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Soko Sushi

Apr27

Restaurant: Soko

Location: 101 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401 (inside the Fairmont). 310-576-7777

Date: September 10, 2021

Cuisine: Sushi

Rating: Great for hotel sushi, but flavors a bit weird

Right in the middle of our 2021 “Sushi Series” (when we visited lots of great LA sushi places) Jeffrey kept egging us to try the new “micro sushi bar” inside the Fairmont Hotel — which he’d hit up a lot since it’s right between his work and home.

This is a tiny little spot inside the hotel with pretty much one employee. Maybe there was a server taking drink orders.

Hand ground wasabi.

1996 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. JG 98. I had not drunk a bottle of the 1996 Krug in several years, as I had deemed the wine still in climbing mode and I am not generally in the business of drinking Krug before its time. But, a friend recently opened a bottle and I was very impressed with how the wine is evolving in the bottle since its release. The bouquet is now starting to show some lovely secondary layering of complexity in its blend of apple, peach, a touch of sweet walnut, patissière, a refined base of minerality, caraway seed and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine flavors on the attack echo the nose nicely, with the wine’s full-bodied format sporting excellent depth at the core, still plenty of the vintage’s snappy acidity, great focus and grip and a very, very long and utterly refined finish. Though this remains quite racy structurally, I really like the point it has reached in terms of aromatic and flavor complexity and it is really not a crime to be opening bottles up at this point in its evolution, though it still has room to grow with further bottle age. A great, great vintage of Krug. (Drink between 2019-2060)

2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2. JG 98. Somehow, I never managed to cross paths with the initial disgorgement of the 2002 Dom Pérignon, so I was delighted to see the coming P2 version waiting in the wings in our tasting lineup in March at the Abbé d’Hautvillers. It would be fascinating to compare the P2 with the first release of the 2002 Dom Pérignon, in much the same way I tasted the two 1996 versions side by side, as this is a great Champagne vintage that dovetails so beautifully with the house style of this bottling. The 2002 P2 delivers a stunning young nose of pear, apple, stony minerality, iodine, dried flowers a touch of nuttiness, menthol and gentle upper register botanicals so emblematic of this cuvée as it starts to first stretch its wings. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and absolutely rock solid at the core, with lovely mousse, laser-like focus again and stunning backend mineral drive on the very, very long, perfectly balanced finish. The 2002 Dom Pérignon P2 looks to be almost unreachable by the passage of time and could easily last a century. (Drink between 2022-2095)

From my cellar: 2008 Domaine Leflaive Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Pucelles. JG 94. The 2008 Pucelles was very closed and reserved, but with great underlying elements that promise a profound glass of wine down the road. The superb nose offers up scents of lemon, orange, fresh pear, beautiful, chalky soil tones, vanillin oak and a pungent topnote of lemon blossoms. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and tightly-knit, with great mid-palate depth, superb focus and great length and grip on the zesty and reserved finish. This will be just a classic vintage of Leflaive Pucelles. (Drink between 2014-2040)

agavin: this bottle of mine was pretty advanced (so I opened the roulot), but it was marginally drinkable.

2007 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses. BH 94. Initially this is still restrained but after only 10 minutes or so it becomes quite expressive with a nose that is airy, ripe, elegant and strikingly pure as it combines plenty of Chablis character that includes sea breeze, citrus and green fruit aromas that precede the delineated and equally pure flavors of stunning depth and intensity, all wrapped in a hugely long finish. Like the nose, the minerality seems subdued at first yet arrives in a real rush on the finale. A genuinely great wine that is a study in harmony and grace as well as one that should age effortlessly for many years. I have advanced the suggested drinking window by one year as this can already be drunk with pleasure even though it is still on the way up. In a word, stunning. (Drink starting 2013)

From my cellar: 2011 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir. VM 92. A statuesque Burgundy, the 2011 Meursault Les Tessons Clos de Mon Plaisir is all class. Nothing in particular stands out, so impeccable is the wine’s balance. The depth and intensity of the fruit is apparent, but readers will have to give the 2011 at least another year or two before the elements start to truly come together. The 2011 is impressive for its depth and stuffing. (Drink starting 2014)

2007 Pierre Morey Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. VM 93+. Pale, bright yellow. Knockout nose combines underripe pineapple, crushed stone and a flinty nuance. Big, rich and voluminous, but with lovely penetration and purity to the pineapple and crushed stone flavors. Wonderfully sweet, tactile wine with outstanding density and breadth for the year. This very long, scented wine remained on my palate for minutes. From very old virused vines in a spot that’s protected from wind by walls on three sides, notes Morey. But the yield in 2007 was still a solid 45 hectoliters per hectare. Wonderfully powerful, youthful Meursault that should reward a decade of aging.

Yam cake, spinach, tofu sesame paste, carrots. Weirdly sweet.

Steamed monkfish liver.

Beans & tomatoes with sesame paste. The dressing was a bit oddly sweet.

Sashimi.

Sardine.

Kohada.

White salmon from Alaska and Barracuda.

Uni, Quail egg, Toro, Flying fish egg. Excellent.

Braided kohada.

Toro negi hand roll. Very good.

Keto roll. No rice. Really good, but not as acidic.

Sunomono with radish.

Taco (Octopus).

Tai and sardine.

Ikura uni roll. Best thing of the night.

Red roll (3 kinds of tuna). Very tasty.

House made tamago.

Special tamago and unagi.

The wine lineup.

While this was pretty good for hotel sushi and some of the dishes were great, the overall mix was a little weird. Most of the non nigri / non roll dishes were oddly sweet and desperately laking in acidity. Some not really pleasant at all because the cloying quality was just odd. But most of the rolls were great and the nigiri pretty good. However, the mix of nigiri was really peculiar as well. It was dominated by marinated “sardine-like” fishes. Now I actually like these quite a bit, but it was an odd balance and there was very little “whitefish” or “tuna” type nigiri.

Anyway, it was certainly a fun evening. Wines were great of course.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for epic Foodie Club meals, here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Fairmont Hotel, Foodie Club, Santa Monica, Sushi, Sushi Series, White Burgundy

Meating of Champions

Aug23

Restaurant: Meat on Ocean [1, 2]

Location: 1501 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 773-3366

Date: May 8, 2021

Cuisine: Steakhouse

Rating: Solid fare, good service

Meat on Ocean replaces the old i. Cugini on Ocean Ave. That storied Italian place was around for 20+ years (I even went on an early date there with my wife). It was (and still is) owned by the Watergrill group but has rebooted as a mid/high-end steakhouse.

Tonight is the first ever “Tournament of Champions” for winners of our Dirty Dozen nights. DD is a group within the Hedonists group that does periodic blind tastings. It’s a fun but oddball but fun group as the theme varies all over the place and while we have a great time, the “pre-dinner organization” tends to be a bit low, at least on the food side.

For example tonight, while we had about a dozen people, we had two 6 person reservations that the restaurant had no idea were either together or wine tastings, so it took a bit of teeth pulling to get the tables together and get even 3 stems each. Plus they gave us two waiters (one for each table) which is always an organization distraction as stuff does not come out at the same time (or even exactly the same stuff). I my best to craft a multi flight meal from the menu that would pair against the flights of big red wines (with a starter white flight that was not included in the blind tasting).

Theme tonight was just “red.”

They have opened up the patio space which is great to see as this is one of the most appealing outside strips in the city, almost reminiscent of Miami’s South Beach.

The build out was extensive and looks great.

And it continues inside.

One of their “things” is that they age their own beef and make the cuts in the morning. To that effect they have this serious aging room.

The somewhat paired down post pandemic menu.

Flight 0: Champs

2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. VM 97. The 2006 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart is shaping up to be a jewel of a wine, but it needs time to be at its best. I am surprised by how tightly wound it is. But that only makes me think what it might develop into with time in the cellar. Lemon confit, white flowers, mint, crushed rocks and sage meld together in a bright, crystalline Champagne endowed with terrific purity. The 2006 is 60% Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims and the Vallée de la Marne and 40% Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, mostly done in steel, with just a touch of oak, around 5%. Dosage is 6 grams per liter. (Drink between 2020-2032)

From my cellar: NV Demière-Ansiot Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut. BH 93. A beautifully yeasty nose reflects notes of apple, pear, white flowers and a hint of citrus peel. The vibrant middle weight flavors possess a positively gorgeous texture, indeed the mid-palate is almost creamy, while offering excellent depth and length on the dry but not austere finale. For my taste this is drinking perfectly now and I very much like both the style and the quality. (Drink starting 2017)

Rolls.

Oysters.

Cretans bogarted the Shrimp Cocktail before I could even get a photo.

Flight 1: Whites

From my cellar: 1996 Robert Ampeau & Fils Meursault 1er Cru Charmes. 93 points. Dark yellow, straw. Honey, toasted grain, flowers, straw nose. Lemony acidity, some caramel, baked apples, rich texture. A singular and beautiful bottle.

2018 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Meursault-Blagny 1er Cru La Pièce-sous-le-Bois. BH 89. A subtle whiff of petrol can be found on the ripe essence of pear and apple compote that is liberally laced with hints of citrus confit. There is good energy to the more finely textured middle weight flavors that manage to be both seductive and reasonably precise on the acceptably balanced finish that also flashes a hint of warmth. (Drink starting 2025)

2019 Tenuta Mormoraia Vernaccia di San Gimignano Suavis.

Jumbo Lumb Crab Cake. Grain mustard aioli.

Wild Spanish Octopus. A la plancha, sweet peppers.

Flight 2: Red 1

Yarom brought: 1996 Diamond Creek Cabernet Sauvignon Red Rock Terrace. VM 87-89. Deep ruby. Aromas of spicy, crystallized dark berries. Supple and lush, with good concentration and enticing sweetness. Minerally suggestion of graphite. Finishes with dusty, even tannins and a slightly edgy quality. An expressive wine that should give early pleasure.

2nd place.

David P brought: 2003 Sine Qua Non Syrah Papa. VM 93+. Bright medium ruby. Minty, high-pitched aromas of black fruits, violet and licorice. Primary and penetrating in the mouth, with powerful acidity giving a somewhat clenched character to the vibrant flavors of crushed berries, flint and minerals. Very lively and very long on the aftertaste. I’d expect this extremely backward wine to rate a score in the mid-90s eight or ten years down the road.

8th place.

Charcuterie Platter. Mortadella (smoking goose, emulsified pork, cured back fat, cinnamon, black peppercorns). Salami (in house, peppered). Prosciutto di Parma (Principe, DOP, traditional air-cured pork leg). Sobrasada (La Espanolo, semi-soft chorizo style, raw-cured pork sausage). Lomo (La Espanolo, marinated and cured pork loin). Manchego (La Mancha, Spain). Bayley Hazen Blue (Jasper Hills Farm, Vermont).

Flight 3: Red 2

Brian B brought: 2006 Sine Qua Non Syrah Raven Series. VM 94. Opaque purple. Succulent, mineral-driven dark berry and kirsch, with strong graphite, iron and black olive notes arriving with air. Vibrant mineral qualities add urgency to deep, sweet black and blue fruit flavors and lend an incisive character to the long, spicy finish. Picked up silky tannins with air but not at the expense of the suave fruit.

5th place.

Ron G brought: 1999 Greenock Creek Shiraz Roennfeldt Road. 93 points. It had the most incredible bouquet of smoke, blackberry, dark plum, licorice and spice aromas. Unfortunately, the palate didn’t live up to that promise. It was smooth and balanced with flavors that matched the nose, but not at the same level of intensity. 92+

7th place.

It should be noted that here is one of several occasions where the pair of servers got really confused with my multi staged plan. They brought out what was supposed to be the third wave of red food second, completely skipping the “red oriented hot appetizers” wave. I got them to bring it after as you shall see.

30 day aged bone-in New York and Rib Eye steaks with Bordelaise and Bearnaise sauce.

Mac & Cheese. Candied applewood bacon.

Asparagus. Grilled with gremolata.

Grilled Cauliflower. Parmesan with almonds and breadcrumbs.

Charred Shisitos. Edamame, bonito flakes. I didn’t order this (as the hot peppers would clash with the wine), someone else ordered it directly with the waiter.

Flight 4: Red 3

From my cellar: 1998 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline. VM 95+. Saturated ruby-red. Sappy raspberry, redcurrant, plum and spices on the nose, lifted by an exotic floral/apricotty viognier note and complicated by woodsmoke, pepper and mint. Penetrating and very tightly wound, with brisk acidity giving this extremely young wine almost painful intensity. A saline, sappy quality and a hint of green pepper underscore the extreme youth of this highly promising wine. This certainly calls for at least a decade of additional aging.

8th place — but crazy given how good this wine was.

Jeff M brought: 2006 Dominio Pingus Ribera del Duero. 94 points. Dark red; powerful, masculine, dark fruit, licorice; tobacco leather nose, a bit dry tannins at the end; a fine wine, but why the hype?

5th place.

Sandy brought: 2003 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. VM 98. “Now we take the monster out of his cage,” Jean-Louis warned me before pouring this. Inky, almost black in color. Elemental, hugely concentrated and powerful on the nose, which slowly unveils aromas of dark cherry liqueur, blackberry, cassis, espresso and a deep note of sweet tobacco. Impossibly rich and dense on the palate (the yields in 2003 were off by two-thirds), showing myriad dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors, with a suggestion of tapenade and an intense licorice quality. Remarkably, this takes on a mineral tone on the finish, which has the effect of further drawing out the amazingly powerful finish.

8th place — again crazy!

Here begins what was supposed to be the wave BEFORE the above steak wave.

Smoked Kielbasa. Roasted peppers, grain mustard.

Beef Carpaccio. Egg, Japanese mustard and yuzu.

Roasted Bone Marrow. Bittersweet onion jam. I’m not a bone marrow fan at all, but Yarom insisted on this. To me, it’s just fat to smear on bread. I eat plenty of fat and I don’t need more bread. He eats it by itself (not my thing).

Meatballs. Tomato sauce, melted cheese, garlic bread.

Flight 5: Red 4

Larry H brought: 2002 Château Mouton Rothschild. VM 94. Good saturated ruby-red. Tight nose hints at currant and smoky oak. Highly concentrated, densely packed and built to age. As young as it is, it also shows a lovely velvety texture rare for this vintage. Finishes with terrific breadth, subtle minerality and noble tannins. I’ve been a fan of this wine since the outset.

1st place!

LEC brought: 2012 Screaming Eagle Second Flight. VM 94+. The 2012 Second Flight kicks things up a notch. Dense, layered and voluptuous in the glass, the Second Flight impresses for its breadth and volume. Although only recently bottled, the 2012 nevertheless shows superb depth and tons of pure personality. (Drink between 2017-2032)

Kirk C brought: 1990 Château Cheval Blanc. VM 98. The 1990 Cheval Blanc is a vintage that once upon a time I drank regularly, although I had not seen it since March 2016. Poured against the 1990 Lafite-Rothschild, this is the clear winner. Still youthful in color with modest bricking. The bouquet explodes from the glass with kirsch, mulberry, antique furniture and black truffle scents. With aeration it becomes more savory, the Cabernet Franc wanting to see more of the olfactory action. The palate is medium-bodied and comes equipped with a stunning velvety texture. This Saint-Émilion feels spherical, conveying a sense of controlled decadence but avoiding any ostentation. This is as good a bottle as I have encountered over the years. Brilliant. Tasted at Noble Rot’s “Xmas” dinner. (Drink between 2019-2045)

3rd place!

45 day bone-in Rib Eye. This was another confusion as for some reason they only brought it to one table, or brought both steaks to only one table, so one table went without and the other greedily packed up half the leftovers to take home. haha.

Sautéed Mushrooms with Marsala glaze.

French fries.

Flight D: Desserts

Rustic Apple Tart. Caramelized apples, puff pastry, vanilla bean ice cream.

Chocolate cake.

Caramel Bread Pudding. Vanilla bean ice cream, caramel sauce, alea red sea salt.

Chocolate Peanut Cream – a base made from 100% Valrhona Chocolate and South American Peanuts layered with house-made Peanut Butter Cream Cheese “Cream” — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #chocolate #valrhona #peanuts #icing #PeanutButter #reeses

The wines.

My bad notes.

Most of the gang.

The food at Meat is quite good. I don’t have too much complaint with the actual taste of it. It was however a “confused” evening. Much of this was our fault because we just made the two separate table reservations without explicitly telling them that it was one party and that it was going to be a wine tasting, needing a single waiter and lots of stems. The two waiter thing really confused matters as they were separately writing down instructions and some confusion ensued. They did moderately well considering. Fighting the chaotic impulses of the group (and it’s variety of personalities) was amusing as always.

The wines were great and we were lucky that all of them were in perfect shape. My personal believes that the voting and opinions on these nights are totally random was further confirmed. I myself don’t put much effort into my “scoring” and I don’t see how most of the others do as well. The slightly disorganized format always means that we have at most 3-4 glasses and tight physical space instead of properly having a distinct glass for every wine. That means that one is constantly juggling, confusing, and mixing wines in the glass and there is little opportunity to easily taste previous wines side by side so one is reliant on ones notes. Jen as usual does a great job managing the wines themselves and there is always leftovers so revisiting is possible — it’s just that on the far side of all that wine and food I rarely have much energy for it.

A perfect example of all this is how my 1998 La Mouline, which was drinking perfectly, got zero votes (even from myself). Drinking it after the reveal it was just a stunning wine — and one among a lot of stunning wines — but has a more restrained and balanced character than some of the bolder characters.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: blind tasting, BYOG, Dirty Dozen, Gelato, hedonists, Meat on Ocean, red wine, Santa Monica, Steak

The Rooster Crows

Mar16

Restaurant: The Rooster

Location: 2301 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404. (310) 264-0999

Date: January 31, 2020

Cuisine: Wood-fire grill and California / pseudo-Italian

Rating: Tasty, but too pricey for its vibe

Continuing our streak of family dinners during my mom’s 75th birthday week, the gang of us headed off to the Rooster.

Bruce Marder, The Rooster’s chef/ restaurateur, lists Capo, The Brentwood, Cora’s Coffee Shop, and Marvin as his current successes. Renowned for his world class cuisine, his skills encompass a deep appreciation for international flavors that he unabashedly blends into an American style menu that celebrates our cultural diversity.

Bruce Marder’s latest addition to the Santa Monica scene features dishes kissed by almond-wood flames including tender, grilled meats served up family style, to pizzas and flatbreads baked in the wood fire oven.

The finest of ingredients, sourced from the farmers’ market, our personal garden, and highly regarded local ranchers, are the foundation of a cuisine that exemplifies the purity of the flavors without unnecessary adulteration.

Big, colder, more casual dining room and wood-fire grill.

Open kitchen.

I’ve always been a fan of Capo, despite a bit of attitude there, and have been at least 40 times, so I was interested to see what they did here in this larger more casual space.

The menu.

From my cellar: 2013 Chartogne-Taillet Champagne Beaux Sens. 93 points. This is 100% Pinot Meunier. One of the few vineyards where the wines have not been grafted. Mostly because it comes from a vineyard of purely sandy soil. There’s spice and sunflower seeds and a very nice balance to the wine. Soft bubbles. Very well done.

Fried bread and eggplant spread

Artichokes. Lemon, horseradish. These were nice wood-fired artichokes.

Eggplant. Rocca reggiano, tomato sauce. Basically a kind of skillet eggplant parm, this was quite delicious.

Warm seafood salad. Beurre blanc sauce. Incredible sauce. Really tender seafood. Seafood was grilled. I’m not normally a huge fan of the warm seafood salad, but this one was fantastic. Big hunks of very tender and flavorful seafood, and then the beurre blanc was perfect. Same one basically that’s on the crab torta I love at Capo. They even threw in the bread to sop it up.

From my cellar: 2004 Tenuta Corte Pavone Brunello di Montalcino. 93 points. The 2004 Brunello di Montalcino is a fresh, vibrant offering bursting with dark cherries, violets, underbrush, minerals and sweet toasted oak on a medium-bodied frame. The wine reveals terrific balance in an energetic, focused style, with firm yet ripe tannins. The finish is long, clean and refreshing. This is a gorgeous effort from Loacker. (Drink between 2013-2019)

Spicy pepperoni pizza. Solid wood-fired pizza, although nothing stunningly original.

Simple pasta.

Cacio e pepe. Nice, but a touch disappointing. Maybe not creamy enough, or peppery enough. I’m not sure.

Spaghetti Roma.

From my cellar: 1999 Paitin di Pasquero-Elia Barbaresco Vecchie Vigne Sorì Paitin. 94 points. The 1999 Barbaresco Sorì Paitin Vecchie Vigne is dark, powerful and opulent, with more than enough stuffing to age well for the better part of the next decade. Smoke, menthol, tar, black fruit and French oak blossom in the glass as this resonant, exuberant Barbaresco show off its unique, totally compelling personality. The French oak is present, but well balanced at the same time. (Drink between 2014-2022)

Loup de Mer.

Babyback ribs. Very tasty with lots of meat. Not super sauced or anything.

Lamb chops. Excellent lamb.

I don’t usually show the bill, but I thought I would tonight to make a point. We had 6 people (eating). So basically $100. Not crazy, but we didn’t order drinks or dessert. They charge for bread/butter. Corkage was a perfectly fine 3X$35. I have no problem with that. I had expected the Capo deal of high corkage, 1 or 2 bottle limits, and vetting to make sure one’s bottle was not “on their list.” I did see any of that and they just let me open my 3 bottles. This may have changed because Erick said that when he went months ago they had the limits. Limits suck, but for this 1/31/20 dinner and my experience, corkage was totally fine.

Food is actually quite good, if a bit too much emphasis on the wood-fire. Now I like wood grills, but (almost) everything is a touch much. The space feels loud, colder, and not “cozy” like Capo. Menu is more limited (but with some pizza).

Service was very friendly, but our server was a touch good-naturedly confused. 4 of us guys shared dishes and she brought them out in the weirdest order. I had to send a thing or two back (for a bit) because it made no sense. I’ve presented it here in the post in the order it SHOULD have come in. But they brought the pizza, pasta, and eggplant all right away, then thought to bring the artichokes as a “side” with the meat? Strange. The 20% service fee is also included and mandatory. I always tip 20% anyway and so this feels a bit weird.

It was Friday night and they were half empty. I don’t think the feel of the place warrants the pretty high prices. Capo is very expensive, but manages to make it feel LA swanky in this way that works. I suspect the Rooster will have trouble and at the very least change format a bit.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Grill, pasta, Pizza, Santa Monica, The Rooster, Wine, Wood-fire

Reborn as Citrin

Mar13

Restaurant: Citrin [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

Location: 1104 Wilshire Blvd.Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 395-0881

Date: January 29, 2020

Cuisine: California French

Rating: Rebooted

Iconic Santa Monica Melisse has rebooted as 2 restaurants in the same space. In the front, Citrin, in a (slightly) more casual (slightly) more shared format, and a small room in the back with Melisse — as a $300ish a head tasting menu only spot.

For my Mom’s 75th bday 8 of us headed to Citrin to celebrate.

The front has been opened up and now has a bar.

The main dining room is similar, but with the finishes redone.

Our table of 8.

Special DineLA menu.

The menu.

Plain pasta for my son — at least they can do it!

From my cellar: 2002 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. BH 97. There is a distinctly phenolic character to the secondary-tinged yet super-fresh nose reflects notes of bread, yeast, pear, baked apple, spice and a hint of citrus. The bold and full-bodied flavors possess superb complexity while being underpinned by a notably fine but dense mousse, all wrapped in a gorgeously persistent finish. This is a seriously impressive effort and one of the best of the Krug Brut vintage series released in many years. Note that while this should continue to age effortlessly, it could certainly be enjoyed now. (Drink starting 2017)

Basil Brioche. Beurre de Baratte. These Melisse used to have. They were great then, they are great now. But you have to order (and pay for) them separately now.

Japanese Hamachi. Citrus, Radish, Cilantro — nice and bright.

Wild Japanese Yellowtail. Grapefruit, Radish, Cilantro.

From my cellar: 2009 Bouchard Père et Fils Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. BH 91-94. A ripe yet airy and quite cool nose of indisputable class reflects notes of citrus, stone and white flowers that serve as a graceful preface for the intensely mineral-driven, tension-filled and chiseled flavors that possess sneaky power and outstanding length. There is notably more acidity here than in the Genevrières and better persistence as well. (Drink starting 2016)

Honeynut Squash. Goat Cheese, Pinenut, Lemon-Thyme.

Seared Maine Scallops. Celeriac, Coconut, Lime. Pretty much as you would expect looking at it.

Loup de Mer “En Ecailles”. Potato, Fennel, Parsley-Miso Broth. They love Ecailles. Creeps me out a bit, actually.

From my cellar: 1947 Moillard-Grivot Chambolle-Musigny. agavin 95. Awesome.

Truffle Risotto. Aged Acquerello Rice, Mascarpone, Black White Truffles.

With the truffles. Super creamy “simple” risotto. Really, really good. Not a huge portion though.

Diamond Ranch Quail. Pear, Salsify, Walnut, Beet, Calvados. My mother didn’t love this, thought it was dry.

Lobster Bolognese. Capellini Pasta, Brown Butter Truffle Froth. This was a Melisse classic for decades.

Vermillion Rock Cod “En Ecailles”. Cauliflower, Meyer Lemon, Pichuberry. More creepy scales.

Snake River Farms Wagyu Coulotte. Carrot, Leek, Shallot, Cayenne.

With the jus. Nice beefy beef.

Miso Glazed Rapini. Turnip, Chanterelle, Yuzu, Toasted Barley.

The dessert menu.

Tea.

Chocolate, Yuzu, Passionfruit.

Grand Marnier Souffle. Winter Citrus, Vanilla Ice Cream.

Mocha Ice Cream — tasted almost like a sorbet.

Passionfruit Sorbetto.

Overall, another epic epic night. Above is the birthday girl and my son.

Service at Citrin is first class. Wine service is very good. As good as it gets in LA. There is no bottle limit too, although corkage is a bit steep at $50 for the first 2 bottles then $70 after that.

Food was quite good. Similar to Melisse, but formatted differently. Half the table — including me — had the DineLA menu so that was like a mini old Melisse menu. I’m not sure yet what it’s like with the ala carte. Supposedly these are sharing dishes, but they don’t LOOK or sound like sharing dishes. The plating is too delicate. Look at the Lobster pasta above. It’s tiny (and delicious). Maybe you could share it with 2 people. So I don’t think the kitchen has yet “committed” in their heart of hearts to the real idea of the modern sharing format.

Great evening, and I’ll be back many more times I sure — and to the more “elite” Melisse.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: birthday, Chef Josiah Citrin, Citrin, French Cuisine, Josiah Citrin, Santa Monica

Parisian Pasjoli

Mar02

Restaurant: Pasjoli

Location: 2732 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405. (424) 330-0020

Date: January 15, 2020

Cuisine: Bistro French

Rating: Really good

Pasjoli is an elevated French bistro from award-winning chef Dave Beran. The restaurant pays homage to French cuisine utilizing the bounty of produce available in Southern California. Dave Beran is the guy behind Dialogue, which I didn’t love on my single visit (but I do need to try again). In any case, looking at the photos of Pasjoli (before I went) it looked very good: straight up but precise rich French cooking.

It’s located on Main Street, on the Venice end of Santa Monica. Rooted in classic French cuisine and inspired by the Parisian markets, Pasjoli reflects Beran’s thoughtful cooking style, showcasing his creative touches on bistro fare.

The front has been built out in a very Parisian style.

The interior is Bistro crossed with LA contemporary.

Quite attractive though.

Le menu.

From my cellar: 2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. VM 94. The 2002 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart comes across as rich, powerful and opulent. This latest release of the 2002 was disgorged in July 2015 and finished with a Chardonnay-based liqueur whereas the previous release, disgorged in May 2014, was finished with a Pinot Noir-based liqueur. This is a distinctly vinous, almost shockingly raw, visceral Champagne from Billecart-Salmon. There is no shortage of volume or intensity, that is for sure. Stylistically, this year’s release inhabits a whole other world relative to last year’s release. Dosage is 4 grams per liter. (Drink between 2018-2042)

Salade d’endives. black walnut, grapefruit, comté. Classic French endive salad with a newer presentation.

Ragoût d’oignons caramélisés. caramelized onion, gruyère, pâte brisée. Nice and rich, like a cheese onion mousse. Sort of a reconfigured onion soup — sort of.

Crabe et chou-fleur. blue crab, cauliflower cream, sorrel. Great “salad”. Bright flavors and lots of clean crabby taste.

Quenelle. scallop, caviar beurre blanc. Not your classic quenelle (the omelet-like log in lobster bisque sauce), this was a buttery feathery light mousse with lots of caviar. Nice balance of butter and briney fish eggs.

From my cellar: 1999 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Charmes-Chambertin. VM 92+. Bright, saturated ruby. Vibrant aromas of blackberry and violet. Powerful but juicy and not at all heavy. A wonderfully fresh wine of terrific verve. Still tight on the firmly tannic back end. Quite fine, though.

Truite amandine. rainbow trout, smoked roe, French beans.

Cauliflower.

Homard vol-au-vent. lobster, melted leeks, sauce béarnaise. Super rich, but fabulous. Lobster, pastry, shellfish sauce. What’s not to love?

Canard à la Rouennaise à la presse (Escoffier 3476). whole roast duck, salad of salanova lettuce and duck leg, gratin dauphinois

The duck comes out on its bed of rosemary and they first cut off the breasts.

Tools.

It’s semi-raw, as the breasts will be finished back in the kitchen.

The carcass is chopped up and…

Goes in the “torture device press.”

Seen here.

The “jus” (blood and drippings) is then pressed out and combined with wine, cognac, etc and cooked into a sauce.

Duck breast meat returning from the kitchen looking perfect.

Avec le jus. About as good a European/French style duck breast as I’ve had. Not as good as a great Peking duck, but what is?

You can see the fat / flavor emulsion here.

Gratin dauphinois. These were basically perfect potatoes layered with dairy. Really delicious.

Salad of salanova lettuce and duck leg. Delicious salad.

Each duck has it’s own unique numbered card.

The dessert menu.

Soufflé au chocolat. Bitter chocolate, vanilla ice cream.

Chocolate sauce to go in the soufflé.

Sauce on its way in. Very good classic soufflé.

Vanilla ice cream.

Tarte au fruit de la passion. Green chartreuse cream. Delicious with an intense passionfruit flavor.

Riz au lait. Rice pudding, 8-hour roasted pineapple, rum. Spectacular creamy rice pudding nicely complemented by the pineapple and caramel/rum sauce.

Caramel rum sauce for the rice pudding.

The check came in this cute book. Service was all built into the prices.

I really liked everything about Pasjoli. It’s not cheap, but it felt worth it. The decor is elegant/updated. The service was very friendly and efficient. Food was extremely on point. Updated French bistro fare, so nothing felt dated. Great flavors. It’s very rich. If you like “light” this probably isn’t your cup of jus.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Bistro, Dave Beran, duck, French, Pasjoli, Pressed duck, Santa Monica

Boar at the Borgese’s

Feb24

Restaurant: Dinner at the Borgese’s [1, 2, 3]

Location: Santa Monica

Date: January 6, 2020

Cuisine: Italian influenced gourmet home cooking

Rating: Awesome

Dinner at the Borgese’s is a special house dinner in Santa Monica cooked by the stunning pro-level home chef Borgese couple.

The dynamic Borgese duo.

Their house has not only a wine cellar, but a cheese and meat larder!

Plus all this incredible wood fired oven set up.

Pasta and steaks at the ready.

Since it was a “wintery” January evening, we ate inside in the dining room as opposed to out on the lovely patio.

From my cellar: 2007 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 96. Taittinger’s 2007 Comtes de Champagne will be nearly impossible to resist upon release. Soaring aromatics, mid-weight structure and soft contours give the 2007 its alluring personality. Lemon oil, white flowers, mint, chamomile and green pear add brightness and freshness throughout, with a persistent, clean finish that makes it impossible to resist a second taste. Today, the 2007 comes across as a slightly more open version of the 2004, with freshness that makes that wine so appealing, and a touch of textural richness that recalls the 2002. Although the 2007 does not have the explosive energy or verticality of the profound 2006, it will drink better earlier. The 2007 has been positively brilliant on the three occasions I have tasted it so far. (Drink between 2018-2047)

NV Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée Edition 168eme. 95 points. Exceptional, though this wine needs a decent amount of air to show at its best. Aroma of citrus, brioche, and gingerbread. Intense acidity on palate with flavors of green apples, baking spices, toast, and rum raisins. A bit like Apfelstrudel. Exquisitely balanced, with a huge, rich body and unami in abundance. I cannot remember tasting a wine that has shown so well at so early a stage of its evolution.

Our table setting.

The menu.

From my cellar: 2010 Joseph Drouhin Beaune 1er Cru Clos des Mouches Blanc. JG 94+. The inherent elegance of the 2010 vintage is the perfect foil for the Clos des Mouches blanc and this is one of the most beautiful young vintages of this consistently excellent wine that I have had the pleasure to taste. The brilliant nose soars from the glass in a complex mélange of apple, lemon, a touch of butter, chalky soil tones, lemon oil, orange blossoms and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and quite reserved in profile, with a great core of fruit, impressive, nascent complexity, zesty acids and laser-like focus on the deep, transparent and utterly seamless finish. A great Clos des Mouches. (Drink between 2016-2040)

2013 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 93. A wonderfully complex and slightly riper nose offers up notes of honeysuckle, jasmine tea, peach and spiced pear. The superbly rich, classy and pure medium-bodied flavors possess impressive size, weight and mid-palate concentration while coating the mouth on the strikingly long, serious and energetic finish where a hint of bitter lemon appears. This is a relatively big and powerful BBM that will definitely need at least 5 to 6 years of bottle age before it begins to display glimpses of its full potential. (Drink starting 2023)

Tartare di Manzo con Tartufo. Beef Tartare Crostini with truffle. Great meaty toast.

From my cellar: 1996 Domaine Denis Bachelet Charmes-Chambertin Vieilles Vignes. VM 95. The 1996 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru is a wine that I bought a few bottles of in the days when I could get change from fifty pounds! This replicates the strong showing from 2010: ebullient red fruit on the nose with crushed granite and light truffle scents that convey more brightness than many 1996 reds. The palate is beautifully balanced with svelte tannins and a well-structured, quite grippy but balanced finish. It simply oozes effortless class and should offer many more years of pleasure. Tasted at The Ledbury in London. (Drink between 2019-2035)

1996 Gros Frère et Sœur Grands-Echezeaux. 93 points. Sexy aroma, just the right amount of funk. Enticing. Palate more precise than the nose.

2004 Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Vieilles Vignes. VM 93. Good deep red. Superripe, slightly decadent aromas of red cherry, leather and underbrush. Plush, fat and large-scaled; a full-blown expression of soil, with notes of smoke and game. This boasts extraordinary sweetness for the vintage, remaining just this side of over the top. Just a hint of nut skin on the finish. Very sexy wine.

Quaglia Ripiene con Polenta. Stuffed quail over polenta. Great quail. Great polenta.

1995 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque. VM 96. Deep ruby-red. Powerful, expressive aromas of roasted cherry and raspberry, marzipan, brown spices and grilled nuts. Ripe, creamy and lush, with seamless cherry and pepper fruit. Not quite as expressive today on the palate as the above. But here the tannins seem even finer, though this wine is not longer than the Mouline.

1995 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. VM 97+. Deep ruby-red. More sauvage aromas of black raspberry, blueberry, tar, mocha, minerals, mace and roasted game. Superconcentrated and powerful, with a near-solid texture. One of those rare wines that seems almost too big for the mouth. Finishes with huge, toothfurring-but-ripe tannins and great persistence.

Tagliatelle con Ragu di Coniglio. Rabbit ragu with tagliatelle pasta.

1989 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Mouline. VM 95. Saturated deep red. Roasted redcurrant, raspberry, tobacco and warm earth on the nose, along with an exhilarating component of exotic spices; this reminded me of the extraordinary ’89 Haut-Brion and La Mission. Thick, dense, huge and sweet but with excellent verve. A fleshy La Mouline that’s packed with flavor. Finishes extremely long and sweet, with substantial ripe, chewy tannins.

agavin: probably my RWOTN (red wine of the night)

1998 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Turque. VM 95+. Bright medium ruby. Griotte cherry, roasted herbs, pepper and brown spices on the nose. Tightly wound but also quite suave, with penetrating black fruit and licorice flavors. Very fresh and precise. Finishes firm and extremely long, with slow-building, pure, fruit-driven flavor.

Piccione al Rosemarino con Risotto. Rosemary pigeon over risotto.

Pigeon giblets. Strong!

1993 Penfolds Grange. 93 points. Made with 14% Cabernet. More fragrant than your typical Grange in a floral kind of way. There is still power on the nose that perhaps comes from the slightly higher dose of Cabernet in this vintage. There is also a creaminess on the palate but its not as good as they ’92 and certainly can’t hold a candle to the ’91.

1999 Penfolds Grange. VM 91+. Full ruby-red. Sexy aromas of raspberry, cola, root beer and coconut. Thick, dense and concentrated, with exotic, slightly candied dark fruit, caramel, toasted coconut and mineral flavors nicely shaped by firm acids. Shows strong fruit and a major dose of oak on the powerful, backward finish. This can’t quite match the 1998 for sheer depth of fruit, but it’s built to age.

Pappardelle con Ragu di Cighiale. Wild boar ragu with pappardelle pasta. Yarom shot it.

2004 Sine Qua Non Grenache Ode to E. VM 97. The 2004 Grenache Ode to E is absolutely stellar. There’s not too much more to say. Still young, fresh and vibrant, the 2004 is incredibly impressive. Exotic spice, rose petals, raspberry jam all open up in an effortless, nuanced wine bursting at the seams with personality. Exquisitely nuanced and balanced, the 2004 is a gem. Readers who own the 2004 should be thrilled; as it is a magnificent wine by any measure. My favorite age to drink Sine Qua Non wines is around ten years. The Ode to E Grenache delivers the goods, and then some. The blend is 88% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 2% Viognier, all from Eleven Confessions. (Drink between 2015-2024)

2011 Sine Qua Non Grenache Patine Eleven Confessions Vineyard. VM 97. The 2011 Grenache Patine has turned out beautifully. Dark red cherry, plum, mocha, spice and leather meld together in the glass as this savory, beautifully layered wine opens up. Herb, graphite, smoke, sage and tobacco add shades of nuance in a delineated Grenache that captures the best of this cool, late-ripening year. Patine is 77% Grenache, 22% Syra and 1% Viognier, all from Eleven Confessions, done with 25% whole clusters and aged for 33 months in French oak barrels, 11% new. (Drink between 2018-2031)

Bistecca Fiorentina alla Legna. Wood fired porterhouse steak. Definitely not overcooked!

Roast carrots.

Wood fired eggplant.

Salt.

Polenta with jus. Oh so good!

Fire water!

Grapefruit Aperol Tarragon Sorbetto — Cold pressed Fresh Grapefruit juice from my garden, Aperol and fresh Tarragon! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Unique and bracing — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #sorbetto #grapefruit #aperol #tarragon

Haven’t made this in almost 3 years — Rocky Road Gelato — Valrhona Chocolate base with marshmallows and pecans and house-made caramel and toasted kosher Marshmallow topping! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — oh my! — #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #chocolate #valrhona #RockyRoad #marshmallow #caramel #marshmallow #pecan

The wine lineup.

One tired chef — lots of work to put on this stunning dinner.

Overall, this was an amazing dinner.

First of all, the Borgese hospitality was awesome, the house lovely, and the food absolutely incredible. Best “home cooked” meal I’ve had. Maybe ever if you restrict it to chefs cooking in their own home kitchen. Just amazing. Every dish was great. Rustic but extremely delicious style. Superb homemade pastas. My gelato was darn good too :-).

Service was handled by the youngest Borgese (teen daughter) and her friend (both pictured below) and was better than most restaurant staff. Super friendly and you can tell they do this a lot.

Wines were out of this world too. I like this kind of array of different wines covering a range of foods. I did the pairings (flighting out what we had with the menu). Really an embarrassment of riches. Particularly the old Lalas.

We are heading back in February for “Uni night” — can’t wait!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Dinner at the Borgese's, Gelato, hedonists, Italian Cusine, pasta, Rocco Borgese, Santa Monica, Wine

A Fia Kinda Feeling

Nov08

Restaurant: Fia

Location: 2454 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403. (310) 586-1707

Date: September 28 & December 26, 2019

Cuisine: New American / Italian

Rating: Great Atmosphere / Tasty

With my parents and some various other friends in town for the holiday weekend I needed a place where we could do a 10-12 person dinner — ideally in a private room.

Fia is in the same (gorgeous) space as the old Wilshire, just with a new (more Italian, but not totally) concept. They have inside, lovely patio, and a cool private room.

FIA, A DISTINCT DINING CONCEPT LED BY DECORATED CHEF BRENDAN COLLINS (BIRCH, WATERLOO & CITY, MELISSE), COMBINES CALIFORNIA PRODUCE WITH EUROPEAN TECHNIQUE TO CREATE A GLOBALLY INSPIRED, SEASONAL MENU.

I forgot to photograph the patio, but above is our room. Now I do have to say that they had a pretty hefty “room minimum” here, and it required a set menu. The set menus were tons of food and fairly reasonable for what they are, but the “room minimum” was considerably higher than the set menu X 12 (which is how much the room fit) — so they wanted you to order an obscene amount of alcohol. As I bring my own wine… this was a little tricky, and more on that later.

Our set menu. We modified it a little bit on the fly (actually in advance, but they had some staff changes and the mods were lost, but then restored on site). We also added some food, which was gratuitous, but we were way under the room min anyway.

From my cellar: 2002 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. VM 94. The 2002 Cuvée Nicolas François Billecart comes across as rich, powerful and opulent. This latest release of the 2002 was disgorged in July 2015 and finished with a Chardonnay-based liqueur whereas the previous release, disgorged in May 2014, was finished with a Pinot Noir-based liqueur. This is a distinctly vinous, almost shockingly raw, visceral Champagne from Billecart-Salmon. There is no shortage of volume or intensity, that is for sure. Stylistically, this year’s release inhabits a whole other world relative to last year’s release. Dosage is 4 grams per liter.

Hamachi, lime, chili, basil, radish. Very bright flavors, zesty, and a tiny bit spicy.

Hawaiian kanpachi, ginger, Calabrian chili, shallots. I liked this one best perhaps of the crudos because of the almost Thai (sweet and spicy and tangy) sauce.

Big eye tuna carpaccio, aqua pazza, avocado, black garlic. Good as well.

Heirloom cherry tomato, bocconcini, tomato consommé. Really nice “capresse” salad (in that it included tomatoes and mozzarella like cheese). The herbs and the vinegar tones brought it up a lot.

Bought from the list: 2017 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons. VM 90-92. The 2017 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru comes from 3.6-hectares located mainly in the heart of the valley. It offers light pressed flower scents on the nose with hints of nettle and dandelion. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, crisp and taut with a precise finish that just needs to develop a little more power. Very fine.

Rock shrimp cakes, horseradish aioli, caviar. Fritters.

Pudwill farms black mission figs, candied walnuts, ricotta, grilled toast. Delicious fig and ricotta combo, heightened by the balsamic.

Slowly roasted Brussels Sprouts, black garlic aioli. Nicely done Brussels.

Cauliflower with raisons (12/26/19). Cauliflower is the new black, it’s everywhere.

Artisanal cheeses from home and abroad, dried fruit, walnuts, truffle honey.

Heirloom green leaf salad, calamansi fennel seed vinaigrette. Is what it is.

Chicken liver mousse, port gele, toast, cornichons.

A zone of the liver. Replaces the “off the menu” fois gras — sigh. Pretty nice though, with the port gele adding that sweet note to go with the liver.

Burrata, San Danielle prosciutto, seasonal fruit on a waffle. Pretty, and we had the ham on the side — would have looked better all combined. Nice flavors too.

Prosciutto on the side.

Seasonal vegetable salad, mushroom vinaigrette, soft herbs. Probably the most boring dish of the night, but I’m not a vegetable guy.

From my cellar: 2009 Domaine René Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaux St. Jacques. BH 89-92. A somewhat curious nose of reduction with a background herbal character leads to fresh, vibrant and stony middle weight flavors that are supple and almost delicate on the clean, austere and linear finish. This clearly is quite backward and youthfully awkward today though there is no reason that it shouldn’t sort itself out in time.

House made cavatelli, black truffle, parmesan, brown butter.

And with the truffles. Delicious and rich pasta with a lot of heft.

Risotto cacio e pepe, 24 month old parmesan, tellicherry pepper. One of my favorites, like a cacio e pepe congee really. Lots of cheesy bitey rice.

Acorn Squash Risotto, Sunchokes, Toasted Seeds, Goat Cheese (12/26/19). Also very yummy. Rich.

Dungeness Crab Ravioli, Scallop, Ginger, Champagne Crab Sauce. (12/26/19). Very tasty.

Hand cut capellini, lobster bolognese, san marzano tomato. Solid take on this zesty lobster pasta.

Braised rabbit tortellini, dates, pistachio, sage. Interesting sweet, savory, and meaty stuffed pasta. Really lovely.

From my cellar: 2007 Domaine la Soumade Rasteau Cuvée Fleur de Confiance. 95 points. Black/purple color with a lifted nose of blackberries, currants, and toasted vanilla. The palate is dense and volatile with loads of alcohol (15%) keeping it buoyant and ripe. Flavors of black currant, black tea, suede leather, and bitter chocolate form the core. Finishes long and silky with hints of tobacco. Just a great effort from Domaine la Soumade. It’s well-balanced, delicious, and unique for the appellation. Produced in a modern-style. Drink now until 2022.

Lasagna, Beyond Meat Bolognese, spinach, almond béchamel. Not as good as I hoped — mostly because of the vegan thing.

Stuffed Manchester quail, fig, prosciutto, brioche. Nice little stuffed bird.

Baja style whole grilled Dorade Royale. Well grilled fish.

Creek Stone Farm prime filet mignon, horseradish butter.

Torch that butter.

And after. A rich and solid hunk of meat.

Black sesame cake, sesame crumble, mango sorbet. Interesting textures.

Lemon merignue, lemoncello granite. Loved the multiple takes on lemon — I love lemon.

Chef’s box of macarons. Texture was too hard and they didn’t have a strong enough flavor — not the greatest macarons — but macarons are hard.

Overall, we had a great time, tremendous amounts of food, and very good service. The private room was lovely. The whole restaurant is gorgeous. Really atmospheric tres-la patio.

Food was better than I expected, and I had heard good things. Very bright flavors and the pastas were great. Mains were a little less exciting, but still good. I rarely love mains at normal restaurants.

Set menu food price was pretty reasonable too, although menu prices are fairly steep. But you can see that portions are good sized. The base menu was a lot and with our additions an obscene amount.

My only issues were some policy quirks. I don’t like the room minimum being a lot higher than the food price. And I wasn’t old about it until weeks after I booked the space (and didn’t feel like finding a new one). Room min was $1500 (tax and tip don’t count either). The largest set dinner menu was $106 a person (which isn’t bad). But the room sits a max of 12. We had 11, with only 9 adults. Even at 12, that would be $1272 which leaves $225 of alcohol — or $18 a person. Hard perhaps when you have people who don’t drink, but maybe possible. With our count there was a $500 gap — which I had to make up by buying two bottles off the list. I hate buying bottles off the list as they are about 4X retail and I have 1000s of bottles. Wine lists like Fia have some nice wines, but they are way too young in general, and they have a much smaller selection than I do in my basement. They just can’t afford to stock a broad range of wine — and certainly not in my specific taste. No new restaurant can so I don’t blame them for this.

Which brings me to the other policy problem: the curse of the annoying 2 bottle per table corkage limit. They did allow me to open 3, but I just don’t get the 2 bottle limit thing. Insert rant here — and this is not unique to Fia at all, but I’ll just complain here again about it again — but it doesn’t make any sense, not from a service level and not financially. I know they want to make a certain amount of money from alcohol sales. Fine. Calculate the per cover (person) average profit on alcohol and set a corkage to around that number. Don’t limit the bottles. It also makes no sense that a table or 1 or 2 can open 2 bottles and a table of 11 can also open only 2 bottles. Make it one per person… but wait… that’s still stupid. Just don’t have a limit. Charge the correct corkage. NO BOTTLE LIMITS. This dinner ONLY worked with the corkage limit because I bought 2 bottles and because we had a bunch of lightweights (keeping the number I needed to bring down). The limits make it IMPOSSIBLE FOR WINE GROUPS TO EAT AT THE RESTAURANT. We bring specific wines. We bring 1+ bottles a person. Doesn’t work with limits. We come during low volume nights (weekdays) and we order huge amounts of food. At $35+ a person of corkage (pure profit, no cost of goods) I’m sure we would always be a way above average table in terms of profit. If it’s not, raise the corkage to $40 or whatever. The limit just excludes us. So now if I want to come back here with one of my wine groups, we either have to come with only 3 people (and finesse the limit), or we have to call up and argue the house policy with the manager/owner. Crazy. Wine groups keep restaurants alive after the initial buzz has died down.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Fia, Private Room, Santa Monica, Wine

Quick Eats – Colapasta

Oct31

Restaurant: Colapasta.

Location: 1241 5th St, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 310-8336

Date: September 18, 2019

Cuisine: Italian / Just pasta

Rating: Simple menu, but good pasta, very casual

There seems to be a bit of a trend to opening pasta restaurants in Santa Monica.

Colapasta is a super casual small menu artisanal pasta place by Stefano De Lorenzo the main chef from La Botte years ago. The place is brand new and the concept is very similar to Uovo on the other side of the Promenade. They both have very short lists of classic pasta and little else on the menu.

The decor is simple and the space is modest — not too unlike Ramen Roll. haha.

The menu. You can basically see that it’s mostly pasta. A salad or two as well. No liquor license yet but they have applied for a 41 (beer and wine).

Zuppa di Granoturco. Sweet Summer Corn Soup.

Bresola Arugula e Burrata. Sliced paper-thin Aged Beef, arugula, Burrata. This is pretty much a perfect “salad” for me as I love Burrata (and this is a good one, either from Italy or more likely from Stefano locally, but in the Italian style and very good). The burrata and cured meat combo is one of my favorites. Arugula helps push it down.

Bigoli Aglio Olio e Acciughe (Campania). Bigoli Pasta with Garlic, Oil, Anchoives. This is a simple pasta, but with that anchovy pasta it has a delightful garlicky umami.

Casunziei (Dolomiti). Half Moon shaped Red Beet Ravioli, Brown Butter, Poppy Seeds. This is one of the chef’s signatures. It’s very Po River Valley (Mantua, Verona etc). Sweet and rich, quite delicious.

Lasagna Classica al Ragu (Emilia). Classic Beef Ragu Lasagna. The basta was delicate and the ragu had great flavor. It just needed a Béchamel sauce to be perfect.

Pasta lurks in the fridge.

Overall, this was a pleasant and VERY quick little meal. The pasta is good. It’s not radical or terribly LA in style like Felix or anything — it’s very homestyle (Italy) Italian. Very simple. They are, however, inexpensive, and well executed. So if you have a need for a noodle fix and don’t want to break the bank, you could do well here. Probably slightly more my taste than Uovo. Not nearly as good or as much variety as Heroic Wine Bar down the street.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Colapasta, Date Night, pasta, Santa Monica

Vino Capo

Oct18

Restaurant: Capo [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

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

Date: September 4, 2019

Cuisine: Italian with Cal influences

Rating: The food here is really very very good.

The Foodie Club comes to Capo fairly often as it’s close and really good. Atmosphere is great. Service is excellent. Only problem is a somewhat draconian wine policy. Yeah, they have a great wine list — but we have even biggest “lists” at home.

The gang at the table.

The current menu.

I did all the ordering tonight — with consultation — piecing dishes together from the menu into a series of share plate courses for the 6 of us. I prefer this style SO much to ordering individually. Who needs an entire steak? And who can resist 6 pastas?

Bread here is usually very good.

Tuscan white bean paste and some other kind of paste (maybe eggplant).

Trish brought: 1993 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2. 94 points. Nice!

Maryland crab torta. This really is Crab Norfolk, and it’s probably the best one I’ve ever had, and I spent summers as a boy in Oxford Maryland, land of the blue crab. This is a big juicy pile of delicious blue crab, drenched in butter, and their special touch is a little Meyer lemon in the mix. Bellissimo!

Michel Blanchet smoked salmon. With more white asparagus.

Burrata Caprese. Because burrata always makes everything better.

MZ brought: 2004 Domaine Roulot Meursault 1er Cru Les Perrières. BH 93. As it almost always is, this is the class of the cellar with more discreet wood framing a reserved but ultra elegant white flower and pungent limestone nose that merges seamlessly into fine, precise and intensely stony flavors that finish bone dry and with a vaguely saline quality. This is built to age and should provide at least 7 to 10 years of upside development. As with the Bouchères, there is a trace of reduction but not really enough to detract from the overall sense of outstanding quality though if you were going to try one young, I would suggest decanting it for 20 minutes first. (Drink starting 2012)

MZ brought: 2014 Château de Puligny-Montrachet Chevalier-Montrachet. BH 92-95. Equally discreet wood sets off the beautifully layered nose that blends together notes of citrus, wet stone, rose petal and subtle spice hints. There is excellent verve to the delineated and overtly muscular yet refined big-bodied flavors that possess an abundance of acid-buffering dry extract before terminating in a moderately austere and explicitly saline-infused finish that is like rolling rocks around in your mouth. This is very clearly built-to-age and is going to require at least 5 years to unwind and develop more depth. (Drink starting 2024)

Baja Sardines ‘al Forno.” Sardines salted and cooked on the wood fire grill. Pretty much Spanish style and delicious!

Foie Gras on toast. Big portion, but the sauce overwhelmed.

Toro Tartar. Like Nobu’s, but no wasabi ponzu. Really excellent actually.

From my cellar: 1969 Tenuta Greppo (Biondi-Santi) Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. VM 93. Biondi-Santi’s 1969 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva has aged gracefully. Dried flowers, mint, licorice, molasses, anise, brown spices, iron, game and tobacco grace the palate in a delicate, feminine Brunello that impresses for its overall balance and harmony. All the elements come together beautifully in the glass. The 1969 is now fully mature, although it has more than enough texture and Sangiovese acidity to hold on for another 5-10 years, perhaps a bit longer. The 1969 will always be more of a delicate Brunello with haunting, nuanced Sangiovese overtones and tons of personality. (Drink between 2015-2020)

Larry brought: 2000 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. Parker 96-100. Tua Rita’s 2000 Redigaffi has taken a big leap forward in its evolution. The wine is infused with black fruit, prune and blackberry preserves that come together to form an inky appearance and chewy consistency. Beyond those fruit tones are equally robust aromas of Teriyaki sauce, barbecue smoke and exotic spice. Redigaffi is a pure expression of Merlot and it delivers condensed, thickly extracted and syrupy aromas some 15 years after the harvest. The wine is like a time capsule that takes us back to a time when this richer and more opulent style was so enthusiastically embraced. My feeling is that the wine has not aged as steadily as was once predicted. Upon initial release, Robert Parker had given this wine 100 points, and if I’m not mistaken I believe it was the second Italian wine to earn such an honor after the 1985 Sassicaia. Since then, it has shed much of its fruit and has become more defined by its oak spice and tangy cedar. In the mouth, the wine shows abundant texture with integrated tannins.

Yeah, I’m kinda insane and I did the ordering, so I got us 6 pastas — yep, 6 pastas. And we each got a plate like this (followed by a second round below).

White Corn Ravioli with Black Truffles. This is always to die for.

Pasta with uni, squid, and shrimp. Really nice bright seafood pasta.

Herb Gnocchi, lardo, peas and black truffle.

Round 2: Flight!

Bucatini with lamb ragu. This is one of my favorite pastas. I love the bucatini, I love the gamey ragu.

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe. Yum.

Risotto with Lobster. Excellent!
Erick brought: 2002 Domaine Xavier Liger-Belair Richebourg. 95 points. Great.

Steak Fiorentina. A giant “black and blue” piece of cow.

Colorado rack of lamb.

Beans!

The dessert menu.

The amazing classic chocolate soufflé.

Made even better with some slightly orange cream.

Tiramisu. Good, but not as good as mine.

Petit fours.

Great night. I just love Capo’s pastas. They do them in this correctly cooked, Italian but not Italian hearty style that is just filled with flavor punch. Balance is superb.

Our wines were fabulous too, if varied and perhaps not always perfectly paired.

Capo isn’t great value — it’s pricey — but they do make really really good food and have for 20 years. Every dish is excellent and it’s a pretty varied menu. They were way ahead of the curve too on the whole wood fired trend.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Capo, Foodie Club, Italian cuisine, Santa Monica, Wine

Dinner at the Borgese’s

Oct16

Restaurant: Dinner at the Borgese’s

Location: Santa Monica

Date: August 29, 2019

Cuisine: Italian influenced gourmet home cooking

Rating: Dinner of the year?

Dinner at the Borgese’s is a special backyard house dinner in Santa Monica cooked by the stunning pro-level home chef Borgese couple. The evening was set up by Michael K and because of the epic nature of the food we all pulled out some amazing wines to match.

The dynamic Borgese duo.

Their house has not only a wine cellar, but a cheese and meat larder!

Awesome backyard.

And lovely outside dining room.

Plus all this incredible wood fired oven set up.

Michael started us off with this actually fairly lovely bottled bellini.

2008 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 98+. The 2008 Cristal is a wine that takes over all the senses and never lets up. The brilliance and cut of the Chardonnay finds an extra kick of resonance from the Pinot Noir to carry the mid palate and finish in this stunningly beautiful, chiseled Champagne. Lemon oil, almond, flowers, dried herbs and Mirabelle plum are some of the many aromas and flavors that develop as the 2008 shows off its pedigree. The 2008 is a regal, towering Champagne from Roederer. That’s all there is to it. (Drink between 2023-2058)

Pretty place setting.

Our special menu.

2005 Domaine Ramonet Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 93. A fantastic nose of spice, wood toast, brioche, white flower, honeysuckle and citrus hints lead to rich, full, big and sappy flavors that really coat the mouth on the broad and palate staining finish. This is a big Bienvenues and while perhaps not as graceful as the 2000 or 2002, this is certainly stylish and deep. Like many of the wines in the range, it is also relatively forward by the usual standards of this wine yet it will certainly reward mid-term cellaring. (Drink starting 2012)

2013 Paul Pernot et ses Fils Bienvenues-Bâtard-Montrachet. BH 93. A wonderfully complex and slightly riper nose offers up notes of honeysuckle, jasmine tea, peach and spiced pear. The superbly rich, classy and pure medium-bodied flavors possess impressive size, weight and mid-palate concentration while coating the mouth on the strikingly long, serious and energetic finish where a hint of bitter lemon appears. This is a relatively big and powerful BBM that will definitely need at least 5 to 6 years of bottle age before it begins to display glimpses of its full potential. (Drink starting 2023)

2014 Aubert Chardonnay Sonoma Coast. 92 points. This one does not fit with the others! Plus — fake chard!

Octopus on the grill.

Insalata di Posilipo. Octopus Salad. Tender octopus with citrus. Very tender and lovely.

From my cellar: 1999 Denis Mugneret Père et Fils Richebourg. BH 92+. Fascinating interplay of black fruit, earth, tobacco and Vosne spice framed by discreet hints of oak toast followed by sweet, supple and very intense flavors that last for minutes. This is not quite as ripe or opulent as most of the wines in this group though it sports excellent acid/fruit balance as a result. I like the more reserved style of this.

Jeff brought — thanks: 1996 Domaine Armand Rousseau Père et Fils Chambertin. VM 97. A Burgundy of tension and bracing energy, the 1996 Rousseau Chambertin is simply magnificent on this night. Time in the glass brings out the wine’s stunning inner sweetness and perfume in what is an utterly glorious expression of Pinot Noir and Chambertin. I imagine the 1996 will still be compelling in 30 years’ time. Today is transcendental and deeply beautiful. (Drink between 2019-2046)

Tartare de Manzo. Beef tartare with truffle. Excellent tartare, perfect bread, and lots of truffle.

Plus we got direct to the mouth truffle shaving — like the truffle equivalent of an upside down tequila shot.

2011 Bruno Paillard Chardonnay Champagne Blanc de Blancs Réserve Privée.

From my cellar: 2006 Taittinger Champagne Comtes de Champagne Rosé Brut. VM 96. The 2006 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Rosé is at once rich and refined, a simply fabulous Champagne Rosè I won’t soon forget. Intensely perfumed, with the Pinot Noir-derived red berry and cranberry flavors that are not just concentrated, but also remarkably pure. It is one of the better Rosé bubbles I have had in the last year.

Calamarata Pasta con Branzino. Pasta with Branzino. A light Southern Italian style pasta. House made and really great texture and bright flavors.

The no carb guy got a pile of tuna or beef or something.

1989 Château Margaux. Parker 90. Dwarfed by its younger sibling, the 1990, the 1989 Chateau Margaux has a dark plum/garnet color and a big, sweet nose of new saddle leather, toasty oak, and weedy black cherry and cassis fruit. The wine is medium-bodied, with relatively elevated tannins, outstanding concentration and purity, but a somewhat clipped as well as compressed finish. This certainly outstanding wine has put on a bit of weight in its evolution in the bottle, but it is hardly one of the most profound efforts from Chateau Margaux. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025. Last tasted, 10/02.

1995 Château Margaux. Parker 95. Bottled very late (November, 1997), the 1995 has continued to flesh out, developing into one of the great classics made under the Mentzelopoulos regime. The color is opaque ruby/purple. The nose offers aromas of licorice and sweet smoky new oak intermixed with jammy black fruits, licorice, and minerals. The wine is medium to full-bodied, with extraordinary richness, fabulous equilibrium, and hefty tannin in the finish. In spite of its large size and youthfulness, this wine is user-friendly and accessible. This is a thrilling Margaux that will always be softer and more evolved than its broader-shouldered sibling, the 1996. How fascinating it will be to follow the evolution of both of these vintages over the next half century. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2040.

1996 Château Margaux. Parker 100! The 1996 Chateau Margaux, a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, must be a strong contender for wine of the vintage. It offers everything you desire from this First Growth. It is blessed with breathtaking delineation and freshness on the nose, understated at first and then blossoming with mineral-infused black fruit, hints of blueberry, crushed stone and violet. The palate is perfectly balanced with filigree tannin, perfect acidity, a wine where everything seems to be in its right place. Blackberry, crushed stone at the front of the mouth, just a touch of spice towards the finish that shows supreme control. This is a Margaux that seems to light up the senses. It was outstanding in its youth…something that has not changed one bit over the intervening two decades. This may well turn out to be the Left Bank pinnacle of the 1990s. Tasted July 2016.

Quaglia Fritta. Fried Quail. Scrumptious bird and batter. Some of the best fried fowl I’ve had.

1998 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. Parker 96. The 1998 Redigaffi (2,000+ bottles produced) is profound. I do not normally quote dry extract numbers, because taste is more important than the numbers. However, I could not help but notice one of the highest measured dry extract numbers I have ever seen in a wine with the 1998 Redigaffi — 39 grams per liter! Made from 100% Merlot, aged in 100% new Allier and Troncais French barrels, it is bottled without fining or filtration. An opaque purple-colored, powerful, enormously-endowed effort, it offers gorgeous black currant, plum, and blackberry fruit characteristics infused with spice box, chocolate, and vanilla. This harmonious wine oozes with extract and glycerin. Extraordinarily pure and impressive, with copious tannin nearly hidden beneath the wine’s superb richness, this beauty should be at its apogee between 2004-2020.

1999 Tua Rita Redigaffi Toscana IGT. Parker 99. The 250-case cuvee of 100% Merlot, the 1999 Redigaffi has an astonishing 36 grams per liter of dry extract, which exceeds most top Pomerols in a great vintage! Unfined and unfiltered, it is as close to perfection as a wine can get. The color is a deep saturated blue/purple. The powerful, pure nose offers smoke, licorice, black cherry, and blackberries. It boasts awesome concentration, a fabulously dense, viscous mid-section, and a finish that lasts for nearly a minute. This is riveting juice. Anticipated maturity: now-2015.

Homemade pasta at the ready.

Ravioli de Melanzana. Eggplant ravioli with a simple butter save sauce. Totally classic and absolutely amazing. Very simple authentic ravioli.

1990 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Hermitage La Chapelle. 98 points. An extraordinary wine in fabulous shape. Still needs 90-120 mins in the decanter and can then be drunk over the course of 2 hours or more. Relish how every moment of it – it gets better as time passes but you need to go through all of those moments.

1996 Château Rayas Châteauneuf-du-Pape Reserve. VM 90+. Good deep red. Deeper aromas of black cherry, raspberry, pepper and licorice. Broad-shouldered but very closed, showing less sweetness today than the ’96 Pignan. Red fruit flavors complicated by notes of leather, licorice and herbs. Strong acid/tannin backbone for aging. But tough going today.

2003 Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Hermitage. VM 98. “Now we take the monster out of his cage,” Jean-Louis warned me before pouring this. Inky, almost black in color. Elemental, hugely concentrated and powerful on the nose, which slowly unveils aromas of dark cherry liqueur, blackberry, cassis, espresso and a deep note of sweet tobacco. Impossibly rich and dense on the palate (the yields in 2003 were off by two-thirds), showing myriad dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors, with a suggestion of tapenade and an intense licorice quality. Remarkably, this takes on a mineral tone on the finish, which has the effect of further drawing out the amazingly powerful finish.

Agnello alla Legna. Wood fired lamb chop. Great tender lamb.

2009 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Masseto Toscana IGT. VM 96. Good full ruby. Superripe, pure aromas of blackberry, cassis, violet, minerals, milk chocolate and exotic spices. Superconcentrated, rich and seamless, offering explosive sweetness but also great verve, thanks to bright acidity that provides wonderful lift and clarity to the blackberry, blueberry and black cherry flavors. Finishes with ultra-suave tannins and a kaleidoscope of violet and Oriental spice flavors. A very great Masseto from a hot year, when I would have expected the merlot to suffer a bit. But unlike in 2003, when it wasn’t just hot but dry as well, Masseto’s unique microclimate allowed the merlot to avoid major stress in 2009. As good and refined as the Ornellaia is in 2009, I think the Masseto has an extra layer of complexity and depth.

2005 Harlan Estate. VM 95. Open-knit, sensual and perfumed, the 2005 Harlan Estate is super-expressive today. Like so many 2005s, the Harlan is a bit lacking in intensity and overall structure relative to the very best years. The 2005 is a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next 15-20 years. At some point during that arc of time, the 2005 is likely to become a bit frail, but that does not appear to be imminent. Even after thinning to a cluster per shoot, the clusters and berries were large, which required some bleeding in the tanks, a technique that is not often used at Harlan Estate. (Drink between 2017-2027)

Steaks on the grill.

Resting.

Bistecca Fiorentina. Giant slabs of rare beef. Nicely salted and bloody delicious.

Veggies at the ready.

Roasted carrots.

The chef Rocco Borgese (right) his cheffing partner and wife (left back) along with their daughter (center standing).

1986 Château d’Yquem. Parker 98. There is no other wine in the world like it, and there is no other luxury wine that can possibly justify its price as much as Yquem. The remarkable amount of painstaking labor necessary to produce the nectar known as Yquem is almost impossible to comprehend. This is a fascinating effort. With greater evidence of botrytis than the colossal 1983, but less power and alcohol, the 1986 Yquem tastes reminiscent of the 1975, only more precocious, as well as more concentrated. Several highly respected Bordeaux negociants who are Yquem enthusiasts claim the 1986 Yquem is the greatest wine produced at the property since the legendary 1937. Its enthralling bouquet of pineapples, sauteed hazelnuts, vanillin, and ripe apricots is breathtaking. Compellingly concentrated, the breadth as well as depth of flavor seemingly know no limits. This full-bodied, powerful, yet impeccably balanced Yquem should provide memorable drinking for 40-55 more years. Like the 1983, this is another winemaking tour de force. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2040. Last tasted, 4/91.

Mocha Bourbon Butterscotch Gelato — expresso infused milk, Valrhona cocoa, Knob Creek Bourbon, and a house-made Butterscotch Sauce — 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 #mocha #expresso #coffee #chocolate #Valrhona #butterscotch #bourbon #KnobCreek

Slightly tweaked second pass at — Almond Amaretto Truffle Gelato — Amaretto Zabaglione (egg yolk, amaretto, and sugar custard) Sicilian Almond gelato base with stacked layers of house-made Valrhona Almond Amaretti Ganache — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato –#SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Valrhona #almond #amaretto #amaretti #cookie #ganache #ChocolateTruffle

Tingly Passion Gelato — dairy passionfruit striped with blackberry coulis and steeped with Chengdu Street Market Szechuan Green Peppercorns — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #passionfruit #blackberry #coulis #SzechuanPepper #SpicySweet #passion

Banana Caramel Gelato — I hate bananas but I was convinced to make this, fresh banana base with house-made caramel — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #caramel #banana

NV Domaine Borgnat Ratafia de Bourgogne. Red dessert wine.

These will take the hair off your everything.

Calvados and even more crazy, chartreux — which I had never had before but is very green and interesting — herbal.

Most of the lineup. I think the dessert wines were off being consumed when I shot this.

Overall, this was an amazing dinner, arguably the best of the year so far.

Service was handled by the youngest Borgese (teen daughter) and her friend and was better than most restaurant staff. Super friendly and you can tell they do this a lot.

Wines were out of this world too. I like this kind of array of different wines covering a range of foods. I did the pairings (flighting out what we had with the menu). But everything rocked except the Aubert — I just can’t give fake chard any props. Really an embarrassment of riches.

We are heading back during the winter — can’t wait!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Dinner at the Borgese's, Gelato, hedonists, Italian cuisine, pasta, Rocco Borgese, Santa Monica, Wine

Quick Eats – Little Prince

May22

Restaurant: Little Prince

Location: 2424 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 356-0725

Date: April 20, 2019

Cuisine: American Cafe

Rating: Tasty, but lots of carbs

I have tried several times to test out Little Prince but in LA new breakfast spots can get really busy — and I refuse to wait.

I even once had an OpenTable res here and showed up and they REFUSED to honor it, saying it would be 3 hours. Seriously? They claimed it was a “mistake” and it shouldn’t have been listed. But they should have just made it work some way.

Room is small and cute.

There may even be a patio out back, didn’t go back to check but many places on this strip do.

The menu. We were eating low/no carb and had a bit of a tough time finding items hidden on this list that didn’t have some form of carbohydrate.

Braised bacon. Thick but a touch dry.

Smoked brisket and anson mills grits, salsa verde and a fried egg.

Soft scrambled eggs with an herb salad and toast with smoked sablefish and creme fraiche. Very basic, but nicely prepared.

Eggs baked in the wood oven with smoked cauliflower, green chermoula and flatbread with merguez.

House made ridiculously guilty looking cinnamon buns — we didn’t have them but they smelled and looked great.

Food is very simple, maybe a touch Southern, and quite well prepared. More interesting than you would expect, but not exactly incorporating too many exotic tastes or flavors. Small, crowded, loud, and they have a touch of an attitude. Best to go at an off hour or with two at most.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Bacon, Breakfast, Cafe, Eggs, Little Prince, Santa Monica, Venice

Không Tên – Nomnom

May03

Restaurant: Không Tên LA [1, 2]

Location: 11520 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064. (424) 832-7000

Date: April 9 & 20 and July 13, 2019

Cuisine: Vietnamese Fusion

Rating: Really tasty, great place

Recently, at my Nightshade dinner I met a friend of Erick’s (now my friend too), Kim Vu, who is the chef/owner at pretty new Không Tên Vietnamese Fusion over on Pico — so of course I had to try it.

Coincidently too, my old kitchen lead from RnR, who I’m also still friendly with, sometimes moonlights here.

The location is on a busy stretch of Pico just west of the 405, close to Sawtelle.

The Brunch menu.
And the dinner menu.

The inside is very cute — and owner Kim is sitting at the end of the bar there. There is a big emphasis on the bar space and her signature cocktails.

Of which this is one.

Spicy and sour cashews. Savory little bar snack.

Organic Chicken Wings. Soy and Sweet Chile. These are as good a set of chicken wings as I have ever had. Really tasty sweet and spicy sauce.

Good enough to enjoy a different vantage.

K10 Organic Chicken Fingers. Organic Chicken, 5 Spice Palm Syrup, House Hot Sauce. The other fried chicken type is a breaded cutlet. Very moist and delicious with the sweet and hot sauces. This, along with the dish below are combined at brunch into a “chicken and waffle.”

Sweet Potato Spider. A giant sweet potato latke. Very addictive and crispy.

Vegan Bánh mì. Turmeric Dill Tofu, Shiitake, Pickled Carrots & Daikon, Cucumber, Coleman Farm Cilantro & Dill & Wild Herbs, Fresno Chile, House Pickles. Really great sandwich. Tons of bright pickle flavor and varied textures. Other than a low fat vibe, you’d hardly know it was vegan.

From my cellar: NV Drappier Champagne Rosé Brut Nature Dosage Zero. BH 90. The color is paler than that of the regular brut rosé. A pretty and slightly more elegant nose features a similar aromatic profile but with more evident yeast character. There is fine intensity to the delicious and vibrant flavors that are supported by a firm and definitely finer mousse, all wrapped in a bone dry and youthfully austere finish where a hint of bitter cherry pit appears. This won’t be for everyone as the dryness is pronounced; I happen to like it but it would be fair to say that this is not a charmer. With that said, a few years of bottle age should serve to round off the austerity and add a bit of depth as well.

Assorted Farmers Market Pickles. Sweet, Spicy, and Sour. Each different vegetable had it’s own brine!

House Made Four-Day Beef Jerky. Peanuts and Herbs. A touch dry, but it is beef jerky!

Toothpick Beef. Sesame Chile Oil. Like a less spicy version of the Szechuan toothpick lamb. Really, really tasty. Tender and full of flavor.

From my cellar: 2016 Domaine Roulot Bourgogne Blanc. BH 88. A discreet application of wood easily allows the aromas of petrol straw and pear to be appreciated. There is more richness and volume to the nicely textured flavors that possess reasonably good depth and persistence if not quite the same punch.

Chef’s Daily Crudo — which I think was albacore with a touch of spice.

Coleman Farm Blistered Sunchokes. Carrot Garlic Chile Romesco. Nice, for a veggie!

Tutti Frutti Farm Zucchini Sticks. Carrot Garlic Chile Romesco, Lime. In some ways like giant thick cut fries.

Thao Farm Bok Choy Salad. Terry Farm Asian Pear, Weiser Farm Rainbow Carrot, Toasted Almonds, Watermelon Radish, Coriander Lemon Vinaigrette. Good salad with nice texture variations.

Kale Banh Mi Salad. Pickled Carrots & Daikon, Weiser Farm Radish, Tutti Frutti Farm Tomatoes, Coleman Cilantro & Rău Ram, Fresno Chile, Fresh Cucumber, Crouton, Silken Tofu Vinaigrette.

Vietnamese Caesar Salad. Coleman Little Gem, Manchego, Lime, Blistered Tutti Frutti Tomato, Cilantro, Thai Basil, Rice Cracker. Usually I don’t like variants on a (really good) classic caesar, but this one was excellent.

From my cellar: 2009 Domaine René Leclerc Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Combes aux Moines. BH 89-91. A brooding and almost mute nose allows only glimpses of an earthy mélange of wild red and blue berry fruit aromas that are followed by rich, full and quite serious medium-bodied flavors that possess both good volume and fine length on the balanced if not especially complex finish.

Jimenez Farm Squash & Chickpea Curry. Coconut Milk, Mint. Really delicious.

Crab Fried Rice. Uni Emulsion with 63 Degree Farm Egg. I wanted (from the name) to love this, and it’s certainly good, but I think the “whole grain” rice just isn’t as yummy as traditional fried rice.

Turmeric Dill Black Cod. JF Farm Warm Dill & Scallion, Pineapple Anchovy Sauce. Very lovely flavors as well. Turmeric is traditional in Vietnam on fish and it sure works here.

Tamai Farm Swiss Chard & Shiitake Mushroom Hash. Weiser Farm Root Vegetables. Very nice veggie.

Crispy Whole Striped Bass. Herbs, Rice Cracker, Coleman Farm Lettuce Cups, Nuoc Cham. I had a similar fish in Vietnam and this was even more delicious, particularly with all the herb salad.

Hello fishy!

Black Bean & Ginger Braised Beef Cheeks. Bone Marrow, Coleman Farm Greens. The (late) winter version of this dish is very hearty with a succulent rich cheek cut. Delicious!

Ginger Scallion Braised Beef Bavette. Harris Ranch Beef, Coleman farm wild greens, Vietnamese herbs, grilled baguette. This is the spring version of the beef dish and still great, but a touch lighter.

Lemongrass Ginger Panna Cotta. Shortbread Crumble and Terry Farm Quince Compote. Very nice exotic flavors. I have to make a lemongrass ginger gelato! Speaking of:

A bunch of Gelatti by me:

Nocciola, Espresso e Bacio Gelato – using my new egg yolk based nut formulation with Piedmontese hazelnut to produce a stunning hazelnut base, then adding in house-made espresso caramel and chopped up bacio — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #Espresso #coffee #cafe #hazelnut #Nocciola #caramel #bacio

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Gelato – the base is a Fior di Latte but I made it with brown sugar instead of white so it matched the cookies better. Inclusions are cubes of house-made gluten-free (almond flour) artisinal chocolate chip cookie dough with Valrhona chocolate chunks! — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #nomnom #dessertlovers #dessertporn #icecreamlovers #gelatoitaliano #foodporn #gelatolover #food #foodgasm #foodblogger #dessertgasm #desserttime #foodphotography #gelatoartigianale #gelatomania #dessertlover #icecream #icecreamlovers #CookieDough #ChocolateChipCookie #Cookie #chocolate #valrhona #BrownSugar #GlutenFree

New flavor — Limoncello Biscotti — Limoncello Zabaione base with lemon cookie flavor and Lemon Oreos — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Tastes just like lemon cookie! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #NomNom #dessert #lemon #limoncello #Zabaione #LemonCookie #Oreo #LemonOreos

Fresh back from Hawaii I created this new flavor with things I dragged home — Big Island — Coconut dairy base, Macadamia Nuts, and Fresh Mango — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Island Fever! — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #NomNom #dessert #Hawaii #MacadamiaNuts #nuts #mango #coconut #tropical

Overall, Không Tên is a hidden little gem. The food is very very good and quite interesting. It’s far more “American with Vietnamese flavors” then a more Vietnamese Fusion place like Little Sister. Quite creative. Also every dish is delicious. It might be a touch understated though, as it’s not super flashy in tonal style. And it’s a nice little space and reasonable to boot. If you’re on the Westside and like this sort of food at all, you should definitely give it a try!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Asian Fusion, BYOG, Fusion cuisine, Gelato, Khong Ten, Kim Vu, Santa Monica, Vietnamese cuisine

Quick Eats — Ippudo

Feb13

Restaurant: Ippudo Santa Monica

Location: 1403 2nd St, Santa Monica, CA 90401

Date: January 17, 2019

Cuisine: Japanese Ramen and Buns

Rating: Buns were very good, ramen decent

Ippudo is a very well hyped Japanese ramen chain moved to New York. Oddly they are owned by Panda Express (which is trying to move upmarket). They announced (and presumably signed a lease) taking over the old Taberna Arros y Vi space over two years ago!

So finally, after months of being up but not open, they finally do open. Took me a bit to get in too after all that time, but a really rainy day drove me in.

This is a weird (and overly large) space on 2nd street. And although the street is being taken over (finally) by lunch options this space has a bizarre side entrance and poor visibility. Neat brick building though.

The interior is enormous and nicely built out for a ramen joint.

They have a bit of a bar too, but not super big. They are pretty organized.

The menu is basically buns and a variety of ramen. I had to try both.

Trio of buns.

Pork Bun. Pork Belly with special BBQ sauce and mayo. This was a good one. The fatty belly meshed perfectly with the soft bready bun (and its light sugar content). The mayo just seamed it all together.

Yakiniku Bun. Sliced beef cooked in Japanese BBQ sauce and mayo. This was the weakest of the three and didn’t taste like Yakiniku at all, more like that steamed meat that is often found in udon. I’m pretty sure they don’t grill it.

Ebi Katsu Bun. Deep fried shrimp katsu with spicy chili mayo. This was pretty good though, like a fried shrimp sandwich Japanese bun style. Lot ‘o carb though.

Karaka Spicy Ramen with egg. The original Tonkotsu pork broth with an added kick, thin noodles topped with our special blend of hot spices, fragrant garlic oil, pork belly chashu, bean sprouts, kikurage mushrooms and scallions. For my first ramen here I didn’t load it up (only adding the egg). The broth had a nice flavor. It was pretty straight tonkotsu, but good. The noodles were a touch thin for my taste, but classic ramen noodles. I got them al dente and they were. The chasu was good but not a ton of it. The spicy meat and oil was actually pretty spicy and did add some nice kick. I debated asking for some vinegar to add acid, but didn’t bother.

Overall, the build out is large and very attractive. Service was great and the place is slick and clean.

I really liked the buns, particularly the pork bun. The ramen too was very good, if a touch “straight up.” After Killer Noodle, I have a hard time with any ramen that isn’t incredibly intense. For me it sets the standard by not even really being ramen, instead closer to dan dan mein.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: buns, Ippudo, Japanese cuisine, noodles, Pork bun, ramen, Santa Monica

Sauvages Chinois

Feb11

Restaurant: Chinois On Main [1, 2]

Location: 2709 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 392-9025

Date: January 11, 2019

Cuisine: Asian Fusion

Rating: Still good decades later

When I first moved to LA 25 years ago, Chinois was already a vibrant pillar of LA’s hot high end dining scene. It represented the kind of cool “fusion” of east/west cuisines that was so novel at the time, and almost never seen (by me) back on the East Coast.

The interior has been kept up, and still has that funky late 80s hip modern style. And while this is a long way from the starker more “rustic/urban” decor that is popular now, I still think it looks good.

For today’s Sauvages lunch — which is the annual Tête de cuvée Champagne lunch — we set up “next door” in the private room. I’d no idea this was even here, but it’s huge.

This is a newer Chablis producer I’m very fond of:

2012 Christophe et Fils Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu. 92 points. Medium yellow. Quite ripe fruit but a whiff of seashell behind this. Pretty plush feel-you definitely sense the wood influence. More pear and yellow apple than citrus fruit character, some spice (unusual for Chablis), late iodine and limestone, lowish acidity. The wood plus ripe fruit plus low acidity make it veer in the direction of more southerly climats, but there is just enough Chablis character to identify it as such. To be drunk over the short term, that’s for sure.

2017 Domaine Huet Vouvray Sec Le Mont. JG 94. The 2017 Sec bottling from the Le Mont vineyard is another gem from Domaine Huët. The bouquet is bright, pure and nascently complex, offering up scents of lemon, apple, quince, bee pollen, chalky soil tones and a topnote of spring flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and more closed in personality than the Le Haut Lieu Sec, with a bit of the backend dustiness of shutdown young Vouvray already starting to throw its weight around, but with excellent depth at the core and impressive focus. The finish is long, beautifully balanced and intensely flavored, with great energy and grip. This is dynamite wine in the making but unlike the Le Haut Lieu Sec, I would be tempted to tuck this away in the cellar right away and not drink any bottles during its first couple of years, as I have the sense that this is going to shut down quite briskly and it will be pointless to waste bottles early on, particularly given how much potential there is here for down the road! (Drink between 2028-2060)

Champagne chilling.

Today’s special menu.

Passing appetizers:

Slightly spicy/sweet toro cones. This has been a puck staple for decades and it’s still fabulous.

Same with the Jewish Pizza, which is creme fraiche and lox. Delicious!

Sweet and sour scallops. Very nice.

Wagyu with asparagus. An amped up version of the cocktail classic.

Mini crab cakes.

Flight 1:

From my cellar: 1996 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. VM 97. Taittinger’s 1996 Comtes de Champagne is another highlight. The flavors are only now beginning to show elements of complexity, a great sign for aging. Gently spiced and buttery notes suggest the 1996 is about to enter the early part of its maturity, where it is likely to stay for another decade or so.

1988 Salon Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 97. After the lackluster 1990, things get back on track quickly with the 1988 Salon, a wine that is absolutely peaking today. From one of the all-time great vintages in Champagne the 1988 Salon exudes power and explosive intensity, with superb balance and pulsating acidity that gives the wine its drive. A host of candied lemon peel, hazelnut, smoke, licorice and anise overtones meld into the super-expressive finish. Disgorged à la volée, with no dosage.

1996 Ployez-Jacquemart Champagne Liesse d’Harbonville. JG 95. The Réserve Liesse d’Harbonville is Ployez-Jacquemart’s Tête de Cuvée and it is a fantastic example of the 1996 vintage. The wine is barrel fermented four to five year-old Burgundy barrels and does not go through malolactic fermentation. It is made from a blend of seventy percent chardonnay and thirty percent red grapes, and then is aged a minimum of ten years in the cellar prior to disgorgement and release. The bouquet on the 1996 is deep, complex and truly stunning, as it soars from the glass in a blaze of apple, nutskin, tangerine, brioche, beautifully complex minerality and a topnote of citrus zest. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite intensely flavored, with a great core of fruit, refined mousse, snappy acids and great length and grip on the complex and very intense finish. A terrific bottle of bubbly that is still on its way up and should prove to be one of the reference point wines of this great Champagne vintage.

1996 Moët & Chandon Champagne Cuvée Dom Pérignon. BH 97. A distinctly reticent but elegant nose with a purity of expression that is truly impressive to experience as it’s relatively high-toned and while the yeast comes up with air, it’s relatively muted at presence, combining with intense, precise and superbly detailed and complex flavors that culminate in an explosive and wonderfully long finish. This may very well rival the sublime ’90 in time even if it’s not quite as concentrated. This is still a baby so there is absolutely no rush whatsoever.

Potato and leek soup with crostini topped with black caviar. Really nice rich (creamy) soup that paired perfectly with the champagnes.

Flight 2:

2002 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 96. The 2002 Cristal (Re-Release) is just as arrestingly beautiful as it has always been. Exotic, powerful and sensual, the 2002 is just starting to show all of its cards. The 2002 was magnificent when it was first released. Since then, it has only grown in breeding. In this vintage, Cristal is silky, sensual and open-knit, with enveloping fruit and striking textural resonance. It’s great to see the 2002 showing so well. I had high expectations when it was first released, and those expectations now appear to have been more than justified.

1999 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. VM 93. Bright yellow-gold. An exotically perfumed bouquet evokes fresh pear, iodine, white flowers and toasted brioche, with gingery spice and mineral notes adding vibrancy. Rich and weighty but quite lithe and focused, offering sappy orchard and citrus fruit flavors and a chalky mineral nuance on the back half. Closes on a smoky note, with excellent focus and lingering floral character.

2000 Philipponnat Champagne Brut Clos des Goisses. BH 95. This is more mature than the 2001 with a beautifully layered nose of yeast, lemon rind, brioche, dried flowers and spice hints. There is excellent volume and superb intensity to the firm mousse that despite the firmness exhibits a very fine bead. This is exceptionally impressive in the mouth with the same striking complexity of the nose coupled with positively gorgeous length. A knockout that could be drunk now with pleasure or held for a few more years first; personally I would opt for the latter but either way, this is a classic Clos des Goisses.

2000 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. BH 96. A wonderfully layered and nuanced nose features an intense yeasty character to the maturing fruit that displays interesting phenolic characters, in particular petrol, along with aromas of apple, pear and soft citrus hints. In contrast to the nascent maturity expressed by the nose the flavor profile is still tight and backward with a genuinely gorgeous texture, all wrapped in a strikingly persistent and highly complex finish. For my taste the 2000 Brut is at an inflection point as the nose does offer enough maturity so that it’s really quite pretty whereas the palate impression is substantially younger. As such it really just depends on how you prefer your Champagne because I suspect that the nose will be very mature by the time the still very youthful flavors attain their majority. For my taste preferences it would be no vinous crime to begin enjoying this now but be aware that this will age for a very long time. The best approach is probably to buy 6, or even 12, bottles and enjoy them over a longer period of time.

Seared Blue Fin Tuna with fresh Santa Barbara Uni. This was an insanely delicious dish — it was all about that uni sauce.

Flight 3:

2004 Dom Perignon Champagne. VM 97. A wine of nuance, precision and understatement, the 2004 remains all grace. Time has softened some of the contours, but the flavors remain fresh and vibrant. Medium in body, the 2004 can be enjoyed now or cellared for several decades. This is a gorgeous showing from the 2004, a wine that has been captivatingly beautiful from the first time I tasted it years ago. There is something effortless about the 2004 that is hard to capture with words. The 2004 doesn’t quite have the obvious breeding of the 2008 and 2002, nor the obvious power of the 2003 or 2006, and yet it is harmonious, sublime and totally sensual.

2006 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 97. Broad, ample and resonant on the palate, the 2006 Cristal dazzles with its pure richness and volume. Readers need to give the 2006 another 4-5 years in bottle, perhaps longer, as the wine appears to be shutting down a bit. Tasted next to the 2002, today the 2006 is a bit less opulent but just as intense, layered and deep. This is a fabulous showing. 10,000 cases imported in the US.

2006 Billecart-Salmon Champagne Cuvée Nicolas-François Billecart. 93 points. nother great 2006 Tete’ level champagne. I’ve drank other people’s btls of this from prior vintages but this was the first plunge on my own with the 2006. Good idea! Specifically bought this with our 40th Anni in mind but was tempted by a Tait Comte & Dom P too. Said to be 60% Pinot Noir mix of Premier & Grand Crus from Montagne de Reims / Grande Vallée de la Marne along with 40% Chardonnay from Côte des Blancs. This was killer tonight and uniquely different from the more feminine Comte I often go to for special occasions. This showed tremendous power and intensity while still delivering refined elegance. The palate is a zesty, bright & driven mix of; mineral dominated citrus, trace stone fruit, spice and brioche. Racy & intense and at the same time richness and expansive fruit. And,not remotely oxidative, yea! Ultra fresh and alive. Just fantastic!

2002 Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Rare. BH 91. The very fresh and nicely complex nose reflects notes of green apple, yeast, pain grillé and plenty of citrus characters. The clean, succulent and fleshy medium-bodied flavors are shaped by a moderately firm effervescence while offering good depth and length on the vaguely sweet finish that some may find more than they prefer as I did. To be sure this is a lovely wine with fine depth but I prefer a drier style.

Loup de mer wrapped in won ton skin atop sauteed vegetables in Riesling sauce. Really nice textural play with the soft fish and the crispy wonton.
Our hostess presides.

Flight 4:

2008 Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut La Grande Dame. 93 points. Pale straw color.pastry dough aromas. Notes of fresh lemons and limes with a fine minerality. Solid bead. Give this plenty of time. 92-93+ points.

2008 Vilmart & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Coeur de Cuvée. VM 96. The 2008 Coeur de Cuvée (magnum) is positively brilliant. It is also likely to require quite a bit of time to be at its very best. Even so, the 2008 shimmers with tension, energy and polish. Lemon confit, chalk, chamomile and white flowers are all finely cut in this chiseled, super-expressive edition of the Coeur de Cuvée. The 2008 boasts incredible fruit density and structure, with distinctly mineral and graphite notes that develop in the glass. In a word: dazzling! Unfortunately, there are just 395 magnums to go around. Disgorged November 2016. Dosage is 7 grams per liter. (Drink between 2018-2028)

2008 Dom Perignon Champagne. VM 98+. The 2008 Dom Pérignon is fabulous, but quite remarkably, it was even more open when I tasted it a year ago. Bright, focused and crystalline in its precision, the 2008 is going to need a number of years before it is at its best. Lemon peel, white flowers, mint and white pepper give the 2008 its chiseled, bright profile. Several recent bottles have all been magnificent. What I admire most about the 2008 is the way it shows all the focus, translucence and energy that is such a signature of the year, and yet it is also remarkably deep and vertical. In other words, the 2008 is a Champagne that plays in three dimensions. (Drink between 2020-2058)

2009 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut. VM 96. Rich, creamy and radiant, the 2009 Cristal captures all of the natural generosity of the vintage while also retaining a good bit of freshness and aromatic intensity. Immediate and totally sensual in its allure, the 2009 will drink well with minimal cellaring. All things considered, at this stage, the 2009 comes across as relatively restrained for a wine from a warm year.

Stuart felt he needed a red:

2003 Domaine du Pégau Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée. VM 94. Deep red. Strikingly complex nose offers powerful scents of red berries, spicecake, cured meat and potpourri. Velvety red berry and kirsch flavors stain the palate, picking pick up candied lavender and fruitcake nuances with air. The spiciness builds on the finish, which echoes the cherry note. This wine was most noteworthy for its power in the early going (I rated it 92-94 shortly before it was bottled) but has become more graceful and now conveys a stronger impressive of pure, spicy fruit.

Braised short ribs sake soy glaze, truffle oil drizzle and potato puree. A big chunk of nice soft osso-bucco-like beef.

My cryptic notes.

Dessert

From my cellar: NV Drappier Champagne Rosé Brut Nature Dosage Zero. VM 90. Pale orange. Mineral-accented red berries and citrus fruits on the nose, complemented by hints of candied rose and white pepper. Stony and precise, offering lively strawberry and orange zest flavors that expand slowly with air. Closes spicy, stony and tight, with very good clarity and floral persistence.

A simple dessert by the house with a bit of cake, whipped cream, (boring) ice cream, and fruit sauce.

Torta di Frutta alla Mandorla Siciliana Gelato (Sicilian Fruit & Almond Tart) made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — toasted Sicilian almond base with Homemade Sicilian Marzipan Cake and Candied Sicilian Lemons & Oranges — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #almond #ToastedAlmond #Mandorla #lemon #orange #cake #AlmondCake #CandiedFruit

Blackberry Passionfruit Amaro Sorbetto! — like a frozen aperitivo — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #dessert #icecream #FrozenDessert #blackberry #passionfruit #amaro #cocktail #sorbet #sorbetto

My BYOG streak continues!

Overall, Chinois still has a sharp kitchen and great service. This was an atypical meal for Chinois in that everything was custom, nothing off the menu. It was less “fusion” or less “Chinese” than the menu food with more subdued flavors (to pair with the Champagne). But I think they did a bang up job and every dish was delicious.

The Champagnes were amazing. Not a bad bottle in the group and both the older and younger ones were delicious in their own rights.

I think the decor has aged great and is actually more unique now.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

To see all the Sauvages posts, click here.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: BYOG, Champagne, Chinois, Gelato, lunch, Santa Monica, Sauvages, Wolfgang Puck

Quick Eats – Heroic Deli

Feb07

Restaurant: Heroic Deli

Location: 516 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 490-0202

Date: January 10, 2018 and September 2, 2019

Cuisine: Hoagie+

Rating: Very good, if pricey, sandwich

Heroic Deli is a new entry into the Santa Monica lunch scene by Adam Fleischman (my ex biz partner) and Jeffrey Merrihue. It’s putting the modern spin on the Italian American “hoagie” concept.

They took over the old Real Food Daily / Erven space on Santa Monica Blvd.

Pretty old building — no parking at all.

Besides the sandwiches (and a few salads) they have a small but nice Italian wine list. Not that very many people are going to order wine during the day with their sub.

This is a weird space, divided into two halves, each of which has a separate loft. The build out is attractive though.

Here’s the main side loft.

In the back half (what used to be the main restaurant part at Erven) is this gorgeous table and a sort of wine bar concept. Not sure that I get it without the bar tender though. But again the decor is cool.

Hand painted Zodiac ceiling.

Zeus lightning bolt panel, etc.

Here’s Jeffrey, who like me at Ramen Roll is very hands on operationally.

The short but sweet menu.

Housemade potato chips and Italian Corn pie (corn, eggs, cream, green onions, salt & pepper).

The chips had a perfect texture, with that slightly “charred” taste that real housemade potato chips often have.

The corn pie was lightly sweet, on the borderline between sweet and savory, soft and fluffy with an interesting texture.

Eggplant Parmesan. The Heroic version is sautéed and then baked, but not breaded. It’s vegetarian and gluten free and quite excellent.

The OMG Sandwich. Imported Italian Prosciutto, capocollo, mortadella, porchetta, smoked mozzarella, artichokes, roasted tomatoes, house made giardinera, mustard, truffle mayo.

They make the bread and it was very good. Crunch, but also with good spring and not so hard/chewy that it scratched my mouth (which I hate). The sandwich was meaty, but not super meaty, with a very strong and lovely acidity from the tomatoes and giardinera (vinegar pepper sauce). It’s not huge and it is $15 which is a lot for a hoagie. It tasted great and didn’t give me heartburn (which some traditional Italians will). This is a very modern riff on the classic Italian hoagie. If you look at a world’s best “classic style” one like at Sarcone’s (Philadelphia), this has a LOT more condiment. Probably it actually tastes better too, but it isn’t as “cold cut” or “provolone” forward as the classic.

They also have fabulous Calabrian pepper paste which I was using as a dip for my potato chips. Warning, only do this if, like me, you think this looks “no big deal” (spice wise).

Batista. Fresh flash fried, summer zucchini, Italian bufala mozzarella, parsley, garlic, white wine vinegar. With added prosciutto. Also a very good sandwich. The zucchini, which I don’t even normally like, was nice and crispy with a bit of a pesto taste that married perfectly with the mozzarella and (added) prosciutto.

I also had a Scala (not pictured). Chef Barbara’s braised short ribs, sauteed peppers, smoked mozzarella, caramelized onions. Very delicious as well.

I’ll have to come back and try some of the other sandwiches — my low carb diet is just making it hard. Passing out to customers the other varieties looked good. Delicious in fact. You can tell that each is seriously crafted out of great ingredients. Now, is there a big market in Santa Monica for double price Italian slightly small subs that actually ARE better than the cheaper versions? Can that cover the high Santa Monica rent? That I don’t know. But I do know that I personally find it worth the extra few bucks for a better sandwich.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Adam Fleischman, deli meats, Heroic Deli, Italian Cu, Jeffrey Merrihue, Sandwich, Santa Monica

Goodbye Valentino

Jan28

Restaurant: Valentino Santa Monica [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13]

Location: 3115 Pico Blvd Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 829-4313

Date: December 14, 2018

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: My last meal here!

It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of the venerable and classic Valentino in Santa Monica. It’s been around for nearly 40 years and was at one time (in the 90s) the best Italian Restaurant in LA, if not the country, being one of the first American Italian places to offer extremely Italian, highly refined, ingredient focused food. Now it’s been a bit long in the tooth for some time now, and the cheffing not what it once was, but I’ve been there for so many wine dinners it’s like a second home.

So for our final Sauvages lunch of the year — oddly Bordeaux themed rather than Italian — we celebrate the legacy of the grand dame of LA Italian Fine dining.

Starting with some Champagnes.

There were so many wines this afternoon that I’m feeling too lazy to write them all up.

Now the passed appetizers:

Crocchette of polenta stuffed with egg and cheese?

Crostini with burrata.

Shrimp wrapped in bacon.

Arancini cheese balls.

Pizza Bianca.

Decorated for the holidays.

Or special menu today.

Whole Calamari Stuffed with Lobster and Braised in Light Tomato Broth and Oregano. I didn’t love this dish. A touch fishy.

I Tortini Gemelli di Melanzana e Fungi. Twin flans of eggplant and wild mushroom. These I liked because I’m partial to the soft baked texture of flans.

Spaghetti al Cipollotto with pancetta, mild onions, cherry tomatoes, parmesan & buffalo blue. Nice pasta. I always love some good pancetta with my pasta.
Duet of Stuffed Rabbit and Quail. Very meaty.

I forgot to take the picture of their dessert which was Budino alla Vaniglia e Croccante and Italian Praline-Caramel Pudding. My gelato (below) was plated next to it and was better, of course :-).

Excellent dessert wine.

The holiday flavors continue — Traditional Cassata di Siciliana Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — Sicilian Christmas cake as a gelato, with a ricotta almond base mixed with candied fruit and dark Valrhona chocolate chunks — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #Cassata #Valrhona #CandiedFruit #fruit #chocolate #ricotta #almond #RicottaCheese #cheese CassataSiciliana

The holiday flavors continue — Eggnog Gelato — made by me for @sweetmilkgelato — pure traditional eggnog made as a gelato with a real rum/sugar/egg zabaglione core — #SweetMilkGelato #gelato #IceCream #eggnog #rum #nutmeg #cinnamon #egg #zabaglione

Macchiato.

The filled room.

The afternoon served as a sort of parting function for owner, host and restaurant luminary Piero Selvaggio — and somewhat by coincidence Wolfgang Puck was there and joined in.

Everyone cheers Stuart on as he toasts his friend Piero.

The whole lineup of Bordeaux.

There was a ladies table at this event. Kinda a bit funny with its own wines, and they ordered off the menu rather than having or set lunch.

Piero and Wolfgang taste and drink.

Service was great as always, as Valentino really takes care of us — we are, after all friends of the owner, some for many many years. Sommlier/wine director Paul was in the house and handled all the wines to perfection.

The food itself was fairly typical of recent Valentino set menus with some nice dishes and a few more ho-hum ones. Piero is such a fine host that I really wish he had kept both the food and decor a bit more up to date. Spago has actually done a much better job of this and is still quite busy (and expensive).

To see more Sauvages lunches, click here.

Below is the long parade of Bordeaux. There were some seriously excellent wines in the bunch including the 1990 Margaux and 1982 Haut Brion!

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Bordeaux, BYOG, Dessert, Gelato, lunch, Piero Selvaggio, Santa Monica, Sauvages, Valentino, Wine

It’s not really Silverlake Ramen

Nov28

Restaurant: Silverlake Ramen

Location: 1319 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (424) 330-0125

Date: October 4, 2018

Cuisine: Ramen

Rating: Solid

Silverlake Ramen’s original shop (located in Silverlake) is one of LA’s better small ramen shops.

Recently they moved onto Santa Monica Promenade (my old hood) as well as some other Ca locations, so I guess it’s not exactly Silverlake Ramen anymore.

The small menu — smaller I think than at the original.

Karaage (Japanese fried chicken). Good, but very fried.

Tsukemen. Dipping noodles. This is the dry part.

A thick creamy pork and fish-based broth in one bowl, and noodles in the other. Tsukemen is dipping ramen, for the seasoned ramen pros who want to make every bite just so! Tsukemen is not for everyone, but there are many hardcore ramen aficionados who swear by it!

This is the pork/fish broth. Heavy stuff, but good. Needed some vinegar though.

The classic. Tonkotsu broth. They slow cook pork bones for many hours to make this rich creamy broth. Tonkotsu is the first ramen and is widely renowned across the world.

Silverlake certainly offers solid ramen. The menu so far is pretty straight up and plain vanilla — and I’m a bit over really straight up ramen (for reasons that are perhaps more personal than culinary). Still, I’m sure I’ll be back to get a better picture of how they hold up. Also notice that these bowls start at $13, not that I mind, I know what it takes to actually produce a bowl of ramen, but those that complained about Ramen Roll’s $11 base price need an inside-the-head egg-scrambler.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Japanese cuisine, noodles, ramen, Santa Monica, Silver Lake Ramen

Rustic Canyon Long After

Oct29

Restaurant: Rustic Canyon [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Location: 1119 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, Ca 90401. 310-393-7050

Date: September 12, 2018

Cuisine: Farmer’s Market Californian

Summary: Excellent Seasonal New American

ANY CHARACTER HERE

As a seasonal market driven California restaurant Rustic canyon can be counted on to mix up the menu a bit fairly frequently. It’s a friday night favorite for us, and we return every two months or so. Many of the specific dishes change, but the overall types and categories stay consistent. If you are interested in the previous meals at Rustic Canyon, meal 1 here, meal 2 here, and meal 3 here and meal 4 here. It’s been a long time since I last documented here, 7 or so years!

Across the street from Melisse on Wilshire.

The interior is straightforward.

From my cellar: NV Ruinart Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut. VM 92. Pale yellow. Complex, high-pitched aromas of orange zest, lemon pith, iodine, smoky minerals, anise and jasmine. Sappy and tactile on the palate, offering impressive volume to its ripe citrus and orchard fruit flavors accented by smoke and minerals. Finishes tangy and long, with lingering smokiness and an echo of anise.

The current menu.

Radishes and butter. Boy, this is a “simple” dish — some radishes from the farmer’s market.

Kong’s tomatoes on toast. aioli, aaron’s basil & anchovy.

Beets & berries version 2018.3. jj’s avocado, benne seed tahini, pistachio & dukkah.

Garnet yams. garlic butter, aioli, celery, pickled onion & benne za’atar. Nice dish actually. Vague middle eastern influences.

Grass-fed beef tartare. santa barbara uni, sorrel & potato chips. It’s trendy these days to mix beef tartare with uni. Not sure it added too much here, but it was good.

Grist & toll polenta. chicken confit, pudwill’s black mission figs, puslane & agrodolce. Rich chicken and the creamy polenta, quite nice.

Buttered ricotta dumplings. golden chanterelles & neal’s yard coolea cheese. These were soft and buttery. The chanterelles (in butter) were good too, but really it was all about the ricotta and butter.

A no mushroom variant for my son — which he refused even to try.

Kong’s long beans carbonara. pommes puree, house-curedpancetta, pecorino & egg yolk. Really tasted like a carbonara — texture of a giant green bean though. Delicious, if a touch awkward.

From my cellar: 2002 Faiveley Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale. 90 points. Great experience drinking a 16 years old 1er cru. Rather sensual on the nose, still lots of fruit. More strawberry than raspberry. Interestingly very similar old dusty character on the nose as I almost always find in mature Bordeaux. Not unpleasant whatsoever. On the mouth less apparent fruit than on the nose. The most obvious feature on the mouth are the incredibly drying tannins. The wine screams for food. Ideally meat but even cheese smoothended the tannins noticeably. Very enjoyable wine.

Newport beach sand dabs. mcgrath’s shelling beans, the garden of tomatoes & fennel.

Whole roasted autonomy farms chicken. Took forever to come (probably 45 min since the “pastas” and was okay, but not really worth it. A touch dry too.

row 7 potatoes, sweet onions & pink blueberry (came with the chicken).

Overall, Rustic Canyon has continued on the Farmer’s Market California / Farm to Table trend that it helped start — the place is 12 years old, which is an eternity in restaurants. Now nearly every ingredient has a named source. Lol, soon the farmer will be joining us for dinner. Still, the food was good. Fresh and tasty. Although they do rely very heavily on butter.

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Champagne, pasta, Rustic Canyon, Santa Monica, Wine

Robata Bar

Oct26

Restaurant: Robata Bar

Location:1401 Ocean Ave a, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 458-4771

Date: September 7, 2018

Cuisine: Japanese Robata

Rating: Just ok

We actually came here by accident. I won’t go into it, but we had a bunch of people and no reservation and just ended up here. They always have availability.

Robata Bar, right next to Santa Monica’s Sushi Roku and owned by the same (not so) Innovative Dining Group. I’ve never loved their places. Style over substance. And the style is a bit dated now too.

Build out is ok. Tucked around the corner from Ocean.

Dark.

Organic Garden Salad yuzu ginger dressing.

“Hanabi ”spicy tuna on crispy rice. Never seen this in Japan but it’s a staple at places like this.

Brussels Sprouts Chips truffle oil, salt.

Popcorn Shrimp Tempura miso glazed. These are always tasty, but they are better at Nobu.

Yellowtail Sashimi diced chiles. Way way too smothered. No tasting the fish here.

Fried Ji-Dori Chicken “Kara Age ” cilantro aioli. Fine, but a bit dry.

A touch of sushi, Salmon and Tamago.

Sauce for the robata (grilled meats on sticks).

Chicken meatball and Kobe Pepper (american wagyu black pepper sauce).

Gindara (black cod with sweet miso), Sake (salmon with pesto), Nasu (japanese eggplant with sweet miso).

Tebasaki (chicken wings).

Yaki Niku (short ribs in asian marinade).

Kohitsuji (lamb chops marinated in soy garlic).

Overall, Robata was decent, with a pretty varied menu, but a bit uninspired. It’s certainly not bad tasting. Just there is little soul or pizazz to it. Not very crowded on a very crowded Friday night either.

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Japanese cuisine, Robata Bar, Santa Monica

Going Native

Sep08

Restaurant: Native

Location: 620 Santa Monica Blvd Suite A, Santa Monica, CA 90401. (310) 458-4427

Date: July 7, 2018

Cuisine: California Small Plates

Rating: Have to try more

When we last checked in with Nyesha Arrington, she was helming Leona. Now that’s closed and she’s opened a new place in the Santa Monica Yacht Club space. I never even made it to SMYC, always meant to, as friends were owners. Although I have mixed feelings about Tar & Roses (their other place).

Anyway, I mostly remember Native’s space as La Botte, Antonio Mure’s Italian some years ago.

The surface details are a bit different, and I don’t remember the bar before, but the bones are basically the same.

The brunch and dinner menus.

We sat at the bar for a quick meal and the bartender was very nice — and talented with the cubes.

Heirloom tomato peach salad. basil, banyuls vinaigrette. There was burrata too, even though the menu doesn’t mention it. Every place has one of these salads these days.

Yagyu beef tartare. Maui onion, aisoon sauce, korean mustard. This was a nice beef tartar, to a large extent because of the insanely mustardy mustard — loved it.

Special. Pan fried tandoori seasoned chicken with mini-naan. The naan was weird and soggy, but the chicken was solid and tasty.

We just stopped in for a quick bite, so this isn’t a fair test of the kitchen (not that the menu is that big). I’ll have to come back with a bigger group, and wine. We could order pretty much everything with 6-8 (of my) people.

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