Saturday, August 18, 2018
Larry Schaffer of Tercero wines posted on Facebook about this private dinner at the Winery Restaurant in Newport Beach. www.wineryrestaurant.net He indicated a few seats available and I grabbed one. I had the evening available as this was the first year since it's inception that I did not attend the Wine & Fire weekend in Lompoc/Sta. Rita Hills. I had such a rough time last year with my knees and hips that I decided it might be time to hang this event up. Everything comes to an end at sometime.
Driving down the coast to Newport PCH became a parking lot. I think everyone in CA was heading for Bolsa Chica beach. I did make it by 6:10 which wasn't too bad considering.
I had not been in the building since it was the Villa Nova years ago. I will say that they did a great job of transformation. The wine cellar when you walk in is 2 stories high and quite a sight. I definitely need to come back and have dinner in the dining area.
We started out with a glass of 2017 Aberration in the bar area before being seated for dinner.There were 20 of us tonight and we were seated in a side room. Lot of people, lot of voices and extremely noisy.
The menu was Prix Fixe with a couple of choices. I started out with the Scallop and Watercress Parmesan Risotto. Excellent. Loads of flavor. Scallop cooked perfectly. Four wines were poured for this course. 2010 Grenache Blanc, a lot of Petrol on the nose but paired well with the scallop. 2104 Grenache Blanc, a bit more acidic. 2013 Verbiage Blanc and 2014 Verbiage Blanc. All wines went well with the food but I am not a fan of White Rhone wines. The other selection was a Wild White Shrimp with wild mushroom risotto
Next was a salad course. I chose a Arugula with fresh figs, balsamic vinaigrette and goat cheese because I am not a fresh tomato eater. The other salad was a tomato with burrata. Again 4 wines were poured. 2015 Mouvedre Rose, 2017 Mouvedre Rose, 2015 Cinsault and a 2016 Cinsault. Preferred the 2015 Rose over the other three selections. The 2016 Cinsault went better with the salad than the 2015 Cinsault.
Main course was Angus Beef short rib with zinfandel reduction over black truffle mashed potatoes and asparagus. A lot of flavor in this dish. Meat was very tender and flavorful. Almost went for the rack of lamb but I just had lamb the other night at Arte. Of course we had short rib also at Arte. Only the powers know why I choose what I did. Wines for this course were 2010 Verbiage Rouge, 2014 Verbiage Rouge, 2007 Grenache Watch Hill Vineyard and a 2013 Grenache Watch Hill Vineyard. My preference was the 2010 Verbiage Rouge.
For dessert we had a cheese plate with toast and some fruit. A 2006 Grenache Blanc was the wine. Very light Petrol on the nose and the palate.
A really nice dinner and interesting conversations with people that know a lot more about wine than I do. An enjoyable evening. Larry is doing a dinner Sunday night in the Pasadena area and Jolie will be the cougar at that one. We like to share.
Sunday, August 19, 2018
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Daou Wines at Arte Cafe
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
A good crowd tonight for the Daou dinner. Not sold out as the last two dinners probably because of the price. Tonight it is $59. Last dinner was $45. A few empty tables. Saw eleven people that I knew.
We started out with a pour of Chardonnay. Too oaky for me. I waited until the Poached Butterfish came and sipped the wine with the food. It did cut the oak a bit but not enough for me. Poured the rest of my wine into Doug's glass. The rep talked about how California Chardonnay is full of flavors that people love, butter, oak etc., He didn't bother to ask my opinion about that. I like my wines to show fruit not wood. The fish was very good. Still moist on the inside. Served with corn, leeks and baby bok choy.
Up next was an Herb Crusted Ribeye Medallions. Medallions to me are small pieces of meat the same size and look medallioney. This was just thin sliced prime rib. Quality was good and flavor was excellent. Sat on a bed of mashed cauliflower and shitake mushrooms. There was a slight bite to the demi glaze and we could never figure out what it was but gave a nice flavor to the dish. A Daou 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon was the wine selection. It was a good cab but cab's are not my favorite wine so it is lost on me.
Third course was a Lamb Loin with Japanese eggplant puree, sundried tomatoes and sesame cake. I did not even take a bite of this. I had them pack up half of my beef because I just could not shove any more food into my stomach. So the lamb got packed up also. The lamb did look good and I will have in a few days for dinner at home. A Daou "Pessimist" (blend of syrah, petite syrah, zinfandel and tannant) wine was paired. Hope they tasted good together. The wine was my favorite of the night. A nice well balanced, lush mouth feel almost velvety.
All the wines were estate wines not their higher end selections. The prices offered tonight were not that great of a deal. Total Wine and Costco have better deals on these estate wines.
Dessert was called Festive Fruit Napoleons. Mixed berries in a cream sauce on top of a couple of pieces of over cooked puff pastry which was hard to cut with a side of a spoon. Ok but not anything to get over excited about. But it was a light , refreshing dessert.
So a decent dinner with decent wines. Company was good. And the weather had cooled enough so dining was pleasant. Arte Cafe has the back room that is totally cool all the time and the front room has issues.
A good crowd tonight for the Daou dinner. Not sold out as the last two dinners probably because of the price. Tonight it is $59. Last dinner was $45. A few empty tables. Saw eleven people that I knew.
We started out with a pour of Chardonnay. Too oaky for me. I waited until the Poached Butterfish came and sipped the wine with the food. It did cut the oak a bit but not enough for me. Poured the rest of my wine into Doug's glass. The rep talked about how California Chardonnay is full of flavors that people love, butter, oak etc., He didn't bother to ask my opinion about that. I like my wines to show fruit not wood. The fish was very good. Still moist on the inside. Served with corn, leeks and baby bok choy.
Up next was an Herb Crusted Ribeye Medallions. Medallions to me are small pieces of meat the same size and look medallioney. This was just thin sliced prime rib. Quality was good and flavor was excellent. Sat on a bed of mashed cauliflower and shitake mushrooms. There was a slight bite to the demi glaze and we could never figure out what it was but gave a nice flavor to the dish. A Daou 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon was the wine selection. It was a good cab but cab's are not my favorite wine so it is lost on me.
Third course was a Lamb Loin with Japanese eggplant puree, sundried tomatoes and sesame cake. I did not even take a bite of this. I had them pack up half of my beef because I just could not shove any more food into my stomach. So the lamb got packed up also. The lamb did look good and I will have in a few days for dinner at home. A Daou "Pessimist" (blend of syrah, petite syrah, zinfandel and tannant) wine was paired. Hope they tasted good together. The wine was my favorite of the night. A nice well balanced, lush mouth feel almost velvety.
All the wines were estate wines not their higher end selections. The prices offered tonight were not that great of a deal. Total Wine and Costco have better deals on these estate wines.
Dessert was called Festive Fruit Napoleons. Mixed berries in a cream sauce on top of a couple of pieces of over cooked puff pastry which was hard to cut with a side of a spoon. Ok but not anything to get over excited about. But it was a light , refreshing dessert.
So a decent dinner with decent wines. Company was good. And the weather had cooled enough so dining was pleasant. Arte Cafe has the back room that is totally cool all the time and the front room has issues.
Monday, August 13, 2018
Birthday Dinner a "A" Restaurant in Newport Beach
Sunday, August 13, 2018
Susan threw herself a birthday bash at "A" restaurant tonight. Small private room off the bar area, Two tables and approximately 12 people. Noisy, noisy, noisy and a bit warm.
I started off with the white corn soup. Excellent. They puree white corn and blend it with cream. I could have stopped here with the soup. Did not eat any bread because dinner was coming.
I had ordered a "block cut" New York strip. "A" is known for their steaks. But I think I made a mistake in this cut of beef. The flavor was good but I did not like the sinewy fat running through it. I would never order this cut again, Had a side of mushrooms which were excellent..
Dessert was interesting. The kitchen is always experimenting with desserts, This one was gooey and good but a pain to eat. The crust had to be cut with a steak knife. They called it some kind of chocolate tart. They should have left the tart off the plate. Would have been better off with a plain bowl of house made ice cream.
So I was a bit disappointed overall with my dinner. We got a big discount on everything so that helped ease the pain.
I took a bottle of 2011 Tercero "The Climb " blend of Syrah and petite syrah, Very good wine that went well with the steak. There also was a bottle of Ripasso and a bottle of Pinot Gris. Not big wine drinkers in this group.
But a nice gathering for Susan for her birthday. A big disappointment in my selections for dinner. Have had much better food here at "A":.
Susan threw herself a birthday bash at "A" restaurant tonight. Small private room off the bar area, Two tables and approximately 12 people. Noisy, noisy, noisy and a bit warm.
I started off with the white corn soup. Excellent. They puree white corn and blend it with cream. I could have stopped here with the soup. Did not eat any bread because dinner was coming.
I had ordered a "block cut" New York strip. "A" is known for their steaks. But I think I made a mistake in this cut of beef. The flavor was good but I did not like the sinewy fat running through it. I would never order this cut again, Had a side of mushrooms which were excellent..
Dessert was interesting. The kitchen is always experimenting with desserts, This one was gooey and good but a pain to eat. The crust had to be cut with a steak knife. They called it some kind of chocolate tart. They should have left the tart off the plate. Would have been better off with a plain bowl of house made ice cream.
So I was a bit disappointed overall with my dinner. We got a big discount on everything so that helped ease the pain.
I took a bottle of 2011 Tercero "The Climb " blend of Syrah and petite syrah, Very good wine that went well with the steak. There also was a bottle of Ripasso and a bottle of Pinot Gris. Not big wine drinkers in this group.
But a nice gathering for Susan for her birthday. A big disappointment in my selections for dinner. Have had much better food here at "A":.
Lunch with the Boys
Sunday, August 12, 2018
Got home from dinner at the Red Table and had a message from Henry. Lunch at Seafood Palace tomorrow. www.seafoodrestaurants.com. Since I have a dinner Sunday night looks like no cooking this weekend at all.
Only 4 of us today. One of the boys called at the last minute to say he was not feeling well.
We started out with out small bowl of the sweet, spicy, sour soup and each of us picked out one dish to order. We ended up with Beef with fat noodles and sautéed vegetables, Beef seemed extra tender today. Maybe a different chef, They seem to have numerous chefs so you never know which one will be on what shift. The restaurants seemed very busy today with two dining areas open.
Next was a dish of Walnut Honey Shrimp. Very large shrimp today and very tender. Cooked perfectly and they had a really good honey crust on them. The walnuts huge.
A dish of Almond Chicken appeared. Chicken was tender, had good flavor, hard to find the almonds. This is a dish I would never order. But then I very rarely order chicken in a restaurant.
I ordered the Garlic Scallops. Tender, cooked perfectly and loads of garlic and some black bean sauce. I think this was the best dish of the day in flavor.
A plate of freshly sliced oranges and fortune cookies rounded out lunch. Oranges were sweet and juicy. I asked Henry why the oranges are always so good at the restaurant because the ones I get in the store are so mediocre and tasteless. He suggested buying them by the bag from the street vendors.
Wines were interesting. A Prisoner, forgot the year but it seemed it was a newer wine. Steve said he meant to grab an older Prisoner but got the wrong year.
2015 Black Stallion, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon - nice cab, not a blockbuster but good
2011 Sea Smoke, Botella, Pinot Noir - I brought this wine and was disappointed in it compared to the Thomas George
2012 Thomas George, Russian River Valley, Cresta Ridge Vineyard, Pinot Noir. Best wine on the table today. Excellent Pinot. My style,
Got home from dinner at the Red Table and had a message from Henry. Lunch at Seafood Palace tomorrow. www.seafoodrestaurants.com. Since I have a dinner Sunday night looks like no cooking this weekend at all.
Only 4 of us today. One of the boys called at the last minute to say he was not feeling well.
We started out with out small bowl of the sweet, spicy, sour soup and each of us picked out one dish to order. We ended up with Beef with fat noodles and sautéed vegetables, Beef seemed extra tender today. Maybe a different chef, They seem to have numerous chefs so you never know which one will be on what shift. The restaurants seemed very busy today with two dining areas open.
Next was a dish of Walnut Honey Shrimp. Very large shrimp today and very tender. Cooked perfectly and they had a really good honey crust on them. The walnuts huge.
A dish of Almond Chicken appeared. Chicken was tender, had good flavor, hard to find the almonds. This is a dish I would never order. But then I very rarely order chicken in a restaurant.
I ordered the Garlic Scallops. Tender, cooked perfectly and loads of garlic and some black bean sauce. I think this was the best dish of the day in flavor.
A plate of freshly sliced oranges and fortune cookies rounded out lunch. Oranges were sweet and juicy. I asked Henry why the oranges are always so good at the restaurant because the ones I get in the store are so mediocre and tasteless. He suggested buying them by the bag from the street vendors.
Wines were interesting. A Prisoner, forgot the year but it seemed it was a newer wine. Steve said he meant to grab an older Prisoner but got the wrong year.
2015 Black Stallion, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon - nice cab, not a blockbuster but good
2011 Sea Smoke, Botella, Pinot Noir - I brought this wine and was disappointed in it compared to the Thomas George
2012 Thomas George, Russian River Valley, Cresta Ridge Vineyard, Pinot Noir. Best wine on the table today. Excellent Pinot. My style,
Red Table in Huntington Beach
Saturday, August 11, 2018
Margie choose the Red Table, www.redtablerestaurants.com, for her monthly dinner. Had not been in this place in awhile. Forgot how good the food is. Eleven of us tonight and we sat at the "red" table in the middle of the restaurant.
I ordered the sweet potato fries with bacon aioli to start with. That actually filled me up. so when my dinner came I took a couple of bites and had them pack it up to go. I had ordered the braised short ribs which were excellent. Tender and moist. Good flavor. Served with "smashed" potatoes and summer squash. A wide variety of food and appys were ordered by others. Everyone was happy with their selections.
Wide selection of wines. I brought a 2007 Stolpman Angeli which is 100% syrah. It was a good wine but I will say it was a slight disappointment. Not sure why. Maybe because the LaCroce I had a few weeks ago was such a stunning wine. My expectations were too high. Also brought a 2016 "The Street" a dry Riesling made by Stolpman for the Michael Mina group and a 2012 Huber "Hafen" a port style Dornfelder.
Other wines at the table:
NV Cameron Hughes, Lot 620 Brut - nice sparkling, a bit light weight.
2016 Cameron Hughes, Lot 576, Chardoonay - a bit oaky
2014 Cameron Hughes, Lot 606, Cabernet Sauvignon - way to young to be opened, but seemed nicely balanced
2016 Hahn, Pinot Noir - ok but seemed odd for some reason
2015 Kunin, Chenin Blanc - did not taste
2016 Curran, Rancho La Vina, Pinot Noir - nice but not for me. I know Chris makes great pinots but maybe it was just to young for me - I like Pinots with a few years on them. Opening wine too soon does not do the wine any favors
2016 Talley, Olivers Vineyard, Chardonnay - not for me
2013 Iron Horse, Wedding Cuvee, Sparkling - decent but I have never been a fan of Iron Horse
2017 Duckhorn, Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste
2000 Covington Cellars, Stonetree Vineyard, Petite Syrah - a nice wine
NV Veuve Clicoquot Champagne - you can never go wrong with the widow
2014 Ken Brown, "A" Cuvee, Syrah - nice wine but nothing spectacular
Margie choose the Red Table, www.redtablerestaurants.com, for her monthly dinner. Had not been in this place in awhile. Forgot how good the food is. Eleven of us tonight and we sat at the "red" table in the middle of the restaurant.
I ordered the sweet potato fries with bacon aioli to start with. That actually filled me up. so when my dinner came I took a couple of bites and had them pack it up to go. I had ordered the braised short ribs which were excellent. Tender and moist. Good flavor. Served with "smashed" potatoes and summer squash. A wide variety of food and appys were ordered by others. Everyone was happy with their selections.
Wide selection of wines. I brought a 2007 Stolpman Angeli which is 100% syrah. It was a good wine but I will say it was a slight disappointment. Not sure why. Maybe because the LaCroce I had a few weeks ago was such a stunning wine. My expectations were too high. Also brought a 2016 "The Street" a dry Riesling made by Stolpman for the Michael Mina group and a 2012 Huber "Hafen" a port style Dornfelder.
Other wines at the table:
NV Cameron Hughes, Lot 620 Brut - nice sparkling, a bit light weight.
2016 Cameron Hughes, Lot 576, Chardoonay - a bit oaky
2014 Cameron Hughes, Lot 606, Cabernet Sauvignon - way to young to be opened, but seemed nicely balanced
2016 Hahn, Pinot Noir - ok but seemed odd for some reason
2015 Kunin, Chenin Blanc - did not taste
2016 Curran, Rancho La Vina, Pinot Noir - nice but not for me. I know Chris makes great pinots but maybe it was just to young for me - I like Pinots with a few years on them. Opening wine too soon does not do the wine any favors
2016 Talley, Olivers Vineyard, Chardonnay - not for me
2013 Iron Horse, Wedding Cuvee, Sparkling - decent but I have never been a fan of Iron Horse
2017 Duckhorn, Sauvignon Blanc - did not taste
2000 Covington Cellars, Stonetree Vineyard, Petite Syrah - a nice wine
NV Veuve Clicoquot Champagne - you can never go wrong with the widow
2014 Ken Brown, "A" Cuvee, Syrah - nice wine but nothing spectacular
Friday, July 27, 2018
Hanna Wines at Arte Cafe
Thursday. July 26, 2018
Another sold out wine dinner for Arte Cafe in Cerritos.. At $45 it is the bargain of the area. I had never heard of Hanna Wines before. Small family owner winery in the Sonoma area represented by Teralta.
First wine poured was a Hanna Russian River Sauvignon Blanc. Very citrusy, tropical frunits etc., same as most California Sau Blancs. Not my style but it pair very well with the Mango Shrimp, lemongrass and Thai basil. Shrimp well cooked correctly, not tough or mushy, served cold. I am not a fan of lemongrass or basil but the flavors lended themselves to the wine.
Second course is a Pan Seared Halibut with a beurre blanc sauce and "summer vegetables". Sauce was excellent, halibut tasted like it might have been frozen, a bit on the mushy side. Vegetables were cauliflower, brussel sprounts and diced carrots. I am sorry folks but cauliflower and brussel sprounts are not summer vegetables. These are considered a winter crop. I know in California we are a bit different but summer veggies are corn, tomatoes, summer squashes, green and yellow beans , peas and asparagus. The wine paired with this dish is a Hanna Russian River Chardonnay. A bit oaky but the beurre blanc sauce cut the oak. But I did not want a second pour of this wine and got it anyway.
Third course served is a Balsamic glazed steak rolled with vegetables and wild rice. The steak had no flavor aside from the balsamic vinegar on it. Rice and vegetables were good. A 2014 Hanna Red Ranch , Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon was the wine selection. Decent cab but nothing spectacular
Dessert is a Pineapple cake with whipped cream and fresh raspberries and raspberry sauce. Cake was a bit dry and on the dense side. Did not get much of a pineapple flavor.
This was not the best dinner that Arte Cafe has done. They are capable of much better. We will see what happens in a couple of weeks when they do the Daou wine dinner.
Another sold out wine dinner for Arte Cafe in Cerritos.. At $45 it is the bargain of the area. I had never heard of Hanna Wines before. Small family owner winery in the Sonoma area represented by Teralta.
First wine poured was a Hanna Russian River Sauvignon Blanc. Very citrusy, tropical frunits etc., same as most California Sau Blancs. Not my style but it pair very well with the Mango Shrimp, lemongrass and Thai basil. Shrimp well cooked correctly, not tough or mushy, served cold. I am not a fan of lemongrass or basil but the flavors lended themselves to the wine.
Second course is a Pan Seared Halibut with a beurre blanc sauce and "summer vegetables". Sauce was excellent, halibut tasted like it might have been frozen, a bit on the mushy side. Vegetables were cauliflower, brussel sprounts and diced carrots. I am sorry folks but cauliflower and brussel sprounts are not summer vegetables. These are considered a winter crop. I know in California we are a bit different but summer veggies are corn, tomatoes, summer squashes, green and yellow beans , peas and asparagus. The wine paired with this dish is a Hanna Russian River Chardonnay. A bit oaky but the beurre blanc sauce cut the oak. But I did not want a second pour of this wine and got it anyway.
Third course served is a Balsamic glazed steak rolled with vegetables and wild rice. The steak had no flavor aside from the balsamic vinegar on it. Rice and vegetables were good. A 2014 Hanna Red Ranch , Alexander Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon was the wine selection. Decent cab but nothing spectacular
Dessert is a Pineapple cake with whipped cream and fresh raspberries and raspberry sauce. Cake was a bit dry and on the dense side. Did not get much of a pineapple flavor.
This was not the best dinner that Arte Cafe has done. They are capable of much better. We will see what happens in a couple of weeks when they do the Daou wine dinner.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Spago's
Wednesday. July 18, 2018
It is Dine in LA week and we picked Spago's , www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/3635. in Beverly Hills for this outing. The tasting menu was specifically for the Dine In LA event.
We started out with 6 "amuse bouches" .
Spicy Tuna Tartare in a Seasame Miso Tuille Cone. The cone had a sweetness to it and it offset the spicy tartare nicely. Two bites and it was gone.
Savory Parmesan Marshmallow. Have no idea how this was made but it was soft and spongy like a marshmallow sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Looked like coconut. This was a one biter.
Sesame Ball, Dungeness Crab, Thai Curry Spice and Sakura Shrimp. Served on a folded piece of paper held together at one end with a teeny, tiny clothespin.
Heirloom Carrot-Kaffir Lime Puree and Chili Oil. served in a tiny galvanized pail with "dirt". Looked like you just pulled a tiny carrot from the garden and put in in your pail.
Yorkshire Pudding, Whipped Beef Tallow with Bresacla. Looked like a white disc topped with a dark cherry sitting in a wood bowl full of cocoa nibs.
Maple Macaron, Bacon (pork belly), Egg Yolk Jam sitting on tiny roasted coffee beans.
All the amuse bouches were excellent . Loads of flavor.
6 courses for dinner:
"The Egg", corn custard, caviar and corn water in a small egg shell sitting on a wrought iron stand Room temperature and a very delicate flavor.
Olive Oil Poached Ora King Salmon, beet ponzu, red bulls blood leaves. I would venture a guess that this was "sous vide" Delicate flavor on the salmon and the beet ponzu gave it a very tangy twist.
Charred Octopus in a Coconut Bowl, lime, harbanero aguachile and avocado puree. You were supposed to scrape the inside on the coconut bowl to get fresh coconut into the dish. Personally I like my octopus not swimming in a liquid.
Baled Bone Marrow, Santa Barbara Uni with Manila clams, capers, chorizo and homemade sour dough toast. I really liked this dish, wish I had more of it.
Hand Made Agnolotti with summer truffles, sweet white corn and parmigiano reggiano. Brought to the table under a glass cloche with smoke inside. Impressive presentation
Grilled Plank Snake River Farm's Wagyu Beef with burnt mustard-miso and red sorrel. I would not have taken this piece of beef as wagyu. No marbling, no fat inside. Tasted more like a high grade Black Angus. I have eaten a lot of Wagyu beef in the last few years and this was not the same.
2 Desserts:
Nectarines with Muscovado Caramel and lemon verbena sorbet. Light and very refreshing.
Maracaibo Creole Grand Cru "Cocktail", whiskey, lime Espuma. A thin chocolate bowl filled with the Espuma. Interesting and a delightful finish to dinner.
We also had a tray of the housemade breads along with a yogurt sauce. We asked for butter. The yogurt bit just did cut it for bread.
We had 4 bottles of wine tonight. Corkage is $50 if you bring your own which I did. Stan bought a bottle and brought a bottle. Wine list is not for the faint hearted. Wines ranged from about $70 to $21,000. But do not bring a bottle that is on their list.
2005 Dom Perignon, Rose Champagne, 1998 Rochioli , Russian River Valley, Pinot Noit, 2005 Croix de Beaucaillou Bordeaux, and a 2008 Domaine de Montille, Pommard, 1st Cru, Les Pezerolles. All were excellent. I preferred the Pommard and the Champagne.
All the food was excellent. Some I liked a bit more than others. I was very impressed with the staff and how efficient the restaurant was run. Tonight they had a staff of 100 people. 50 in front and 50 in the kitchen. Everyone at the table received their food at the same time. We got a tour of the kitchen which was massive. Pizza oven burns at 600 degrees and takes 3 minutes to cook a pizza. The clientele were for the most part dressed very casual. The staff was dressed far better then the patrons. I will say I was impressed with the restaurant.
We had such a good time we were talking about coming back to Spago's for al la carte. This was my first time but Stan has been there several times. Quality of food and service makes this a real gem. My only complaint is when it gets dark outside it gets dark in the restaurant. Too dark for me. The pictures I took of the food showed the difference in light. The restaurant seems like a high end neighborhood place to go. Not that pretentious.
It is Dine in LA week and we picked Spago's , www.wolfgangpuck.com/restaurants/fine-dining/3635. in Beverly Hills for this outing. The tasting menu was specifically for the Dine In LA event.
We started out with 6 "amuse bouches" .
Spicy Tuna Tartare in a Seasame Miso Tuille Cone. The cone had a sweetness to it and it offset the spicy tartare nicely. Two bites and it was gone.
Savory Parmesan Marshmallow. Have no idea how this was made but it was soft and spongy like a marshmallow sprinkled with parmesan cheese. Looked like coconut. This was a one biter.
Sesame Ball, Dungeness Crab, Thai Curry Spice and Sakura Shrimp. Served on a folded piece of paper held together at one end with a teeny, tiny clothespin.
Heirloom Carrot-Kaffir Lime Puree and Chili Oil. served in a tiny galvanized pail with "dirt". Looked like you just pulled a tiny carrot from the garden and put in in your pail.
Yorkshire Pudding, Whipped Beef Tallow with Bresacla. Looked like a white disc topped with a dark cherry sitting in a wood bowl full of cocoa nibs.
Maple Macaron, Bacon (pork belly), Egg Yolk Jam sitting on tiny roasted coffee beans.
All the amuse bouches were excellent . Loads of flavor.
6 courses for dinner:
"The Egg", corn custard, caviar and corn water in a small egg shell sitting on a wrought iron stand Room temperature and a very delicate flavor.
Olive Oil Poached Ora King Salmon, beet ponzu, red bulls blood leaves. I would venture a guess that this was "sous vide" Delicate flavor on the salmon and the beet ponzu gave it a very tangy twist.
Charred Octopus in a Coconut Bowl, lime, harbanero aguachile and avocado puree. You were supposed to scrape the inside on the coconut bowl to get fresh coconut into the dish. Personally I like my octopus not swimming in a liquid.
Baled Bone Marrow, Santa Barbara Uni with Manila clams, capers, chorizo and homemade sour dough toast. I really liked this dish, wish I had more of it.
Hand Made Agnolotti with summer truffles, sweet white corn and parmigiano reggiano. Brought to the table under a glass cloche with smoke inside. Impressive presentation
Grilled Plank Snake River Farm's Wagyu Beef with burnt mustard-miso and red sorrel. I would not have taken this piece of beef as wagyu. No marbling, no fat inside. Tasted more like a high grade Black Angus. I have eaten a lot of Wagyu beef in the last few years and this was not the same.
2 Desserts:
Nectarines with Muscovado Caramel and lemon verbena sorbet. Light and very refreshing.
Maracaibo Creole Grand Cru "Cocktail", whiskey, lime Espuma. A thin chocolate bowl filled with the Espuma. Interesting and a delightful finish to dinner.
We also had a tray of the housemade breads along with a yogurt sauce. We asked for butter. The yogurt bit just did cut it for bread.
We had 4 bottles of wine tonight. Corkage is $50 if you bring your own which I did. Stan bought a bottle and brought a bottle. Wine list is not for the faint hearted. Wines ranged from about $70 to $21,000. But do not bring a bottle that is on their list.
2005 Dom Perignon, Rose Champagne, 1998 Rochioli , Russian River Valley, Pinot Noit, 2005 Croix de Beaucaillou Bordeaux, and a 2008 Domaine de Montille, Pommard, 1st Cru, Les Pezerolles. All were excellent. I preferred the Pommard and the Champagne.
All the food was excellent. Some I liked a bit more than others. I was very impressed with the staff and how efficient the restaurant was run. Tonight they had a staff of 100 people. 50 in front and 50 in the kitchen. Everyone at the table received their food at the same time. We got a tour of the kitchen which was massive. Pizza oven burns at 600 degrees and takes 3 minutes to cook a pizza. The clientele were for the most part dressed very casual. The staff was dressed far better then the patrons. I will say I was impressed with the restaurant.
We had such a good time we were talking about coming back to Spago's for al la carte. This was my first time but Stan has been there several times. Quality of food and service makes this a real gem. My only complaint is when it gets dark outside it gets dark in the restaurant. Too dark for me. The pictures I took of the food showed the difference in light. The restaurant seems like a high end neighborhood place to go. Not that pretentious.
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