Friday Quickies #68: Ending my Birthmonth . . .

Time's a perfect to whip up another batch of my spicy-yet-cooling summer wine fizz

Even though I didn't have an official birthday thing this year asides from a dinner w the folks, this month has been nothing short of splendid. Between the extended food & wine weekend in Baja California (posts to come), BloggerProm, a sponsored dinner at Melisse and a myriad of other events ~ it's easily the best birthMONTH yet! But I'm definitely glad things are winding down, which gives me more time for blogging. And some extra-intense exercising to work off all the "happy pounds" I've accrued, though it'll be hard given all the tempting events coming up.

Tonight, new downtown-LA focused lifestyle site dtownLA.com is celebrating with a tasting event and launch party featuring delightful eateries that are contributing to the area's dining renaissance; participating restaurants include Provecho, Remedy and Magnolia. This is followed by the official launch party with sponsored beverages provided by Rain Vodka, Peroni, Pom Wonderful and other drink sponsors. Taste of dtownLA is $40, and launch party afterwards is $30.

Tomorrow marks the 7th Annual Plate by Plate food and wine tasting event (benefiting Project by Project, a non-profit that helps Asian and Pacific-Islander owned small businesses) at the California Science Center. Participants in this extravaganza run the gamut of all pricepoints, from the ultra-chic XIV by Michael Mina, the Bazaar by Jose Andres to local everyday faves like Scoops and Mendocino Farms. Tickets (UNTIL 11:59 a.m. today) are $150 general / $275 VIP -- and at the door for $200 general.

For vodka aficionados, Bar Lubitsch is hosting a tasting event tomorrow from 6 to 8 p.m. featuring a variety of different brands for sweet price of a Jackson. Many of the brands are boutiquey and unique, including Modern Spirits, Pinky and Hangar One, so it's definitely great way to sip, savor and compare. Just be sure you have a walkable place to hang out or rest up afterwards, or have a DD on the ready. No RSVP needed, just a strong liver . . .

On Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the Patina Group is continuing with its weekly locals' night series with a Tuscan Summer themed event at Zucca ristorante. Enjoy complimentary pizzas while sipping on $4 Tuscan wines or $5 Italian-influenced cocktails (small noshes of chicken-rosemary, shrimp and vegetable skewers are also a Lincoln each) while mellowing out to tunes by KCRW's DJ Jason Eldredge. Oh yeah, did I mention door prizes too?

And once again, delightful reads from the week that was:

- Speaking of summer sippers, Epicurious have a delightful feature on some refreshing, cooling classics -- and Chow.com explains not all ice are equal in a cocktail (along with a list of their fave summer fruit-forward libations and this year's best summer beers, with a kudos the local Bruery's Trade Winds Tripel, one of my faves from Craft Beer Fest)

- Slate brings up some interesting food for thought in regards to gluten-intolerance (and whether we are becoming too tolerant of folks who cry the no-wheat foul)

- Meanwhile Serious Eats' Critic-Turned-Cook columnist examines the real vs. TV-produced drama that goes on in the kitchen restaurant

Special Drinkventure #130: Fave Cocktails from San Francisco

Bartender "JaNiece" mixing things up at Alembic

Since I'm becoming increasingly adventurous and passionate about beverages, you better believe that during my June weekender in San Francisco that I did my share of R&D into their assorted liquid libations, especially given all the tales I've heard of their vibrant cocktail culture that pushes the envelope in every direction possible.

And I'm happy to report that San Francisco pretty much delivered on its potable promises, let's take a stroll through some of my favorite Nor. Cal. sips shall we?

Strawberry Alarm Clock at Alembic Bar - vermouth-soaked strawberries pureed up and mixed with malt whiskey, finished with a dash of tabasco and a few drops of parsley-peppermint oil; or as I call it, a party for your palate. From the pretty looks to its complex aromas (a mix of herbacious and fruity that reminds me of a summer salad laced with berries) and a festive mouthfeel and flavors, esp. with the heat-induced tingliness from the hot sauce. I wouldn't mind waking up to this every day!

Monk Buck at Heaven's Dog - made with 8 y/o Armagnac, yellow Chartreuse, organic ginger, lemon, soda; essentially a lemonade kicked up a notch with ginger and booze -- I'm usually skeptical of Chartreusey cocktails (whose herbal notes have a tendency to overwhelm the drink) but here it made the drink a little more intriguing and sophisticated--and totally cool, refreshing and perfect for lunch and brunch. Can't wait for this to join the regular cast of mimosas, bellinis and bloody marys as a daytime drink.

Ambajador at Bourbon & Branch (no pic of cocktail since photos aren't allowed at this by-reservations-only speakeasy, exterior pic courtesy of Caroline on Crack) - "recommended" by our saucy, tattooed, unnaturally crimson-haired and somewhat surly temptress of a server who told me, "No - this is what you want!" after I meekly tried to order something else. With kaffir lime-infused tequila, passionfruit nectar, lemon, foamed egg white and a dash of cinnamon - this, like the alarm clock, is a vibrant yet balanced blast of flavors on the tongue; I love the combination of the tropical fruits, slight vegetal edge from the tequila and the little spicy zing from the cinnamon, and the foam really lightened the texture and opened up different flavors and aromas. And that surly-sexy-temptress is right, this was exactly what I needed to end the night.

Mai Tai at Tonga Room - OK, the mai tai isn't all that (off balance with the juices and wound up being too tart and sweet at once) but the $10 pricetag to admire the elaborately decorated space was worth it -- from the huge tiki statues to assorted huts and the huge central pool. I was even lucky enough to catch a thunderstorm show!

Housemade Blood Orange-Hibsicus Sparkler at Nopalito - It's a virgin but still really tasty, this is another great summer sipper (esp. for situations where alchy may not be the way to go); just mildly tangy since it's mixed with sparking water, which also helps deliver the fresh aromas of the citrus and flower. Of course, given the many other luscious liquored-up libations I've had - can't help but think of possible ways to devirginize this drink . . .

Blogging and reminiscing about these dreamy drinks got me feeling like I left my heart in San Francisco; but given the evolving and ever-learning bartending scene here in L.A. I look forward to seeing some of these NorCal influences to filter down South -- and definitely can't wait to re-visit SF (and revisit some of these plus discovering new delicious stuff) later this year.

And much thanks to Liz of Food, She Thought, Nathan of Binary Tastebuds, Fiona of Gourmet Pigs, Lesley of TastingTable LA, Virginia of the Perfect Spot SF and others for their recommendations!

Coming Soon: Favorite eats in San Francisco + a day of winery touring in Sonoma Co.!

Alembic Bar
1725 Haight St
San Francisco, CA 94117
(415) 666-0822

Bourbon & Branch
501 Jones St
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 931-7292

Heaven's Dog
1148 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 863-6008

Nopalito
306 Broderick St
San Francisco, CA 94117-2275
(415) 437-0303

Tonga Room
950 Mason St
San Francisco, CA 94108-6000
(415) 772-5278

Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 and Special Foodventure #129: Ten Favorite Dishes from Ten Years of Business at Melisse (Santa Monica)

In Los Angeles, where restaurants are continually turning over with name and ownership changes, a revolving door of management/chef swaps and unfortunately closing altogether, it's pretty impressive that an eatery will last more than a couple of years. So when Santa Monica's Melisse announced their ten-year anniversary, it was definitely good reason for them to celebrate their longevity and being a quintessential fine dining establishment.

And celebrate they did -- by offering a special menu in July highlighting ten favorite dishes from their decade in business for $150/person. To further sweeten the deal, corkage for first two bottles of wine (normally $30/bottle) is reduced to $10/bottle per table AND each diner is presented with a $50 gift card for a return visit.

Even given this good bargain, the meal was still on the spendy side (and I already had my 2009 splurge at Saam earlier this year) but much thanks to foodbuzz and their 24,24,24 program, which provides 24 bloggers around-the-world every month with $250 for their dream meals, I was able to partake in Melisse's milestone meal without having worry about pinching pennies!

So off to Melisse I went with the folks behind KungFoodPanda, PepsiMonster, PrincessKitty, FoodDigger and one bonafide Yelper from the O.C. Arriving early (so we can maximize on natural day lighting for our photos) we were led into a seamlessly elegant dining room that was delightfully sprinkled with modern touches - from the purple-and-white color scheme to a huge automatic glass sliding door to the wine cellar & kitchen areas, funky table sculptures and what I call a "nouveau chandelier."

I assumed when KungFoodPanda made the reservation he noted we were there for the anniversary tasting, since those were the only food menus aleady lying on our table upon our arrival; we were also presented with a winelist, and Will of Fooddigger generously got a bottle of Gosset Grand Réserve champagne ($129) for the table on top of the Chablis he brought. The bubbly was a totally delightful starter to drink with: a balanced nose of nuts, yeasty-toastiness and apple-pears, a medium-full body and a slightly bready finish that lingers just for a second or two.

Meanwhile, the efficient, professional yet very friendly and approachable service staff quickly served up our amuses - an heirloom tomato half enrobed in goat cheese and covered in pistachios, and a tri-layer shot of cucumber flan, tomato gazpacho and tomato gelee, with the staff instructing us to plunge our spoons deep so we can get each each layer for full effect.

Both were pretty delightful and fulfilled their role as amuses in every way -- I loved how goat-cheese-tomato bite just popped with sweet-and-sour juiciness in my mouth, accompanied by the fun crunchiness of the crushed pistachios. The flan and soup shot was refreshing yet luxurious, simply a nice combination of vegetal notes, acidity and fattiness that just gave it freshness and some substance without feeling too heavy.

While we were enjoying our amuses, we were also presented with bread service which, along the usual suspects of french rolls and ciabattas, included basil brioche, olive bread and bacon foccacia. I tried all three of the unique ones and found them wonderfully flavorful and remarkably light (a definite surprise with the foccacia) even after spreading on the sweet and soft butter.

Our first official dish is "egg caviar" -- a soft-poached egg served in its shell topped with lemon creme fraiche, dollop of American Ossetra caviar and a sprinkling of chives along with a stick of puff pastry. Very luxurious and wonderful layered mix of flavors, from the poppity-briny caviar to the slight tartness of the lemon creme and the pure richness of a soft-poached yolk, and the chives were just enough to accent the dish without being overwhelming. I also appreciated the pastry too, which I bit into between spoonfuls of the egg to help reset my palate.

It is also here that the Chablis is opened and poured; again, very lovely -- most Chablis (or Chablis-style) wines I've had tends to be very minerally, some almost to the exclusion of other flavors, but this one's stony-flinty notes was nicely complemented with notes of apples, melons and a wee bit of citrus along with a super-crisp finish. Definitely great with some of the earlier, lighter dishes we have on the menu.

Next is Melisse's version of tuna tartare, served in a layered tower with pickled cucumbers, avocado mousseline and a pool of yuzu vinaigrette. Distinctively Cal-French in style, the ingredients were top-notch (particularly surprised by the sweetness of the cucumbers) and the vinaigrette nicely tied the whole dish together. The avocado mousseline was tasty but I found it unncessarily fussy, since whole avocados chunks would've worked just as well.

Following that is the mandarin-tomato soup, prepared tableside. We were all first brought a bowl with tomato tartare, mandarin sorbet and basil chip, and then the warm, vibrantly-colored soup was poured in. Easily the most playful dish of the night, it was a jubilee of juxtapositions in my mouth as the sorbet and soup components hit my mouth individually before melding together-- hot and cold, savory and sweet, fruits and vegetables (yes yes, even if tomato is technically a fruit). Totally fun and totally tasty, I agree with one of my tablemates that this is the best tomato soup I've tasted ever, but falls just short of perfect by the basil chip -- packed full of flavor but having a chewy texture more like a jerky than a chip.

Afterwards, a seared lobe of Sonoma Valley foie gras on top of a lavender-peach compote and pain d' epice with a white balsamic reduction and a roasted peach on the side; it's hard to not love the buttery, fatty texture of seared foie gras, but this version took it to a wonderful new level. Instead of more typical sides of just brioche and some form of apple & pear, the pairing here with the in-season peaches, white balsamic reduction and the gingery spice-bread breathed fresh air into the dish. And of course, it helps that the lobe is perfectly cooked too, soft and buttery but not overseared to the point of just bursting into a liquid in my mouth.

Shortly after finishing our foie gras, a bottle of Trousseau from Jura that I bought from Silver Lake Wine (and suggested by Matthew Kaner) was poured. It actually fooled quite a few of us (including the assistant sommelier, who had a taste) as a pinot noir, and despite being lighter red, it managed to hold its own even against some of the heavier dishes we had onwards, starting with . . .

Lobster bolognese with fresh capellini pasta, heirloom tomato sauce and a lobster-truffle froth. Excellent pasta that had a nice toothy yet tender feel, and I love the overall lightness of the sauce and the froth, which harmoniously blends in the truffle, lobster and tomato flavors instead of smacking me in the face with it. The diced lobster tail was a nice touch but seemed superfluous, since I was unable to identify the meat from this dish.

Next up are dover sole goujonettes over sweet white corn, chanterelle mushrooms, blistered almonds and a browned butter. The lightly-battered fish was firm and flakey but otherwise kind of bland, so best when combined with the tastier 'shrooms, corn and almonds. And despite how remarkably simple it is to make a browned butter sauce, everyone at the table --including me-- just went ga-ga over its nutty-caramelized flavor, and we were shameless in ripping pieces of our many-courses-ago bread to soak it up before the dishes were bussed away.

Our final meat course of the night is cote de boeuf with a wild mushroom fricasee, summer pole beans, potato-leek torte, herb jus and a sweet wine reduction. The rare ribeye was simply succulent and flavorful, and I love the accent of the jus (though some found it a bit too heavy on the rosemary). The torte, which is more like a potato and leek-stuffed puff, was wonderful too. My only qualm here is the heaviness of the vegetables -- the mushrooms and the beans were unnecessarily greasy-tasting, I would've preferred a much lighter preparation to better showcase their fresh flavors plus to balance against the already-heavy torte and beef as well as the numerous rich courses we've had so far.

But unadulterated, fresh veggies did sneak their way in as an accompanying salad in the pear & Fourme d' Ambert tart with a honey-pepper gastrique, essentially our cheese course of the night. While I can see where this dish was trying to go (being a savory-sweet cheese-fruit combo), the blue cheese just totally dominated every bite. Even when I generously rubbed it in the gastrique, the initially sweet honey notes quickly gave way to the cheese, the pears don't even stand a chance. Not necessarily a bad thing, especially for fans of blue cheese, but I found it a pity to prepare such a lovely fruit tart and unique sauce only to have it just totally decimated. Having said that, the partly melted cheese was a fine one.

For our first sweet, we got a duet of chocolate souffle (prepared tableside with an injection of chocolate sauce) and a banana mousse with caramelized bananas and Valrhona chocolate ice cream. Everyone else at the table loved their souffle, but I actually found mine dry and grainy, as if overbaked, not sure if I just happen to be unlucky or was being super-sensitive with souffles (so not my modus operandi, given my crazy sweet tooth). Nonetheless, it did have deep, complex cocoa aromas and was OK when mixed with the sauce. Their interpretation of a chocolate-banana fared much better -- creamy flan, great ice cream, crisped-up bananas -- hard to go wrong with that combination.

Our final listed course is Melisse's fancy version of the "fruit on the bottom yogurts" -- with housemade strawberry puree and vanilla bean yogurt topped with strawberry sorbet and fresh mint. Simple and excellent dish to end the tasting -- just light and fruity and mildly sweet and purely refreshing . . . one would almost healthy (wait, did I really just have creme fraiche and foie gras and ribeye in the last four hours?)

Along with our bill came some fun mignardises, mini caneles that tasted more like custardy-crisp churros, delightful peanutty-chocolate chip cookies, and wedges of plums (or pluots?) with cream and sugar.

And of course, our $50 gift cards.

We also requested to have a few words with exec. chef Josiah Citrin, but he was occupied with the newly-opened Caché Restaurant (where he's a consulting on the menu), but chef de cuisine Ken Takayama and our server-captain/assistant sommelier Jay did have a few moments with us, discussing the anniversary, cooking at Melisse and their career trajectories (Ken's was particularly fascinating: he started out at a Monterey Park local-divey sushi restaurant, but took some interesting turns, including stints with Patina Group, that ultimately landed him there.)

Being a table of bloggers and hardcore foodies, we of course wasted no time analyzing the meal and comparing it to other restaurants' tasting menus. Overall, we found the dishes competent and solid; though not necessarily mindblowing in terms of creativity, maybe that's why they've been favorites, it's just straightforward cuisine with a few nice touches that have consistently great (and no doubt re-ordered numerous times) over the decade.

For those who can afford to make it this week for the anniversary special, I surely would recommend it. But for those who don't, there's no need to fret -- the Melisse folks were pleased with the popularity of this event and so are planning to extend it (minus the gift card special) possibly for the rest of '09, swapping and adapting courses as seasonal produce changes--and I look forward to a return trip here myself.

What Do Others Say?
- Gourmet Pigs had this same menu earlier this month and thought "the quality of the dishes . . . were excellent [and] service was spot-on"
- Dining compadre PepsiMonster was here earlier this year for the summer discovery menu a.k.a. "a dream meal that lives up to reality"
- J Gold of LA Weekly is unsurprised by its Michelin two stars
- Loving Annie found the dishes good "but not . . . memorable or spectacular" and the "service across the board lacks polish."

Melisse
1104 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA
310.395.0881
Website

Friday Quickies #67: tequila, beer floats and reads

The Liquid Muse's Jungle Juice made with Pinky Vodka being served at BloggerProm2009, photo by Food Woolf

Phew, now that the fun chaos of Blogger Prom and the Baja Media/Blogger Trip is behind me (believe me, there'll be plenty of blogging about both) -- time to finally tend to my own blog baby!

National Tequila Day couldn't have come at a better time for my fellow prom committee folks and I, and Taste on Melrose is making it even sweeter to down by having 2 for 1 tequila drinks all weekend long! Just go "tequila makes me happy" at your server or bartend to score this deal!

This Sunday, foodblogging/journalist FoodGPS is organizing a Beer Float showdown at Blue Palms in Hollywood -- with Golden State/Scoops butting it out against Bottlerock/MILK. For $23 (or $26 at door) attendees can taste two eight-ounce floats from each contender and vote for their fave. To top it all off, this events benefits 826LA - a worthy writing/tutoring non-profit. To RSVP (though I heard spaces are nearly out) e-mail FoodGPS at joshua@foodgps.com.

Also going on this Sunday is Angeleno magazine's "Chef's Night Out" event coinciding with their annual restaurant issue, where their critic, Brad Johnson, and others will be handing out awards for some of the best eats around town while benefiting the Children's Institute to help kids traumatized by violence; Chefs including Ray Garcia from FIG, Evan Funke from Rustic Canyon and Adrian Vasquez from Providence will be preparing signature dishes paired with award-winning wines and spirits. Tickets are $125 general and $250 for VIP (includes entry into award ceremony and reception.) Click here for additional info and to order tickets.

On Monday, AMMO Restaurant (which has been throwing some pretty kicking libation mixers lately) will be partnering with Austrian winemaker Schloss Gobelsburg for a tasty five-course, seven-wine dinner for $55/person. Enjoy Rieslings, Gruner Veltliners and other Austrian wines while noshing on fresh and elegant courses such as hamachi with radish & celery salad and roasted Niman Ranch pork shoulder with baby veggies and roasted mission figs. To RSVP, give them a ring at 323.871.2666.

On Thursday, Century City Breadbar is holding its monthly Hatchi event, with a guest chef serving eight dishes for $8 apiece. This month's event is especially noteworthy since it's Michael Voltaggio, who was chef de cuisine at the Bazaar, replacing Craig Strong as chef de cuisine at Langham Pasadena's Dining Room AND a contender on Season 6's Top Chef. And the $64 eight-course affair, which includes miso cake with jasmine "rice cream"; wagyu beef with horseradish "styrofoam" and veal sweetbread with coffee-cardamom "soil", is WAY more affordable than either places he's perma-cheffing at (not that they aren't worth a visit anyways, budget allowing.) Unfortunately and unsurprisingly, this event is already sold out -- but another Hatchi, with chef Roberto Cortez, is not too far in the future, with an equally intriguing "Unfamiliar Conflict" themed menu on Aug. 6 -- so book your rezzies fast!

Finally, some great reads:

NY Times' critic Frank Bruni published an excerpt from his upcoming book about his relationship with food since his baby years; including struggles with weight, drugs, diets, fasts and even bulimia. Nice food for thought (pun intended) though the excerpt felt very abrupt.

For something way more light-hearted (and totally PR driven by the Hellmann's and Best Foods mayo folks) check out this Chicago Tribune article on what your sandwich preference says about you. (FYI, I'm a chicken/egg salad person myself)

Last but not least, you can find me out being quoted in LA Times' food truck article!

And salud to National Tequila Day!

Friday Quickies #66: So Much To Do, So Little Time To Actually Blog!

Six-dollar gelato from Bulgarini

Eeek, between bloggerprom planning, my recent fantastic birthday dinner at Rustic Canyon, still going over notes and editing from my NorCal excursion and doing a food media/blogger trip *at this very moment in Baja California* -- I barely have time to sort through my e-mails, messages and facebook invites of foodie going-ons, let alone meeting my daily minimum requirement of foodblog reading! Ack! So today's Friday quickie will be dedicated to the week that was--

After many months of procrastination, I finally had the chance to check out Bulgarini Gelato in Altadena; in a word - amazing! I love the uber-smooth and rich texture of the gelato and the sorbetto, and the flavors delectably fresh and tasty -- from the usual suspects of hazelnut and chocolate to the more eccentric blood orange, milk with lime and yogurt with oil (the last one is like a cheesecake, I swear.) For a few more thoughts on this place, check out my FoodDigger review.

Speak of cold treats, I also had the chance to try shaved snow at schoolhouse-themed Class 302 in Rowland Heights; unlike shaved ice, the "snow" is actually a mixture of condensed milk and ice and comes out with a whippy-fluffy texture, kinda like fresh powder that you eat rather than ski/snowboard on! Totally delectable with its assortment of sweet toppings (from fruits to azuki beans to mochi globs). Another FD review here.

And thanks to their PR for comp, I also had a chance to check out East LA Meets Napa - a wonderful event that highlighted a great representation of Latin-American cuisine from traditional to modern-eclectic and showing that, yes, you can pair them with wines! Photos and more info to come later, but it was definitely great tasting all thoses treats, wines, even a "tequila from the future" and meeting up with fellow bloggers. Hopefully this event was a success for the fundraisers and the restos/wineries represented and that it'll make another comeback next year!

Finally, as I age another year, I guess now is good as any other time to express my thanks and gratitude to the foodie community of L.A./O.C. -- from the industry-savvy media that provides interesting and in-depth coverage of the eating and drinking scene, to the fellow bloggers who I can always count on for foodventurous nibbles, sips and the occasional borrowing of well-taken photos, and even the PR folks for their news, intel and the occasional hookup with freebies. I started this blog almost 3 years ago just to share my thoughts and feelings on events, favorite hangouts and discoveries of new places, but so many doors have opened along the way, which I'm always delighted - and extremely humbled - to be a part of.

So here's to another year of great and adventurous eats and that, like many edibles and potables, things DO get better with age!