No. 189: Lou [on Vine] (Hollywood)

Lou on Vine has been languishing in my list of places to try for a while. A casual-chic wine bar in the most unexpected setting (the less glitzy parts of Hollywood, in a strip mall and next to a laundromat,) it sets the benchmark for a wine bar that's unpretentious, casual and adventurous with a smallish menu of comforting yet mildly eccentric bites. And soon approaching its fifth year anniversary, surely a good sign.

So when Conbon proposed checking Lou out for their $55/person wine-paired Monday supper w our mutual friend Mr Grumpy, I immediately agreed.

To start off, we shared a plate of the Pig Candy that they are so famous for: pieces of thick-sliced bacon coated in brown sugar and cayenne for a curious combo of sweet, savory and spicy. But like many sweet-savory dishes, it was a fun little trick on my tastebuds but got boring quickly, so I was glad I splitted this already smallish dish--the equivalent of one and a half strips. Nonetheless, glad to finally taste what all the hoopla's about.

Our first official course of the Monday supper was oyster stew, inspired by the Oyster Bar @ NYC's Grand Central Station and definitely a foreigner of a soup in Los Angeles, a city still obsessed over pureéd soups w a monotonous consistency resembling warmed baby food. The stew here was a delightful coupling of contradictions . . . lusciously milky yet still dainty & delicate, with the ever-so-subtle flavors of the sweet, succulent oysters, the occasional tangy pop of the cherry tomato half and the aromatic sprinkling of chives & coarse black pepper -- co-existing in a sensual harmony. It was also a beautiful pairing with Domaine Rolet Cotes du Jura Oak-aged Chardonnay, which on its own was a bit too puckery and funky for my tastes (especially as a first wine) but was a wonderful complement against the mildly rich and slightly savory soup.

Still basking in the comfort of the soup, we were presented with the main dish - Niman Ranch hanger steak seared medium-rare with wild mushrooms, romanesco broccoli, Tepary beans and what I think is a basic pan gravy. I do believe this is my first steak since my vegetarian days, and boy do I remember what I missed--this piece of beef was simply divine. Juicy, just tender enough and bursting with meaty flavor--so impeccably seasoned and seared it hardly needs the sauce, which was practically liquid umami. The vegetables were tasty too but I wished there were more of it (my plate had only four romanesco cones and only a smattering of shrooms,) and the beans remind me of Indian lentils but were a great conduit for that tasty gravy.

With something a dish like this, the pairing of the Rhoney Domaine Viret Solstice VII wasn't a surprise. Bold with muskiness & leathery tannins, it stood up well against the beefy steak and savory gravy, which in turn opened up the berry and flowery characteristics of this wine. Talk about putting the dynamic in biodynamic (which this wine is -- and according to Lou's blogpost, the farming practices for this vineyard "makes [other] biodynamics look like a Monsanto sponsored experiment.")

After the big n bold course and wine, we were taken back to a lighter side with an undressed salad of frisee, apple, walnut and Big Woods blue cheese. The cheese itself felt like a cross between a gorgonzola and an aged cheddar, having that ripened nutty tang, a fairly firm texture and the occasional streak of assertive blue spunk, nicely complemented by the delicate, faintly bitter greens, crisp and sweet apple wedge and crunchy nuts. The wine, a Auslese Riesling from Bert Simon, was rich, full-bodied and sweet, with peachy-apple and gasoliney notes that weirdly played very well with the salad.

Finishing off our meal was a simple stacked dessert of sponge cake, whipped cream, slivered almonds and chocolate ganache. The ganache itself is definitely infused with orange, and the cream had a tinge of almond. The dessert was just 'not bad' mainly because it had "straight out of the fridge" feel -- unusually cool, bordering on stale. I can totally see why this place, with a presumably small kitchen, would pre-prep its desserts especially for a prix-fixe night, but wish they'd work with something that would be easier to make ahead, store and serve instantly (say... a pot de creme, panna cotta or a tiramisu?)

The other off part of the night came when we paid our bill (w separate cards & cash) where the server interpreted "the rest in cash" as "*keep* the rest in cash." While we really wanted only $5 in change and still leaving about $30 in tip, it was a unexpected service faux pas. But we didn't press for the money back.

Despite the two final mishaps (guess they haven't read up much on the peak-end rule,) I still found my supper at Lou a relaxing, pleasant and overall delicious experience that's a worthwhile bang for the buck. Now that I've tried the pig candy, I don't feel compelled to have to order it again next time around, but I do look forward to checking out more of their eclectic wines and maybe give them a second chance with the sweets.

Lou (on Vine)
724 Vine Street
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323.962.6369
Twitter

No. 185: AMMO (Hollywood)

AMMO Restaurant is like a security blanket--comfortable, warming. Having been in business since 1996 (ancient by LA standards,) it's been dishing out farm-fresh fare with just a smidgen of contemporary-urban twist for nearly 15 years. With its Hollywood location (on Highland just north of Santa Monica,) it's the place that "the biz" comes to when they want tire of the haute, high-brow (and high priced!) dining and just want something homely and familiar. Indeed, on busier days you may see some screenplays dangling precariously on the edge the two-tops, sunglass-donning agents and producers talking shop at the bar while downing their obligatory three martinis, and maybe even a famous face now and again. But I digress...

Going off that seasonal-and-simple approach to food, earlier this year AMMO launched their Sunday Roast, a three-course, $32 prix-fixe that highlights the produce of the season. I loved the concept when it started and when they did a vegetarian-friendly menu a few weeks back, I immediately made plans to go, joined in the 11th hour by vegetarian-turned-sensitive omnivore Andy of The Windattack (after a little wine tasting @ nearby Domaine LA with Dishing Up Delights.)

The regular dinner menu is served too, but our eyes immediately honed in on the prix-fixe. So we quickly placed our order and was served this gorgeous & tasty bread duo of tarragon semolina & herbed flatbread. Wonderful with a dab in the olive oil, they were perfectly season, with the herbs perfectly accenting the freshly baked bread aromas.

Our first course is a warm mushroom salad with bitter greens and brown butter croutons in a vinagrette dressing. A delightful balance of different flavors and textures, but I can definitely taste freshness throughout. Andy in particular loved that the greens in this salad are carefully chosen (arugula, radicchio, frisee) and not just a random mish-mash of different "mixed greens" lettuces. Indeed, after he pointed it out I noticed how I appreciated how the slight bitter flavor offset the richness of the roasted mushrooms & the oily-acidity of the dressing.

For our mains, vegetable pot pie with lemon & thyme -- oh can it get any more comforting than this? Farm-fresh vegetables (carrots, onions, potatoes, corn, broccoli and parsnips!) swimming in a delightful gravy under a golden, flaky crust that spilled over the bowl. Again, what we loved is the amazing flavor these veggies packed ("this carrot tastes so carroty!") and how the comparatively thin lemon & thyme gravy help rounded off some of the richness inherent in a pot pie. And even though we were beyond full, it didn't stop us from finishing this oversized "personal" pot pie... or using the last of our bread to sop up the stray veggie pieces and the puddle of gravy.

Desserts came in the form of roasted black mission figs baked in brioche in a pool of vanilla bean creme anglaise. a.k.a. what Fig Newton aspires to be as an adult. So simple and straightforward, yet so sophisticated too. The figs are the stars here, and they didn't disappoint--bursting with flavorful, sweet juiciness--so heavenly once I started I didn't even pause to take a photo of the interior. The brioche had a caramelized exterior and semi-cakey texture within and were perfect for soaking up that anglaise.

As we rolled out of AMMO with our bloated bellies, I realized I didn't seee any Hollywoody types throughout dinner. But such stellar ingredients that shone through with such simple-yet-elegant preparation, who needs a celebrity cameo to detract from that?

AMMO (click here to learn about their next Sunday Roast menu)
1155 North Highland Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 467-3293
Twitter

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

Special Foodventure #125: The Hungry Cat (Hollywood) Crabfest V

I can find two things wrong with The Hungry Cat's name; there are no cats at the restaurant, and no one leaves hungry. Case-in-point: CrabFest this past Sunday, an annual crustacean-ladened tradition five years running that's simply good summertime fun.

Knowing how fast reservations for this once-a-year event get filled, the day it was announced I just made a reservation for a table of six without even knowing who I'll be eating with. And it didn't take long for those empty seats to be filled with blogging friends Mattatouille, Choisauce, Gourmet Pigs, and ConBon -- as well as Gourmet Pig's +1 and Rickmond of Rameniac (yes, that's seven total -- thankfully I was able to up my reservation by one without much trouble.)

And so, at 11 a.m., the doors opened and we feasted . . .

The Hungry cat is well-known for their farmers-market-driven cocktail program, so I indulged in a brunch time Black-Eyed Plum made with cachaca muddled with plum and basil with a splash of lime. It's like summer in a cup, wistfully refreshing with clean, balanced flavors; I can taste the individual components -- the bright limes, the sweet-juicy plums, aromatic basil and edgy nibble of the cachaca -- without any single one dominating the drink. Definitely one I look forward to recreating at home while the weather's still warm and stone fruits are still in season.

Our meal began with a crab roll amuse, a simply-dressed lump crabmeat salad on top of a toasted butter bun. A little bit messy to eat with the crab on top of the bread as opposed to being stuffed inside, but nicely made -- it wasn't overly mayoed-up so the sweetness of the crabmeat still shone through, with little acceptable pops of pepper, onion and celery notes. I could've done with a little less bread but the ratio isn't too off-sync.

Next came the "Pride of Baltimore" crab soup with grilled bacon-fat cornbread: given its near-ruby, somewhat-opaque color I was initially afraid there's gonna be too much tomato in the soup, but that turned out to be not the case. The soup is very stock-driven, as the photo show, has lots of crab meat merrily swimming in it. The actual vegetal notes were mild and a nice complement, as were the occasional salty bacon pieces floating within. The grilled corn bread is wonderful on its own or soaked with the soup, and I actually liked that there were pieces of chile pepper embedded within for an ever-so-slight hint of heat.

Moving onto more substantial crab dishes, our third course is a whole pan-roasted soft-shell crab on top of a bed of haricot verts, pancetta and corn. Again, going with the "less is more" theme, there wasn't much in the way of seasoning and sauces, which let the quality of each ingredient come forth: the crispy, meaty crab to the hearty pieces of bacon and the sweet corn and beans. Towards the end though, I felt the dish was a bit too heavy as the roasted crab juices and grease got soaked up by the veggies -- thankfully, having finished my cocktail, I got a glass of Port Brewing 3rd Anniversary IPA -- a refreshing, hop-forward brew that really cut through all that fat!

We were also served side dishes of jean's marinated tomato & pecorino cheese plate and their potato salad at this time. Even though originally they were meant to accompany the steamed crabs, I think it's great they came out now while we still can use utensils as opposed to having to switch back-and-forth when we go hands-on with the steamy suckers. Again, overall it was nice -- the potato version is again easy on the binder so not too heavy, and I loved the super-juicy, super-flavorful marinated heirloom tomatoes that the semi-soft, mild-flavored pecorino foiled nicely against.

And three course later (and I'm already feeling satiated), the main show . . .

THE STEAMED CRABS! Lovely-looking, coral-colored and comparatively large Maryland blues topped with specks of their house-blended seasoning.

We wasted no time grabbing our mallets and tearing these babies apart for their succulent, sweet flesh and the fatty, flavorful innards (which, like a good uni, yields a "taste of the sea") accented wonderfully with Chef Lentz's version of Old Bay Seasoning. I also liked these crabs much more than the one from CrabFest two years back, possibly because they are not doing all-you-can-eat this year, so Chef Lentz can pay a little more attention to them and not hurriedly trying to steam and whip out as many as possible (us having an early reservation there also helped before the restaurant got packed with crab cracking customers!) And even six crabs a person were plenty enough (and more than enough for a few of us, who wound up doggy bagging the uncracked leftovers.)

And if you're not squeamish and truly interested in the carnage we wreaked upon those crustaceans, click here. (And that's after our table was partially-bussed!)

More-than-full from more than seven crabs, I was actually happy to see that the dessert is a modest portion of peach crisp. The dessert, surprisingly, is only "not bad" -- It would've been better if it was served warm instead of chilled, though given that they had to pre-prep the sweets given their small kitchen and large number of attendees, I could've overlooked the temperature; however, the peaches were a bit overcooked to nearly mush-like consistency, and it was oddly spiced like a pumpkin pie, a marked departure from the purer tastes of earlier dishes. The crumble part, however, was great.

Despite the lackluster last note, we had a splendid three hours with good food, great conversations and just a fun time really getting messy without having to worry about the table cleanup (though we did spill quite a few glasses of water!) Definitely worth the $60/person pricetag (plus $10 for the cocktail and $6 for the beer) as I am thoroughly stuffed for the rest of the day and even skipped dinner no problemo!

I am already setting aside my June 2010 Sundays aside for its much-anticipate return!

What Do Others Say About the CrabFest?
- Eater L.A. thought it was "total summer perfection" in 2008
- Oishii Eats & Co. had "a gluttonous victory" (back when it was all-you-can-eat) in 2007
- TasteBuzz got to "keep on crabbing" at 2007, wound up eating eight steamed ones before "rolling out"

The Hungry Cat
1535 North Vine
Hollywood, CA
323-462-2155
Website

Special Foodventure #103: Palm Terrace Restaurant (Newport Beach)

If I knew DineLA restaurant weeks were going to be extended and that Orange County Restaurant Week was rolling around the corner, I probably would've just dined at one place during Newport Beach Restaurant Week. Alas, having foresight as myopic/hyperopic/astigmatic as my actual vision - I decided to check out another restaurant; after scanning the menus, I chose Palm Terrace -- the menu looked solid and interesting at the same time (particularly the curiosity-sparking "Caesar Fondue" starter) so I wrangled my friend Khoi for dinner here on the last day of NB resto week.

Located in the Island Hotel -- next to the Fashion Island mall -- the Palm Terrace has that "hotel restaurant" look; it's hard to accurately pinpoint, but I just get the feeling that it's more a venue for business lunches, catered event affairs or for hotel guests to have an upscale meal as opposed to being a destination dinner place. The decor / ambience felt pretty standard if a tad sterile: cloth-covered tables with cushy chairs and boothes, modern-elegant china- and glasswares, with the abundant tropical touches, such as painted palm fronds, to stay in character with the restaurant and hotel theme.

The environment might have that hotel restaurant feel, the initial service and bites definitely disarmed that. The bread service was fairly impressive; we were given our choice of five different warm rolls (I had a pretzel mini-baguette first, then a cheese roll later) and surprisingly, we were served an amuse . . .

. . . of seared tuna with a tomato-y juice with microgreens. Ultimately, I liked the gesture more than the bite. The tuna, with a little bright acidity from the juice, was alright, but wasn't really a nice little delight that an amuse should be.

Next up is a trio of appetizers, a tortilla soup, the caesar fondue and their signature mac 'n cheese. I started with the soup, which is one of the better-made versions. It could've been spicier, but I appreciated the smokiness and that this is not oversalted (a regular occurrence with soups, particularly if they've been left simmering too long). For the "fondue", I was underwhelmed to find out it's merely long romaine leaves and an elongated parmesan crouton partly submerged in caesar dressing, but the taste was solid and it was a little bit fun to be eating a salad with my hands (and I can see it being a tasty and somewhat healthy entertaining / catering idea.) The mac and cheese was fairly well made (though I could be biased since there's truffle oil involved), but the taleggio cheese sauce could be thicker. Overall, a fairly ambitious gamut of starters and with the mild exception of the "fondue", it pretty much delivered on its promises.

For my entree, I got their prime beef short ribs braised with rum & pepper for 30 hours with potatoes and Irvine Ranch vegetables. While a few slices of these were too fatty, overall I adore these ribs -- the combo of the marbling and the long braising made them fork-splittably tender and full for rich beefy flavor with little delightful peaks of peppercorn notes. The plain-mashed potatoes were decent, and I liked the variety of vegetables and that all of them were well-cooked, tender and fresh-tasting. (Khoi had nice things to say about his salmon entree too, which I snuck a bite of and agreed it was indeed pretty delicious.)

Concluding our meal is a Valrhona Chocolate Obsession - a ganache cake with a gianduja crust, candied-pecan coated caramel ice cream with drizzles of creme anglaise and chocolate sauces. Deeply satisfying for a chocoholic like me, it's an endless wave of rich cocoa flavors, highlighting what a difference using a high-quality chocolate like Valrhona makes compared to the run-of-the-mill generic brands. The ganache was wonderfully complemented with vanilla from the anglaise and the nutty caramel from the ice cream, with a nice crisp-and-crunch factor from the crust, the artsy cookie swirl, and the bits of candied pecans. I'm tempted to come back here just to taste this again.

And I just might after finding out that for the entire February, they're doing a Dessert Buffet event -- yes... all-you-can-eat sweets, for $18/person or for free if you order two or more courses for dinner.

Another nice surprise that came with the bill, along with a mignardise of their housemade truffles, is that by bringing back the menu -- I can enjoy the Newport Beach Restaurant Week bargain again for this month at the same discounted price of $35. In my opinion, it's a decent discount from their regular menu prices and for any of you interested - let me know and I'll send along my copy of the menu so you can have an opportunity to check it out at that price too. And of course, tell me how your prix-fixe meal turn out afterwards. (Update: menu's already been claimed!)

And in my 20/20 hindsight, I'm very glad I didn't bail on trying this place out.

What Do Others Say?
Gayot considers the mac 'n cheese a standout and gave it 15/20
And more four-star love from the Yelperocracy
OC Weekly called exec. chef Bracken's menu "part Asian, part European and part American, but all innovation"

Palm Terrace Restaurant at the Island Hotel
690 Newport Center Dr
Newport Beach, CA 92660
(949) 760-4920
Restaurant Website

Flickr set here

My picks for upcoming DineLA restaurant weeks

Mushroom Vacherin and Michel's Chocolate Bar from Appetite Stimulus Dinner at Citrus @ Social

Mark those calendars, folks. DineLA's restaurant weeks are coming back! From Jan. 25 - 30 and Feb. 1 - 6, a good number of LA and OC restaurants will be offering special prix-fixe menus at a discount (compared to ordering the items a la carte). Quite a few of them are doing a repeat of the recent Opentable Appetite Stimulus Plan menu (Citrus @ Social for example, has one nearly identical to appetite stimulus.)

As my foodblogging friend Binary Tastebuds pointed out, with the DineLA menu one's probably not going to get the authentic experience of the restaurant since they'll mass-producing these pre-set meals, but it's good for at least getting a taste and an idea of how that restaurant's food is going to be without a big a hole in the wallet.

The pricing plan for this year's resto week is a bit different too--instead of a $15/25 lunch and $22/34 dinner; it's a three-tiered system of $16/22/28 for lunch and $26/34/44 for dinner with most of the better-known places on the $28/$44 end.

As for me, there are literally a dozen of restaurants that look interesting -- if I had to pick a few to check out this year, it'd be these four:

Water Grill - well-known for its fresh seafood, I've yet to dine at this downtown institution of a restaurant. The fish-dominated menu here includes some creative items such as cucumber rolled spicy big eye tuna with hearts of palm puree, ruby grapefruit and tobiko and grilled Columbia River white sturgeon with coriander spiced yam, rapini, baby roasted beets, pearled barley and oregano, so definitely looking forward to it.

The Bazaar by Jose Andres at SLS - I've only been here for drinks so far (nicely made, for most part) so it'll be nice to check out some of the creative small plates this place has to offer. No menu posted up yet but it looks promising based on previous reviews.

Akasha - Like nearby Beacon, I love the east-west influences of their menu, including Big Tree Farms wild pepper scallops with forbidden black rice risotto, edamame puree and baby bok choy and Masala spiced wild shrimp with local greens, pistachios pickled onions and yogurt-tomato chutney. And of course, it's great knowing that Akasha tries to buy locally and organic whenever possible.

Angeli Caffe - the only restaurant of the "cheap" tier that popped out at me, it has a pretty basic but interesting-sounding menu including their famous lemon-garlic-rosemary roasted chicken, butternut squash-fontina cheese lasagna, and beet ricotta gnocchi tossed with melted butter and sage.

Others that pique my interest, but not necesarily a "must go" include: Cube, Valentino, Dining Room at the Langham, Bashan, Royal/T and Comme Ca. But hey, check out the list and menus yourself -- maybe there are others that you've been waiting to try. Here's to a tasty and less expensive epicurean experimentation! Or, click here to check out my last year's DineLA foodventures at Grace, Circa 55, Ford's Filling Station, etc.

Foodventure #96: Spago (Beverly Hills)

Ok, I finally did my '08 splurge meal at Spago -- and that's likely to the delight and relief of anyone who hung out with me for the latter half of the year, where I kept bringing up "I finally saved up for Spago, I just have to take the time to actually reserve and eat there!" Hey, at least I didn't wait till New Year's Eve.

After last year's splurge at Providence, I figure this year I should do something more classic but still with a modern touch. Spago, Wolfgang Puck's signature brand which existed in its first incarnation in '82 in Hollywood with the flagship transferred to the opened-in-'97 Beverly Hills when the original location closed in 2001, fits that bill nicely. And though I have a special curiosity for CUT, I am not particularly fond of the dog-and-pony show of displaying the various cuts of raw beef in a cart, and I don't want to risk being nauseated by gianormous portraits of faux-lebrities. Guess I can live vivaciously through others on that one for now.

Being a rather brisk and cold evening and wanting to capture better photos and get a better view of the operations, I opted out of courtyard seating and took a side table inside. For a space that large and a restaurant this upscale, I am surprised by how welcoming and homely the Spago dining area, like the large communal dining hall of a family-run farm or winery. Could be the beige earthy tones of the walls, the sordid mix of art -- ranging from giant rustic hand-painted plants of edibles, to large portraits of harvest and farm-life -- or the pleasantly soft ambient lighting with points of bright spotlights on the table so diners can appreciate the visuals of what they ate (and so folks like me can take half-decent photos.)

Christian, the waitress, greeted me with the menu and the immense 60+ page binder of a winelist but I really took thirty seconds looking over at each; I am doing the tasting menu and opting out of wine pairings in favor of the curiously-crafted cocktails I've eyed on their bar menu when I was waiting for my table.

My first cocktail was the "Svenalicious"; I know, I mentally rolled my eyes too at the hokey-sounding name but the ingredients were more sophisticated than the label: diplomatico reserva rum, sherry de jerez, cointreau noir, huckleberry, cloves and peppercorn with a pepper-salt rim. And it turned out to be a wonderful spicy little number, complex with sweet and fiery spices, dark molasses and dried red fruit aromas and a surprisingly light mouthfeel, it was like drinking a fluffy homemade gingerbread loaf studded with crystallized fruits made by someone with a love for all things hot. Great way to open up the nostrils and palate!

After a few sips came first of amuses, spicy tuna roll in a sesame-miso cone, a nice take on the familiar Americanized temaki. Even though the tuna wasn't really spicy (especially compared to my drink) I love how the edges are softened by the nuttiness of the sesame cone and the mellow savory flavors of the miso dressing, letting more of the raw tuna fattiness shine through.

Then the bite-sized variant of toad in a hole with a poached quail egg embedded in a brioche with a black truffle flake. Now this is a great amuse in the truest sense! I loved how the warm, rich yolk bursts my mouth with the very first bite and is immediately soaked up by the bread while still on my tongue, with the truffle contributing that bonus flavor of earthiness.

Finishing the amuses was a freshly-baked bacon en croute, taken apart here to display the interior. Crispy exterior, steaming fattiness within -- hard to go wrong there. If these savory small bites were a sneak peek of what exec. chef Lee Hefter and chef de cuisine Thomas Boyce have to offer, I'm certainly in for a treat.

While waiting up for my first non-amuse dish, I struck up a conversation with Michael and Pam, a real foodie couple from the O.C. (been to Per Se, Michael Mina and other places I can only dream of now); they sat about 10-15 minutes after me and are also doing the tasting menu, but they're in the same section in me so their tasting soon caught up on speed and pace with mine, and I felt a little bad since I'm eating at a pretty brisk solo diner tempo and didn't mind the lack of lagtime, but I am sure they'd want a little more of a break so they can talk between dishes, bites and sips (to showcase the velocity at which the staff serve and bus versus their rate of consumption, one time Pam had three courses' worth of wine pairings on her table!)

But back to the food, my first actual course was the japanese cucumber sorbet over a relish of ume boshe and daikon -- if it was bite-size this would truly feel like an extension of the amuse, it was very refreshing and palate-cleansing. I loved the brightness of flavors that ran throughout the relish-sorbet combo. And being a lover of unusual-flavored ice creams already, I certainly didn't object to the comparatively innocuous cuke sorbet.

Next up was the fricasee of maine lobster, veal sweetbreads and black truffle with crispy rye bread and apple-celery root puree. With so much going on in there I wasn't sure if this would work, but it turned out well. The sweetbreads was more meaty than fatty, so it blended well with the lobster meat and the meaty-earthy truffles. I love the extra contrast added by the crunchy greens and bread and the creamy-smooth puree, with the ever-so-slight celery root zing. In hindsight I wished I followed Michael and Pam's cue and used bread to mop up the remaining juices and puree (sidenote: great bread service, almost every 15 minutes someone is passing by with a tray full of assorted carbs ranging from a standard sourdough to a crispy-thin lavash to rustic walnut and olive breads; I had four slices, frankly three-and-a-half slices too many considering all that I am going to eat tonight.)

Then came the seared maine diver scallop with pea shoot salad, pad thai noodles and red curry sauce (I took a slight objection and a note that the menu indicated the plural 'scallops' but only a single one is served, maybe I am more offended than most since I could never get too many of my favorite bivalves.) The pad thai in the red curry is prepared and plated tableside, which was a nice touch. While the sauce had the wonderful nuances of ginger and lemongrass that went great with the perfectly-seared scallop (crispy-caramelized outside, creamy-rich inside) and the peanutty-sticky noodles, it was also restrained on the spiciness especially compared to an actual Thai curry. The sticky noodles, with a tendency to clump, were also tricky to eat with a fork and I think there was too much of it. The first few bites were amazing, but towards the end it lost some luster and felt actually a bit too sweet and overbearing on the palate and nostrils.

Since we're midway through the tasting menu, I took the moment order another drink: the Lily White Pear with Hangar One spiced pear vodka, St. Germaine elderflower liqueur, asian pear puree and a caol ila rinse. While it didn't have the flavor slam-bang of the svenalicious, it was equally complex with its fruit and floral notes and the occasional tinge of fresh herbs and warm spices. Again, it'd make for a great starter drinks but was delightfully refreshing and palate-cleansing between courses as well.

Soon arrived the dish I was anticipating the most since I saw it on the menu (and Christian readily admitted to being her favorite): roasted Italian chestnuts-mascarpone agnolotti with italian white truffle shavings. Having only enjoyed black truffles and white truffle oil (but at least it's the real deal and not synthetic) so far, it was certainly a treat to taste actual shavings of the Italian white variety on these pasta. And it's definitely in a class of its own, worlds apart from the others I've had. Its complex, hard-to-describe but easily distinctive and heavenly aroma works so well against the backdrop of the tender, slightyly-sweet pillows of pasta and the light cream sauce. I was surprised such a few thin flakes could change the flavor profile so much, and can easily see why these hard-to-forage fungi are still worth hunting for and fetch the prices that they do.

The last of the savories was a duo of grilled snake river ranch "kobe" new york steak with black trumpet mushrooms, sauteed brussel sprouts, rutabaga puree and an armagnac-peppercorn sauce poured tableside (in hindsight I really should've asked the waiter to hold off and do it myself later so I can better capture the rare steak on camera). Again, pretty good stuff -- the perfectly-cooked, nicely-marbled steak requires minimal chewing and really just melts in your mouth. Like everything else I've had yet, the sauce was complex, rich and flavorful. The rutubaga puree and mushrooms were also nice on their own but both were easily overwhelmed by the sauce when eaten in combination. I also would've like a few (ok, a lot) more mini-leaves of the wonderful brussel sprout.

Finally, the sweets and where stuff really wound up going a bit south. The main dessert was Sherry's pannettone with tangerine sauce and butterscotch gelato. The sauce and the gelato are great, but the actual dessert itself is a fruity Christmas bread that was lacking in finesse and flavor, basically a lighter fruitcake that's also pretty dry and needed the sauce or gelato to be palatable. Michael and Pam also commented on the disappointment of this dessert too, noting that this not up to snuff compared to the desserts of their previous Spago visits. But at least the espresso I ordered was well-pulled, even after being made more of a coffee snob from reading this.

The mignardises consisted of a thumbprint raspberry-spice cookie, pistachio and rose macarons, chocolate cookie and mini opera cake. It ranged from OK to good and none are particularly memorable, though I was saddened by the macarons, which had wonderful flavors but were way too chewy and almost gummy.

Thankfully, not all hope was lost with sweets here since Michael and Pam were in the know and ordered a Kaiserschmarffen, an Austrian dessert (literally "Emperor's mishmash") that consisted of a haphazardously stacked pancake, a custard cream and berry sauce. Don't let the humble mishmash looks fool you, they let me try a spoonful and this was way more on-par than the other stuff on the menu. The combo of the airy, soft cake, the luscious custard and the fresh sauce yielded a combo between a light bread pudding and a souffle and definitely unique and delicious. Thanks to them, my final impression of Spago was not on a sour note.

Last tidbit worth mentioning: Spago automatically tacked on a 20% "service charge" even for my party of one. That auto-tip slightly threw me off, though I am giving them the benefit of the doubt since Beverly Hills is a tourist-attracting neighborhood, and other global diners may not have the same tipping customs (read: they don't tip) so I can see, even appreciate, Spago's stance to avoid their very professional and pleasant waitstaff from being stiffed. But 20% still felt a bit high for me.

Nonetheless, despite the dessert courses, this was certainly a meal to remember and treasure (and certainly one of my most memorable of '08) and a restaurant that certainly worth re-visiting if and when I can afford it. So a thanks to Wolfgang for starting this up (he was actually making the rounds and greeting diners by the time I was leaving), to Lee and Thomas for running the kitchen and creating such wonderful dishes, and Michael and Pam who became instant foodie-friends and hopefully look forward to meals in the future!

THE BILL:
Tasting menu - $105
Cocktails - $32 ($16 each)
Espresso - $3.50
"Service Charge" - $28.10
Pre-tax total - $168.60

THE RATINGS:
Ambience: 4/5 (comforting, rustic and artsy without being distracting, I also loved the acoustics too, even as the room was being packed with diners it never felt too noisy)
Value: 4/5 (overall not bad even in light of the auto-tipping; $105 felt right for the menu; cocktails, though well-crafted, were on the pricier end)
Service: 9.5/10 (the staff all-around was great from the hostess who carried my glass of water as I was moved to the dining area, to Christian the waitress and Eddie the lead busser who were a professional team and Mike the front-end manager who was checking up just enough to make us feel "taken care of" without being overbearingly interruptive; my next table foodie friends may give a considerably lower score due to the synchronized single-diner pacing, though.)
Food: 17.5/20 (despite the desserts, the meal was pleasant with plenty of high-notes that make it especially memorable; the taste of the Kaiserschmarffen also redeemed the sweets department somewhat)
Bonus/Demerit: N/A (was tempted to do a -.5 for the auto-gratuity, but giving the benefit of the doubt -- so just fair caution/warning)
Total: 35/40 (easy to see why it's a michelin two-star restaurant)

WHAT DO OTHERS SAY?:
The Delicious Life had reservations given Wolfgang's empire (read: selling-out), but quickly gave into the fabulosity of the place
The husband-and-wife duo of Infinite Fress had more divergent opinion of the place
KevinEats also checked out this iconically L.A. restaurant; hilarious final photo after 10 glasses of wine from the pairing
ExileKiss had a good time here, and actually inspired me to try Spago sooner rather than later
And of course, the Yelperocracy, which gave it a four-star.

Spago
176 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 385-0880
Website