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Bovon Holbox v1

Sep22

Restaurant: Holbox [1, 2]

Location: 3655 S Grand Ave c9, Los Angeles, CA 90007. (213) 986-9972

Date: January 20, 2024

Cuisine: Mexican Seafood

Rating: Private room shenagigans

I’ve been meaning to try Holbox for a while — years even. Recently (summer 2024) they earning a Michelin Star!

One of just eight restaurants inside Historic South Central L.A.’s Mercado La Paloma, Holbox (from the Mayan-named island of Holbox – pronounced “hole-bosh” – off Mexico’s northern Yucatán Peninsula) is a Mexican seafood restaurant that focuses on fresh local ingredients, vibrant flavors, and unpretentious presentation. The menu features specialties from coastal regions of Mexico, seen through the lens of its southern California and Baja California ingredients. We offer a casual order-at-the-counter service in a food hall setting and also host weekly 8-course tasting menu dinners on Thursdays and Fridays.

Holbox emerged from the Mercado, where Chef Gilbert Cetina cooked alongside his father at the still vibrant neighboring stall, Chichen Itza. Holbox opened in 2017 and has continued to garner awards and recognition, including 1-Star Michelin 2024, Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2019, 2021, and 2022, LA Times Restaurant of the Year 2023, and ranked #5 on the 2023 LA Times 101 Best Restaurant list. Chef Cetina was a 2023 James Beard Finalist for Best Chef California.

Food court!

The actual space.

Typical line just about all the time.

Bovon setup this special dinner in their large but unglamorous “private room.”

Tonight’s menu.

All you can eat oysters.

And scallops.

These were served with a variety of toppings — hot sauce and vinegar.

Sea Urchin & Halibut. Live Santa Barbara Sea Urchin and local halibut ceviche.

Scallop Aguachile.

Bluefin Tuna Tostada. Baja bluefin tuna, avocado puree, arbol-peanut sauce.

Wagyu Taco. Miyazaki wagyu striploin, guacamole, handmade tortia, pico de gallo. Very tender.

Tomahawk. Grilled prime Tomahawk steak, roasted fingerling potatoes. This is not on their normal menu.

Rice and beans

Kanpachi al Carbon. Omega Azul Baja kanpachi cooked whole over mesquite, handmade tortillas, pico de gallo, avocado.

Tortillas.

Grilled lemons.

Cheesecake.

Almond Ricotta and Orange Old Fashioned Gelato.

The wines.

Very fun night. Food was good, although in some ways similar to Bea’s Tacos. The zesty seafood was better than the meats, as the steak was a bit overcooked. It’s not one of their normal things, only being available at this special private dinner.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Gelato, Holbox, Jeff Bovon, Mexican, Seafood, Steak, Wine

Can there Bee too many Tacos?

Aug20

Restaurant: Bee Taqueria

Location: 5754 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016. (323) 452-9575

Date: January 25, 2023

Cuisine: Mexican Taco

Rating: Delicious, but a lot of tacos

Bee Taqueria was opened and operated by Alex Carrasco. He’s worked in the kitchen at some notable restaurants such as Viceroy, Joe’s Restaurant, Paiche, Mo-chica, Red Medicine, and Mozza. Carrasco caught the attention of LA foodies with LA’s first taco omakase menu — which is what we shall be trying tonight.

Normally, Bee’s is a delicious modern taqueria with casual seating.

And a colorful “shack” style.

The menu changes a bit daily.

You order from here.
However, they also have this lounge and Omakase space!

And a big charcoal grill.

So we set up in the “private dining” room.

Some Champagne to kick things off.

Jeff brought another pound of caviar!

Caviar bump.

7 musketeers!

And Jeff M with the chef.

From my cellar: 2012 Raul Pérez Rías Baixas Sketch. VM 93. Pale gold. Expressive, orchard fruit, honey and mineral aromas pick up hints of quinine and white flowers with air. Bitter pear skin and Meyer lemon flavors gain weight, with the wine maintaining vivacity and focus thanks to juicy acidity. Closes on a tangerine note, with serious, mineral-driven thrust and lingering floral character.

From my cellar: 2013 Veyder-Malberg Grüner Veltliner Liebedich. VM 93. Sourced from Bruck, Schön, Buschenberg and Hochrain, and bottled under the mock site name “love you,” this cuvée delivers a wonderfully cooling and succulent amalgam of green herbs and ripe honeydew melon in undulating interaction with stony, alkaline, subtly smoky and mouthwateringly saline mineral elements. The feel is polished and the overall effect delightfully buoyant. Crunch, bite and piquancy of cress, pepper, iodine, dark leafy greens and walnut oil add depth as well as energy to a palate-clinging finish. (Drink between 2015-2030)

2010 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Grand Cellier Rubis. VM 93. A classy, understated wine, the 2010 Grand Cellier Rubis offers striking depth and nuance. Now, nearly two and half years after its disgorgement, the 2010 is just starting to open up aromatically. The Rubis is deceptively medium in body, yet it possesses notable drive. There is plenty of depth in the glass, but it is more implied than overtly stated. The Rubis is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. Dosage is 8 grams per liter. Disgorged November, 2014. (Drink between 2017-2025)

The chef introduced every dish with its (extensive) personal story.

Nuts. Roasted peanuts/ chile de arbol/garlic/ roasted chulpe/ sea salt. Spicy peanuts and cornnuts with lime. Pretty tasty with a bit of burn.

Every dish!

Lobster aguachile. Kombu serrano broth/ ikura/ cilantro criollo. Very zesty ceviche with nice thick chips with excellent corn flavor.

Added some caviar!

Bugambilia mole taco w/ Queso fresco, Bugambilia chicken mole/onion/fried bugambilia leaf. Smoky meat and cheese taco. Delicious.

Chicatana & ahi tuna tostada. Wakame sesame tostada/chicatana rub /soyu/heirloom tomato pico de gallo/garlic oil. Fish and tomato taco with crispy fried tortilla.

Huitlacoche empanada/ Truffle Cream. Pipiche Salsa verde/Truffle carpaccio/epazote Truffle oil. Delicious! The sauce was incredible. The whole thing incredible actually.

Fish taco w/ Squid ink tortilla. Yellow tail/ house made ponzu/ Morita aioli/fried rice/ furikake/ caviar/ fried charales. Yellowtail, anchoivy, and caviar taco. Very interesting textures and the cool raw fish and salty fish flavors.

From my cellar: 2003 Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano. VM 93. The 2003 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano is a super-ripe, opulent wine that resembles the 1997 in its generous, full-bodied personality. The tannins are surprisingly well-balanced within the context of this challenging vintage. The 2003 should drink well relatively early for this Riserva. All things considered, this is a superb effort. Production was down sharply in 2003. The estate bottled just 13,000 bottles of this wine compared to the typical 23,000 bottles. (Drink between 2013-2023)

2006 Castello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino Poggio alle Mura. VM 92. Good medium red, a bit less bright than the classico. Deeper and earthier on the nose, showing more oak and less lift today. Then sweet, silky and lush on the palate, broader and weightier than the basic Brunello. This initially displayed less clarity and definition but seemed to gain in energy and depth as it opened in the glass. Finishes with sweet tannins and serious weight and length.

Some monster.

And more monster.

Pork taco. Cecina/aciento/guacamole/Salsa borracha/ prosciutto/speck chips. Pork X ways taco with prosciutto and crispy pork rind. To die for great.

Bistek Con huevos taco. Blue corn tortilla/dry aged rib eye/brie cheese/Truffle roasted sauce/Lobster veal demi glaze/ sunny side up quail egg. Steak and egg taco.

Churros w/ Dulce de leche. Mezcal sugar/ Mezcal oaxacan hot chocolate/amaranto. Churros filled with delicious cream and mezcal coffee liquour. Really great churros.

Pure and Concentrated Evil — Kentucky Mud Pie Gelato — Expresso Knob Creek Bourbon Custard Gelato base with layers of house-made Crushed Oreo Valrhona Fudge Ganache, and house-made Vanilla Coconut Cream Cheese Icing — The Plaid Mode of Gelati and includes a hefty Caffeine kick — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #coconut #valrhona #chocolate #ganache #expresso #bourbon #custard #oreos #icing

Added some of the mezcal sauce.

The wine lineup.

Overall, each dish was super super yummy. As a meal however, there were a few too many “tacos.” It didn’t feel exactly like a progression of dishes but a series of tacos (which it was). Some of these dishes would have been better served in a slightly different form favor, perhaps without the tortilla.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Alex Carrasco, Bee Taqueria, BYOG, Caviar, Foodie Club, Gelato, Mexican, Tacos, Taqueria, West Adams

Uncanny Valle

Dec29

Restaurant: Valle

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

Date: July 17, 2021

Cuisine: Oaxacan-ish Hipster Mexican

Rating: Tasty, but the service was horrendous

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

Inspired.

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

The menu.

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

House-made Chips.

Guacamole.

Salsa.

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

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

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

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

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

Pork Belly taco.

Barbacoa de Borrego taco.

Pescado Taco.

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

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

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

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

Churros con crema de chocolate.

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

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

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

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

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

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

Quick Eats – Maradentro

Oct15

Restaurant: Maradentro

Location: 1168 S. Barrington Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90049. (424) 273-1377

Date: July 20, 2018

Cuisine: Mexican (seafood focus)

Rating: Very similar to Mercado

My never-ending quest to try all the new restaurants brings us to…

Maradentro, which I only realized on arrival is owned by the same group as fellow Mexican Mercado.

The menu is short and basically similar to the Mercado menu, but with a slight seafood shift.

Passionfruit Margarita. Inexplicably blue. Tasted ok, but as usual for a drink of this sort, with all that packed ice very small.

CRABIQUESO. melted cotija, parmesan, oaxaca cheese, house chorizo, poblanos, mushrooms, lump crab, fresh chips.

GUACAMOLE. hass avocados, serranos, red onions, cilantro, spicy pepitas, fresh chips.

Both quite good. I liked the chunky avocado and its interesting textures, the smoked salsas, and particularly the cheesy queso. Pretty similar to the Mercado queso except crab instead of Chorizo! Although, I actually make a better chili con queso myself, but that’s no surprise (it is a good amount of work roasting the peppers and all).

Chips.

TACOS DE PESCADO. grilled white fish, Mexican slaw, avocado salsa, chile de arbol aioli.

Dos Gringas de Camaron. Chili morita marinated shrimp, oxaca cheese, pineapple, yxta salsa brava, avocado salsa, red onions, cilantro, flour tortillas, cilantro lime rice, market vegetables. Not bad. Bright flavors. Small, which was okay today because I had a big BBQ lunch.

Maradentro is basically Mercado. It’s sort of modern Mexican without any surprises, for a reasonably sophisticated crowd not ready to venture into LA’s more ethnic South of the Border spaces. I actually like the (bright) flavors here, but they have a certain workman-like quality.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Brentwood, Maradentro, Margarita, Mexican, Seafood

Return to Red O

Nov29

Six months later we return to Red O for some more high priced Mexican pseudo-steakhouse…

Click here for all the details.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Mexican, Red O

Mexican Swanky – Red O

May06

Restaurant: Red O

Location: 1541 Ocean Ave #120, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 458-1600

Date: April 30 & November 23, 2016

Cuisine: Mexican / Steakhouse

Rating: Tasty, but expensive

Red O is a new (small chain) entry to the crowded, high turnover Ocean Ave dining scene. I knew nothing about it prior, and am judging it purely from the experience. It seems a pricey upscale take on straight up Mexican food combined with some modernization and a pretty full steak menu.
The space, which I forgot to photo is large and very attractive with a big bar. I’ve eaten here when it was at least 4-5 other restaurants, including most recently 41 Ocean. It’s a great looking space, but obviously the rent is high and there has been a lot of turnover. 20 years ago it was the (then) ultra trendy Zen Zero!
Great view of the total mob scene that is always Ocean Blvd in decent weather. A pain to drive too (I’ve lived/worked near here for 22+ years). You can hardly turn for all the pedestrians, bicyclists, and cars.

This is a (sorta) Mexican restaurant, so I had to order a serious Margarita. They had 5 on the menu. This was the Signature Red O Margarita. Cabo Wabo blanco tequila, jdk & sons o3 orange liqueur, house-made Limonada. Served over ice with salt rim.

It’s closest to my own Margarita style. Not bad at all except for the $16 for a smallish ice packed drink (I easily went through 3).

Chip. Normal enough. I’d except the thicker hand cut ones here.

Salsa.

Classic Guacamole. Chunky avocado, tomatoes, onions, fresh lime juice, cilantro, serrano Chile. A well made Guac. Not exactly gigantic for $11.

Cheese quesadilla.

Queso Fundido. Melted Monterey jack, mezzaluna fontina and beehive white cheddar cheeses with caramelized onion, roasted poblano Chile and choice of homemade chorizo. Super tasty, particularly with the chorizo, but I think I like the gooey slightly orange classic queso.

homemade chorizo.

or the fully leaded chorizo version.

Ahi Tuna Tostadita. Sushi grade yellowfin ahi tuna, Chile-cumin oil, avocado, napa cabbage, harissa aioli, pickled red onion, habanero. A little bit of a kick.

Yellowtail Aguachile. Hamachi yellowtail sashimi, spicy lime broth, avocado, knob onion, cucumber and orange. very zesty!

Fish special, halibut I think.

Salmon with a similar prep.

Lobster tail.

Lamb in Mole Negro. Roasted brussels sprouts, organic baby kale, caramelized onion and nut crunch. Basically rack of lamb with mole. Tasty, but maybe a bit expensive.

Chicken enchilada and taco combo.

Wild White Mexican Shrimp Enchiladas Suizas. Creamy tomatillo sauce, melted Monterey jack cheese, lime-garlic dressed arugula, Mexican red rice and beans. These were tasty. The green sauce was very tangy. My mouth was buzzing from citrus too from the Margaritas.
Passion Fruit Butter Cake. Baked to order and served with grilled strawberries, passion fruit custard, coconut crumble, coconut ice cream. This was certainly a 9.5/10 dessert. Common, butter cake, passion fruit, coconut ice cream? How could it not be.

Service was great the first time. They even called the next day to see how I enjoyed it — not sure I’ve ever had that happen before! The space is beautiful, although too loud (as usual – boo). Food was quite tasty. Everything I tried was on point. It didn’t blow me away or anything (except maybe the butter cake), as they were fairly typical items, but they were extremely well executed. But the prices are very high for what it is, at least double what a similar (likely less well executed) version might be at some medium-high-end Mexican restaurant. Portion sizes aren’t huge (but were certainly fine). It’s new, but it was easy to book on a Saturday night, so given the obviously high rent, I wonder if it will last. Truth is, almost nothing does on Ocean Blvd. Perhaps only Ivy by the Shore and Ocean Ave Seafood (now Water Grill) has been there for more than 10 years.

On my second visit, very similar experience, except that the service while nice, was oddly a bit slow and disjointed. They confused a couple orders (but made it right) and mysteriously didn’t refill our water for what seemed like forever. Food is still tasty but expensive.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Mexican, Ocean Blvd, Red O, Santa Monica

San Fran – Nopalito

Mar18

Restaurant: Nopalito

Location: 306 Broderick Street. San Francisco, CA 94117. 415-437-0303

Date: February 11, 2012

Cuisine: Mexican

Rating: Best Mexican I’ve been too since I was in Mexico

Continuing our San Francisco adventures, we met up with my college roommate and his family at a Mexican place in his neighborhood. This trendy — and hence crowded — little spot served up some of the best Mexican I’ve had since my wife and I used to frequent a favorite high end resort in Cabo.

The bustling kitchen.

The lunch menu.

“Hibiscus-Valencia Orange.”

“Ginger-Lemonade.” I love good lemonade and this one was pretty awesome, with a spicy ginger finish like Jamaican ginger beer.

My son got the straight up cheese quesadilla. Notice the small hand grab.

“Totopos con Chile. Tortilla chips, salsa de arbol, cotija cheese, crema and lime.” Thick homemade chips with a good bit of spice and tangy limeness. Real good. Not real light.

“Naranjas con Chile, limón y Queso. Salad of cara cara oranges, blood oranges, grapefruit, pickled red onions, chile, lime and queso fresco.” Very nice zesty fresh flavors.

“Ceviche verde de Pescado. Marinated fish, lime, tomatillo, jalapeño, cilantro, avocado and tortilla chips.” Again, reminiscent of my Cabo vacations.

“Taquitos de Papas adobadas. Crispy rolled tortillas, potatoes in New Mexico chile adobo, onion, guacamole, crema, queso fresco and salsa brava.” Yum yum. Fried is always tasty. As straightforward as the toppings are, they were incredibly fresh.

“Tamal empipianado rojo con Puerco. Corn masa, pork stewed in dried chilies, sunflower & seasame seeds, tomato, spices and queso cotija.” I’m a sucker for the sweet corny taste of a good tamale.

“Quesadilla roja con Chicharrón. Mulato chile-corn tortilla, crispy pork belly, salsa cascabel, jack cheese, queso fresco, onion and cilantro.” Very interesting jazzed up quesadilla.

“Quesadilla de Primavera. Corn tortilla, asparagus, mushroom, spinach, quesillo, queso fresco, spring onion, cilantro, and salsa de chile puya.” Good, but not as good as the pork one.

“Empanada con Deshebrada de res. Fried masa pastry, grass-fed beef, tomato, jalapeño, cabbage, avocado, queso fresco and salsa frita de guajillo.” Also really tasty.

Some almond balls to finish things off.

While not light, this was a very zesty meal — and despite the large number of Mexican places in LA I don’t know any that use ingredients this fresh or bring to bear such a modern and sophisticated palette.

For more San Francisco dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (2)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Broderick Street, Chicharrón, Mexican, Mexican cuisine, Mexico, Nopalito, Queso blanco, Salsa, San Francisco

ThanksGavin 2011 – The Third Wave

Nov27

Given that we went out to the Zoo all day while my cousin Abbe cooked up this followup to the official Thanksgiving dinner, she insists that it should really be called the ThanksFlitter (her last name). Regardless, the gluttony continued.

The 2006 il Cocco. This guy makes only 3000 bottles a year, and he does ALL the labor (field and cellar) himself.

Parker 93. “The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino is a beguiling wine laced with all sorts of black cherries, minerals, spices, licorice and menthol. All of the aromas and flavors are layered together through to the exquisite, refined finish. The 2006 shows a level of richness and density this bottling has lacked in some previous vintages. Today the tannins remain a touch austere, but another few years in bottle should do the trick. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2026.”

The cheese spread I bought at Di Bruno’s.

A medium aged goat cheese. Chalky goodness.

An American farmhouse buttery cheddar.

Mimmolette.

A stinky washed rind.

And a medium body blue cheese.

And quince paste which always makes cheese better.

Various appetizers, some recycled from the night before.

Muhammara.

A little champagne.

Parker 94. “The 2007 Laurel, a blend of 65% Garnacha and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, is deep purple-colored with a bouquet of wet stone, Asian spices, black cherry compote, and incense. Dense and sweet on the palate with tons of spice, it is super-concentrated, rich, and smooth-textured. Give this lengthy effort 2-3 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2013 to 2027.”

This is an amazing wine, deep grape.

Parker 91. “The 2005 Finca Libertad is a blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 30% Merlot aged for 18 months in new French oak. The Cabernet Franc portion of the blend was sourced from 100+-year-old pre-phyloxera vines. Dark ruby in color, it exhibits a complex aromatic array of toasty oak, cinnamon, earth notes, pencil lead, cassis, and black currant. This is followed by a medium-bodied, elegant wine with savory flavors, considerable complexity, and enough structure to evolve for another 2-3 years. This lengthy effort should be at its best from 2011 to 2020.”

Classic Mexican “gulf coast style” rice pilaf. Chicken stock, garlic and onions in there. These recipes are mostly from Mexican Everyday.

The main dish: Chipotle Shrimp. Tomatos, chipotles, garlic, broth, cilantro. This had a good bit of heat.

Flounder in the same sauce.

Avocado.

Various condiments: lime and fresh tortilla from a Spanish place by the Italian Market.

Chopped onion, queso fresco.

“Classic Mexican pot beans” with Abbe’s special twist of roasted poblanos and Thanksgiving smoked turkey. Very tasty, although they had the usual effect.