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Archive for Venice

Quick Eats — Piccolo

Nov07

Restaurant: Piccolo

Location: 2127 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 314-0144

Date: April 14, 2022

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Excellent neighborhood Italian

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Piccolo is the latest restaurant by Chef Antonio Muré. I’ve been to a lot of his places around the west side over the years including the original Piccolo.
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The menu.
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From my cellar: 2003 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva Grandi Annate. 91-3 points. Incredibly well settled out and integrated, lovely fruit with cranberry and black rasberry undertones, not sweet but good viscosity, aftertaste of licorice/anise and earth.
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Bread.
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Insalate Crescione.
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Beet Carpaccio.
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Beef Carpaccio with Fondue and Truffles. The Truffles! Really good, albeit light.
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Butter pasta.
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Orchetti with Red Sauce.
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Pici alla Melanzane.
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Twisty noodles with tomato sauce.
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Branzino.
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Lamb Chops.

This was just a quick family dinner but the food was very good. Very typical of chef Muré.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Quick Eats: Piccolo
  2. Piccolo – A little Italian
  3. Quick Eats: Divino
  4. Quick Eats – Orto
  5. Quick Eats: Osteria Latini
By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Chef Antonio Muré, Italian cuisine, pasta, Piccolo, Venice

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

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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.
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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.
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Room is small and cute.
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There may even be a patio out back, didn’t go back to check but many places on this strip do.
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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.
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Braised bacon. Thick but a touch dry.
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Smoked brisket and anson mills grits, salsa verde and a fried egg.
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Soft scrambled eggs with an herb salad and toast with smoked sablefish and creme fraiche. Very basic, but nicely prepared.
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Eggs baked in the wood oven with smoked cauliflower, green chermoula and flatbread with merguez.
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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.

 

Related posts:

  1. Quick Eats – The Rose Venice
  2. Quick Eats: Andy’s Spanish Eggs
  3. Quick Eats: Sunnin
  4. Quick Eats – Bru’s Wiffle
  5. Quick Eats — Ippudo
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Bacon, Breakfast, Cafe, Eggs, Little Prince, Santa Monica, Venice

Quick Eats – The Rose Venice

May20

Restaurant: Rose Cafe Venice / The Rose Venice

Location: 220 Rose Ave, Venice, CA 90291. (310) 399-0711

Date: April 19, 2019

Cuisine: American Cafe

Rating: Solid contemporary Californian Cafe

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With some friends popping into town for a special occasion we met up in Venice on the way back from the airport.
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Amazingly, despite having passed The Rose about a billion times, including dozens of times on my bike, I’ve never been — until today. I’ve even used it’s parking before (going to Gjusta).
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The place is huge, both inside and out, and tres Venice. The outfits of customers alone are quite amusing.
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There was also a huge line on this random Friday at noon — good thing we had a reservation. Even so it took me 15 minutes to talk to someone to tell them we were here.
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Lots of good looking pastries not on my diet.
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We ate outside.
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The current menu.
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Great marinated assorted olives. Citrus, chile, garlic.
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Almond milk matcha latte with cute piggy latte art — see what I mean about the tres Venice?
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Delicious Crispy Brussels sprouts. Pickled jalepeno dashi broth, poached egg, Thai basil, scallion.
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Grilled rockfish tacos. Smoked chili creme fraiche, avocado, shredded cabbage.
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Di Stefano burrata. Thai pesto, blistered snap peas, asian pears.
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Grilled bread.
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BREAKFAST SANDWICH. Fried Egg, Juniper Bacon, Smoked Cheddar.
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SHAKSHOUKA. Baked Eggs, Moroccan Tomato Sauce, Feta, Arugula, Chermoula, Peppers.
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Closeup without the evil bread. Very nice and high acid. Bright flavors. Pretty light too — except maybe if you are prone to heartburn.

Overall, I liked the Rose and will come back. It’s very hipster — down to the Avocado Toast (not pictured), but the food was bright, clean, modern, and overall very flavorful. Service was solid too.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Quick Eats – Venice Ramen
  2. Quick Eats – Bru’s Wiffle
  3. Quick Eats – AR Cucina
  4. Quick Eats – Margo’s
  5. Quick Eats – Spoke
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Cafe, New American, Rose Cafe, Venice, Venice California

Yours Truly

May15

Restaurant: Yours Truly

Location: 1616 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291. (310) 396-9333

Date: April 18, 2019

Cuisine: New American

Rating: Excellent

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Yours Truly is a new casual American small plates restaurant by former 71Above head chef, Vartan Abgaryan.
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It’s located on super trendy, super busy, super expensive rent Abbot Kinney in Venice, near many other favorites like Gjelina, MTN, Tasting Kitchen etc. Oh yeah, and it used to be Saltair — which I ate at once but don’t seem to have written up.
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There is a small patio out front.
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Inside looks just like Saltair.

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The menu is small and consists mostly of share plates. Technically the last three items are larger.
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From my cellar: 2014 Domaine Sylvain Pataille Bourgogne Blanc Chardonnay Rose. 90 points. This unusual wine is rather lovely. It’s made with a rarely used clone of Chardonnay called Chardonnay Rose (confusing yes, but it’s a white).
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Marcona Almonds. Curry sugar, toasted coconut, salt. Like curry candy almonds. I liked them a lot. My wife — who loves Marconas but not curry — less so.
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Chicken liver mille crepe. Rye crepe, kumquat, artichoke persillade, currant mostarda.  This dish sure looks like a lot of work for the kitchen! It tasted pretty good too — as I’m a fan of chicken liver. Like liver and toast with the toast built in — sort of.7U1A8804

Asparagus. Pistachio, lemon, maple, sherry vinegar, soft herbs. Very nice asparagus dish with bright flavors.
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Scallop tartare. Apple, daikon, sorrel, olio nuovo. Nice textural interplay.
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From my cellar: 2000 Cuchet Beliando Cornas. 94 points. Exceptional. I don’t rate wines this high often. Almost never. This was just stupendous. Beautiful, complex and layered nose of flowers, berries and game. Like a red-meated DRC, that good. Both adequately ripe and cherry-fruited and savory, herbal and bloody. Rich but decidedly middleweight on the palate. Long and subtle finish. No roughness, no rusticity. Gorgeous. Hard to imagine a better Syrah, even in the abstract.
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Fingerling Potato. Cacio e pepe, black peppercorn, egg yolk, pecorino, parmesan. This was not only several people’s favorite dish — being carby, yolky, and all that goodness — but is the kind of fun dish that’s so in the current LA zeitgeist. It derives loosely from classic cacio e pepe, but in a new interpretation.
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Charred Peas & Their Greens. Anchovy, preserved lemon, cave aged pecorino, capers. In many ways this dish (excellent too) is to a Caesar salad what the potatoes above are to Cacio e pepe. Elements are repurposed to lend a familar vibe intermingled with the (mildly) unfamiliar.
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Bucatini “Carbonara.” Squid ink, uni, trout roe, bottarga, cipoltle butter. Great dish, with nice texture and brine. I guess it’s trying to play off Carbonara, but I really didn’t get that vibe. It’s closer to an uni/roe pasta.
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Nashville Hot Shrimp. Japanese milk bread, cabbage, pickle juice vinaigrette, mustard. I liked these spicy friend shrimp (fairly big prawns). They did feel kind of southern (and slightly Japanese, only slightly). Might’ve been the slaw. A decent bit of heat too.
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Some shortbread or similar with the bill.

Overall, I liked Yours Truly and have to go back and try more — until he changes the menu one more go would cover the whole thing! With these dishes Vartan is playing at far less formal motifs than he did at 71Above. There, the plating is very elegant and has a unique modernist continental take. Here, the dishes have as their backbone an array of different ethnic comfort foods, but then reinterpreted with LA Farmer’s market ingredients and a sort of playful LA vibe. It makes Yours Truly a much more “Los Angeles” style restaurant. The format is typical of most recent chef driven American places in LA — with a small slate of dishes sorted mostly by size of heaviness and a general assumption that dishes will be shared. Flavors show that same deftness of pairing that Vartan has always displayed.

Service was friendly, relaxed, and operating smoothly for our meal — even though I had some weird requests (I knew two other tables and kept asking for wine glasses to bring them my wines).

The place is small, cute, and very loud.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Abbot Kinney Blvd, Small Plates, Vartan Abgaryan, Venice, Yours Truly

On Fire at Charcoal

Apr05

Restaurant: Charcoal Venice [1, 2]

Location: 425 Washington Blvd, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292. (310) 751-6794

Date: March 3, 2019

Cuisine: New American Grill

Rating: Some great meats

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Josiah Citrin’s (owner/chef of Melisse) newish more casual eatery has been open for a while — and although I bike past it weekly and went once for brunch, this is my first official dinner visit — and it’s a doozy having been invited by one of the owners for a blow out wine fest.

It’s located on Washington Blvd about 2 blocks in from the ocean.
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Inside at night. By the middle of dinner service it was hopping.
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2007 Taittinger Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Comtes de Champagne. 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.
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The menus.
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From my cellar: 1985 Nicolas Potel Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes. BH 91. A very fresh yet mature nose of citrus, white flower and lightly toasted nut aromas combines with round and vibrant middle weight flavors that possess a seductive and rich mouth feel, all wrapped in a sappy and mouth coating finish. This is really a lovely effort with complexity and ample finishing punch and is a wine that will continue to hold well if not improve.
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2014 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Clos de la Chateniere. JG 91. The 2014 Clos de la Chatenière from Domaine Lamy is another really lovely bottle in the making, wafting from the glass in a blend of apple, a touch of grapefruit, pastry cream, chalky soil tones and a topnote of orange blossoms. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and nicely complex, with a good core, fine focus and grip and a long, nicely reserved finish that closes with a youthful note of citrus peel. Olivier Lamy noted “that we picked this on the earlier side to maintain freshness, as the exposition is plain sud.” A lovely wine.
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Sandy, who was with us, is a very “narrow” eater so she added this item, which we otherwise wouldn’t have. Chopped Salad. Tomato, Havarti, Bacon, Grilled Onion, Kalamata Olives, and Jo-Jo’s Vinaigrette. It was fine, but I’m not a chopped salad fan — at least there were no beans.
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Oysters on the Half Shell garnished Traditionally and Creatively. I’m not sure what the creative was — or maybe we didn’t have it — but they were good oysters.
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Big Eye Tuna Tartare, Avocado, Yuzu vinaigrette.
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This is a classic with 25 years of omnipresence on menus in some form or another. Maybe a little too much avocado for my taste (hiding the tuna).
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It came with sweet potato chips.
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1994 Joseph Phelps Insignia. Parker 98. The 1994 boasts an inky/purple color along with a glorious nose of black raspberries, blackberries and black currants that is still somewhat primary despite nearly 18 years in bottle. The Phelps team kept this cuvee in 100% new French oak for 28 months. Its magnificent structure, intensity and purity of fruit, ripeness, balance combined with authoritative power and the magnetic appeal of this full-bodied, Bordeaux-styled wine are extraordinary. This amazing effort is just coming into its best years, and should drink well for at least another 15-20 years.

VM 93. Healthy bright, dark red. Captivating aromas of raspberry, tobacco, truffle and smoke are distinctly darker than those of the 1990. Wonderfully suave, fine-grained wine with superb intensity and retention of dark fruit flavors. Harmonious acidity and a firm tannic spine give this wine noteworthy thrust and extend the finish. The wine’s 10% Merlot component was partly from the cooler Hudson and Hyde vineyards in Carneros. This impeccably balanced wine remains remarkably fresh.
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Yarom brought: 1995 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb. VM 97. The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb is a bit juicier and more overt than the 1997 tasted alongside it in this flight. Forward, juicy and supple, but not at all over the top, the 1995 is a gorgeous wine from this late-ripening site on Howell Mountain. At twenty years of age, the 1995 Herb Lamb is fabulous. Its only real fault is following the 1997 in this tasting.
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Smoky Grilled Chicken Wings. Oregano, Chili, and Vinegar. Nice wings. Lots of good meaty flavor.
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Smoked Lamb Ribs. These were AWESOME. I don’t have lamb ribs that often but these were some of the best ribs period I’ve had. Tons of savory flavor.
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Ron brought: 1995 E. Guigal Côte-Rôtie La Landonne. Parker 99+. One of the treats when tasting through the profound Côte Rôties made by Marcel Guigal was the opportunity to taste all of the bottled 1995’s. Reviewed in previous issues, they are even better from bottle than they were during their upbringing (a characteristic of many Guigal wines). The 1995 Côte Rôtie la Landonne is the stuff of legends and is every bit as compelling as readers might expect. This single vineyard wine will have at least 2 decades of longevity.

M 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.
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From my cellar: 2003 E. Guigal Ermitage Ex-Voto. Parker 100! Another perfect wine is the 2003 Hermitage Ex Voto and it’s the most over-the-top, decadent and hedonistic Ex Voto ever produced. From Les Bessards, l’Hermite, Greffieux and les Murets and aged 4 years in 100% new French oak, it offers off-the-charts concentration and texture as well as layers of creme de cassis, smoke meats, licorice, spice-box and spring flowers. Voluptuous, sweetly fruited and yet, like all great wines, still lively, fresh and graceful. It will have half a century or more of life.

VM 96-97. Bright, full, saturated ruby. Explosive aromas of black raspberry, blackberry and licorice, with a suggestion of medicinal austerity. Then raw and primary but incredibly thick, with a richness verging on port-like. Almost too big for the mouth. Actually more of a fruit bomb on the nose today and altogether more serious on the palate. If the 2003 La Landonne is an essence of syrah, this is an essence of Hermitage. Truly a black hole of a wine: there’s virtually no sign of the new oak, and the wine has a sappiness that belies its pH of close to 4. 0. Philippe says the Guigals were the first to harvest Hermitage in 2003, and yet this wine is a whopping 15. 5% alcohol!
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2003 M. Chapoutier Ermitage l’Ermite. Parker 100! More youthful and backwards, the 2003 Ermitage L’Ermite has additional minerality, as well as the focus and purity that’s always imparted by this tiny lieu-dit. Inky purple in color, it offers up spectacular creme de cassis, blackberry, charred meats, graphite and toast as well as a full-bodied, massively concentrated profile on the palate. It’s a prodigious, insanely good wine that should be given another 2-3 years in the cellar, and enjoyed over the following two to three decades.

VM 97. Medium ruby. Dense, powerful, imploded aromas of blackberry, creme de cassis, coffee liqueur, pipe tobacco and smoked meat. The texture of this wine is impossibly lush and velvety, and the superconcentrated, sweet essence-of-dark-berry flavors are also incredibly lively. Wonderfully sweet, lush and endless on the finish. You’d need a squeegee to remove this from your palate.
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Special Quail. I don’t think this was on a menu. Everything was in this incredible (and rich) reduction sauce. There were potatoes and root vegetables too. Delicious!
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Coal Roasted Carrots. Sheep’s Milk Ricotta, Herbs, Honey and Black Pepper. Very nice carrots and I liked the cheese too.
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2002 Abreu Cabernet Sauvignon Madrona Ranch. Parker 96. The 2003 Madrona Ranch, which is largely Cabernet Sauvignon, possesses a freshness that almost belies the vintage character. Its dense purple color is just beginning to reveal some garnet. The nose exhibits abundant floral notes intermixed with notions of blueberries, black raspberries and licorice-infused cassis. Graceful, elegant, and close to full maturity, it is drinking beautifully, displaying secondary nuances, a supple, full-bodied texture and a lush, layered mouthfeel. There is not a bit of aggressiveness, and the tannins, wood and alcohol (14.5%) are all beautifully integrated. As one might expect, this is one of the vintage’s superstars. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.

96 points. Deep ruby, dark fruit, med. tannins, long finish; delicious, but out shone by the 05 Spottswoode, possibly related to a longer decant. I suspect this wine is still evolving & it needs more time or a longer decant; delicious!
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2002 Hundred Acre Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard. Parker 100! The 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Kayli Morgan Vineyard is medium to deep garnet colored with Black Forest cake, plums preserves and crème de cassis bursting forth from the glass with hints of blueberry compote, hoisin, espresso and star anise with wafts of potpourri and oolong tea. The palate is full-bodied, rich and beautifully plush, with tons of spicy fireworks lifting the sexy black fruit, finishing with amazing length and depth.

VM 94. Bright red-ruby. Very ripe aromas of chocolate, saddle leather, cigar tobacco, earth, truffle and tomato. Fat and warm but with a solid mineral underpinning to the flavors of plum, mocha and spices. Large-scaled, plush and seamless but not heavy, this deep wine finishes with substantial dusty tannins. For all its ripeness, there’s sound acidity here. Still, this huge wine would be best paired with winter fare. The brooding finish features lingering notes of cherry and cooked meat and building tannins.
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2002 Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard. Parker 100! One of the greatest young Cabernet Sauvignons I have ever tasted is the 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard (which I also rated 100 when it was first bottled). This wine has hardly changed since its release. Still incredibly youthful, it reveals a blue/black color along with notes of black currants, camphor, graphite, high quality unsmoked cigar tobacco, blackberries and a touch of oak. Full-bodied and multilayered with terrific texture and richness as well as a 60-second finish, this young, exuberant, slightly flamboyant classic offers an interesting contrast in style with other top producers (such as Schrader Cellars) that also farm parcels of the Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard. Like most young Cabernets, this wine can be drunk now because of the sweetness of its tannins, but it is a good decade away from full maturity. It should last until 2040-2050. Bravo!

VM 93. Good saturated ruby. Superripe aromas of cassis, black raspberry, bitter chocolate and licorice; less herbal than this producer’s other cabernets from this vintage. A fine-grained fruit bomb, with a captivating sweetness. This really expands on the back half yet dances on the palate. The lush tannins reach the incisors.
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21 Day Aged Half Liberty Duck. This was insanely good. Probably the best non-Chinese duck I’ve had. Crispy skin, but a tangy/sweet flavor too.
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Cabbage Baked in the Embers. Yogurt, Sumac, and Lemon Zest. Great cabbage. Nice char flavor and interesting texture. Paired perfectly with the yogurt.
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This giant (very young) Salt also doesn’t get a write up because it again lamely omits the year.
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2015 Sine Qua Non Syrah Trouver l’Arene. VM 97. A real head-turner, the 2015 Syrah Trouver l’Arène is every bit as compelling from bottle as it was from barrel. Rich, sumptuous and exquisitely layered, the 2015 possesses magnificent concentration as it builds in the glass. Inky dark blue/purplish berry fruit, graphite, smoke, licorice and spice are some of the many nuances that develop in an arrestingly beautiful, vivid Syrah that will thrill those fortunate enough to find it. The blend is 80.5% Syrah, 7% Petite Sirah, 7% Mourvedre, 2% Grenache and 3.5% Viognier, done with 34% whole clusters and aged for 22 months in 48% new oak.

I have learned to photo the back of SQN — even though, again, it’s totally lame of them not to put the vintage on the front.

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Giant bone in rib eye. This was good, but not as good as most of the other meat dishes.
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Steak Fries with Ketchup, Mustard.
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Charred Brussels Sprouts. Wheat Berries, Portobello, Calabrian Chili, Duck Egg. Nice sprouts, particularly for not having bacon.
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Roasted Wild Mushrooms. Parsley Bread Crumbs, Fermented Garlic Dressing.
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The dessert menu.
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cake. McConnell’s Double Peanut Butter Chip Ice Cream. The cake was awesome. Really nice moist cake. I’m just so spoiled with ice cream (it’s not gelato) that this would have been incredible with a straight up “salty peanut gelato” from Sweet Milk.
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Lemon Meringue Tart. Awesome. I love LMT and this one was great.
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Apple Crumble, McConnell’s Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Don’t love oats.
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Apple Turnovers. Like Strudel.
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The wines tonight were big, but incredible. For what it’s worth, we had five Parker 100s!
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Our host on the left with Sandy.

I was impressed by our meal here. Not everything was perfect, but some of the dishes: duck, cabbage, lamb ribs, and quail were exceptional and most of the rest really good. A couple were a bit flat (like the chopped salad or tuna, but how exciting is a chopped salad anyway?). The name, Charcoal, implies wood cooked, and they deliver on that promise with an experience that has a bit of a non-Spanish Asador feel.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

Related posts:

  1. Totoraku – Hedonists Beef Up
  2. Totoraku Double Meat Madness
  3. Chance Meating
  4. Return to Esso
  5. Hedonists at STK
By: agavin
Comments (0)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: beef, Charcoal, Dessert, hedonists, lamb, Rhone, Venice, Wine

Barrique

Aug13

Restaurant: Barrique

Location: 796 Main St, Venice, CA 90291. (310) 399-9010

Date: June 27, 2018

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Excellent slightly upscale Italian

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Barrique is the latest incarnation of a series of similar Italian restaurants by chef Antonio Mure. I’ve eaten at many of his restaurants, from Piccolo back in the old days to my location must missed il Carpaccio, La Botte, to Ado etc.

Barrique is housed in the former Van Gough’s Ear location, exactly where Ado was. And it has the same chef. And it’s still Italian. I guess there were some partner issues and it rebooted. Many of the dishes are signature Antonio Mure dishes I’ve had at most of his other places.


The menu.

The place is so quint and cute that the waiter had to server half the table through the window!

Insalata di Crescione, Pecorino, Cuori di Palma e Mandorle Tostate. Watercress Salad with Pecorino Cheese, Hearts of Palm and Roasted Almonds in a Balsamic Dressing.

Caprese di Bufala Napolentana. Sliced Bufalo Mozzarella served with sliced Heirloom Tomatoes with a Basil infused olive oil.

Prosciutto e Burrata. 18-Months Black Label Prosciutto di Parma and Burrata Cheese.

Polipo alla Griglia con Patate affumicate e Fagiolini con Aioli. Grilled Octopus served with Smoked potato and green beans and Aioli.


Simple pasta for the boy.

Parm comes through the window too.

Tagliolini Rossi con Ragù di Quaglia in Fonduta di Taleggio. Home-Made Red Beet Tagliolini Pasta, Marsala Quail Ragù on a Bed of Taleggio Cheese Fondue. This used to be one of my standards at Il Carpaccio and my mother LOVED it tonight.

Pappardelle con Ragu’ di Coniglio Prugne e Porcini. Homemade Pappardelle noodle served with Rabbit Ragu, Prunes, and a Porcini sauce. Great pasta texture.

Tagliatelle al Cioccolato con Ragu’ di Cinghiale all’ Amarone. Home-made cacao tagliatelle with an Amarone Wild Boar Ragu. Not sweet.

Branzino alla Griglia Servito con Cucuzza e Menta. Grilled Mediterranean Sea Bass served on a bed Braised Sicilian Cucuzza.

Filetto di Bue al Barolo Tartufato. Pan Seared Beef Filet Mignon served with a Barolo Truffle Butter Sauce.

Barrique has a cute unpretentious interior, nice service, and a classic Antonio Mure menu including his inventive and very tasty homemade pastas. Given how good a cook he is, I wonder why he’s had SO MANY restaurants — all of which have had very good food.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Antonio Mure, Barrique, Champagne, Italian Cusine, pasta, Venice

The Butcher’s Daughter

Oct30

Restaurant: The Butcher’s Daughter

Location: 1205 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291. (310) 981-3004

Date: September 20, 2017

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Rating: Good for being vegetarian

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Abbot Kinney is one of the bastions of hipness, and The Butcher’s Daughter is so “tres LA.” It’s a sort of spiritual successor to the Newsroom, filled with vegetarian food and a 70% female crowd.

They pay a lot of rent, of course.

Hipster baked goods.

The attractive shabby-chic meets garden decor.

Demographics are as expected.

The menu.

Surfer’s Breakfast. Breakfast burrito, farm eggs, avocado, black bean mole, new potatoes, green salsa, sour cream. Obligatory breakfast burrito. Not my thing, and like a lot of vegetarian food guaranteed to produce bloating.

Vietnamese Bahn Mi. Seared cauliflower, mushroom pate, pickled vegetables, classic baguette, cilantro, harissa mayo. Got this figuring it would have more flavor than most. Sandwich was pretty good, strong strong vinegar flavors. The “pate” didn’t have too much in the way of taste though.

Pad Thai. Handmade rice noodles, thai basil, pea shoots, peanuts, tamari thai, scrambled egg, cucumber-carrot salad. Not bad for being vegetarian. Very “bright” (sour) from the probable tamarind. Not as complex as a real pad thai (with the shrimp and fish sauce), but fine.

Overall, the Butcher’s Daughter is an attractive place with good energy. Eating here did feel like, and they got about as much flavor as you can imagine from it, but still not as much as in the fully leaded versions. The menu focuses on juices, smoothies, and vegetarian “imitations” of more meated LA dishes. There is also the bloating factor all these vegetables subbing as meat lead too, but hey, it does feel lighter.

We went down the street for some Blue Bottle. Achem, Nestle coffee.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Abbot Kinney Blvd, The Butcher's Daughter, Vegetarianism, Venice

Quick Eats – Venice Ramen

Sep30

Restaurant: Venice Ramen

Location: 515 Washington Blvd, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292. (310) 448-8886

Date: August 14, 2017

Cuisine: Japanese Ramen

Rating: Decent, if slightly unusual ramen

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I’ve been biking by this tiny little (relatively new) ramen place on Washington for a year and finally got a chance to try it.

It’s helmed by Hideki Mochizuki a veteran Tokyo ramen guy.

Tiny 15ish person place with a very specific ramen style.

Regular house tonkotsu ramen. The noodles are the very thin Tokyo style. The egg, while marinated, was totally overdone. Other garnish is just green onion. The chasu is ok, but a little tough and not super strong in flavor. The broth was kinda weird, although I liked it. Lots of vinegar. Not as rich as a Tsujita and not super strong on the pork flavor — don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a light soup, but it’s a bit different.

Tsukemen dipping noodle ramen. I prefer my noodles separate like this and usually you get a much more intense broth.

I’m not sure the Tsukemen broth was any different. It did come with nori though — haha. And there was some bamboo shoots in there.
 The noodles were a soba noodle, which was a little different. Not bad, but definitely not super typical. It was okay. I only ate some of the noodles.

Overall, a nichey small Japanese style ramen joint. It just depends on what style of ramen you prefer. Maybe you love this one, maybe you love some other one.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Japanese cuisine, ramen, Venice, Venice Ramen

Gjusta – Economics of Labor

Sep11

Restaurant: Gjusta

Location: 320 Sunset Ave, Venice, CA 90291. (310) 314-0320

Date: July 17, 2017

Cuisine: American Deli

Rating: Good food, anoying format

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A few minor reservations aside, I’ve loved Gjelina since it opened. It helped pioneer the wood communal table, paper menu, 21st century LA thing. And the food is very tasty. For some reason it took me a while to try Gjusta and I’m going to use this review as an opportunity to snark on even newer restaurant trends. IMHO most of these are driven by rising labor costs and Gjusta is working to optimize their business — but I believe it makes the overall experience far inferior.

Nothing wrong with the Gjusta shabby chic decor. It could use some parking (it’s got like zilch) but that is a Venice hazard. Inside is basically a deli. But not exactly with deli food. First time in the “system” was completely incomprehnsible. I had no idea what to do. Took 5 minutes to discover the old fashioned “take a number” machine. As a deli should, they have smoked fishes and the likes on their very baroque menu. Pizza like “flat breads” too — too bad I hate pizza that isn’t right out of the oven. There are a lot of stations. But none really serve to help you (the customer). It’s crowded and people are eating wherever they can. Counter, leaning against the wall, outside, patio. It was kinda odd. See. Doesn’t look like the most comfortable spot to eat does it? See any silverware? Napkins? god forbid a chair? The kitchen is large, however, and bustling. The patio playing at being attractive. It was very crowded and we had to camp tables, leaning over the previous guests to make them uncomfortable. This, of course, meant that we had to sit with their dirty dishes for 10 minutes until the table got bussed. Oh, and had to get our own silverware, and our own water, and all that. Who needs servers when you can do it all yourself? The menu. Ice Tea. Of course I had to go hover by the drink dispensary area inside (after setting my own table) to get this. Same with my cappuccino. But it was a good cappuccino at least! Some sour dough. An empanada. Fine, nice buttery crust, but it was still just an empanada. I did like the pickles though. Whole grain waffles. Would have been better less whole grain. Certainly onm the plain side. Falafel plate. The chef likes pickles. This is like all the ingredients — but where is the pita? How do you eat it? Smoked Brisket Banh Mi. Baguette, smoked brisket, pickled daikon-carrot-cucumber, cilantro, chili dressing, garlic aioli. Not bad. More pickles. I’ve had better Banh Mi, and it was $15.

Soapbox time:

The food at Gjusta is fine. I’ll have to go back and try some more items. It’s a weird menu, and not one I will necessarily drive 20 minutes for or struggle with parking for.

The problem is the experience. I wanted to sit with my people and talk and eat. Instead I had to find parking, wait in line to order, camp for a table, find the silverware, find the water, find and wait at the drink area. By then — 10 minutes later — the food had arrived and we ate it and left. Which is precisely the intended point, as I shall explain.

Gjusta undoubtedly pays some high rent (Abbot Kinney is a very pricey area these days). And they have a good number of employees – who are simultaneously underpaid for the work they do absolutely, probably relatively well compensated by Gjusta (who is reportedly a decent employer) compared to other restaurants, and way too expensive given the price of the food. But wait you say, don’t they charge $15 for a small sandwich? True. But it’s also a labor intensive operation (fairly artisanal) and the food isn’t absolutely pricey so the per person cover averages are probably in the teens ($15-20 maybe?). It’s not a booze driven format either to drive up revenues. It’s also designed to be crowded, after all being the 3rd joint by the Gjelina team. And the limited (and inconvenient) seating helps determine throughput.

If they had normal waiter service, not only would they need more employees, but the customers would seat, figure out what they want to order, wait for it to come, then eat, then wait for the check etc. Maybe 50% eating time. By selling at the counter people seat more or less when they have their food and because they have already paid are — laptop users aside — more likely to get up right away. Perhaps 80-90% eating time! More throughput. Plus, while Gjusta has bussers to bring the food out (but somehow not the drinks) and clear tables, they just don’t have waiters. Nor, at least when it’s busy, do bussers seem to set tables.

The customers do.

So the experience is very different. I can’t imagine coming here with more than 2 people. And even so, you have to spend a good chunk of your time “working” before you can relax and eat. And unlikely a more streamlined (and sometimes equally annoying straight up fast casual like the wretched Chipotle), it isn’t necessarily much faster than a casual sit down. Maybe a bit. Certainly if it wasn’t crowded. I could imagine coming here by myself or maybe with one co-worker or something like that. But sandwich prices are somewhere between $0 and $1 cheaper than Gjelina, so if I had the time, I’d just go there.

Hmmm. But it seems crowded. Maybe Millennials don’t mind. And/or maybe the restaurant has to do this to make real money. I tried fast table service with cheap food at Ramen Roll and the labor costs ate us alive and put us out of business. Go figure.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Deli, Gjusta, Venice

Via Veneto

Oct08

Restaurant: Via Veneto

Location: 3009 Main St. Santa Monica, CA 90405. (310) 399-1843

Date: April 13, 2014

Cuisine: Italian

Rating: Excellent contemporary Italian

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LA is overflowing with Italian restaurants, but there is tremendous range in quality (and price). From old fashioned “red sauce” places to modernist takes like Il Grano. Via Veneto is in that high middle ground were it serves Italian (not exactly Italian American) up with panache.


2011 Bruno Giacosa Roero Arneis. 89 points. White peach, white flowers and minerals. Fresh with a hint of effervescence. Straightforward but enjoyable.

They do get a strike for having not only a $30 corkage (which I can stomach) but a 1 bottle policy. This forced me to buy this decent bottle from the list — but I had to pay a $60 markup for it!


Bread and olives.

CAPRESE CON BUFALA LAZIALE. buffalo mozzarella from “Lazio”, heirloom tomatoes, basil, olive oil.


Caprese with Burrata. Because Burrata always makes everything better!

TARTARA DI MANZO AL COLTELLO. knife cut prime beef filet tartare prepared to order, Pantelleria caper, house special dressing.

MELANZANE ALLA PARMIGIANA. farmers market eggplant, parmigiana style. Not exactly a traditional shape, more like involtini.

INSALATINA DI ARAGOSTA E QUINOA CON MENTA E LIMONE. lobster and quinoa salad, min and citrus vinaigrette. They do love this cylindrical shape. This was a pleasant salad, but the quinoa dominated (i.e. it was hard to really taste the lobster).

RUCOLA SELVATICA, RADICCHIO TREVIGIANO E REGGIANO. wild arugula, treviso radicchio, parmigiano reggiano.


From my cellar: 1990 Poderi Aldo Conterno Barolo Vigna Cicala. 94 points. Such a beautiful intense nose of tar, rose petals, leather…wow. Medium structured with great balance. Long and delish.

RAVIOLI DI VITELLO AI PORCINI. home made veal ravioli, porcini mushroom tomato sauce.

FETTUCCINE AL SUGO DI COSTINE DI MAIALE DELLA MONNA. home made fettuccine with slowly braised baby back pork ribs ragout, tomato sauce. Basically a porky Bolognese.


Pumpkin Ravioli. In butter and sage. Apparently very good, but no amareto cookie inside (that’s traditional).

RISOTTO AL ROSMARINO CON SPEZZATINO DI CINGLIALE. rosemary risotto with braised wild boar. It’s hard to pass up cingliale (boar), and this is a good reason why!

AGNELLO IN CROSTA. pan roasted rack of Sonoma lamb in a crust of fine herbs. Nice!


Mediterranean sea bass, simply grilled.


Some sides: beats and broccolini.


More sides: spinach and roasted potatoes.


The dessert menu.


Chocolate tart.


Profiteroles, stuffed with pastry cream.


Panna cotta with nutella. The hazelnut aspect was subtle, but this was delicious.


Crema di amaretto. A layered thing with lady fingers, this had that delicious complex secondary vibe going that I love from good Italian desserts. That’s why I occasionally make my own uber Tiramisu.

Overall, Via Veneto has a great kitchen. As this category of high end Italian Italians in LA goes, this is a very good one. All the food is extremely tasty. Service was good. It’s dark (not a problem) and a little loud. My biggest ding goes for a strict corkage policy of $30 and one bottle. That’s pretty steep, they could do without the bottle limit for those of us who want to work to empty our cellars.

Oh, and if you’re curious how this compares to the “real thing” I have about 50 write ups from Northern and Central Italy here!

For more LA dining reviews click here.

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Italian cuisine, Italy, lamb, pasta, Risotto, Veneto, Venice, Wine

The Republic of Thieves

Jul19

2890090Title: The Republic of Thieves

Author: Scott Lynch

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Length: 609 pages

Read: June 23-30, 2014

Summary: a bit weaker

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Most of the good things about books 1 and 2 of the Gentleman Bastards are also true of The Republic of Thieves. The latest installment serves up good fun, great characters, and all that. Lynch again moves the setting, this time to the city of the Magi, Locke’s bitter enemies from book 1. It brings into the foreground Locke’s mysterious and absent former lover/rival. Again the story is told both in the present and in flashback.

The two timelines don’t fit together entirely harmoniously. The present focuses on a contest/rivalry between Locke and Sabetha (his former lover) while the backstory details their childhood relationship and a long episode where the Gentleman Bastards crime gang played Elizabethan Actors for a summer. Partly, this addition feels gratuitous, like the pirate episode in Red Seas Under Red Skies, and certainly it exists because Lynch read a lot about this period and wanted to include it. It’s also (IMHO) the best part of the novel. We get to see a few of our favorite dead bastards alive and well (the twins) and (briefly) Chains. Plus, it’s just a fun romp and a bit of a caper.

And that’s sort of the problem with the main story. The back and forth with Sabetha was great, but the “caper” wasn’t really a caper. Both rivals are chosen by the Magi to run two sides of a strange election process — which is entirely trumped up and serves as a human proxy for the nearly all-powerful Magi. It just never felt very real, urgent or exciting.

Still,  it’s an enjoyable book, and if you enjoyed the other two, read it. But The Republic of Thieves is a notch below its predecessors, perhaps 4 stars instead of 5.

But the epilogue was interesting!

For more book reviews, click here.

the_lies_of_locke_lamora_by_akru-d5wd823

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Books
Tagged as: Book Review, Fantasy, Lies of Locke Lamora, Locke Lamora, Lynch, Oceans Eleven, Red Seas Under Red Skies, Renaissance, Scott Lynch, The Republic of Thieves, Venice

Yar Maties – Pirate Fantasy!

Jul17

887877Title: Red Seas Under Red Skies

Author: Scott Lynch

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Length: 786 pages

Read: June 5-22, 2014

Summary: Possibly best of the series

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The first book in this series, The Lies of Locke Lamora, was one of the better novels I read last year. Red Seas picks up right after and avoids Sophomore Slump by switching up the scenario and the location fairly substantially. Our heroes have left their Venice-like hometown of Camorr and venture off to a new city (Tal Verrar) and a new (and even more elaborate) scam with even bigger stakes.

The first third of the novel is Oceans Eleven in the Renaissance, and it’s real good fun. The world is enormously detailed and Scott Lynch is very sharp with the dialog. He has come into his own in this second book, as it’s wittier than ever. There is a very slight overwriting to the style, but you get used to it quickly and the huge novel flies along. The dynamic between Locke and his partner/friend Jean is fabulous and they are very well drawn characters.

This is aided enormously by a series of flashbacks. In the first novel, which also crossed two timelines, it was a little confusing which was which. This time around, Lynch has clearly labeled the flashback chapters. Because the novel begins essentially in the middle of the current heist, these are used to fill in the setup and the complex relationship between the two men. Walking a delicate line, Lynch has to maintain his suspense by NOT telling us how exactly the heist is actually going to work. We are tolled out bits and pieces until the very end.

Then about a third of the way in we take a hard tack to starboard and enter a high seas pirate tale. The entire middle act is shipboard and has less to do (directly) with the heist of the . At first I was like woah, but hell, I like pirates and this was good fun. Somewhere in Lynch’s brain there exists a different novel, about half the length, without the whole pirate part. You can tell this was self indulgent, that he really researched period nautical life and wanted to really use it. From a structural sense, the pirate thing isn’t even necessary, but because this world and its characters are so rich, and it was so fun, I think it’s a net win.

Hell the whole act of reading a fantasy novel is escapist, who cares if it’s too long as it’s a great read — which Red Seas absolutely and definitely is. A pure pleasure and a work of delightful fantasy. Plus, so strong are it’s characters, that it actually has a good bit to say on the nature of friendship.

Oh, and if you really like pirate fantasy two other favorites of mine over the years are On Stranger Tides and Wyvern.

For more book reviews, click here.

Red-Seas-Big

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Books
Tagged as: Book Review, High fantasy, Lies of Locke Lamora, Locke Lamora, pirates, Red Seas Under Red Skies, Scott Lynch, Venice

Serene Republic of Quippy Thievies

Oct28

51xAZnvLHvLTitle: The Lies of Locke Lamora

Author: Scott Lynch

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Length: 752 pages

Read: October 15-25, 2013

Summary: Best fantasy I’ve read in a while

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The simplest pitch for The Lies of Locke Lamora would be Thieves World Venice. Fantasy often borrows heavily from history, and LLL is no exception. I’d place the  era as roughly 17th century. The book is set entirely in the fictional city of Camorr. It’s got canals, bridges, Italian names, a Duke (Doge), nobles, masks, and pretty much all the trappings of the real Venince. It’s also got sorcerers, alchemy, and giant towers built of indestructible Elderglass.

Like the brilliant Perdido Street Station, LLL features the city as character. This outing isn’t quite as purely imaginative, but also isn’t nearly as weird, and  far more approachable. I’m a big Venice fan anyway, and so I very much enjoyed the feel. There is a nice balance struck here between atmosphere and pacing. LLL is a fast book with a lot of flavor. The underworld and the city proper are both excellently realized. I particularly enjoyed the glimpses into a  well developed religion. Camorr is a city of 13 gods, and as such borrows more religious spirit from antiquity, but at the same time Lynch colors it with an extremely Renaissance/Baroque feel.

The novel is fairly focused. No Game of Thrones, LLL concentrates on a single hero and a few of his friends. It’s written in a slightly bizarre third person omniscient, without a heavy distinct narrator, but feels free to flit around between time and characters (even if it hovers 90% on our protagonist, Locke). Interludes discussing historical aspects of the city or flashing back to (mostly) relevant childhood events in the lives of our heroes are frequent. While these stray from the spine of the story, they are entertaining and add depth. There is some slight of hand played with the chronology. Occasionally some action is undercut with the preparations for the same action in a way which is a little confusing.

At the prose level, Lynch is a good writer, with some style and flair. He does a nice job dotting the text with certain archaic words that lend flavor, but all the while keeping the text modern and lively. And he has a knack for deft and humorous descriptions. At the same time, there is a hint of anachronism. LLL isn’t a Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell with pitch perfect historical tone — but it is also much faster paced and transparent to the reader.

The action of LLL is part heist, part swashbuckling adventure, part orphan tale. Like a Venitian Ocean’s Eleven, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Oliver Twist all rolled into one. The tone is quippy and cavalier, but also contains a dose of nastiness and torture (night that I mind). The dialog is full of zingers — many hit, some miss. And often it sounds oddly modern. The plot is easy enough to follow but has a certain byzantine quality — and more than its share of deus ex machina — but essentially it all works. The action is fast, furious, and easy to follow. A dizzying mix, but one that works well.

I pounded through the second half (at 752 pages, hardly a novella) in one sitting. Flaws aside, it’s fun and ambitious without being overwrought in scope. All in all, The Lies of Locke Lamora was no chore, instead a genuine pleasure, and certainly the best fantasy I’ve read this year!

For more book reviews, click here.

lockelithoah0

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Books
Tagged as: Book Review, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Locke Lamora, Reading (process), Red Seas Under Red Skies, Republic of Thieves, Scott Lynch, The Lies of Locke Lamora, thief, underworld, Venice

Joe’s Restaurant – California Classic

Sep19

Restaurant: Joe’s Restaurant

Location: 1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291

Date: September 16, 2011

Cuisine: California Farmer’s Market

Rating: Consistently good

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I’ve been coming to Joe’s since 1995 or 1996 and they are approaching their 20th anniversary any day now. In a major metropolitan restaurant scene, that’s an eternity. Chef Joe Miller was an early proponent of the ingredient driven “farmer’s market style” of California cooking that is very popular right now. And despite the restaurant’s venerable age, the menu is continually rotating and the dishes remain fresh and relevant.


The Abbot Kinney frontage.


Quaint bar. Further inside is a little maze of little rooms and a lovely patio that is perfect for brunch.


The daily tasting menu, which is a pretty awesome value.


And the regular menu.

I brought this 2006 Brunello from my cellar. It’s not rated, but it is good, being from a tiny producer who makes only 3,000 bottles a year.


The back for the vintage.


Joe’s has good bread. Particularly the butter toasty thing.


Olive tappanade and butter.


“Heirloom tomato salad, smoked garlic tomato vinaigrette, young greens, seared bread.”


“Bocconcini di bufala mozzarella, smoked o’henry peaches, plums, sweet pea, purslane, almonds, olive oil.” This was a really yummy combo. The fruit was perfectly ripe, the mozzarella fantastic, and all in combination, particularly with the nuts and the purslane pesto-like stuff, it was really yummy.


“Hiramasa Crudo. Pickled plum, shishito, flowering coriander, pickled garlic vinaigrette.” Also wonderful. Hiramasa is just yellowtail, but this was some very good fish, and the vinaigrette had a powerful tang that contrasted nicely with the sweet and sour plums.


“New zealand red snapper filet with potato scales and wild rice. Salsify, red wine sauce.”


“Sonoma lamb sirloin, figs, chantarelle mushroms, wild rice soubise, english peas, huckleberry jus.” Also a wonderful dish. Like rack of lamb, but without the bone. Slow cooked in the sous-vide. The rich jus and vegetables complemented nicely.


The dessert menu.


“Vanilla buttermilk custard. Market berries, bittersweet chocolate, pistachios.” I light fun dessert, with a berries and cream vibe.

It’s been a little while since I was at Joe’s and I somehow expected it to be more staid. The food is just as contemporary and relevant as any other ingredient driven Califonian. It’s not fat focused like the Gastropubs, or avant garde, but it is really good. And setting it far above many wanna-be followers of this tradition, each dish expresses a really balanced interplay of elements.

For more LA dining reviews click here.

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By: agavin
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Posted in: Food
Tagged as: California, Cooking, Dessert, Farmer's Market, Fish and Seafood, Joe Miller, Joe's Restaurant, Los Angeles, Plum, Restaurant, Restaurant Review, Restaurants and Bars, Venice, Venice Los Angeles

Gjelina Brunch

Aug19

Restaurant: Gjelina [1, 2, 3]

Location: 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd, CA 90291. (310) 250-1429

Date: August 6 & 14, 2011

Cuisine: New Californian

Rating: Great food, annoying service!

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I hadn’t been to Gjelina (despite it being a favorite) in a few months but I headed back there for two brunches only a week apart, one with my son and the other with my brother and cousin.


The all important Cappuccino. They make a good one as attested by the nice micro-foam. I’m not a fan of those coffee with a pile of foam on top versions.


“Moroccan Baked Eggs with Merguez, Chili, Tomato Sauce, Cilantro & Spiced Yogurt.” This was REALLY tasty. The sausage was awesome, as was the sauce and yogurt combo. It had a pretty genuine Moroccan flavor profile.


My son wanted eggs. He didn’t even touch them though. Toddlers!


“Crispy Sunny Eggs with Prosciutto, Romesco, Arugula & Lemon.” This was also very good, and very similar (except for the ham) to my special Breakfast Eggs.


“Pizza Margherita.” A very nice version of the classic. Rich tomatoey sauce, lots of basil.


My son ate most of this, although he complained about the “green stuff” and made me remove it.


“Duck Sausage, Nameko Mushroom, Garlic & Mozzarella.” The sausage was fantastic, and the overall pizza was very smokey with an interesting chewy mushroom texture. I liked it a lot, but you certainly have to be a shroom person.


“Peach crumble with Crème Fraiche.” I like my crumbles more crumbly.


“Butterscotch Pot de Crème with Salted Caramel w/ Crème Fraiche.” This is just incredible as always. I could eat like 10 of them. Bad me. Bad me.

Overall, the food at Gjelina is fantastic as always, but I need to snark about the service, and I’m not the first. Apparently the owner/managers even like to hire staff with attitude! Boo hiss! The first time, I asked to get some eggs that on the menu had strips of bacon on top with the bacon on the side (or gone). I was told (very rudely) that I could remove the bacon myself. In this day and age of people with dietary restrictions this just isn’t acceptable. I can understand not building totally custom dishes, but trivial omissions? Give me a break.

On the second trip we ordered some vegetables which didn’t come (the waiter read them back to us too). Plus similar with an ice tea even after asking about three times. Eventually, after the waiter went AWOL we found him and brought up both. He didn’t even apologize. 10 minutes after that he brought the ice tea and said he’d take it off the bill. Ooh ah, $4 ice tea for free (it’s all profit anyway). We mentioned something to the manager. He didn’t apologize either, just nodded his head. Then finally, about 5 minutes after that he snuck back and apologized, like it had been eating at him and he felt he needed to. There was no offer of a freebee or anything. My brother asked him point blank about that and he took a dessert off the tab.

I go for the food, but they do need to lose a bit of the ‘tude.

You can check out two other Gjelina reviews HERE and HERE.

Or my index of LA Restaurants.

Related posts:

  1. Brunch at Tavern – again
  2. Brunch at Tavern 3D
  3. The New American – Gjelina
  4. Gjelina Scores Again
  5. Quick Eats: Brunch at Tavern
By: agavin
Comments (3)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Abbot Kinney Blvd, Breakfast, Brunch, California, Cooking, Dessert, Eggs, Fruit and Vegetable, gjelina, Merguez, Pizza, Prosciutto, Restaurant, Restaurant Review, Romesco, Sausage, Tomato sauce, Venice

Piccolo – A little Italian

Mar05

Restaurant: Piccolo [1, 2]

Location: 5 Dudley Ave, Venice, Ca. 310-314-3222

Date: February  26, 2011

Cuisine: Northern Italian

Rating: Neighborhood Italian, hybridizing toward modern.

 

Piccolo is a neighborhood Italian located in a rather sketchy area of the venice boardwalk. For a previous review, look HERE. I few years ago it was a very Italian place with a veronese regional menu. It’s still very Northern Italian, but under a new chef has been growing more bold and modern. Mostly this consists of deconstructing classic dishes.

The menu.

Parker gives this an 89, “The 2003 Brunello di Montalcino is a pretty, supple wine with sweet red fruit and an accessible personality. The heat of the vintage is felt in the sweet notes of fruit and oak that linger on the finish. Ideally the oak could be a little more integrated and the tannins might be more finessed, but this is a nicely poised effort from Altesino. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2015.”

I would have given this a 90 or 91 myself. It’s a very nice approachable Brunello.

“caprese rivisitata, heirloom tomatoes, burrata, revisited. basil, ligurian olive oil.” Notice we have more or less the traditional ingredients of the Caprese, but they have been deconstructed and reassembled in a new form, as a sort of gelled parfait.

“Tortelli di prosciutto cotto. ravioli filled with truffle-prosciutto cotto, Italian mascarpone sauce, micro celery.” Piccolo has very fine, very fresh egg pastas. This one is stuffed with a bit of ham, and served on a very buttery cheese sauce. The pasta was nicely al dente.

“Large ricotta gnocchi in a butter sauce sauce with a mascarpone foam.” Also a rearrangement of traditional elements.

“agnello al rabarbaro. boneless, natural lamb shank slow-braised in rhubarb-port, tuscan melon-foe gras risotto cake.” At some level an osso bucco with risotto, but with lamb. And slightly deconstructed, the meat is off the bone and piled in these little cylinders. The meat and its sauce was very tasty. The risotto though felt dry and crunchy, and didn’t have that creamy texture I love in good risotto.

The dessert menu.

“Bignole. Pastry puffs filled with Belgian Gianduja chocolate cream.” Close to profiteroles. The inside was mildly hazelnuty, the sauce a classic creme anglais.

“Semifreddo. Imported Amaretto cookies soft-frozen cream.” This was really good. The semifreddo itself a gelato-like ball of Amaretto, with some nice texture too. I love Amaretto, and this tasted very strongly of them, with that nice cold texture. The stripe of sauce is carmel, which made for a lovely convo.

Related posts:

  1. Quick Eats: Piccolo
  2. Fraiche take on Franco-Italian
  3. Sicilian Style – Drago
  4. Quick Eats: Osteria Latini 2
  5. Quick Eats: Divino
By: agavin
Comments (2)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Altesino, Brunello di Montalcino, Burrata, Cook, Dessert, Food, Italian cuisine, lamb, pasta, Piccolo, Restaurant, Restaurant Review, Salad, Semifreddo, side dishes, vegetarian, Venice

The New American – Gjelina

Dec17

Restaurant: Gjelina [1, 2, 3]

Location: 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd, CA 90291. (310) 250-1429

Date: December 16, 2010

Cuisine: New Californian

Rating: Everything just tastes great!

_

My parents flew into town but their flight was four hours late so we needed to find dinner after 10pm. This can actually be a problem on the westside, but it turns out that Gjelina serves until midnight! Now Gjelina has gotten lots of rave reviews, and for good reason. It’s also one of our favorite lunch spots. They serve fairly casual fare, American with all sorts of influences, and most things are farmer’s market driven. The kitchen is just really good — so everything tastes great. The menu changes constantly.

“Squash-Farro-Kale Soup with Grilled Bread.”


“Charred Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Dates & Vinegar.” One of the things about Gjelina is that they can make even vegetables incredibly delicious — yes I’m a bit of a carnivore. These brussel sprouts aren’t bitter at all, and the thick chunks of smokey bacon (more pancetta really) are incredible.

“Lamb Sausage, Confit Tomato, Rapini, Pecorino & Asiago Pizza.” They make great pizzas too. These are very thin neo-neo Neapolitan pizzas baked very fast in a wood wire oven. The crust is very crispy, and there is a strong charcoal grill taste. This one has a nice cheesy, herby flavor offset with the very yummy lamb sausage.

“Wood Roasted Cauliflower with Garlic, Chili & Vinegar.” Another example of the unusually yummy vegetables. This cauliflower has a nice double tang, vinegar and chili. Crunch Zing!

“Grilled Radicchio, Bacon, Fontina & Tomato Confit Pizza.” Another great pizza. The bacon makes it of course.

“Potato Gnocchi with a Short Rib Ragout & Pecorino.” Melt in your mouth.

“Charred Niman Hanger Steak with Watercress-Horseradish Pesto, Red Onion & Piquillo.”

Inside they have both regular and communal tables, and outside they have a fantastic patio. It was pretty crowded at 11pm, with down tempo blaring on the speakers. Even on a chilly December LA night (roughly 50 degrees) the fire pit and heat lamp made me take off my jacket. Serious LA ambiance — and food!

Related posts:

  1. Food as Art: Ortolan
  2. Food as Art: Saddle Peak Lodge
  3. The New Cal Cuisine: Rustic Canyon
  4. Quick Eats: Mon Ami Gabi
  5. Food as Art: Little Saigon
By: agavin
Comments (9)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Bacon, Brussels sprout, California, Cooking, Farmer's Market, Food, Fruit and Vegetable, Garlic, gjelina, Rapini, Restaurant, reviews, side dishes, soup, vegetarian, Venice

Quick Eats: Piccolo

Nov08

Restaurant: Piccolo [1, 2]

Location: 5 Dudley Ave, Venice, Ca. 310-314-3222

Date: Nov 5, 2010

Cuisine: Northern Italian

Rating: Much above average neighborhood Italian.

 

The location of this upscale neighborhood Italian has always been weird. You turn on Rose, and find it about 30 feet from the seedy boardwalk on Dudley, conveniently located near the drug dealers and others who hang out on the Venice boardwalk at night. Don’t worry it’s well lit, and they recently installed their own valet.

A couple years ago my wife and I had gone when the place had been under the shepardship of Antonio Mure, a talented local chef whose cuisine instantly said to me: “Verona” (certainly not a bad thing). Most Americans don’t realize how much Italian cuisine varies by region. In those days there were no reservations, only an hour long wait standing with the other yuppies watching the pot clouds drift by. Now you can reserve, even on Open Table. The space seems larger too. Mure moved on to various other restaurants, including the much lamented by me, Il Carpaccio. In any case, they new chef is named Bobo, and he’s also from the Veneto, a good thing, and totally obvious from the cooking.

I apologize for the picture quality as I forgot both my 5D Mark II and my little S90 backup camera and had to resort to the iphone 4, which really has come a long way for a cel phone camera.

You can see by the dishes that he is an innovative cook, and this is neither an old school italian menu, nor even a typical example of modern LA Italian. “Caprese Rivisitata. heirloom tomatoes, burrata, revisited microbasil, sicilian olive oil.” Here Burrata (one can never go wrong with Burrata) tops layers of tomatos, some even pureed.

The wine list was pretty reasonable, and had a wealth of northern Italians. I didn’t bring wine as it was just a quick dinner, and so settled on this reasonable 2007 Marcarini Barbaresco. It was only $40 for a half bottle and was very pleasant for such a young wine. If I’m going so young, I often prefer Barbaresco over Barolo as it’s more approachable early on.

The group that spawned Piccolo originally, and at various points included La Botte, Wilsons in culver city, Il Carpaccio, and Ado — I’m not fully educated on how they’re all connected — has always had good bread. Excllent for sopping up those buttery northern Italian sauces.

I ordered this odd pairing slightly skeptically. Warm seared Hamachi over buffalo mozzarella with clover, olive oil, and a kind of basil Pistou. It was good. Very good. Usually fish and cheese pairings don’t work. It was the pesto-like sauce (just off camera, in little blobs) that really drew all the elements of the dish together.

Pumpkin ravioli. This is the Chef‘s interpretation of my wife’s most favorite pasta, a specialty of Mantua (less than an hour from Verona). In the most traditional dish the ravioli are stuffed with a mixture of pumpkin or squash and Amaretto cookies, then lightly covered in butter sage sauce. These had a slightly different shape, and no Amaretto. They were perhaps a tiny bit too al dente, and the sauce coverage not quite a 100%, but still good.

This is a risotto with sausage and a fontina-butter sauce around the edge. I’m very partial to certain kinds of risotto when done right. This one was excellent. In a good risotto, the buttery flavor is so intense that it encourages very small bites. The rice had just the right texture. The sausage was good, but I’ve had slightly better (there is this joint in Philly’s little Italy which has been grinding it’s own since the 19th century — their slogan is something like “nothing but the pig.”)

LA has a lot of very good Italian places, a lot of mediocre ones, and a lot of terrible ones. This one is very much above average and worthy of being in the rotation. It’s different too, being a little more experimental and modern, typical of Italy’s bustling north. Many other places have stronger Sicilian or Tuscan influences. I happen to love Sicilian food too, it’s just different, which is a good thing. It’s nice to have some Veneto in the mix. For some reason, as beautiful as Tuscany is, it’s never been my favorite region on the culinary front, perhaps because of it’s emphasis on heavy meats. Not that it’s bad, food is never bad in Italy, but many of Italy’s other regions are more to my taste food-wise. I still long to find real Sicilian deserts in the states. In Philly or NY you can get a real Cannoli, but I’ve never, ever, found a real Cassata alla Siciliana in the states. Even Celestino Drago who is a world class Sicilian Chef, and a friend of mine, makes a modernized version (which can be seen HERE). It’s good, but I prefer the totally old school one with the Ricotta that separates and goes bad in 8 hours.

A second review of Piccolo can be found HERE.

Related posts:

  1. Quick Eats: Andy’s Spanish Eggs
  2. Quick Eats: Brunch at Tavern
  3. Quick Eats: Panini at Home
  4. Food as Art: Capo
  5. Food as Art: Bistro LQ
By: agavin
Comments (1)
Posted in: Food
Tagged as: Amaretto, Barolo, Burrata, Carpaccio, Cooking, Food, Italian cuisine, Italy, Olive oil, pasta, Piccolo, Pistou, Restaurant, reviews, rissoto, Veneto, Venice
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