picca (review here and here) and Mo-Chica. For whatever reason, LA’s culinary zeitgeist is on fire with Peruvian fusion. And I admit it’s a nice cuisine with it’s bright sock you in the face flavors and savory Japanese ingredients.

The modern, vaguely nautical, and rather loud interior space. Paiche follows all the rules of the post 2008 trendy restaurant: loud, hard spaces, open kitchen, paper menu, busy bar, fancy cocktails, short wine list, no table cloths etc.

The de rigor open kitchen.

The obligatory paper menu. Which, given this is tapas style and you need to order lots of dishes, I like — because I write on it!

Spanish seemed like the thing to bring (given my Euro-centric collection and the food), so I brought a couple modern Iberian classics.

2009 Raul Pérez Rías Baixas Muti. IWC 91. Bright yellow-gold. Deeply pitched aromas of smoky lees, bergamot, apricot pit and salty minerals. Viscous, palate-coating orchard and pit fruit flavors are enlivened by juicy acidity and complemented by honeysuckle and a hint of spun sugar. Wild, complex and singular wine with strong finishing cut and sappy persistence. This is far removed from your classic albarino.

Tuna Tartar | Caviar // Soy Ceviche Dressing // Wonton Chips.

The classic Nobu dish (see here both at Matsuhisa and Takao). This version was punched up with the extremely zesty dressing.

Eggplant Tartar | Grilled eggplant Mousse // Japanese cucumber // wonton chips.

Similar was the eggplant, but it had a nice smokey flavor too it.

Yuquitas | Stuffed yuca beignets // manchego cheese // grated parmesan.

These were great, as who doesn’t love fried cheese?

Eggplant. AJI PANCA AKA MISO SAUCE // SHAVED PARMESAN.

Tamalito Verde. NORTHERN PERUVIAN TAMALES // SHIMENJI MUSHROOMS // SECO SAUCE.

Very tasty sauce.

Paiche Wrap Lettuce | Grilled Amazonian Fish // Anticucho Miso Marinated.

The restaurant is named after the world’s largest fresh water fish (Paiche – pictured below). It’s one hell of a swimmer, and tasty to boot. These tacos were delicious with a nice texture and a smoky bbq vibe.

This is one big fish!

Shrimp Dumplings | Soy Lime Dressing // Spicy Rocoto Infused Oil.

Really nice, bright with a bit of zest and spice.

Uni Shrimp Toast | Sea Urchin // Shrimp Paste Toast // Rocoto Honey Sauce.

A little too much tomato for me, and as a tomato hater, this distracted.

Wagyu Beef | Seared Wagyu // Parmesan Sauce // Aji Amarillo Vinaigrette.

A very interested combination. It’s a taradito, but not with fish, instead with seared wagyu. The parmesan sauce worked, but i’m not sure the vinaigrette was totally successful.

Seabass | Seared seabass // Amazonian Sacha inchi oil // soy dressing // garlic // oba.

A more classic taradito, very bright and pleasant.

Pisco Sour. PORTON PISCO, ORGANIC EGG WHITE, LIME JUICE, LEMON JUICE, EVAPORATE CANE SYRUP, CINNAMON TINCTURE ANGOSTURA BITTERS.

Our three “cerviches.”

Uni Cerviche.

Pretty much straight uni with shiso, but it’s a lovely and classic combination and the uni was VERY fresh Santa Barbara uni and quite lovely.

Albacore Cerviche.

Simple, but good.

Salmon Cerviche.

Nice salmon, but the super zesty sauce pretty much wiped out the fish flavor.

Scallop cerviche.

Yellowtail cerviche.

Chicharron de pescado. CRISPY FISH CHICHARRON // LIME YUZU SAUCE

Grilled Quail Anticucho | pisco basted // ume plum wine dressing.

Really tasty with a strong char and a bit of sweetness.

Rock Shrimp Tempura | Spicy Chancaca Soy Dressing // Rocoto Aioli.

Much like the Nobu classic.

Amaebi | Filo Dough Wrap // Sweet Shrimp // Jalapeño Ponzu Dressing.

This fried shrimp body was really succulent and delicious.

2007 Bodega Margon Pricum Prieto Picudo. Parker 92+. The 2007 Prieto Picudo made from vines ranging in age from 60-100 years. It was fermented in foudre with native yeasts and aged for 13 months in French oak. Dark ruby-colored, it sports a sexy bouquet of Asian spices, wild berries, truffle, and underbrush. Vibrant, complex, and structured on the palate, it is packed with savory red fruits, and displays impeccable balance. It will evolve for several years and drink well for a decade.

Short Ribs | prime short ribs // bbq sauce.

This is from the “short ribs as pastrami” school, but it was good.

Calamari Relleno | Stuffed Baby Squid // Chorizo // Aji Pepian.

Pretty tasty, like sausage (not spicy) covered in chewy squid.

Saltado de Quail | Sauteed Quail // Five Spice // Rosemary Rocoto Dressing.

Nice bbq quail.

Cauliflower.

The server recommended these, but they were a little hard for my taste.

Saltado de Camarones | Sauteed Shrimps // Tomato Onion Stew // Home Made Pasta.

Really very tasty pasta.

Ceviche de Pato | confit duck // ceviche stew // pallares tacu tacu.

Another good dish combining richness and zest.

Arroz con Conchas Negras y Erizo | Blood Clams // Sea Urchin // Risotto.

Pleasant briny flavor punched up by the dynamite sauce.

Chaufa de Langosta | Lobster // Mixed Seafood // Fried Rice.

Very pleasant seafood flavors and that zesty dynamite.

Seco de Paiche | Amazonian Fish Stew // Cilantro Aderezo Sauce // Pallares.

Almost curry like, really very very delicious and exotic tasting.

The refuse.

Churros. Chocolate sauce and Peruvian fruit sauce.

Small, but delicious. Just little donut balls.

Green Tea Coconut Cake.

Not very coconutty, but very delicious for sure.

Chicha Raspadilla.

A kind of extremely flavorful (and sweet) raspberry ice. Except it might not be raspberry, and might be some South American fruit. Either way, I really liked it.

Overall, Paiche is not only delicious but very fun. I really enjoy getting to taste so many things in one meal and it’s full of very bright punchy flavors. Everything is extremely on point and well executed. While some dishes were better than others, there wasn’t a one that fell short of what it was trying to be. It’s new and crowded, and for good reason!

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By: agavin
Comments (7)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: fusion, Japanese cuisine, Marina del Rey, Marina del Rey California, Paiche, Peru, Peruvian cuisine, Ricardo Zarate, Stephane Bombet

Jer-ne to the center of the Marina

Oct31

Restaurant: Jer-ne

Location: Ritz-Carlton. 4375 Admiralty Way. Marina del Rey, California 90292 USA. (310) 823-1700

Date: October 29, 2011

Cuisine: Californian

Rating: Solid

When the Ritz-Carlton Marina Del Rey renovated and opened its new restaurant in the early 2000s the naming committee was obviously inspired by Steve Martin‘s classic LA Story (and its 80s restaurant, lee-dee-oh — spelled l’idiot). In any case, the original Jer-ne actually served up top notch California Asian Fusion when it opened. Like most hotel restaurants, there has been chef turnover — who knows how many times in the last decade. I hadn’t been in a few years (except for the pretty amazing Sunday brunch) and when an old friend from High School Facebook IMed me that he was in town, we headed on over.

The menu is mean and lean, all streamlined modern Californian.

From my cellar. Parker 96 points. “The 2008 Flor de Pingus offers up an enticing nose of smoke, Asian spices, incense, espresso, black cherry, and blackberry. On the palate it displays outstanding volume, intensity, and balance. Rich, dense, and succulent, it has enough structure to evolve for 4-5 years and will offer prime drinking from 2015 to 2028.”

The Ritz always had good cheesy cracker things.

“caesar. organic romaine, santa barbara olives, tomatoes, crouton.”

“oyster. pacific oysters, crispy potato, spanish ham, sambuca hollandaise.” The sauces were really good, but the oysters had that bitter note that fried oysters often have. Every time I have them I’m reminded that I like my oysters raw.

“halibut. sautéed leek, double smoked bacon, corn, potato, clam chowder sauce.”

“salmon. green bean, glazed carrots, potato puree, parsley butter.”

“lamb. sirloin, heirloom tomato, organic ratatouille, tomato mustard chutney.” Some very tasty and relatively lean lamb. The sauce was one of those meaty jus reductions that I love.

The dessert menu.

“greek yogurt panna cotta. slow roasted market stonefruit, corn praline, thymje.”

“spiced peanut butter mousse. crunchy peanut butter chocolate, candied ginger ice cream, spicy caramelized honey.” This was a nice dessert. A good interplay between the fluffy peanut butter, crunch, and the ginger ice cream.

Overall the food at this new Jer-ne was good. It didn’t blow me away or anything, and it’s very different than it used to be 8 or so years ago (full of Japanese influenced dishes), but it was a very solid take on conservative but well executed the New American. Even the desserts show plating influences that are very contemporary — what I think of as geometric and dust — the use of cubes, spheres, and ovals in a sort of post war art kind of arrangement, often dusted with granular flavor components. Red Medicine’s desserts are typical examples, but I suspect it’s really a Ferran Adrià thing.

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