No. 211: Off-the-Strip in Vegas - Alizé

Having been to Vegas so many times in my past (it's practically an annual tradition for me & my friends from high school,) I am no stranger to all the places to eat & drink on the Strip. The buffets! The happy hours! The late-night joints for post-clubbing nosh! All of which are kinda yawn for me by now (especially given their recent proliferation of ripoffs from LA, SF, DC & NY restaurants.) So on my excursion last month, I made more of an attempt to wander off Las Vegas Blvd. for some truly distinctive bites & sips.

Which brings me to Alizé at the Top of the Palms.

Even though the meal is partially-hosted, my attempt to give it a preliminary incognito checkout @ the bar was foiled, as there was a receptionist checking me in @ the ground level elevator.

And... they certainly weren't kidding about the amazing view from the 56th floor. This photo doesn't do justice to the gorgeous panorama of scintillating lights and sparkles of the Strip & the city itself.

While deliberating on what to order, I got a Wild Turkey Manhattan. Purists might scoffed that it was not stirred, but it was not quite shaken either -- rather, it was more of a gentle rolling slosh in the shaker, and the resulting drink was still rather smooth and velvety with a nice balance of the vermouth & bitter aromas with the snappy, spicy bite of the rye.

Alas, despite promises of foie gras, duck breast & rib eye on their Chef's Tasting Menu -- I opted for the Vegetarian Tasting Menu instead, partly to take the road less traveled, partly because I've already eaten too much meat & seafood thus far in my Vegas weekender, but mostly because I'm impressed with the variety of items & preparations offered on that menu, instead of looking like a bunch of side dishes cobbled together.

Equally impressive was their tablet-based SmartCellar, which made for easy browsing and choosing of their 7,500+ wines--particularly with sorting by price range, regions, varietals, etc. Some of the details do lean on the generic side, but I have no doubt that a knowledgeable sommelier would be on-hand to give personal attention & TLC should the need arise . . .

Starting off the seven-course tasting was the butter lettuce & beet salad w candied walnuts. Lovely color and I loved the square-cut slices of the beets, and overall the salad tasted as colorful as it looked, with the tender and crisp leaves anchoring the flavors of the sweet and crunchy walnuts and the tender, earthy beets. And the dressing--a citrus-creme fraiche-shallot vinaigrette--was a wonderful combination of contradictions, rich & decadent but also delicate & bright at the same time, with the creamy texture nicely melding with its tangy savoriness.

Next up was a piquillo pepper stuffed with Provencal vegetables and herbed cream cheese. It was a festive melange of zesty & bold flavors, reminiscent of a ratatouille given a little more substance & oompf with the cheese. And the colorful streaks of red pepper puree & basil-infused olive oils added even more zippiness to the equation!

Following that was an asparagus risotto with truffle beurre monte & gruyere cheese. Subtle yet sublime with perfectly cooked rice (tender but with a toothy texture), a sauce that's thoroughly but delicately infused with truffles, and asparagus that retained its snappy-firm texture and bright, sweet-grassy flavor. What I love best is that this, like the salad dressing, felt like an indulgence without being over-the-top, guilt-inducing rich. Definitely gives me something to aspire to in my own risotto-cooking at home, which does lean a little heavier & a little cheesier.

Before moving onto the heartier savories, I was presented with a palate-cleansing intermezzo of tropical fruit sorbet with pomegranate arils. It was indeed refreshing & tangy but may have been frozen a tad too long, it did take a pretty decent hammering with my spoon before the shot-sized scoop broke apart.

To go the more entreé-ish dishes, I ordered a glass of the 2009 Pascual Toso Malbec, which was silky-smooth with soft tannins, a minor kick of peppery bite and pleasant notes of plum, strawberry and cocoa (though not so much that it smells & tastes like a chocolate-covered starburst.) But do note that by-the-glass markup here is on the high side -- this particular Malbec being $16 for a bottle that costs around $9-10 (the general rule of thumb being a restaurant's by-the-glass pour should be around the bottle's retail price.)

The first of the mains was a Royal Trumpet Mushroom atop a roasted potato galette in a pool of huckleberry-green peppercorn sauce with microgreens and a caramelized clementine crisp. With the mushroom being braised or poached, I wasn't sure it would hold up to the other more assertive flavors, but it worked surprisingly well -- lending a meaty texture and slight woodsy taste that complemented the latke-ish galette, celeryish greens, and the vibrant citrus & sauce that's fruity without being cloyingly sweet--the last of which I may have impolitely used bread to lap up long after everything else is gone.

The other entree in the tasting that was a black-pepper crusted tofu spaced with sweet potatoes, topped with toasted marcona almonds and an apricot glaze. Like the mushroom dish, it was a nice contrast of sweet, spicy and savory. I particularly love the combo of the intensely-fruity glaze against the piquant punch of the cracked peppercorns coating the tofu, which has a delightful crispy shell that quickly gives way to a luxuriously creamy interior. Last but not least, kudos to the accompanying vegetables, which still retained their integrity in flavor and texture (unlike many places that oversteam them to a soft & mushy, generic- & greyish- tasting goop.)

Following up was the cheese course featuring rectangular slices of Stilton with Port-poached figs a chocolate covered square of apple. In short, lots of intense flavors on one plate--from the funk of the bleu to the concentrated tangy-sweetness of the figs and the bittersweet dark chocolate--that I loved mixing and matching with. And to no surprise, the apple itself kind of got lost in the whirlwind of sharp tastes, but it did lend a pleasant crunch to the whole affair.

Desserts started with a poached pear brunoise in vanilla broth, topped with Belle de Brillet ice cream. Despite the plain color palette, this tasted heavenly - with an exquisite explosion of ripe, juicy pear aromas and flavors delightfully rounded out by the rich & comforting vanilla.

Afterwards was a deconstructed raspberry cheesecake of sorts, with a raspberry filled block of cheesecake coated in graham cracker crumbs accompanied by a graham cracker crisp and curls of dark chocolate. The cheesecake was solid (creamy, not-too-sweet, delicate tang with a punch of fruitiness) but felt a bit too cautious compared to the pear & vanilla. I almost want to invert the sweets order, favoring familiar to playful over light to heavy, so the final impression would be more of a bang.

But overall, Alizé certainly delivered on its promises, the ambience and views are amazing, the service polished and professional without being overbearingly fussy and a tasting menu that delightfully dances back and forth between comforting & curiosity-inducing dishes. And a definite top of my list as a recommendation for a "dinner to impress" in Las Vegas, and especially so for vegetarians & or even just veg-lovers... there aren't too many places where you'll find a tasting menu as dynamic and elegant as this one in the land of prime ribs, lobster tails and foie gras.

Alizé at the Top of the Palms

4321 W Flamingo Road

Las Vegas 89103

(702) 951-7000

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

No. 174: Le Saint Amour (Culver City)

When people ask me if going veggie is limiting on my eatery selection, my usual response has been "asides from sushi bars and steakhouses, not really." However, subconsciously, I kinda ruled out French restaurants too. Because really, not counting desserts, how many French vegetarian dishes can you name? Asides from ratatouille.

So I had mixed feelings upon accepting an invite to check out Le Saint Amour in Culver City, where unsurprisingly most of the dishes utilizes some form of meat, fowl or fish, and the menu furthermore boasts that the chef-owner Bruno Herve-Commereuc makes his own sausages, terrines and charcuterie items. Things seemed even grimmer when my plus-one, whom I asked to come along to provide an omnivore perspective, bowed out last minute for an emergency.

But what turns out to be a shocker is me having a hard time choosing between the promising vegetarian dishes available on the menu, and what two or three things I can order with my finite stomach space.

To help stall for time to make food decisions, I got a glass of Monmousseau sparkling rosé ($9) from the Loire Valley; another expectation blown out of water, as you can tell from its uncharacteristically copper hue, foreshadowing its markedly different flavor profile to most other blush bubblies; rather than smelling berry-forward & slightly toasty, this one is more like a poached pear with warm sweet spices and a bit of vanilla-honey-maple aromas too, something I'd expect more from a Cognac or a bourbon. Flavorwise, it had a touch of sweetness and a slightly heavier body but still enough acidity to make it a nice meal-starting sipper.

For starters, I contemplated getting their mozzarella & leek tarte flambé ~ but scared that the flatbread will be gianormous, I went for the more sensible-sounding burrata with tomato confit and pesto ($10) instead. And I am very pleased with the choice as this turned out to be amazing dish, the tomatoes were wonderfully ripe-tasting and so unbelievably sweet that I even asked co-owner Florence (Bruno's wife) if any sugar or syrup was added, which was an obvious 'No' (they've just been oven-roasted very slowly with a little olive oil and garlic, she replied.) Whereas a caprese salad might have needed some balsamic vinegar for the sweetness, here the caramelized sugars of the roasted tomatoes were enough to complement the garlicky-basily pesto and the creamy-richness of the burrata. Furthermore, the tomatoes were served atop crispy polenta triangles (better view here) which were a nice textural contrast against the everything else on the plate.

As main dish, I also faced a little tough choice -- deliberating between getting a salad, their penne with arugula and garlic confit or their trio of their side dishes. Opting for a little more variety, I went with the third option and got a side course plate of pomme frites, sauteed lentils and oyster mushrooms fricasee ($16).

Of the three, the third left the most remarkable impression, the oyster mushrooms had tons of woodsy flavor and a deceptively meaty texture (in fact, when it first arrived I thought there might've been chicken in the fricasee from appearance alone!) The lentils were a nice little surprise too, being used to lentils stewed to a mush in Indian restaurants, it was nice change of pace to get this firmer, sauteed version -- kind of like Israeli couscous in mouthfeel with an earthy, stewed black bean taste. Finally, the frites, lightly tossed with salt, garlic and parsley -- they were good and actually reminded me of SeriousEats' perfectly thin and crispy fries since they pretty much fulfilled every criteria. But my personal allegiance lies with the thicker, twice-fried frites like the ones at Wurstkuche or the fried-extra-long "well done" version at In 'n Out so these didn't wow me on their own. However, I discovered that I can DIY my own garlic fries by dipping these in the garlic-infused oil that the starter olives were soaking in (comes with bread service) so by the meal's end the plate was pretty much devoid of the taters too.

For dessert, I asked Florence to recommend her favorite from the menu and thus, I got the floating island ($8), a simple but elegant dessert with consisting of a meringue floating atop a sea of creme anglaise. No stranger to this dessert, I was pleased that the meringue was on soft, wet and whippy side like the topping of a lemon meringue pie as opposed to a hard & crumbly like macaron cookie or a pavlova--since this means I don't have to deal fragile pieces flaking and breaking off and getting soggy too fast. The anglaise itself, with little snakey ribbons of caramel, was also delightful -- a perfectly slurpable dessert soup that I kept spooning long after the meringue island is gone. If my adjacent tables were vacant, I might've even sucked out every last drop from the rim of the bowl. But alas, they weren't, so I stayed civil.

As I was sipping my espresso and going over my notes, I was also observing the number of French patrons this place attracted . . . even in the cozy patio that seats about 30 max, there were at least three four-tops where the customers spoke in complete French to Florence and the waitstaff. No stranger to ethnic dining in So Cal, this definitely speaks for the restaurant's authenticity as a brasserie, not to mention building a good enough loyalty amongst clientele that they feel comfortable enough to speak in their native tongue amongst each other and to the almost all-French crew. In the same brasserie vain, the prices here are very reasonable, with starters & wines by the glass around $10, entrees around $20 and desserts at $8.

And of course, the biggest endorsement I could make for a hosted meal is whether I would come back on my own dime, which I would happily do and actually looking forward to . . . even as a vegetarian. I can't wait find a plus-one to share that leek-mozzarella tart with and finally get that meat-eaters perspective, and I for one am already feeling the amour for that tomato confit and floating island.

What Do Others Say?
- Food, She Thought found "the concept is simple and lovely, the execution could be better" but still plans on a return trip
- Exilekiss said it "still needs to settle in and refine itself" but gave props for a few consistently solid dishes
- LA Foodblogging loved their bread and housemade charcuterie, finding it a "perfect place to settle down with a long, leisurely lunch and a glass of wine"
- Tomostyle "could go on and on, as I cannot contain my excitement" for this place's "true French bistro food in a true French bistro environment with true French staff and true French hospitality."
- LA Times' S. Irene gave it a lukewarm one star but does give "thanks to two hardworking French expats for bringing us a brasserie that celebrates typical French cuisine"
- LA Weekly's Jonathan Gold called it "Paris in Culver City" and a "decidedly useful bistro" with an "air of cheerful Parisian diffidence that is hard to manufacture."
- LA.com liked the food and that "the bar and waitstaff are almost entirely French [staffed], and not only that, but they are actually polite"
- Culver City Crossroads' Mary McGrath was impressed and said "it lives up to the reputation. It’s affordable, and there are no noses in the air."

Le Saint Amour
9725 Culver Blvd
Culver city, CA 90232
(310) 842-8155
Twitter

No. 165: Petrossian (West Hollywood)

Having been on my to-try for a while, I finally bit the bullet and headed to Petrossian after seeing many, many consistently positive reviews of the place (and because of the 30 percent off BlackboardEats coupon.) Even though the limelight's on their assorted caviar dishes, I heard they do an equally stellar job with their other Cali-French offerings too -- so I was definitely excited to check it out!

Joining me on this excursion was ConBon of Hey Hey Scenesters and self-proclaimed Jewtina Carina Ost (formerly of Uncouth Gourmands, but now with her own Mission:Fruition blog and moving to San Francisco!) Due to parking difficulties, my two dining compadres arrived 30 minutes late for our 11 a.m. brunch (we originally had a fourth too, but he bowed out entirely by text @ 11:15) but the server was most accomodating during my half-hour wait, even offering to refrigerate the slice of Sweet Lady Jane cake I got for Carina's going away.

After a quick scan through the menu (though I had plenty of time to peruse it,) we made our order. ConBon opted for the $69 caviar brunch, while Carina and I a la carted. Unfortunately, one of Carina's orders -- the caviar surprise -- fell through because Chef Benjamin Bailly isn't in yet, so she wound up swapping it for the steak frites upon the manager's recommendation.

To start, I got their Wild Mushroom Cappuccino ($10), which was quite a textural surprise with a frothy lightness I wouldn't expect from a soup, even a pureéd one. Equally unexpected was the flavor, which was pretty rich and deep with mushroom's woodsy-meatiness despite the airy feel.

Meanwhile, ConBon was having trouble with her 1925 caviar-egg salad sandwich, which was quickly becoming a "too much of a good thing" dish (especially so for a first course.) The four triple-decked half-sandwiches was brimming with egg salad, creme fraiche and caviar. She thought it was delicious at first, but it soon became overkill -- and she gave Carina a half-sandwich.

For part of my main, I got a Belgian Endive Salad w Fuji apples, cheddar cheese, candied pecans and a mignonette dressing ($14). Flavorwise this was spot-on, the slight bitterness of the endives were delectably balanced with the pecan's sweetness, the salty cheese and the tart dressing! My only grievance would be the size of the leaves... since I have a pet peeve against salads I have to use a knife on (thus you'll NEVER see me ordering a wedge salad,) and the endives were just slightly too big -- resulting in me trying to rapidly chomp them down to size while it's still partially sticking out of my mouth. As beautiful as whole Belgian endive leaves are, in a salad I wouldn't mind if they got a quick chopping to make them bite-sized for humans.

The salad wound up to be more than filling for me, so when my order of black truffle "mac 'n cheese" - sans the bacon - ($18) arrived, I was more than eager to share with ConBon and Carina. The bouncy, firm texture of the orrechiette was interesting initially and I definitely love the subtly noticeable aroma of the truffle pieces, but as the dish cooled it became significantly less appetizing, with the sauce congealing into a cheesy mealiness and the pasta becoming borderline gummy. Combined with our pretty full tummies, we left half the mac on the table and decided to spend our calories on other things. Though for the future, I make note that this "first course" is filling as an entree, and that I only have minutes to eat this while it's good and piping hot!

Meanwhile, ConBon barely finished half her caviar & smoked salmon bagel (and that's after giving half a bagel's worth to Carina) and couldn't even doggy bag the leftovers since we have a full day out and about town. Sadness for her indeed . . . (likewise, Carina didn't finish her steak frites -- again, what's with the crazy portions?)

Thankfully, the brunch ended on a pleasant final note with ConBon's exotic panna cotta w passion fruit and pop rocks, which she was more than happy to share. Having experienced this dessert with Caroline on Crack, it was just as fun the second time around. The sweet, creamy custard against the bright and tangy fruit and the fizzy and exploding candy pieces, like a champagne of desserts!

Despite the over-the-top portions and the occasional minor misses, brunch here was a delightful experience -- very conducive to relaxing and drawn-out conversations thanks to the attentive but not rushy service and the minimalistic black-and-white atmosphere with lots of softened sunlighting pouring through the windows and translucent curtains. It's definitely place worth re-visiting, though I'll definitely be more mindful about how much food to order (and that some dishes, such as the caviar sandwich and mac 'n cheese, are definitely meant for sharing only.) And hopefully Chef Bailly will be around next time too, since I heard he makes some pretty amazing impromptu tasting menus . . . and oh yeah, when I resume omnivorism.

Full flickr set here

Petrossian West Hollywood Boutique
321 North Robertson Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90048-2415
(310) 271-6300
Twitter for Petrossian
Twitter for Ben Bailly

No. 159: The Lido Deck (Newport Beach)

Above photo courtesy of I Nom Things

Thanks to a generous invite from the Lido Deck Restaurant arranged through their PR, my friends (including blogger pals I Nom Things, Hey Hey Scenesters, Gourmet Pigs, e*starLA and Rumdood) and I had an opportunity to check out the recently-opened Newport Beach restaurant (which used to be Blanca, where I met I Nom Things, Rumdood and Gourmet Pigs and numerous other foodbloggers for the first time via Foodbuzz-arranged dinner.)

While the original plan was to have an dockside dinner experience at the Lido Marina Village, the cold and sprinkly rain shifted the meal indoors--probably to the relief of my camera-touting, and light-craving, dining companions.

But the biggest surprise of all was what Chef Don Schoenburg (formerly of Leatherby's Cafe Rouge and Tradition by Pascal) planned for us that evening, namely a nine-course tasting extravaganza--which none of us had expected on a Wednesday evening. Their PR did indicate it'll be a chef's choice dinner, but I was thinking maybe five courses and not nearly double that (and that's if you consider multi-component dishes as one "course," which you'll soon see.)

The culinary theme of this restaurant and wine bar is tricky to pinpoint but it works surprisingly well, reflected in the dishes such as a marinated calamari salad with kalamata olives and heirloom tomatoes, cinnamon-rubbed pork loin with red mole and polenta and braised rabbit roulade with chanterelles, mushrooms, asparagus tips and celery root puree. If I absolutely have to attach a cuisine label, based on ingredients and techniques used I would say primarily Cal-French with a good dose of Mediterranean and Latin-American influences.

And while all nine courses are solid in their own right, the five below are the most memorable to me, and dishes I'd love forward to ordering again . . .

Paté and Cheese Platter - this isn't your ordinary charcuterie of salami, sopressata and jamons -- but their housemade duck and olive pate, pork and tarragon terrine and rabbit rillette, served alongside a variety of amazing cheeses (a crystalline 18 month-old Gouda and a complex, layered Spanish tres leches [from goat, sheep and cow milks] among them,) is absolutely rocking. Even friends squeamish about trying exotic meats can't help grabbing extra forkfuls of the rabbit rillettes. And I love combo-ing the cheeses with the different accompaniments (particularly the honeycomb and pickled onions.)

Chili-Smoked Shrimp w Brown Sugar-Chili Rub w Mango Gastrique and Mango Sorbet - A definite standout in taste and style; a perfectly cooked shrimp is rubbed with brown sugar and chipotle and ancho chili powders and served alongside a fruity sauce and sorbet. I was ooohing and aaahing with every chew as I'm hit with a sublime combination of spice, smoke, sweet and tang, further accentuated but the hot-cold contrast between the shrimp and the sorbet. When I asked Chef Schoenburg about the inspiration for this dish, so vastly different than anything else that night, he noted he created it as a upscaled bar snack that's tasty and encourages diners to drink more beer, which I can totally see happening. But regardless of whether (and how much) you drink, this is a must-try bite!

Seared Day Boat Scallop w Braised Wild Boar Bacon and Escarole, Black Truffle Jus and Dijon Mustard Foam - pure comfort in a bowl, every aspect of this dish just warms the soul and the stomach: perfectly seared scallop with an ever-so-thin layer of crackly crispiness yielding to a luscious, creamy interior and accented with just a hint of mustard, thick sliced bacon and tender escarole with flavors cranked up a serious notch from the braising liquids and the truffle jus. Definitely will defy any pre-conceived notions of the ubiquitous "bacon-wrapped scallop."

Venison Tenderloin, Cauliflower Puree, Chanterelle and Black Trumpets, Honey Glazed Cipollinis and a "Zinfandel Paint" - another not-so-common meat that some dinner guests were initially skeptical of (or, as we joked around the table, "now that we've had thumper and bambi, I hope flower's not coming next!") that turned out splendidly. The venison has the flavor and texture of an unweaned baby lamb, just a smidgen of gaminess and absolutely tender and juicy. The mushrooms were wonderfully meaty and I loved what the honey glaze did to the already-sweet onions. If there was one thing we felt bad about, it's leaving so much venison on the plate because we've already feasted on seven other courses by the time this arrived!

And of course, the sweets here, prepared by pastry chef Christi Carter, definitely deserved its own special kind of applause. This "single course" actually consisted of four desserts: a brioche French Toast with roasted bananas and pineapples, a flourless chocolate cake, a trio of gelato and sorbets (one nestled in a sugar cage) and a medjool date cake with black pepper toffee caramel. All were great, but the first and last ones were definitely the crowd favorites. Really, who can resist a breakfast sweet as dinner dessert? And the date cake is like a new-and-improved sticky toffee pudding that's less heavy and cloyingly sweet. Despite exclamations of "I'm too full to eat any more desserts" I still saw spoonfuls being snuck as Chefs Don and Christi talked to us. Personally, I didn't even vocalize the "can't have another bite" pretense and kept digging right in.

Talking to Chefs Schoenburg and Carter after the dinner, I can really tell the passion and love they're putting into this new restaurant, and trying to bring a newer kind of dining to the O.C. - where guests can have a few small bar bites to go with their wines or beers, or enjoy an elegant meal without breaking the bank (their 3-course dinner prix-fixes are $38, $55 with wine--not shabby at all!) And as the days get longer and warmer, there's that absolutely gorgeous waterfront view (and for those who actually want to be dining in the water, for $100 you can get a gondola cruise around the harbor and a multi-course picnic meal!)

And while they admitted business have been slow since Valentine's Day, I'm sure as the days get longer and sunnier a lot more folks will take advantage of their marinafront space for a refreshing al fresco meal with a gorgeous view to boot, and I plan on being one of them later this year!

The Lido Deck & Wine Bar
3420 Via Oporto, Suite 101
Newport Beach, CA
949.673.9500
Chef Schoenburg's twitter

Special Foodventure #154: Cafe Pierre (Manhattan Beach)

As far as food goes, Manhattan Beach had never been high on my radar of destinations; if I was taking an association test, mention of the city will trigger 1) invites from high school & college acquaintances to join them on a drunken caravan and barhop all over the downtown district (invites that I've always declined, btw) 2) the 24-hour Kettle as a Plan B C D if I absolutely needed to grab grub in some crazy time of night in the LAX area 3) fond memories of coordinating and promoting my client's first booksigning when I did freelance PR and 4) a place that leaves me counting down to actual food destinations further south on the 405 such as the Torrance/Gardena Japantown.

So it was quite a surprise when I received a press release (and later, an invite) to Cafe Pierre, headed by Remi Lauvand smack in the middle of downtown MB, alternately between "Really? There?" and "Well, I guess if any neighborhood is need of a fine-dining establishment -- that'd be it!" Since I was no stranger to Remi's tasty creations when was working at Citrus at Social, I accepted the invite to check out the restaurant and what he's bringing to the menu.

Upon my arrival, I was a bit puzzled about why a throng of bloggers were invited to begin with - the place was packed on a Thursday! When I asked their PR about this, I was told that Cafe Pierre has quickly become a neighborhood favorite (confirming my "filling the fine dining niche" theory) but the restaurant is looking to expand their range of clientele, a.k.a. younger foodies from other neighborhoods like me, who wouldn't have been inclined to stop by Manhattan Beach to eat, let alone make a destination out of it. Taking another look at the tables, they do seem more of the olders, locals crowd.

But, onto the food -- which there were lots of! Between family-styling six housemade meat jars, six appetizers, six entrees AND five desserts, I was left worried for my ever expanding belly, and didn't know whether the Cafe Pierre kitchen wanted to showcase a wide range of different things they do well, or if they're taking a scattershot approach and hope that a few good dishes will hit and stick (which sounds bad but is pretty understandable when hosting a diverse group of bloggers, all with their own taste preferences.)

With the exception of one dish (the jarred sardines, with pinbones galore that made it too troublesome to eat) the dishes I had were positive. Now, of the dishes I can't wait to return and order again . . .

Jarred head cheese and pig trotters - while others were gaga over the foie gras parfait w quince confit and spiced bread (good, I'll admit) I was more impressed by these two jarred pork products: a great combo of savoriness, fattiness and tenderness - a profile I associate more with thick-cut pork belly.

Jude Becker's acorn fed hog duo (sausage, short rib) - FoodGPS and Sinosoul did a better job at capturing what makes this dish so good, the only thing I'd reiterate/add is that this dish really reflects the quality and care that went into raising the pigs, resulting in beautifully-flavored and unbelievably-well-marbled meat (several at our table thought we got pork belly because of the striations of fat, but I already took note that what we got was boneless short rib.)

Black sea bass with braised endives, glazed carrots and orange zest - this dish stood out primarily because it's so clean and light compared to all the other heavy dishes on the table, but I also love what the hint of orange did to jazz and brighten up an otherwise simple dish.

70-hour braised short rib (no photo, sorry) - Yes, braised short ribs are pretty easy to make -- but there are versions that are just good, and then there are stellar variety, and I fondly remembered the 36-hour version that Remi offered up at Citrus. While I can't tell whether doubling the braising time made the ribs twice as tasty, the version here was definitely solid, comforting stuff; the beef was remarkably tender, juicy and deliciously saturated with the red wine reduction. The fries were a nice spin and a welcoming textural contrast from the usual mashed potato that typically accompanys this dish.

Baba au rhum w slow-poached pineapples - the most distinctive of the desserts offered, I also loved this best since it was light-yet-substantial, satisfying my sweet fix without weighing me down (as if all the meaty dishes beforehand haven't already done that.)

Thankfully, the price-point at Cafe Pierre is very reasonable (a typical dinner is ~$50/person,) especially with their ever-changing, market-driven prix-fixe, approximately $35 for three courses.

And with all the dishes I can't wait to re-discover, along with new ones I'm eager to try (wild boar ragu with papardelle and portabella! the braised rabbit with gnocchi and wild shrooms!) I do say I AM looking forward to this Manhattan Beach **destination** for future feastings. And maybe finally check out Simmzy's nearby too!

Full flickr set here - better yet, check out weezermonkey's post for some gorgeous photos; and here's LAist's take on the jarred meats

Cafe Pierre
317 Manhattan Beach Blvd
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
310.545.5252
Website
Twitter for restaurant
Twitter for Chef Remi

Special Foodventure #142: Dining Around South Coast Plaza (Costa Mesa)

When one thinks of good food, "mall restaurant" isn't exactly something to jumps to mind. Let alone a mall restaurant in Orange County (I know I know, I'm LA & OC foodie -- and, yes, they are plenty of good eats in Orange County, but by now I'm unphased by newly-met acquaintances' first reaction to my blog, something along the lines of "You go down to the OC to eat?! What exactly is down there?")

So, with awareness of the uphill battle that lies ahead, the PR and marketing folks behind South Coast Plaza invited a dozen or so bloggers and journalists to check out the various eateries, hopefully elevating the shopping center and the county's food cred. And, having already had a plesant meal at Marché Modern in the past and curious about checking out Charlie Palmer and Pizzeria Ortica, I accepted their generous, and gluttonous, offer.

Since I pull a 9-to-5, I was unable to check out their first stop at Hamamori around 3 p.m. and joined everyone else at the NapaStyle shop, where we sampled some of their signature salts, olive oils alongside wines from Michael Chiarello's winery. All of them were pleasant and quite a bit of a surprise, actually. The wines, made from big red varietals like petit syrah and zinfandel (and named after his family), were shockingly smooth and silky and easy-to-drink right out of the bottle. Meanwhile, the various nuances that were coaxed out of the different salts and the oils will definitely disarm notions of what salt and olive oil should taste like (personally, I was most fond of the intense, zingy Hawaiian red salt while the majority of the others were ga-ga overed the truffle-infused one.)

Afterwards, we were taken to Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's, where we were led into their chic basement wine cellar for a few cocktails while the sommelier demonstrated CP's e-wine-menu, which slices and dices their wine selection pretty much any way you want (by region, varietal, price-point, paired cuisine, etc.) to find that perfect glass. The drinks definitely impressed, being a wonderful mix of flavors driven by quality spirits and fresh fruits and herbs. My favorite "tastings" included the Blackberry Beso (which I dubbed "Gin Thyme" before I had a chance to see the menu) and the Spicy Seduction, with Ketel One vodka, peppers, citrus with a candied jalapeno (a hot drink in more ways than one!)

And I'm definitely glad to find out about their happy hours, when all cocktails, beers and wines by the glass are half-priced from 4-7p and 10p-closing every day! I felt the cocktails were worth their $14 price tag, but $7 is a definite deal for something so fresh and handcrafted.

Shortly after drinks came the "small plates tasting" -- though the publicist forewarned us that the kitchen's interpretation of small is usually anything but. Sure enough, exec. chef Amar Santana (whose voice bears a semblance to Wolfgang Puck's) sent out quite a few plates of food, from sliders to crispy risotto cakes to steamed mussels with saffron aioli. My personal faves were the bone marrow with sweet raisin marmalade and the burrata with arugula pesto and roasted baby tomatoes (I actually liked the tomatoes more than the cheese!)

Lastly, desserts and coffee at Marche Moderne, and we were treated to several sweets, nothing that I'd complain about, including delicate green tea and apricot macarons and a sugar-coated beignet with orange creme anglaise. Adequately hypered up from all that sugar and caffeine, I drove back home to sleep with sweet dreams (many other bloggers actually took the PR folks' offer on a night's stay at the SCP Westin.)

Next morning I woke up early, got my workout in vain hopes of undoing some of the previous night's caloric damage, then headed back down in time a continental breakfast at the rustic-yet-refined looking Pinot Provence. The spread, which included a popular smoked salmon plate that disappeared almost instantaneously, was decent, and we had a good time listening to exec. chef Lauren (Lu Lu) De Rouen talk about her culinary career and journeys while waiting for the coffee to jolt us awake on Saturday at 9 a.m.

Following the eye-opening meal, we stopped by Pizzeria Ortica, David Myers' place of much acclaim, for a pasta-making session. Exec. chef/partner Steve Samson and pizza/sous chef Zach Pollack pretty much demonstrated how pastas are made from start to finish, making the process of dough-making, rolling, folding, filling, storing AND cooking look like a breeze (though I'm sure if I tried to replicate at home my own kitchen I will just wound up with a floury mess of nuclear fallout proportions.) But at least I learned that if you're going to make up a pasta name, say it confidence (and possibly a mock Italian accent!)

Obviously, the best part of all this is tasting the resulting pastas; the one I adored the most was the sweet-nutty-savory pear-pecorino raviolis with a brown butter-sage sauce (right). Very subtle and very sublime.

And since the place IS called Pizzeria Ortica, we couldn't get away without trying a slice. So the gracious Zach lit up the wood-fired oven and popped up a couple of marvelous margherita pizzas with a lovely crust that's crispy char on outside and chewy within.

Since so many of us are LA foodbloggers, the OC restaurants were well aware that this is one of few chances to leave an impression with us -- which meant more food swag than I've ever received before, ranging from beans, a half-bottle of wine and a T-shirt at Pizzeria Ortica, a canister of gray salt and a bottle of blood orange-infused olive oil at NapaStyle, macarons from Marche Moderne and a $25 gift card for a return visit at Charlie Palmer (I'm barely scratching the surface here!)

And, as an added perk to get folks to swing down and share the word, the SCP folks also extended $100 gift cert offers for frequent live-tweets and prompt post-event blogging. Being a bit erratic with both, I already knew I wouldn't be timely or regular enough to qualify (tweeted less than 10 times throughout my stops -- and WAY past overdue with the blogging), but wound up getting extended the offer anyways. So there's THAT extra long disclaimer for you.

But wrapping it up, I know OC foodies who seriously make frequent drives up to LA for fine dining and never bat an eye at some of these places, which I dare say hold their own against some of the LA restaurants of similar style, ambience and price-point (and in some cases, even better quality for the value!) And even though we were treated to every meal here, I'm definitely left with positive enough an impression to make a return trip to do a foodventure on my own dime.

And you can certainly expect me to be that person to go "Well, not exactly . . ." the next time someone decides to unilaterally bash on mall eats. Ditto for the person who gives me the "What's there to eat in the O.C.?"

P.S. Thanks to E*star for saving my butt with the NapaStyle and Charlie Palmer cocktails photos, inadvertently lost about a 100 when uploading (and forgetting to double-check before deleting from camera... *sigh*) But the rest of my photos on flickr here.

P.P.S. speaking of other bloggers, here are a few other reports on the same excursion (including that Hamamori first stop that I missed) from E*star, FoodGPS, Gourmet Pigs, Pleasure Palate and Cork&Rind

Napa Style
3333 Bear St
Costa Mesa, CA
714.825.0445

Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdales
3333 S Bristol St
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714.352.2525

Marché Moderne
3333 Bristol St
Ste 3001
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714.434.7900

Pinot Provence
686 Anton Blvd
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714.444.5900

Pizzeria Ortica
650 Anton Blvd
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
714.445.4900