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Seminal Somni

Mar25

Restaurant: Somni

Location: 465 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048. 310.246.5555

Date: March 14, 2018

Cuisine: Spanish influenced Molecular Gastronomy

Rating: Awesome

I’m a bit of a Jose Andres groupie as not only have I been three times to Saam, at least 10 to The Bazaar (REVIEW HERE), but also to brunch at Trés, and even to é by José Andrés (twice) and Jaleo in Vegas and several places in Washington D.C.

For those who don’t know, José Andrés is perhaps America’s leading practitioner of my favorite culinary style: Spanish Molecular Gastronomy. This school of cooking, a radical interpretation of the preparation of food, was begun at El Bulli outside of Barcellona. Andrés cooked and studied there with master chef Ferran Adrià. I first encountered Andrés’s cooking in Washington DC at Cafe Atlantico, and its own restaurant within a restaurant, Minibar.

I’ve eaten molecular a number of times in Spain, for example at Calima and La Terraza. The Bazaar and Saam brought molecular style to LA.

Somni is the “secret” prix fixe only room within the Bazaar, which replaces the previous secret room, Saam. The new one has a format more like é by José André as it’s 10 seats and fairly theatrical. There are two seatings, and a $235 dollar a person (includes tip) tasting menu. They do allow dietary restrictions with advance notice.

Somni has its own waiting tables out in the lobby. But knowing that we are serious gluttons and that the many courses would be small we decided to partake of a “pre-dinner” by ordering off the Bazaar menu.

Fred brought this older Krug Champagne Brut Grande Cuvée. These mature grand cuvees are fabulous.Foie Gras Floating Island Soup. Corn espuma, corn nuts, chives. I haven’t had this exact soup before, but it is roughly based on an older Jose foie soup I had 20+ years ago at Cafe Atlantico. Very rich — lots of cream.

Oxtail Steamed Buns. watermelon radish, cilantro, serrano chili. I love the texture and breadiness of these Chinese buns combined with other more savory ingredients.

‘Rossejat’ Negra. paella-style pasta, squid ink, sepia sofrito, shrimp. Very nice version of this dark noodle based squid ink paella.

Tortilla de Patatas “New Way”. potato foam, egg 63, caramelized onions. The ingredients of the traditional tortilla (potato & egg) deconstructed and served in a very soft fashion.

“Philly Cheesesteak”. air bread, cheddar, wagyu beef. I never get enough of this dish! The crispy bread, the soft wagyu, and the succulent salty meted cheese inside!

Then we move on to Somni proper.

The former Saam space has been opened up to the Bazaar kitchen, reformatted in lovely pale wood and with a semi-circular bar. It’s much more airy.

The whole kitchen is visible behind the bar. And there is a weird empty void space behind the guests.

The kitchen now merges into the Bazaar kitchen.

Homage to Spain?

Chef de Cuisine Zabala Aitor, hailing from Catalonia and Basque. He worked at El Bulli, Arzak, Aelarre, and ABaC!

The vessels are all exquisite.

Hojita. A nitro frozen cocktail of rum. Delicious and strong.

Strong citrus notes.

Fred brought: 1990 Krug Champagne Vintage Brut. BH 97. 1990 is one of my favorite vintages ever for this storied cuvée because while the vintage was on the riper side the high yields allowed the fruit to retain a very good level of acidity which made for balanced and ageworthy wines. While I have had the pleasure of tasting the ’90 on a number of occasions since its release, the last time was alongside the 1985 and the 1988, and as admirable as those two vintages are, the 1990 is head and shoulders above them to my taste. The fantastically complex nose is comprised of an abundance of yeast and toast characters that don’t completely dominate the essence of apple, pear, citrus, spice, acacia blossom and discreet orange peel scents. There is equally good depth to the delicious, full-bodied and powerful flavors that possess a lovely sense of vibrancy thanks to the still firm but fine mousse that shapes the delineated, delicious and impeccably well-balanced finale. In my view 1990 is one of the greatest vintages for this wine of the last 25 years and one that is still drinking well. While there is no additional upside development to be hand, neither is there any rush to drink up as this should continue to hold effortlessly for years to come.

We get to see all the intricate plating.

Pan con tomate y jamon. Classic toast with tomato pulp and jamon. The toast itself may not have actually been toast.

Almond shell. Looks like almonds, but you pop the whole thing in the mouth and eat it — soft, nutty, and amazing.

Apple floret, cheese & beet. One of these cheese, apple, beet salads served in sponge form.

“Piggy” de manteca colorada. A pig shaped little crisp.

Reading the fist bumps.

Jose has long had a thing with “hands.” Not sure what it is.

Caviar & Truffle. Straight up briny goodness.

Nori empanada. I can’t remember what was inside but it was delicate and crispy.

Spot prawn and that’s it. Pure succulent Santa Barbara spot prawn steamed or sous vide or something. Incredibly fresh and juicy. Sucked out the head!

Erick brought in it’s special box.

And wrapper.

1986 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Blanco. VM 96. The first bottling for this wine since the 1970; aged for 21 years in oak casks, followed by another six years in concrete vats. Pale gold. Pear nectar, orange zest, beeswax, fennel, vanilla and honey on the explosively perfumed, highly complex nose. Densely packed citrus and pit fruit, candied fig and chamomile flavors are sharpened by juicy acidity and a jolt of minerality. Juicy, penetrating and sappy on the extremely long, spice-laced finish, which eventually leaves behind mineral and orange pith notes.

agavin: best white Rioja I’ve ever had. So clean and complex.

Pigtail curry bun. You dip it in the curry sauce — incredible. This was an amazing dish.

Hibiscus Margarita. Another nitro frozen treat, served in the flower. Hard to eat and very alcoholic — but tasty.

Live scallop. Inside this lettuce dumpling.

Lamb, pine nut & herbs.

With some kind of sauce.

And in it’s final form. Very “leafy.”

Egg, sea urchin & truffle. An amazing combination. The egg was dried and salty and overall this was an umami bomb.

“Croissant.” With lobster and shellfish reduction. The sauce was one of those French-style “bisque”-like sauces. Great dish with the elements of a lobster pot pie basically.

Larry brought: 1970 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Ygay Reserva. 94 points. Still vibrant and dark red, surprisingly strong fruit and good acidity with a little dill on the finish. Plenty of life left in this one.

Alubias con jamon. Sort of beans and ham — but spherized.

Pekin chili crab. Vague flavors of peking duck.

From my cellar: 1980 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único. 96 points. Opened and decanted and then poured and drank over the course of maybe 2.5 hours. This is a wine that was only getting better. Prob the early part of the drinking window, but really with time in the decanter it was gaining body and interest and so it’s not going anywhere fast. It’s got that wonderful spice that I love in Unicos and hints of red fruits underneath and just a perfect wine.

Wagyu on view.

Japanese A5 & bone marrow. It comes hidden under leaves.

We pulled them off so you can see the meat — pretty neat.

Larry brought: 1959 Moulin Touchais Anjou. 95 points. Golden sweet and amazing.

“Snowflake”.

Under the sugary snowflake was ice cream, macha, and some kind of nut paste?

Vienetta. Like chocolate and vanilla custard.

Tea.

Snacks.

Merienda. A little white chocolate and nut paste sandwich.Mochi.
Matcha doughnut. Inside was gooey matcha custard that just exploded out! Amazing.
Cool decanter.

The menu.

The staff.

Overall, the food was amazing at Somni. Much more advanced and “sophisticated” than the early Saam meals which were just Bazaar+. This is much more theatrical and formal, much more in the vein of E or minibar.

Service was excellent. First rate really and very attentive. Wine service was very slick too.

But things ran very smooth and FAST. Too fast as the entire meal in Somni from walking in the door to rolling out was only 1 hour and 45 minutes! Yeah! It should have been 3. Maybe a few more courses. They do this, I assume, so they can comfortably get two seatings in and not be working super late. But it felt a bit rushed.

And most crucially, particularly as we opened 6 bottles of wine (5 at dinner proper) we didn’t have enough time to finish our wine. The somm did a great job opening the wines and all that, but he was a bit slow starting them up because of the cocktail and then didn’t pour super aggressively. The net was that we didn’t finish half of it — and considering the quality level and cost of the wines we brought — really at the very top of Spanish wines — it was kinda a shame. I’m sure the staff enjoyed them later 🙂 which is certainly better than wasting them. But really he should have poured faster and warned us that there was no way we would get through so many. We probably only at 1:30 to drink 5 bottles with 4 people.

Apparently they change the food fairly rapidly, so we plan to be back soon, just with less wine or more people.

They also nominally have the annoying 2 bottle per party limit — which I hate and have ranted about before — but they let us open all our bottles with no complaints so kudos to them.

Also, this was only the 2nd or 3rd night they were open — and everything was very polished — pretty impressive.

For a previous Saam meal, click here.

For a meal and The Bazaar proper, click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Foodie Club, José Andrés, Molecular Gastronomy, rioja, SLS Hotel, Somni, Spanish Cuisine, Spanish Food, Unico, Wine, ygay, Zabala Aitor

Tapas at Manchego

Oct19

Restaurant: Manchego

Location: 2518 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 450-3900

Date: September 19, October 2, 2015, and February 21, 2016

Cuisine: Spanish Tapas

Rating: Very tasty

My wife and I are both fans of Spanish food, so we decided to try out Manchego in Venice.

Somehow in 7 years I didn’t even notice it existed, despite it being in an area I frequent.

The frontage is pretty subtle.

The interior is small and cute.

They even manage to make the electrical boxes on their patio into a bit of “decor.

Anyway, we ordered some Spanish wine and a couple tapas off their mostly traditional menu.

Beet salad. avocado, feta cheese, pomegranate. Bright flavors, very tasty.

Beet salad with burrata (a variant on some other night).

Kale salad with pomegranates and cheese.

Boquerones. marinated white anchovies with toast, tomato pulp, Spanish peppers, and avocado. I love the vinegar tang of boquerones, and these didn’t dissappoint. In fact, the traditional peppers, the California nod (avocado) and the tomato, really notched them up too.

Goat cheese and figs tostado. honey and truffle oil. How can you go wrong with cheese, bread, and fig?

Jamon, burrata, toasts.

Spinach croquetas. béchamel. Or fried béchamel?

Paella croquetas. Fried rice.

Croquetas de bacalao. Cod version. Even better, softer and more béchamel.

Deviled eggs.

Jamon wrapped dates. Got to love these salty sweet bundles of joy.

From my cellar, some Spanish red of course. 1994 Bodegas Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Tinto Pesquera. 92 points. Very dark red with only a touch of brick rim. This wine is not changing fast. Starts out with gorgeous barnyard nose with dark red fruit (ripe but not overripe), charcoal and spice. Little rustic but complete wine. Over an hour the wine evolved to a nose of earthy notes, forest floor leafy complexity, black fruit with barnyard notes in the background. The palate is quite complex, balanced, very fine tannins are still there though balanced by the fruit intensity. This wine is still improving.

braised lamb empanadas. saffron aioli. The heaviest dish we ordered, these were full of meaty flavor.

Gambas al ajillo. Garlic shrimp. I love this classic dish. This one was nice. Not the best I’ve ever had, and the shrimp, while large, did require some shelling, but still these were great.

Wagyu meatballs. Fenugreek and cream sauce. The sauce was great, like a nice light curry.

Mac & cheese. Good food.

Lamb popsicles, with yogurt and capers. Very tender and tasty.

Brussel sprouts with bacon. The bacon totally made the dish.
Overall, this was a nice little meal. Service was good. We did make the mistaking of asking for 2 minutes at the beginning, which as usual when you do that earned us 10-15 without a service — but after ordering things came at a breakneck pace.

Food was bright, quite Spanish, and very tasty. Manchego has rapidly become a family favorite.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Manchego, Spanish Food, Venice Los Angeles

Bazaar Treats

Jun09

Restaurant: The Bazaar [1, 2, 3]

Location: 465 S La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90048. 310.246.5555

Date: May 23, 2015

Cuisine: Spanish influenced Molecular Gastronomy

Rating: Awesome, one of LA’s best places.

I’m like a José Andrés groupie. I’ve been to every possible variant of his restaurants in LA, Vegas, and many in Washington. I covered some introduction to The Bazaar in a previous review, but it’d been three years so I figured it was time for a third review.

The current dinner menu can be found here.

But we decided to do the $100 tasting menu (+ a few supplements for our less meat inclined diner). Back when the Bazaar opened the tasting menu was cheaper and smaller, but this one is pretty huge and a great deal as you get to taste nearly every classic on the menu.

There were 4 of us and the Bazaar’s food is so all over the places as far as pairings go, that I decided to open two Spanish wines simultaneously, a white and a red, and leave them both in front of everyone (two glasses).

From my cellar: 2011 Raul Pérez Rías Baixas Muti. 90 points. Fresh citrus…lemon, lime, grapefruit tinged w/floral notes. Razor sharp base minerality punctuated with clean even finish.

From my cellar: 1973 Bodegas Olarra Rioja Gran Reserva. 92 points. A touch of oxidation, cedar, sweet strawberry and some oak. Elegant even if this is not totally focused. Clearly shows younger than its age.
The oak is very well integrated. Very nice.

Sweet potato chips, yogurt, tamarind, star anise. The crisp chips are used to scoop up the fluffy cool yogurt, which has a pleasing fruit tang.

Spanish olives, traditional and modern. Classic olives with pimentos and anchovy (back). This is followed (on the right) by “Spanish olives, modern.” Pureed olive has been “sphereized.” The flavor is basically the same, but these pop in your mouth to deliver a concentrated burst of olive.

A close up of the traditional, as you can’t see them that well in the first photo.

Bagel and Lox Cone. There is actually one in front that is tomato instead. The remainder of them are salmon roe with creme fraiche or cream cheese in the cone. Always a delightful little bite.

Baby beets, citrus, pistachio, goat cheese, pop rocks. A nice variant on what has become an LA classic. It actually crackles in your mouth.

Mushroom carpaccio, hazelnuts. A Saam dish that has moved over, a vinegary mushroom take on the thin sliced meat.

Pa’amb Tomaquet. Catalan style toasted bread, tomato.

Jamon Iberico. Traditional Spanish ham.

These two are combined into a yummy open faced sandwich.

Little Neck Clams. Market Pearl Onions, Cava Dressing. Very heavily marinated and quite lovely.

King Crab Can. Raspberries, Raspberry Vinegar. An unusual sweet and salty combination.

Not your everyday caprese, cherry tomatoes, liquid mozzarella. This is a near perfect deconstruction of the caprese. The mozzarella balls explode in your mouth, and pair great with the pesto and the little crunchy crackers.

Stuffed Piquillo Peppers. Capriola Farm goat cheese.

Market Fish Ceviche and Avocado Roll. Jicama, Micro Cilantro, Coconut Dressing. Sort of a catapiller version of the usual tuna/avocado tower.

Sauteed Shrimp. Garlic, Guindilla pepper. In Spain usually called Gambas pilpil. Basically shrimp boiled (fried?) in olive oil and garlic. These were very typical of what I must have had 30 times in southern Spain. The quality of the shrimp here was higher than is often the case at cheap places in Spain.

Sautéed cauliflower “couscous”. Cauliflower purée, harissa, lemon, crispy quinoa. A little bland.

Papas Canarias. Salty Wrinkled Potatoes, Mojo Verde. The potatoes are very salty and you dip them in that slurry of parsley, cilantro, olive oil, and lemon juice. Really tasty.

Ensaladilla Rusa. Potatoes, Carrots, Mayo, Tuna Belly. Like a high end tuna salad. Lots of mayo!

Grilled Spanish Octopus. Caramelized Onions, Chicken Escabeche, Tomatoes. Super tender, one of the best grilled octopus dishes I’ve had.

Croquetas de Pollo. Chicken and Béchamel Fritters. Super hot and gooey inside. Nice.

Catalan Spinach. Apple, pine nuts, raisons. Sweet.

Seared Wagyu Flank Steak. Piquillo Pepper Spheres. Meaty.
Loup de Mer. celery root puree, grapefruit, seabeans. Nice and crispy.

Braised Wagyu Beef Checks. Mojo Rojo, Roasted Potatoes. The meat here is so rich and soft you could cut it with your tongue.

Wild Mushroom Rice. Idiazabal Cheese. A very nice cheesy risotto.

The deconstructed Philly cheese steak is one of my favorites. The “air bread” is super crispy with liquid cheddar. the beef is wagyu. On the right is The vegetarians got this “Hilly cheese steak” with mushroom instead of beef. Same cheese. Last year, at a catered event at the SLS I ate over 20 of the cheesesteaks!!

Traditional Spanish Flan. Vanilla and Citrus. I’m a huge flan fan and this Spanish classic didn’t disappoint. Great citrus notes.

Pan con Chocolate. Chocolate Flan with caramelized bread, olive oil, brioche ice cream. Great, just small.

A sort of vanilla cream version, with some crunchy meringue.

A chocolate pistachio “cake.” These tartufo (not frozen) like balls were really quite something to look at, and tasted great too.

Passionfruit mango chocolate “cake.” Delicious.

No other restaurant in LA has the combination of ultra modern chic and whimsical playfulness that The Bazaar does — plus everything tastes great and you get to experience an great melange of flavors in one meal. If you haven’t been, or haven’t been recently, I think the big ($100) set menu is a great way to go. There are a lot of dishes and it’s probably less than ordering them all ala carte.

I’ve also been to Saam, the fixed menu back room three times. Overall, I like the front room a tad better. Saam is great, particularly the first time you go, but they don’t change it up that often. Here in front you can really control what you get, and the prices are more reasonable and the atmosphere more playful.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Or for a full swath of all my José Andrés restaurant reviews, click here.

By: agavin
Comments (1)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: José Andrés, Spanish Food, The Bazaar

SOS – Wine Rescue

Jan07

Restaurant: Smoke Oil Salt [1, 2, 3]

Location: 7274 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046. (323) 930-7900

Date: January 4, 2015

Cuisine: Spanish

Rating: Good “New American” Spanish

Hedonist leader Yarom is an investor in the new Smoke Oil Salt, a tapas bar from Adam Fleischman (Unami Burger) and Perfecto Rocher (Lazy Ox), so it’s a natural gathering for our gang. We went last spring, and now we return with even more wine for Paella night!

Chef Perfecto Rocher is behind the bar here.

Sommelier Naureen Zaim cuts a far svelter figure than us Hedonist lunks when it comes to pouring out the good stuff. It must be said that the service tonight, wine, food, bussing, everything, was an 11!

Owner Stephen Gelber was on hand making sure!

And it should be noted that our crazy wine excess involved at least 29 bottles and I have tried to organize them with the meal as best I could. The actually reality was a tad more chaotic!

NV Billecart-Salmon Champagne Brut Rosé. IWC 92. Light orange. Vibrant strawberry and orange zest aromas are complicated by notes of tea rose, smoky lees and chalky minerals. Bright, incisive red fruit flavors pick up a toasty nuance with air. Fresh, incisive and refreshingly tangy, with impressive finishing clarity and stony persistence.

2002 Ayala Champagne Perle d’Ayala. IWC 93. Pale gold. A heady, complex bouquet displays an array of citrus and pit fruit scents, along with hints of pungent flowers and smoky minerals. Dry, focused and impressively concentrated, offering intense Meyer lemon, nectarine and floral flavors that put on weight with air. Closes on an emphatic mineral note, with excellent clarity and length.

The menu, although we had a custom meal.

2011 Casca Wines Colares Monte Cascas. 93 points. Malvasia.Clear yellow and lite in the glass. Nose of steel minerals, citrus, dried apples, macadamia nuts, melon, pith, sage, white pepper, tea and lychee. Medium body and exquisitely composed. Dozens of thin layers (citrus, melon, pit fruit, herbs, spice, secondary lime minerals) wrapped around an effortless steel core. Exceptionally fine and clean textures. Complexity that was a joy to work thru. Superb quality. Long finish. So privileged to taste.

From my cellar: 2011 Alberto Nanclares Albariño Crisopa Branco Tradicional. 91 agavin. Total acid bomb. Searing crispness. A real food wine and ready to handle that Spanish vinegar.

Alzinger Grüner Veltliner Smaragd Loibner Steinertal (missed vintage). 92 points. Intense ripe aromas of pineapple, cantaloupe and white pepper. Quite concentrated, warmly rich and powerful, yet cool, austere and focused. Mineral spices and a nearly salty impression linger on the long finish.

Sardines, olives, marcona almonds. One is supposed to get all the elements together into a bite.

Max from Saison brought some real goodies like this ultimate “bourgogne”:

2007 Coche-Dury Bourgogne Blanc. 92 agavin. Crisp, mineral, with a ton of matchstick reduction.

And:

2011 Vincent Dauvissat (René & Vincent) Chablis Grand Cru Les Clos. IWC 96. Pale yellow. Bracing aromas of lemon, ginger, chalk and spices. At once dense and penetrating, with outstanding citric cut to the complex, slightly high-toned flavors of lemon zest, white pepper, minerals and subtle resiny spices. Here, too, the wine’s intense chalky character gives it an impression of stronger acidity than the numbers would suggest. Boasts terrific fruit intensity, and the wonderfully precise finish goes on and on. A great showing today, and one of the superstars of the vintage.

And:

2010 Domaine Leroy Bourgogne Blanc. 91 points. Tight and crisp.

Gaspatxo de remolatxa. beet gazpacho, chestnut honey yougurt, mint oil. Zesty with a lot of flavor. Sweet and tangy.

2013 Château d’Esclans Côtes de Provence Rosé Whispering Angel. 87 points. Pink color with fast forming legs. It’s somewhat balanced and has flavours of prune with a medium/full body. Flabby texture with a medium finish – Excellent choice.

2004 Domaine Bertheau (Pierre et François) Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes. Burghound 88. Elegant and bright red pinot fruit nuanced by background elements of earth, spice and a touch of anise with supple, forward, soft and sweet flavors that offer a bit more concentration and complexity but at the expense of the same fine precision and detail. I like the balance and finishing intensity and there is a touch of forest floor as well.

agavin: all that above if you can ignore the 2004 vintage character: sucking on a raw green pepper stem!

2005 Domaine des Perdrix Echezeaux. IWC 92-95. Good bright ruby. Musky aromas of blackberry, minerals, violet and dark chocolate. Densely packed, superripe and sweet, with brisk acidity giving energy to the black raspberry flavor. Fresh and impeccably balanced. This very suave, broad wine really coats the palate with violet and bitter chocolate flavor. Finishes with sweet tannins and real grand cru persistence. The crop level here was roughly 30 hl/ha, vs. about 40 for the village wines. “We had a good crop level in 2005,” said enologist Robert Vernizeau. A highly promising vintage for this estate, whose youngest vines, according to Vernizeau, were planted in 1972.

agavin: great young Burg.

Olives am Bitets. Olives,, peppers, cauliflower, toasted almonds, manchego. Pickled veggies and cheese.

1964 Martinez Lacuesta Rioja Reserva Especial. 94 points. Glorious red fruits, some leather, herbs and spice, silky but with a nice underlying acidity. Long finish. Extra point for ageworthiness.

1964 Bodegas Riojanas Rioja Viña Albina. 93 points. Very pale almost translucent. Ethereal, perfumed, still delicious but fading fruit; light bodied. Wonderful but on a genteel downwards slope into old age.

1968 Federico Paternina Rioja Conde de los Andes Gran Reserva (I think). 92 points. Fully mature but vital; lots of wood and vanilla but also lovely red fruit, a discreet richness; on the palate very harmonious, tannic but not dried out or too woody, considerable charm, flavours of red fruit and spices, good length. A distinguished wine, a nobleman.

Bunyols de Bacalla. Cod croquetas, citrus aioli.

From my cellar: 1973 Bodegas Olarra Rioja Añares Crianza. 92 agavin. Still vital, with fig jam notes.

1985 R. López de Heredia Rioja Viña Tondonia. 90 points. Here, the oak is apparent, still, but doesn’t stand out as excessive because there is so much else to draw one’s attention: the silkiness of the mouthfeel, the length of the palate, the creaminess of the texture against the earthiness and other secondaries and tertiaries on the palate. Wow.

1989 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. 91 points. This Rioja is now 25 years old – color is dark red with long legs; nose with leather and graphite; taste very complex and spicy with dried fruits and ripe berries; Rioja at its best – all the tannins are round now – the wine is smooth with a medium finish – will last 3-5 more years in this shape

Flori-col amb allets. Caramelized cauliflower and broccoli, spicy chili oil, garlic, and hazelnuts.

2004 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904. IWC 94. Bright red. Heady aromas of dried red berries, cherry, smoked meat, vanilla and potpourri, with a spicy element gaining strength with air. Fleshy and seamless in texture, offering sappy red fruit and floral pastille flavors and an undertone of sweet vanilla. The spiciness comes back on the finish, which features suave floral and cherry-vanilla qualities and sneaky tannins. This classic, old-school Rioja is delicious now but is destined for a long, graceful evolution.

agavin: glad I have a bunch of these in my cellar!

1989 Talbot. Parker 87-90. Dark ruby with moderately endowed notes of sweet black currants intermixed with licorice, compost, and some weedy tobacco, this medium-bodied wine has low acidity, attractively ripe fruit, but a somewhat short finish.

Amanida remolatxa. Watercress, beets, goat cheese, beet emulsion.

2004 Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande. Parker 92. The 2004 Pichon Lalande is a strong effort for the vintage (much better than their underwhelming and much more expensive 2005). A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it exhibits a deep ruby/purple color as well as scents of cocoa, espresso roast, black cherries, and cassis. Medium to full-bodied, opulent, and fleshy, this classic wine cuts a stylistic persona somewhere between the 1995 and 1996. It can be drunk now or cellared for two decades.

agavin: Interesting, has a similar annoying pepper finish as do all the 2004 red Burgs.

Braves Trencades. Fried Potatoes with Chorizo and ham, and a fried egg. Like ultimate breakfast.

2001 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard. Parker 98. Having performed spectacularly well last year in the retrospective of ten-year old Napa Cabernets, this 2001 remains incredibly young, with all of its potential waiting to burst forth. Its dense purple color is followed by notes of mulberries, creme de cassis, blackberries, licorice, graphite and subtle smoke. The wine reveals fabulous fruit along with full-bodied power and a seamless integration of acidity, tannin, alcohol and wood. Forget it for another 4-5 years and drink it over the following 25-30 years.

2001 Jacob’s Creek/Orlando Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. 90 points. Dark ruby colour, good clarity. Dark berries, strawberry, some spice & herbal nose. Softens with time out of the bottle. Smooth and medium length palate; dark berries with adequate tannins. A little tart, improving with time in the glass. Good drinking now but with some cellar time still left.

Paella de arros negre. Squid ink paella, carabineros (giant mediteranean prawns). You eat the prawns separately (delicious!). Then you mix the black rice with the aioli and squirt lemon on. Delicious, briny, savory, and quite salty. Perhaps a little too salty, but awesome nonetheless.

2011 Hope & Grace Pinot Noir Doctor’s Vineyard. 92 points.

2004 Shafer Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select. Parker 99. This vintage shocked me when I did my retrospective earlier this year, and the 2004 Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select acquitted itself brilliantly in the vertical of Hillside Selects. It was a hot year, a relatively early harvest and there were worries that the heat had stressed the grapes, and there would be a lack of physiological ripeness and nuance. Those worries have not manifested themselves in this great Cabernet Sauvignon. Inky/purple-colored with notes of blueberry, blackberry, cassis, spring flowers, and a touch of toast, the wine is opulent, voluptuous and full-bodied with sweet tannin, just enough acidity to provide freshness, vibrancy and delineation, and a spectacular finish that goes on 40+ seconds. This is a killer, a showy and flamboyant style of Hillside Select that’s already drinking beautifully and should continue to do so for another 15-20 years.

Paeella Verda. Rabbit, pork, bomba rice, artichokes, garrofo beans. Good, but not as good as the squid ink.

2004 Torbreck Descendant. Parker 98. The 2004 Descendant, an old oak-aged blend of 92% Shiraz and 8% Viognier from a 12-year old vineyard, offers up notes of blackberries, ink, sweet truffles, and acacia flowers. There are 1,000 cases of this full-bodied, intense, rich blockbuster. It will drink well for 10-15 years.

2005 Colgin IX Syrah Estate. Parker 95. Colgin is one of the reference points for just what heights mountain-grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux varietals, and more recently, Syrah, can achieve in Napa Valley. This beautiful estate and winery overlooking Lake Hennessey is owned by Joe Wender and his wife, Ann Colgin (equally renowned for her auctioneering skills), who are assisted by David Abreu, the well-known Bordeaux wine consultant, Dr. Alain Raynaud, and Allison Tauziet, who has skillfully replaced the brilliant Mark Aubert. As the scores and tasting notes suggest, this was an exceptional tasting. Colgin’s 2006s are among the finest wines produced in the vintage.

Wagyu and two kinds of sausage, blood sausage and chorizo. The sausage was very salty, but tasty and the wagyu was amazing.

1995 Chateau d’Yquem. Parker 95. Served from an ex-chateau bottle. The 1995 Chateau d’Yquem is moving into its secondary aroma phase. A deep golden color, it has a dense and almost Barsac-like bouquet with tangerine, apricot, acacia and melted candle wax. It displays good intensity, unfolding beautifully in the glass. The palate has a strident opening, with a slight bitter edge that lends this Yquem great tension. One can discern layers of marmalade infused with honey fruit, with a powerful, spicy finish that lingers long in the mouth. This is drinking perfectly now, but will surely age with style over many years.

Crema Catalana amb Compota Citrica. Catalan custard, mandarin compote, smokey ice cream. Delicious and creamy.

NV Valdespino Jerez-Xérès-Sherry El Cardenal Palo Cortado Vors. This is excellent…nutty, acidic, dried fruit..this has it all, and was wonderful with some quince, bread and cheese..very interesting and intriguing.

Arros amb llet. Rice pudding, caramel, vanilla ice cream. Good with a nice creaminess and the cinnamon.

NV Alvear Montilla-Moriles PX 1927. 92 points. Ink, dark spices, toffee, burnt caramel, juicy tar, dark soy, oyster sauce, fino flores, smoked prunes, hint menthol. Taste is similarly liquid toffee, chocolate, thick and unctious, savoury yet sweet and lightfooted. Residual grandma herbal joint oil, creamy rich butterscotch, burnt biscuit, honey treacle. Beautiful and powerful balance to the incredibly dark and bitter chocolate cake, with all the right elements just to lift and soften – a strong and fantastic finish to an incredible gastronomic journey.

Xocolata. Xocolate pate, blanqueta olive oil, smoked salt, passion fruit ice cream.

One of the many wineos joining us for this excess, Saison sommelier Max Coane. I’m very fortunate to be booked into 3 Star Michelin Saison next week for what should be another epic All Things Andy Gavin dining experience. Stay tuned!

All in all another great evening of pure hedonism. SOS is rocking on. It is right in there in the current “wood table, paper menu, small plates, loud room” thing that dominates new restaurants in LA right now. The food is quite Catalan/Valencian and very good. It’s quite salty, sometimes a little too much. Not crazy salty (like I’d sometimes get in Japan), but noticeable. Flavors are very strong (a good thing IMHO). The service was 11 out 10. Everyone pulled out all the stops.

Oh, and our nearly 30 bottles of great wine didn’t hurt either!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
Comments (3)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Grüner Veltliner, hedonists, Naureen Zaim, Perfecto Rocher, Smoke Oil Salt, Spanish Food, Stephen Gelber, Wine

SOS – Smoke Oil Salt

May08

Restaurant: Smoke Oil Salt [1, 2]

Location: 7274 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046. (323) 930-7900

Date: May 6, 2014

Cuisine: Spanish

Rating: Good “New American” Spanish

Hedonist leader Yarom is an investor in the new Smoke Oil Salt, a tapas bar from Adam Fleischman (Unami Burger) and Perfecto Rocher (Lazy Ox), so it’s only natural that the group should hit it up just a few weeks after opening.

Our special menu tonight, but we had considerably more than this as you’ll see.

2002 Delamotte Champagne Blanc de Blancs Millésimé. IWC 92. Pale yellow-gold. Fresh citrus and orchard fruit aromas are complicated by notes of gingerbread, white flowers and sweet butter. Toasty lees and mineral qualities gain power with air, adding depth to the wine’s gently sweet pear, honey and tangerine flavors. At once rich and lively, finishing with excellent clarity and alluring mineral and floral character. This Champagne, which I’ve tasted from three different disgorgements now, is proving that it’s built for the long haul.

Olives and bitets. Olives, toasted almonds, manchego, peppers. Very tasty. Particularly the olives and the olive oil soaked cheese (hard to see).

Amanida de remolatxa. Beet salad, goat cheese, watercress. The beet salad has become omnipresent — and boring — but this one had nice bright flavors. The sweetness of the beets contrasted nicely with the vinaigrette and the salty cheese. The watercress and frise offset the smooth textures.

From my cellar: 2011 Raul Pérez Rías Baixas Sketch. Parker 93. The 2011 Sketch is just wonderful – pure Albarino from vines planted in 1972 on sand and granite soils, it sees 12 months in French oak. Interestingly, Raul opted to age some lots underwater in order to see how the lack of oxygen impacts upon the elevage (although some of the lots were spoiled and of course, did not enter the final blend!) The nose is reticent at first, but over one hour it unfolds to offer subtle notes of lime and a tinge of sea-foam, the oak barely noticeable. The palate is exquisite: beautifully balanced and with real race and tension. There is an adorable twist of bitter lemon that keeps this Sketch on its toes. Taut, pure and effortlessly speaking of its place, this is just a delightful Rias Baixas that you will savor to the last drop. Drink now-2017+.

Xarcuteria d’iberic. charcuterie of iberican meats and cheeses. Lots of good stuff here. Salty blue cheese, manchego, and yummy meats.

2005 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis Grand Cru Bougros Cote de Bouguerots. Burghound 92. A ripe nose evidences moderate Chablis character with plenty of saline character that continues on the big, rich, intense and powerful flavors that evidence plenty of mid-palate concentration. Interestingly, this got better and better the more it aired and while this is a big wine it’s not ponderous or heavy, all wrapped in a well-balanced and persistent finish. This could be drunk now with pleasure or aged further to good effect. Impressive.

Braves trencades. Fried potatoes, serrano ham, chorizo, fried egg. Sort of the ultimate ham and eggs breakfast. This was certainly YUMMY. The yolk from the egg helps soak the soft potatoes underneath and tie it all together.

2001 Henri Boillot Chevalier-Montrachet. Burghound 94. The purity here is mind bending and this is perhaps the most transparent wine in this entire group. Elegant, fine and crystalline with superbly detailed fruit and flavors with a positively brilliant, almost painfully intense finish that is astonishingly long. Classy and altogether imposing with its unmatched combination of complexity, depth and focus. While I cannot argue that this has better material than either the Montrachet or the incredible Corton-Charlemagne, I can say that stylistically, the Chevalier is my personal favorite. This is unquestionably a great wine. (Drink between 2008-2013)

agavin: our bottle was tasty but a bit premoxed.

Pa amb tomaca i llangonisses. Catalan tomato toast with sausages. Tasty.

1997 Luis Pato Bairrada Vinha Barrosa.

Artichoke tostada. An omelet with artichoke and salad.

1997 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Valbuena 5°. IWC 87. Bright medium ruby. Slightly roasted aromas of plum, tobacco leaf and loam, plus the tarry/vegetal complexity often shown by this bottling. Rich and layered in the mouth, with subtle sweetness; good density leavened by very firm acids. Falls a bit short on the back end, which shows some lemony acidity and toothdusting, slightly dry tannins.

Swiss chard. With pine-nuts and raisons.

From my cellar: 1994 Bodegas Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Janus Gran Reserva Pesquera. 93 points. Most of us thought this the wine of the night along with the 94 Unico. Very complex and fruity. Cassis.

Peixet Fregit. Fried smelt, fennel, pickles, horseradish aioli. Fried small fish. Hard to tell what was inside, as the fry was very tasty — a bit salty though.

1994 Vega Sicilia Unico. Parker 96-98. The 1994 Unico is a blend of 80% Tinto Fino, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot (presumably 2% is unknown varieties) that was picked from September 28. It is very intense with notes of raspberry, wild strawberry and mulberry with sensational minerality and vigor. There is a Margaux-like florality to the 1994 that blossom with aeration. The palate is rounded and supple on the entry with great weight and backbone. There is real substance here, similar to the 1996. It expands in the mouth with ravishing notes of blackberry, strawberry, citrus lemon, orange peel and a touch of cedar. There is enormous weight on the finish, a behemoth of a Unico. This is very potent, but it still requires several years in bottle. 96,280 bottles produced. Drink 2019-2040.

Elk. Yarom and a friend shot this elk, and here it returns with mushrooms and rosemary. It was incredibly tender and delicious.

1985 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Unico Reserva Especial. 95 points.

Pheasant. He also killed the pheasant, which was cooked with lentils, sausage, and garbanzo beans. A tad dry.

1996 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único. Parker 96-97. Pablo Alvarez quipped that in 1996, the growing season was so benevolent, that the winemaker was not even necessary! The 1996 Unico has a very pure, pastille-like bouquet with raspberry, wild strawberry, crushed stone and a touch of Chinese tea. It has impressive delineation and linearity. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannins. The fruit profile is shimmering in the glass with black cherries, cassis and blueberry notes. It is very feminine and powerful towards the poised, tensile finish that is long and seductive. One of the finest recent vintages, suffused with sensuality and opulence, the 1996 Unico is destined to be a great wine, one that might unfairly be over-shadowed by the 1994. 99,480 bottles produced. Drink 2020-2040+.

Calamars amb mongetes. Monterey bay baby calamari, warm cranberry beans.

1976 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia. IWC 96. Pale-edged red. Multidimensional nose of raspberry, black plum, orange zest, coffee, milk chocolate, game and a superripe whiff of raisin. Uncanny sweetness in the mouth, with a strong spine of acidity framing and intensifying the fruit flavors. Really remarkable acid/fruit balance. Big, rich, powerful and deep. Finishes extremely long and magically fresh. Contains about 80% tempranillo, a bit high for Bosconia, which is always higher in tempranillo (and spends less time in barrel) than Tondonia. The Bosconia and Tondonia gran reservas are selections made in the cellar; both are from Vi?a Tondonia grapes, a 100-hectare holding purchased by Maria Jose’s great-grandfather in 1912 (the first Vi?a Tondonia Gran Reserva was from the 1920 vintage). Bosconia, says Maria Jose, is a stronger, more youthful, longer-lasting style of Rioja, with more power and body. It’s for the younger generation, she adds, while the Tondonia is altogether more classical. On my last visit to this bodega, in 1994, I scored the ’76 Tondonia Gran Reserva 97 points.

Valencia callos. Honeycomb tripe stew, spanish chorizo, chickpeas. By far my least favorite dish, and others, as it sat on the table. I’m just not a tripe fan.

2008 Benjamin Romeo Contador. Parker 98. The 2008 Contador, rapidly becoming one of Rioja’s benchmark wines, is composed of 86% Tempranillo and 14% Garnacha aged for 18 months in new French oak. It is a glass-coating opaque purple color with an exceptional bouquet of sandalwood exotic spices, lavender, incense, espresso, tapenade, and blackberry. Dense and mouth-coating, it deftly combines elegance and power in a structured wine that will easily achieve its 20th birthday and well beyond.

agavin: young, but awesome.

Squab.

1978 Francois Gros Chambolle-Musigny. Fabulous for a mature village wine like this.

Cassoleta de fideua negra. Squid ink pasta, calamari, mushrooms, honey aioli.

This was scrumptious, so I have to show another close up picture.

1978 Vin Santo dell Abbadia. Mature, and paired nicely with the chocolate.

Arros amb llet de xoxolata. Valrhona chocolate rice pudding, salty caramel, cinnamon whipped cream. This was certainly tasty, even if it looked like… well you know.

All in all another great evening of pure hedonism. For a brand new restaurant SOS is strong out the gate. It is right in there in the current “wood table, paper menu, small plates, loud room” thing that dominates new restaurants in LA right now. The food is quite Catalan/Valencian and very good. Only the tripe dish missed the mark. Some of the others, like the squid ink pasta and the eggs and ham were spectacular.

It didn’t hurt that we had a giant group of 16-18 and really fabulous wines either!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
Comments (3)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Adam Fleischman, Albariño, hedonists, Perfecto Rocher, Smoke Oil Salt, Spanish Food, Wine

Pig Ear is Here – Taberna Arros y Vi

Aug23

Restaurant: Taberna Arros y Vi

Location:1403 2nd Street. Santa Monica, CA 90401. 310.393.3663

Date: August 21, 2013

Cuisine: Spanish

Rating: Good food, amazing service

Michael Cardenas, co-founder of Lazy Ox Canteen, has recently opened a new Spanish “tavern” right off the Promenade in Santa Monica. Given our great nights at the Ox, it’s only natural that we Hedonists should test Arros out with a big wine blowout.

The menu.

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

Roasted Garlic (Ajo Asado) w/ crisps. Just bread and roasted garlic. Great on date night.

2003 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Crianza Viña Gravonia. IWC 91. Full gold. A perfumed, complex bouquet evokes dried pit fruits, honey and toasted nuts, with floral and beeswax accents adding complexity. Deep, fleshy and broad, offering chewy peach, pear skin and candied almond flavors lifted by gentle acidity. Closes with firm grip and very good persistence, leaving floral and honey notes behind.

Spicy Potato Skins (Pieles de Patata Picante), harissa aioli, crema de queso. Kind of like a crunchy potatoes bravos.

2000 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre. Burghound 90. Interesting notes of fennel¡ green Chablis fruit and straw introduce medium weight¡ slightly austere¡ understated¡ precise flavors that deliver plenty of complexity and length but lack the same density as the 2001 version. To be sure¡ this is an excellent wine and Raveneau may have been a bit too modest in his comments about the vintage as this is really lovely if not genuinely incredible. As to maturity¡ for my taste this has reached a point where it can be enjoyed now though it will certainly hold for years to come. The question is whether the finishing austerity will soften as the finish is definitely reticent. Multiple and pretty much consistent notes though I have had at least three bottles that displayed mild pre-mox issues.

Sardines in a Can (Sardina en Lata). Rocket arugula, pickled vegetables, lemon, grilled bread. Good if you make a little open-faced sandwich out of all three elements. This is a repeat off the Lazy Ox menu.

2011 Foradori Nosiola Fontanasanta Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT. An unusual northern Italian white with a lot of minerality and strong floral tones.

Crispy Pig Ears (Orejas Crujientes de Cerdo). Salsa verde, harissa aioli. We also had these at Lazy Ox. This particular batch had the texture of fried leather. Ick. They reminded me too much of rawhide pig ears I used to give my dog.

2010 Clos du Moulin aux Moines Auxey-Duresses Vieilles Vignes. Very young, but well made.

Shrimp Gambas (Gambas al Ajillo). Garlic paprika shrimp, grilled bread. Gambas of this sort in Spain seem to come in two varieties: with the paprika and without. I actually prefer the without, but these were quite tasty.

1994 Bodegas Ramon Bilbao Rioja Viña Turzaballa Gran Reserva. Very smooth mature Tempranillo.

Mussels (Mejillones al Vino Blanco). Spicy butter, spanish queso, chorizo. Everyone agreed that the sauce under these puppies was totally badass.

From my cellar: 1985 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Gran Reserva. Drinking nicely. Opened up after a few minutes in the glass, lots of complexity.

Tuna stuffed peppers, fried artichokes, and salsa verde.

From my cellar: 1994 Bodegas Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Janus Gran Reserva Pesquera. 93 points. Most of us thought this the wine of the night. Very complex and fruity. Cassis.

Jamon Iberico de Belota Charcuteria. marcona almonds, quince paste. Two types of Spanish cheese. Fancy ham and cheese!

2003 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée de mon Aïeul. Parker 97. Deep, layered and rich, the 2003 Domaine Pierre Usseglio & Fils Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee de mon Aieul is comprised almost all of Grenache and always comes from three lieux-dits: La Crau, Guigasse and Les Serres. Aged all in tank and showing none of the negative traits of the vintage, it has a rich, meaty bouquet of semi-mature red and black fruits, wild herbs, melted licorice, dusty minerality and roasted beef. Full-bodied, gorgeously pure and seamless, with solid underlying structure and a core of sweet fruit, it is a brilliant wine. I don’t see any upside to holding bottles, yet given the balance, richness and mid-palate depth, it should continue to hold for another 5-8 years and certainly drink nicely well past that.

Croquettes (Croquetas). Folded mashed potatoes with chorizo, harissa aioli. These were tasty, but so temperature hot that I had to rush them on down.

2006 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Napa. Parker 90. Slightly superior to the 2005, the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa possesses a dark ruby/purple color as well as a creme de cassis, spice box, and floral-scented bouquet, and a medium to full-bodied finish.

Heirloom Tomato Salad (Tomate de la Herencia). Shallot vinaigrette, fresh mache.

2002 Dominio de Atauta Ribera del Duero LLanos del Almendro.

Braised Baby Octopus (Pulpitos). Tomato salsa, mojo. Tasty.

2006 Artadi Rioja Viña el Pisón. IWC 95. Glass-staining purple. Darker fruits on the nose than the Pagos Viejos, offering a heady bouquet of blackberry, mulberry, smoky bacon, anise and mocha. Explodes on the palate, showing sweet, concentrated cherry and dark berry flavors and exotic Asian spice and candied floral qualities. The tannins are completely absorbed by the fruit, which is enlivened by slow-mounting minerals. Finishes on an expansive dark fruit liqueur note, with excellent clarity and persistence. I couldn’t get this off my palate, not that I tried very hard.

Paella Valenciana (bomba rice). Chorizo, chicken, lima beans, saffron, lemon. A solid paella attempt.

2001 Vincent Arroyo Petite Sirah Rattlesnake Acres. This was the first release from this vineyard for Vincent Arroyo. The color is dark an brooding, the fruit like a bowl of blueberries. The tannins have softened, giving firm structure without any hints of oak. Ample acids keep the bottle lively, coating the palate to deliver a great mouthfeel and long finish. Many PS have a hollow mid palate; this one delivers the full package. This is a food wine, best paired with grilled meats. THere’s plenty of depth and complexity in this bottle, with lots of life left.

Blood sausage, rice, salsa. Not bad for congealed blood.

Cured fish, tomato, salad, and cheese.

Tuna Crudo (Atun Crudo). Olive relish, cucumber, peppers, dill infused oil.

2005 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Aquilon. IWC 94. Dark purple. The nose offers surreal, room-filling perfume of ripe raspberry, blackberry, incense, vanilla and dried flowers. Shockingly understated on the palate, with vibrant red berry, smoked meat and baking spice flavors, silky tannins and crisp mineral bite. There’s no excess fat or sweetness here. Finishes with palate-staining intensity and superb focus. I’d love to see this lined up with some mega-bucks Napa cult wines costing twice the price of this admittedly luxe-priced bottle. If you play in this sandbox, you’ll flip.

Rack of Lamb (Carré de Cordero). Garlic pea tendrils, black beans, rice. Tender.

Chocolate Torte. Pine nuts, market strawberries.

Almond Torte. With Amaretto Syrup, Caramel Sauce. Nice refreshing taste.

Overall, this was a super fun night. The service was A+++. They really went all out to take care of us. And the food was very tasty. It’s a bit similar to Lazy Ox, and not nearly as old school Spanish as La Paella, but it’s also super local! I’ll be back soon.

They do need to add anchovies in vinegar and flan to the menu. No self respecting Spanish restaurant should be without them.

After dinner we retired to Michael’s nearby house to raid his gigantic wine cellar. It’s not that much physically larger than mine, but by stacking cases and cases of wine to the ceiling he probably has at least 5x as much wine as me :-). And I thought I had a lot at roughly 2,000 bottles!

1988 Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage la Chapelle. Parker 92-93. This was the first vintage in the vertical tasting of La Chapelle that is beginning to reveal considerable secondary nuances and color development. Opaque purple/garnet with a touch of amber at the edge, this sexy, rich effort is more pleasurable aromatically than on the palate. However, it possesses multiple dimensions as well as abundant aromas of cedar, damp forest, spice box, and Asian spices.

2001 Domaine de Marcoux Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes. Parker 96-100. A singular, profound offering, the 2001 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is a tour de force in purity, concentration, and balance. Its dense ruby/purple color is not dissimilar from the traditional cuvee. A sweet nose of acacias, violets, blackberry liqueur, Asian spices, and licorice soars from the glass of this unctuously-textured, full-bodied, majestically concentrated wine. This exuberant, expressionistic effort coats the palate with glycerin, flavor, and character. A stunning, potentially perfect wine, it should drink well young yet age gracefully for 15+ years.

2002 Joseph Drouhin Griotte-Chambertin. Burghound 94. The nose here is completely different after the fireworks delivered by the Grands Ech with its reserved, backward, discreet red fruit aromas framed by a subtle touch of oak spice. Intriguing notes of game, leather and earth nuances can be found on the sappy, long, precise and focused flavors of indescribable complexity and what is perhaps the best acid/fruit balance of these ’02s. Understated and supremely classy juice that is indisputably of reference standard quality. A simply gorgeous Drouhin Griotte and worth a special search to find.

2008 tahiti dessert wine.

2003 Domaine Méo-Camuzet Nuits St. Georges 1er Cru Les Boudots. Burghound 92. Reductive notes and exuberant black pinot fruit aromas nuanced with background notes of earth, coffee and cassis lead to sweet, intense and mouth coating full-bodied flavors that offer excellent power and plenty of extract. It’s interesting because despite the firm, almost muscular character, this is actually more a wine of finesse in ’03 than it usually is.

This is one of those cases where the review is off, as this wine was pretty stunning. It was a touch young, but full of power with a long long lovely finish. Really a hedonistic wine.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

or more crazy Hedonist dinners here!

By: agavin
Comments (12)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Burgundy, Dessert, hedonists, Paella, rioja, Santa Monica California, Spanish Food, Taberna Arros y Vi, Wine

More Hedonism at La Paella

Jun11

Restaurant: La Paella

Location: 476 South San Vicente Boulevard. Los Angeles, CA 90048. (323) 951-0745

Date: June 1, 2013

Cuisine: Spanish

Rating: Really tasty traditional Spanish

Since spending a month in Spain in 2010, I’ve been addicted to Spanish cooking, so when the Hedonists decided to return to this Hollywood staple I jumped on board for another evening packed with great wine and great food.

NV Billecart-Salmon Rose. Parker 90. The NV Brut Rose is a pretty, gracious wine. Freshly cut roses, red berries and spices take shape nicely in the glass as the wine shows off its understated, timeless personality. Billecart-Salmon’s NV Brut Rose is a reliably tasty wine.

Bread with olive tapenade and garlic butter.

“Patatas Bravas. Fried potatoes tossed with spicy tomato sauce.” In Spain, these would usually be coated in a spicy mayo. I liked these better, as the sauce was more like that used on hot wings and had a nice spicy vinegar tang.

“Boquerones en Vinagre.” Marinated small silvery fish fillets.

“Pulpo a la Gallega. Cooked octopus served with olive oil and paprika.” Incredibly tender!

2004 Bouchard Aîné et Fils Corton-Charlemagne. Burgound 93. I have not had this since cask and the bottle in question had a tattered label though no apparent seepage. As such, it’s difficult to know whether this bottle was indeed representative as it seemed relatively supple and forward, indeed more or less ready to drink. To be sure, there was no obvious secondary nuances in evidence and still good freshness to the rich, intense and vibrant flavors brimming with minerality on the impressively long finish. Impeccably stored bottles might need another few years to arrive at their peak but absent this bottle being an aberration, I don’t think that opening one today would be infanticide.

“Gambas al Ajillo.” Shrimp sauteed with garlic and chili pod.

“Pan con Tomate.” A country bread slice spread with tomato, garlic and olive oil.

“Espinacas con Piñones y Pasas.” Spinach sauteed with pine nuts and raisins.

2011 Emilio Rojo Ribeiro. 90 points. Weighty. Good acidity. Complex. Citrus, pear, minerality.

“Ensaladilla Rusa.” Tuna, potato and mayonnaise salad. The funny thing is calling this a salad.

“Tortilla Española. A wedge of a traditionally Spanish potato and onion omelette.”

A choice of condiments of the gazpacho.

“Gazpacho Andaluz. Tomato, garlic, bread, cucumber, celery, pepper, olive oil.” A nice gazpacho. I’m rather the gazpacho whore and I make it myself using Jose Andres’ recipe (modified by me). This one was tasty, but was a little thin textured for my taste.

1978 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial. IWC 93. Medium red with an amber rim. Highly complex bouquet of fresh and dried red fruits, cherry skin, pipe tobacco, smoky minerals, cigar box and potpourri. Sweet strawberry and cherry flavors stain the palate but are strikingly lithe. Cured tobacco and candied rose flavors emerge with aeration, and the fruit takes a darker turn toward cherry. The tannins have been completely absorbed, allowing the wine’s almost decadent sweetness to come through. Expensive, yes, but this would offer newly minted wine lovers an insight into the personality of aged wine from a great region and a very good vintage for the same price as many newly released Napa or Bordeaux wines.

Sautéed peppers, yum!

“Champiñones con Chorizo.” Mushrooms with Spanish red sausage.

“Jamón Serrano.” I wasn’t sure which Spanish ham this was. It was certainly good with the garlic spread!

From my cellar: 1978 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Gran Reserva. 95 points. Pretty tight at the onset and only started to get going after an hour or so. It definitely would’ve benefited from decanting. Heavy swirling and the passage of time eventually saw fresh dark cherry flavors and aromas come up with a bit of beef blood, old wood and spice. Nicely balanced with solid acid levels. It would absolutely benefit from more time in the cellar, though it’s certainly tasty now, but, again, decant.

“Paella Fideuà.” Shrimp, mussels, calamari, clams, etc. cooked with saffron and “fideo” noodles.

“Arròs Négre. Cuttlefish, calamari, baby shrimp and mussels cooked with rice and squid’s ink.” Oh I love me the black rice!

Together on the plate.

1995 R. López de Heredia Rioja Rosado Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia. 90-94 points. An alluring leather, dried orange peel and strawberry leaf scented bouquet that blossoms beautifully in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine, elegant tannins. It is both precise and exquisitely defined with hints of cured meat and leather towards the graceful finish.

“Paella de Verduras.” Rice cooked with saffron and assorted vegetables.

1999 Peter Lehmann Shiraz Stonewell. 91 points.

Oxtail over mashed potatoes.

From my cellar: 2008 Pingus Flor de Pingus. Parker 96. The 2008 Flor de Pingus had been in bottle for 2 weeks when I tasted it. It offers up an enticing nose of smoke, Asian spices, incense, espresso, black cherry, and blackberry. On the palate it displays outstanding volume, intensity, and balance. Rich, dense, and succulent.

“Chuletas de Cordero al Romero.” Lamb chops grilled with rosemary and served with vegetables. Apparently in Spain, potatoes classify as “vegetables” :-).

1999 Château Guiraud. IWC 90. Pale yellow-gold. Lower-toned aromas of orange zest, herbs, spices, earth and vanillin oak. Textured, rich and sweetly oaky, with notes of vanilla and creme caramel Showing plenty of personality today. Ripe and rich for young Guiraud. Big but essentially gentle, with an impressive, slow-building finish.

The dessert spread.

“Pera al Vino. Pear cooked with red wine.”

“Mousse de Chocolate. Chocolate mousse.” One of the best chocolate mousses I can remember.

“Flan de Naranja.” Creme caramel with a light touch of fresh orange.

“Crema Catalana. Custard topped with caramelized sugar done to order.”

“Arroz con Leche.” Rice cooked with milk, lemon, cinnamon – served cold.

I love Spanish cooking, and La Paella has a really nice traditional kitchen. It reminds me of Botin in Madrid at the opposite end of the Spanish culinary spectrum from modernist Calima and the ElBuli school. Personally, I love both and I need to head back to La Paella to sample even more of their menu. Some of my favorites are Gambas Pil Pil, Anchovies en Boccerones, seafood paella, and, of course, the flan.

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LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (2)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Fish and Seafood, hedonists, La Paella, Olive oil, Paella, Spain, Spanish Food

Hedonists at La Paella

Oct01

Restaurant: La Paella

Location: 476 South San Vicente Boulevard. Los Angeles, CA 90048. (323) 951-0745

Date: September 27, 2012

Cuisine: Spanish

Rating: Really tasty traditional Spanish

Since spending a month in Spain in 2010, I’ve been addicted to Spanish cooking, so when the hedonists decided to head on over to this Hollywood staple I jumped on board for another evening packed with great wine and great food.

This “bonus wine” (thrown in by Lana at the last minute) was drinking beautifully. “The Grande Cuvee is scented of croissant, buttered cinnamon toast and warm strawberries with a hint of smoky bacon. Muscular and still very taut in the mouth, the densely packed flavors are refreshed with a pure, crisp acid line. It finishes long with plenty of toast and nut layers.”

I brought this boutique Spanish white. Parker 96. “The 2009 Sketch, an Albarino sourced from a parcel harvested 1-2 weeks later than all the other vineyards. It was fermented and aged (without malolactic) in two 700-liter barrels for 12 months followed by 60 days of aging in the bottle at 30 meters under the sea. It offers up an enthralling bouquet of mineral, saline, floral, tropical, and marzipan elements. Intense, complex, impeccably balanced, and remarkably lengthy, this is as good as Albarino gets. Bodegas y Vinedos Raul Perez is the hangout of Spain’s most visionary vigneron, Raul Perez. These latest releases only reinforce the legend.”

“Jamón Serrano.” I wasn’t sure which Spanish ham this was. It was certainly good with the garlic spread!

Sautéed peppers, yum!

“Tortilla Española. A wedge of a traditionally Spanish potato and onion omelette.”

Parker 95+, “The 2006 Brunello di Montalcino flows with gorgeous layers of dark red fruit. This is one of the more muscular, virile wines of the vintage. Slow to reveal its character, the Valdicava Brunello will require significant patience, but I have seen the wine blossom beautifully, even in the smallest of vintages. A blast of iron, smoke, tar, licorice and new leather inform the deep, intense finish. This is a hugely promising, brilliant Brunello from proprietor Vincenzo Abbruzzese, but it needs to be buried in the cellar for at least a few years. Readers who can’t wait should open the wine a few hours in advance, which will allow the fruit to emerge.”

This was incredibly smooth and seductive. Parker 92, “Dense plum/ruby/purple-colored, with a sweet perfume of earth, herbs, jammy black fruits, and oak in the background, the opulently textured, round, fleshy 1994 Gran Reserva possesses full body, moderate tannin, and an accessible yet structured personality. It should drink well for 12-15 years.”

“Pulpo a la Gallega. Cooked octopus served with olive oil and paprika.” Incredibly tender!

The front was a little flat on this ancient Rioja, but the middle and finish were very interesting, almost like a Madeira. “The 1948 Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial from a great Rioja vintage spent a mind-boggling 40 years in American oak barriques before it was bottled. Dark cherry red in color with a garnet rim, it offers up a splendid perfume of earth, mineral, lavender, incense, and black cherry. The wine’s vibrant acidity has kept it youthful and complete.”

“Caracoles al Ajillo. Snails sauteed with garlic and a touch of chili.” Succulent little fellows. The sauce is not unlike that used for Gambas Pil Pil which I adore.

Parker 91, “The dense ruby/purple-colored 1997 Valbuena reveals a deep, sweet nose of black fruits intermixed with earth, leather, smoke, and fruit cake. There is sensational texture on the palate, seamlessly integrated tannin and acidity, and moderate quantities of oak. While young, it is already showing exceptionally well.”

“Champiñones con Chorizo. Mushrooms with Spanish red sausage.” These were pretty awesome.

“Paella Valenciana Mixta. Rice, saffron, meat, vegetables and seafood with a touch of red peppers and rosemary.”

1964 Federico Paternina Rioja Gran Reserva. A bit past its prime, but drinkable :-).

Yarom and owner Pascal. They really treated us right!

Gorgeous! Parker 97, “Aged 18 months in 100% new French oak from 75-year old Tempranillo vines, the 2001 Pagos Viejos is one of Spain’s greatest wines. A singular red of extraordinary stature and intensity, it exhibits an inky/ruby/purple color as well as a luxurious bouquet of lead pencil shavings, black and blue fruits, espresso roast, and floral notes. This full-bodied, dense 2001 possesses layers of flavor, a sweet integration of tannin and wood, and a finish that lasts for nearly a minute.”

“Paella de Montaña con Chorizo. Rice, saffron, chicken, pork, green beans, lima beans and sliced Spanish red sausage.”

“Arròs Négre. Cuttlefish, calamari, baby shrimp and mussels cooked with rice and squid’s ink.” Oh I love me the black rice!

From my cellar. Young, but a total fruit bomb. Parker 96, “The 2008 Flor de Pingus had been in bottle for 2 weeks when I tasted it. It offers up an enticing nose of smoke, Asian spices, incense, espresso, black cherry, and blackberry. On the palate it displays outstanding volume, intensity, and balance. Rich, dense, and succulent, it has enough structure to evolve for 4-5 years.”

“Oxtail on the left, suckling pig on the right. Grilled with rosemary.” Both were fantastic. The oxtail is a lot like osso bucco, the pig crispy and full of flavor.

“Patatas Fritas. fried potatoes.”

Another youthful fruit bomb from my cellar. Parker 96, “The flagship, the 2007 Clos Mogador is made up of 40% Garnacha, 20% Carinena, 20% Syrah, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. It is purple/black-colored with a sensational bouquet of mineral, truffle, espresso, black cherry, blueberry, and licorice. Dense and Reubenesque on the palate, it has great concentration, loads of savory fruit, impeccable balance, and several years of aging potential. Accessible now, this lengthy offering will be at its best from 2013 to 2027. It is one of the stars of the vintage in Priorat.”

This stone ground chocolate and hazelnut stuff was brought by Lana, it was incredible. I have to get some.

This Sauterne isn’t textbook, but it was drinking very nicely as a dessert wine, almost like a honey mead. Parker 84, “Nairac’s 1980 is a well-balanced, light golden-colored wine that displays a good level of botrytis, a spicy, tropical fruit, oaky bouquet, medium body, soft acidity, and a fat, tasty finish. It is fully mature.”

“Mousse de Chocolate. Chocolate mousse.” One of the best chocolate mousses I can remember.

“Crema Catalana. Custard topped with caramelized sugar done to order.”

“Pera al Vino. Pear cooked with red wine.”

There was also “Arroz con Leche” (rice pudding) that I missed a photo of. I’ll have to try their flan too, because I’m such a flan fiend.

I love Spanish cooking, and La Paella has a really nice traditional kitchen. It reminds me of Botin in Madrid at the opposite end of the Spanish culinary spectrum from modernist Calima and the ElBuli school. Personally, I love both and I need to head back to La Paella to sample even more of their menu. Some of my favorites I must try are Gambas Pil Pil, Anchovies en Boccerones, seafood paella, and, of course, the flan.

For more crazy Foodie Club meals, click.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (10)

Posted in: Food

Tagged as: Albariño, Brunello di Montalcino, Dessert, Foodie Club, hedonists, Jamón Serrano, La Paella, Paella, San Vicente Boulevard, Spain, Spanish Food, Wine

Jaleo Bethesda

Dec07

Restaurant: Jaleo [1, 2]

Location: 7271 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. 301.913-0003

Date: November 29, 2011

Cuisine: Spanish Tapas

Rating: Fun Tapas Bar

I’ve reviewed a lot of José Andrés restaurants on the blog, seven I think. This is een the second Jaleo. The Bazaar (REVIEW HERE) and his high end Saam, but also brunch at Trés, lunch at Trés, and to é by José Andrés and Jaleo in Vegas and Zaytinya also in Washington. Back to Jaleo, the restaurant at hand. It’s basically a straight up Spanish Tapas place but with a slightly modernized and enlarged menu.

The menu.

One annoyance of this particular branch — and not the restaurant’s fault — is the Maryland law against corkage. They have a fine list, but I had brought an amazing Spanish wine 3,000 miles! Parker gives it 91 points. “The 2008 Termes offers up a sexy perfume of cedar, spice box, violets, incense, espresso, and blackberry. Savory, concentrated, and well-balanced, this flavorful effort will benefit from several years of additional cellaring but can be approached now.”

“Gazpacho de remolacha con queso de cabra y naranjas. Chilled red beet soup with goat cheese and oranges.” I’m a total José Andrés gazpacho whore. I even make it at home home.

This is a different variant, kind of gazpacho meets borsch. It was fantastic. Beety, with that vinegary tang. Delicious.

“Dátiles con tocino ‘como hace todo el mundo. Fried dates wrapped in bacon.” Really how can you beat fried dates wrapped in bacon? Yum yum.

“Ensalada rusa. The ultimate Spanish tapa, a salad of potatoes, imported conserved tuna and mayonnaise.” The Spanish love potato salad.

“Aceitunas rellenas de anchoas y pimientos del piquillo. House-made stuffed olives with anchovies and roasted piquillo peppers.” This is another classic, and these are a really good implementation.

“Jamón Ibérico de bellota Fermin. Cured ham from the legendary, acorn-fed, black-footed Ibérico pigs of Spain and miscellaneous other Spanish meats like chorizo.”

“Pan con tomate. Toasted slices of rustic bread brushed with fresh tomato with Pasamontes farmhouse Manchego.” Basically Spanish bruschetta.

“Salpicón de cangrejo. Jumbo lump crabmeat with cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower and Sherry dressing.” While Spanish in flavors I suspect this a bit of a nod to the Eastern shore. Big lumps of crabmeat too.

“Pan de recapte con anchoa. Traditional Catalan bread with peppers, tomatoes and salt-cured Spanish anchovies.” I really wanted Fresh Spanish anchovies, marinated (Anchovies en Boccerones) but they didn’t have them. These weren’t a bad substitute.

“Espinacas a la catalana. Sautéed spinach, pine nuts, raisins and apples.”

“Vieiras con romesco y mojo verde. Seared scallops with romesco sauce and mojo verde.”

“Lomo de buey. Grilled hanger steak with piquillo peppers.”

“Arroz con costillas de cerdo Ibérico de bellota. Made with the famous Ibérico de bellota pork ribs.”

“Arroz Mediterraneo. Made with porcini mushrooms, mixed vegetables, green and black olives and thyme.”

The dessert menu.

“A classic Spanish custard with creme and oranges.”

“Dark chocolate mousse with sponge cake and hazzelnut ice cream.”

“Various fruit sorbets.”

“Vanilla ice cream and grapefruit sorbet.”

“Chocolate ice cream.”

Jaleo is like a good Tapas place in Spain but a little slicker, with perhaps more consistant quality. And they don’t have fresh anchovies! It is also a little (actually more than a little) more expensive than a typical Spanish tapas place in Spain. But considering the scarcity of good tapas places in America… worth it.

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