Review: Taste Bar . STL

Before too long you all are going to suspect I get paid to peddle for Gerard Craft's lineup of St. Louis restaurants*, but with food this good the reviews write themselves. That and the menus are very pork heavy, which speaks to my Midwestern soul (we aren't just corn-fed around here).


Ambiance.
I've been to Taste twice. Once, in the middle of winter, where we sat inside in a room at the back of the joint in a second floor with a view of the shotgun main floor. The lights were dim - so dim that I thought my eyesight was failing me. For some, this is romantic. For others (like me), it provides an opportunity to be paranoid about maladies causing the current symptoms of blindness. But, confessions of hypochondria aside, the place was cozy and the bar was where the real action lay - it sparkled with candles; it glistened with all kinds of bottles and all manners of bartending tools. Weekend revelers and foodies sat together for good food and drink.

The most recent time was just last weekend and -- having found the only summer night in a good, long while where Mother Nature had the decency to realize that 100 degrees was just too damn hot for anything after dusk -- we chose the patio. The patio sits on a massive sidewalk in front of the building and stops just short of the street. The neighborhood is charming with tree-lined streets, adorable retail facades and great people watching. With the sun setting and a nice breeze it made for a fantastic atmosphere.

Service.
I have absolutely no complaints with the wait staff that are quick with water refills, the final bill (something I appreciate) and to back up your selection of food or drink. I guess whenever the whole menu is fantastic, it is easy to say "Yes, that's good." and know you ain't lying.


The Taste test
From the spectacularly unique cocktail menu, Daniel got daring with a cocktail featuring duck fat infused Grand Marnier, lemon, mascarpone and pepper, amongst other liquors (name Ab-duck-tion, in case you are taking notes at home.) He reported the creamy drink was definitely something to try, with the citrus notes really lightening the potentially heavy ingredients. But, if a drink with duck fat, cheese and citrus isn't what you're after you got lots of other options.

A mere 22 food items comprise the menu of Taste - including appetizers, mains and desserts. But quality over quantity ruled. We selected pig popcorn (you heard me right), fingerlings with spanish sauce and manchego cheese plate from the 'Snacks' menu and then got serious with a summer vegetable tart and ricotta gnocchi from the 'Small Plates.' The summer vegetable tart and ricotta gnocchi were all they promised to be and more. Mmmm, mmmm...so much more. The tart pastry was fantastically crisp, the summer vegetables caramelized and piled on; the gnocchi were big, fluffy and savory, becoming the perfect thing to sop up the butter, orange, tarragon and bits of walnuts in the cast iron pan. Realizing we were satisfactorily full, we stopped short of dessert. Perhaps I'll have more to report on this in the future.


*Taste, in its original form, was a Gerard Craft production. My brief online research tells me in late 2010/early 2011 chef Adam Altnether bought Taste by Niche to become the chef/owner. So really this review becomes a quirky love letter to chef Altnether, rather than chef Craft. See, we have variety in our reviews.

A (half)week in review: L.A. restaurant eating . 2012

One week in Los Angeles makes me a tired girl. But, I rallied most nights against sleep to get out and catch some good eats around Los Angeles with good friends.

Downtown LA . MoChica . Peruvian Tapas
The menu is Peruvian comfort food, but with upscale presentation. You can get anything from ceviche to alpaca (I momentarily joked about ordering alpaca stew, but you know I can't do that.) Also we ordered chupacabra, though the real pronunciation yielded a BBQed calamari that was tender and smokey. While I loved the experience, my co-diners were familiar with the MoChica-of-old and were a bit disheartened that the new location (previously in an assuming strip mall somewhere outside the heart of downtown LA) brought with it smaller portions for more money. More money, more problems, I suppose.
 

Downtown LA . Sugarfish . Sushi
'Trust Me style sushi'. You totally trust the chef and all the rules that go with it...what the chef sends out is final. No soy sauce if the sushi is already sauced. Eat the handrolls immediately. Don't ask for any changes. With the rules you are implicitly agreeing to eating a selection of mind-blowingly fresh and delicate fish and warm rice that falls apart (this is a good thing, I discovered.) With food this good I would gladly be grounded.


West Hollywood . Pizzeria Mozza . Woodfire Pizza
As the name would suggest, Pizzeria Mozza focuses on woodfire pizza; topping it off with a selection of appetizers, paninis and a daily entree option. The pizza was good, but the simple salad we ordered was fan-tas-tic. It was fluffy. How you take a salad consisting of greens (including frissee, which I normally hate), dressing and finely grated cheese and elevate it to what we had is beyond me. We also ordered a few dessert selections that nearly stole the show. Additionally, if you like hands-off customer service approach, this place is for you - it took all our best head spins, sighs  or picking up the wine list to get the wait-staff's attention.




Meanwhile, Daniel is in St. Louis and checks out a new conveyor belt sushi place. The novelty of food running past you is something I want to try. According to Daniel, this place has something for everyone:

• Sushi (on a conveyor belt) 
• Hibachi a-la-minute 
• Dim-sum dumplings 
• Pizza 
• Raw oysters 
• Mozzarella cheese sticks 
• Chicken feet

Review: Home Wine Kitchen . STL

Home Kitchen and Wine Bar sits in the middle of St. Louis' up-and-coming dining neighborhood of Maplewood. This area is quickly becoming our restaurant go-to and Home Kitchen and Wine Bar is no exception.



Ambiance
The name "Home" feels right for this place, as tightly packed tables line a wood plank wall across from a bar that occupies the other wall. Chalked wine menus adorn the walls above the bar, but not in a cluttered fashion, making the place dark and cozy. If you eat here, chances are you are rubbin' elbows with your dining brethren at the tables flanking you. While they do have high chairs, my husband and I made the mistake of waltzing in (stumbled in, really) one weekend lunchtime and bringing our shrieking, butcher-paper-grabbing baby. The staff was friendly, but I am not sure this home is big enough for the diners it draws and our loud munchkin. We ate quickly and got out of Dodge. Lucky for me, I went another time with a few friends for a leisurely, adult lunch and it was heaven. The rest of this review is based on the heavenly trip as I am not sure what I inhaled the first time around.

Service
The place is small and doesn't require a lot of staff. I counted one server and the co-owner, which probably makes sense, but with our server running ragged over the lunch hour we had to request drinks a few times (simple drinks like tea and tonic water). She was upfront and friendly about being forgetful - perhaps the popularity warrants more servers to take the burden off?

Food
Two words: The burger. A few words more: The bacon, egg and CHEESEburger (with garlic aioli, bestill my heart!) that has graced the cover of a local food magazine. I say this after mooching a single bite off a lunch companion that won the 'best dining selection' for the day, maybe even for the week, month or year. Good thing it was her birthday lunch or I would have smacked it out of her hand and stuffed it in my mouth. I was so effusive in my immediate review of the single bite that she asked me if I was going to have a "When Harry Met Sally" moment. Yeah, that good.

Other selections at the table were the pain perdue salade and pork sugo. The pain perdue salade was an argula salad, laced with a ribbon of prosciutto, piled on top of Parmesan toast and topped with a fried egg (see picture for details). Seemingly the healthy choice at the table (don't judge). I ordered the pork sugo based purely off the sound of name and that it included pasta. Seriously, braised pork belly and pasta? A generous portion of pork and papparedelle were intertwined with a red wine sauce, ricotta cheese and lightly cooked tomatoes. Short of licking our plates, we all joined the clean-plate club. For dessert we opted to split the chocolate brownie with marshmallow and toffee (dessert one) and the crustless buttermilk pie (dessert two). The savory dishes set a high standard that the dessert didn't totally measure up to. Perhaps we were just too full?




Notes
Buzz online says 'No Menu Mondays' is the way to go for the adventurous foodie. This foodie also really liked ordering off the menu on a Saturday, but next time I am going all out for the burger...or wait for someone else to order it and smack it out of their hand.

Review: Cafe Osage (and Bowood Farms) . STL

Bowood Farms, located in St. Louis' Central West End neighborhood, is one of my favorite nurseries. I walk in the doors of the old brick building that was once a auto warehouse -- take in the plants, seeds and sundries on offer -- and breathe in inspiration. Just take a look at the pictures and tell me you don't zen out. And this place isn't just a summer draw - they brilliantly have seasonal items year round (terrarium plants in the bitter months of winter) and host weekend talks from all kinds of experts to rev up the home gardener. All this poring over products and contemplating garden design can take it out of a girl; fortunately, Cafe Osage is there to provide much needed delicious sustenance.



Ambiance
Unique architecture, massive windows and greenery everywhere...awesome (read that in a high-pitched vibrato, please). The cafe is in a different room from the main floor and the outside gardens and has a nice, cozy vibe. On warmer days the cafe sprawls into the outside courtyard and a green rooftop grows herbs for the cafe (this is periodically open for tours, though I have yet to take a tour).

Service 
I can say I've ever had a bad experience with the staff of Cafe Osage. They are friendly, informative and make the beverage rounds in a timely manner.

Food 
The totally yummy seasonal and local breakfast and lunch menus haven't failed me. They tout vegetables grown right across the street and bison meat from their farm just outside of St. Louis. For our latest trip Daniel and I ordered the two daily specials (him: potato and egg skillet with loads of cheese, sun dried tomatoes, bacon and topped with micro greens with toast and housemade jam, me: salmon flatbread with herbed cream cheese, onion and capers) and we split an order of berries with lemon curd yogurt that was tasty and surprisingly large.




If I had to have a complaint, it would be that I spend a lot of money at this place. I *do* need those seeds and plants and pots and soil amendments...and looking at all this tasty food has made me hungry.

Review: Fozzie's Sandwich Emporium . STL

Bottom-line first: You should definitely give it a go.

Fozzie's has a lot going for it, first of all the name. Any place that includes emporium is alright in my book. The word 'emporium' puts itself out there as *the* place for whatever wares it's peddling, but isn't overused. Just sayin', 'I like it'. Secondly, Fozzie, like the Muppet? I can only hope. I was raised on The Muppet Show, even having two stuffed twin animal raccoons (is this common?) named 'Muppet' and 'Show'. They were identical, so I think the names were interchanged a lot between the two. Point being, a nod to Jim Henson and his crew is close to my heart.

Now that we've got whatever weird, subjective points out of the way, lets move on to more common subjective aspects:

Garden:
Walking up to the entrance winds you past an outdoor veggie garden in full bloom and purportedly used in the kitchen. Yeah, you had me at hello on that one.

Selection:
The sandwich selection is varied, so go with a group wanting falafel, catfish, hamburger, hot dog or pretty much anything between a bun and you will be the lunchtime champ.

Size:
With a kitchen that seems 4 times bigger than the indoor dining room (totally a made-up stat), you can't help but feel either 1) Like VIP if you score an indoor seat during inclimate weather or 2) Like a squatter in a take-out joint. They are definitely aiming for the take-out crowd, packaging all orders in a brown paper bag and all items very definitely leaning towards the outward-bound. Having said that, they seem very aimed and ready for the call-in orders, should that be your modus operandi.

During our lunchtime visit, our trio order very different mains (pics taken by phone camera, don't hold that against them):

THE KING - creamy peanut butter, crispy bacon & bananas on sourdough
For our taster: the King was more novel than some of the other lunch choices (meaning: worth a try, in case this is your bag, but a one-off in our taster's case).

THE GRACEY (VEGETARIAN) - crispy falafel, roasted peppers, grilled onions, baby spinach &artichoke/spinach spread on flatbread
For our taster: Excellent. I will say, during our 30 minute tenure at Fozzie's, The Gracey was called out more than any other sandwich. I think that speaks volumes.

CATFISH PO’ BOY - cornmeal dusted catfish, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, roasted corn tartar sauce on a hoagie
For our taster: Excellent taste, but the cornmeal gave it a bit of a bite. A little softer on the crust and tad more tarter sauce and it is the Mississippi on a bun (I mean that in a good way, as I love catfish).

Not even mentioned in our brief review are the spreads, salads, milkshakes and numerous other items offered.

Review: Brasserie by Niche . STL

My love of the restaurant Niche is no secret on this blog - two posts (here and here) have gushed about the tasting menu lineup. A sister restaurant, Brasserie by Niche, has opened and we have heard nothing but good things from critics and friends alike. This weekend we found ourselves in the neighborhood (Central West End) and decided to stop in for Sunday brunch.


[photo nabbed off the Brasserie website]
Ambiance.
In the full light of day, the restaurant seems adequately appointed as a french brasserie in the heart of an American city. The tablecloths are a red checker pattern and fresh brown paper sits atop every table. The walls are a collection of colors painted in faux techniques and generic oversize foreign posters line the wall. I imagine by night the place feels wonderfully cozy and intimate. Our party of 2 was wedged between two other tables of seated couples - a proximity a little too close for our (and I would venture to say most Americans') comfort. Despite other open tables down the line, it just seemed like an unspoken etiquette was being broken - like choosing the middle urinal in the men's bathroom (or so I am told). Luckily, both tables were wrapping up their meals and just after ordering we had the stretch of tables to ourselves. We are selfish that way.

Short and sweet. Very sweet.
We went during Sunday brunch and the menu was concise, but very accommodating. The menu covered brunch from beignets to the house burger, a few a-la-carte side options, 3 fresh squeezed juices and a healthy list of early morning liquid revelry (alcoholic beverages). This menu seemed to sum up what every restaurant makeover show drills over and over: keep the menu small, focused and good. So far, so good.

The taste test
I settled upon the brioche french toast with lemon curd - usually something I would never select, but the lemon curd captured my attention - while Daniel chose the eggs en cocotte (remembered at writing as eggs...en...something, we are such foodies). For drinks, I ordered a tomato juice and Daniel bellied up to the drink of the day: the Parker Posey, a concoction that consisted of guava juice, raspberry brandy, champagne, and rum. The food arrived quickly and was quite delicious. The french toast was delectably crisp on the outside/soft on the inside and the lemon curd lightened the dish up quite a bit. Daniel's eggs en cocotte was decadent and hearty, balancing the fruity, but fairly stiff morning cocktail nicely. After plunging into our plates and eagerly sharing a bite with each other we knew a new breakfast spot had been discovered.

Food Finds 2009

Another year and another round of great eats that we found this year. Only the best make the list and this year it is all STL establishments with a variety of specialties.

Winslow's Home
How this didn't make the Food Finds 2008 list, I don't know. I blame the editor of this enterprise. Ever willing to make things right, I am placing this little gem on the 2009 list. One part general store, one part boutique and one part restaurant makes this place 3 parts cool. The kitchen is headed up by Chef Cary McDowell and specializes in local, organic food mostly brought in from the store's farm. The food is cooked-to-order with love so plan accordingly (meaning: it isn't fast food or a diner, so go in when you can enjoy the store and company of others while your food is prepared.)

La Vallesana
A little taste of Mexico sits on a corner of Cherokee Street in south St. Louis. The menu features a selection of soft tacos (on corn tortillas, claro que si) or tortas sandwiches. I have also heard the paletas (popsicles) are awesome, but I haven't had them personally (wistfully: someday). Definitely a must-do on a beautiful day as the patio is large and what is better on a nice day than some tacos, awesome guacamole and a Mexican Coca-cola?

Monarch
I couldn't remember if this was a find for 2009 or 2008 (this year in review stuff is tricky business)...luckily I have a raving review from early 2009 to help trigger my memory. I think the review sums up that the service was fantastic, food was phenomenal and the ambiance was great. Really, we haven't been to this restaurant as much as it deserves - maybe that will be corrected in 2010.

Katie's Pizzeria
This place taught me a very valuable lesson: don't judge an eatery by it's facade or name. The pizzeria sits in a very unassuming location next to a now defunct antiques shop and an apartment building set back on a busy street. I had seen this place for a while, but never gave it a second thought until it came highly recommended by a fellow foodie (tsk, tsk on me for judging so hastily). Once inside the door the decor is quite warm - a menagerie of fantastic antique and vintage finds mashed together with panache - like that friend who always gets the best stuff at the thrift store and pulls off a drool worthy room for pennies (damn her!) But the food is also quite nice - I highly recommend starting with the toasted ravioli, ordering up a pizza and finishing off with the ricotta donuts. The pizza, by the by, is a thin crust, no sauce and unique toppings like fontina and apple or persimmon, prosciutto and goat cheese.

[photo from Katie's Pizzeria]

Extra credit: St. Louis Post-Dispatch food critic, Joe Bonwich, put out a list of favorite new restaurants of 2009. We haven't been to a single one on the list - so looks like our work is cut out for us in 2010. Callooh! Callay!

• Eclipse
• Fond
• The Good Pie
• JFires' Market Bistro
• Stone Soup Cottage
• Taste by Niche
• Terrace View

Review & Guest list: Tonka Bean* . Bistro LQ Review

Today we have a guest list from Tonka Bean - our fellow foodie and good friend from Los Angeles. Tonka Bean has powered through more that one tasting menu with us and our first tasting menu was together at Bistro K in South Pasadena. The chef at Bistro K seemed to disappear for a while, but Tonka and wife were able to hunt the chef down recently at his new digs, Bistro LQ. I am pleased to present the review of Bistro LQ by our newest guest, who managed to get 3 lists into one entry, not too shabby...

We successfully located the original chef from South Pasadena’s former Bistro K and found out he’s (finally) opened up a new restaurant in West LA on Beverly Blvd. called Bistro LQ . We had the 6-course tasting menu dinner there on Saturday. Here’s the verdict:

Without a doubt, this was THE RICHEST MEAL I'VE EVER EATEN, trumping anything else in memory, even meals with twice or three times the courses. I feel like I increased my chance of heart failure over the next 30 days by at least 50%. Everything was incredibly decadent, with each course serving something increasingly dense, buttery, salty, saucy, savory, spicy, and so on.

I have to say that the meal was the MOST ADVENTUROUS I’ve ever had as well, which is a significant statement considering I’ve eaten at some pretty interesting places in various parts of the world. Each course had at least one ingredient or part that I had never had before, with some courses offering an entirely un-experienced collection. A few of the notables:

• Veal sweetbreads, which actually tasted good and didn’t gross me out, despite being slightly spongy for meat.
• Sea urchin and tapioca pudding.
• Live mussel and seaweed gelatin shot.
• Pigeon (dark meat, similar to duck, apparently not “squab”, which I learned is a baby pigeon, sort of like mutton vs. lamb).
• Gizzards (not sure where from).
• Butternut squash mousse (among so many other really interesting “fall vegetable” inspired desert petits fours.
• And, the ultimate for me: sautéed duck hearts.

All in all, I think the meal ranked up there with one of the MOST MEMORABLE, but I also think it could have USED SOME IMPROVEMENTS. It was “only” 6 courses, but by course 2 or 3, we were feeling really fatigued, and almost guiltily wishing we didn’t have so many more to go. It took quite some time for each course to come out, and that allowed the food to settle, which usually diminishes your appetite. For example, at Saam, we had something like 22 courses and I didn’t feel anywhere nearly as exhausted as I did 2/3 of the way into the LQ tasting. The other thing I really missed was one or two fresh, crisp, or light courses that would have provided a nice rest from the ultra-richness of everything else. Saam did this really well also, where several of the courses were actually vegetarian, or very light fish.

WILL I GO BACK? Yes, probably, but most likely with guests who are in to adventurous food and looking for the “craziest” meal they’ve ever had on novelty alone. I may also try to track the chef’s choices for the tasting menus and go when a lighter selection is in rotation. Or, I may go just to order one of the plates instead of the entire tasting battery. There was some really cool and unique single-plate stuff on the menu that I think would have been great on its own with a nice bottle of wine, and maybe the cheese course as a finisher. I have to say it wouldn’t be a place we go to on a whim again though – we’d need a good reason (such as those I mention above) to go back.

ONE FINAL NOTE is that the pricing, like at Bistro K, was ridiculously reasonable for what you were getting. I think this chef’s approach is to never alienate people from the food based on cost, but rather separate the rock stars from the groupies via hyper-eclectic cuisine that not everyone can handle.

SCORES:
Ambiance: 4.5 stars
Food Technique: 5 stars
Food Appeal: 4 stars
Wait Staff: 5 stars
Wine Service: 5 stars
Cheese Service: 3.5 stars
Unique Experience: 5 stars
Repeatability: 3 stars

*Names have been altered to protect the identity of those involved.

Short list: 22 Course list at Saam

What could a 22 course tasting menu possibly be comprised of? The one I briefly mentioned at tasting room, Saam, was absolutely fantastic and surprisingly less filling than many meals I've had before. Fortunately, the menu for the evening is rolled up and presented with the bill for posterity.

1 Nitro Caipirihna . 2 Artichoke Chips . 3 Caviar Steamed Bun . 4 Bagel and Lox Cone . 5 Olive Oil Bonbon . 6 Olives Ferran Adrià . 7 José's Ham & Cheese . 8 Boneless Chicken Wing . 9 "Canned" White Asparagus . 10 Sea Urchin Ceviche . 11 Japanese Baby Peaches . 12 Guacamole "New Way" . 13 "Corn on the Cobb" . 14 Kampachi "Nigiri" . 15 Norwegian Cigalas . 16 "Smoked" Arctic Char . 17 Not your Everyday Caprese . 18 Tournedos Rossini . 19 Dragon's Breath Popcorn . 20 Thai Dessert . 21 Warm Chocolate Mousse with Pear . 22 Bonbons

Review: Fantastic eats in Los Angeles

As mentioned in a previous post, I was out in Los Angeles last week. This explains why I fell off the face of the blogging earth for just a bit and why the next few posts will be so L.A.-centric. I won't drag you down with minutia, but I just want to note a few fantastic meals we had with friends during the week...at three new-to us-places*. Oh, and if posts about bourgeois eateries stresses you out, fills you with rage or makes you physically sick, then stop reading right now.

1) Bottega Louie . Downtown L.A.
Normally we don't venture into the downtown area, but it became a destination now that two of our good friends call it home. They suggested we walk the 4 blocks over to Bottega Louie for dinner noting the place was good, inexpensive and attracted all manner of dress (so we could go as we were.) We agreed knowing these friends wouldn't lead us astray and set off. Bottega Louie is one part restaurant, one part deli and one part marketplace. The austere white of the floors, walls and ceilings is counterbalanced by the ornate and traditional Italian stylings of the restaurant furniture. The real reason to go is, of course, the food - we selected a clam pizza (wood oven pizza with thin crust) and 4 small plates: beets and goat cheese salad, portabello fries, beef carpaccio and peas with prosciutto. All were fantastically delicious and enough for our table of 4. The only drawback to this establishment is the noise - don't go for the intimate conversation, but rather if you want to be able to completely ignore the rest of your dinner party and have a good excuse...wait, were they trying to tell me something?

2) Bashan . Montrose/Glendale
Our fellow foodie friends and gracious hosts not only put up with us for a full work-week while we threatened to spread whatever cold/allergy/nastiness we had developed, but went out on the town with us for food and drink during the week (these people are troopers, I tell ya). One night we ventured a bit north to the Glendale/Montrose area to hit up a cozy restaurant, Bashan. Much to our dining delight, the restaurant's 5 course tasting menu was special price (on sale!) in honor of their 2 year anniversary - so we had to go for it. I would detail all the courses for you, but I get the distinct feeling eyes would glaze over and the rest of this paragraph would be skipped. Let's just highlight the fact that the ladies had sweetbreads as their main and the guys wimped out and had the pork belly. My favorite course was the scallops - I could definitely go back for more.

3) Saam Tasting Room . Beverly Hills
Positively mind-blowing. The tasting room sits as a completely separate room within the chambers of Bazaar, the restaurant/bar/gift shop found in the SLS Hotel. Walking into the place is sensory overload. Large back lit and digital videos are spread throughout the main dining area and command your attention quickly. After the initial tunnel vision, I noticed the large display cases with merchandise to the right - it turns out it is the hotel "gift shop" stocked with items from non-other than legendary design boutique, Moss, and collectible toy store, Kid Robot. After perusing items from the shop - anything from glass vases, reprinted paparazzi photos, gargantuan semi-precious stone rings and whips (yes, whips) - we were shown to the tasting room to begin our 22 course meal. I know, scoff or drop your jaw right now. How can 22 courses be done - or enjoyable? I don't know, but it was... [course list here]

*To my Din Tai Fung people, not dissing the awesome meal with you all. It is that I mentioned it the last time we were out in L.A.

Review: Eating in West Hollywood . Osteria Mozza

This is the last entry regarding our trip to Los Angeles. We hit up the Nancy Silverton/Mario Batali/Joseph Bastianich restaurant in West Hollywood to see what these culinary superstars were all about. Competing with the food was the whole experience:

- Worth the wait?
Despite having reservations at 8:30pm, we weren't seated until 9:15pm and no apology was given at any time by the hostess or the manager manning the host stand. Better yet, it seemed that we were very much in the way of any other guest arriving or leaving and definitely in the way of the coat check (an armoire just inside the door). But the 45 minutes sped by thanks to all the fantastic people watching...

-People watching
I love people watching and this place was the mecca of people watching. You have some people casually dining and some people posturing/looking absolutely ridiculous, but it was the group next to us waiting to be seated that really caught my eye. The group was a party of three that spoke French and the man I was most excited to watch had on a gray suit and wore his shoulder length gray hair back in a low, severely cut ponytail. The man was fairly compact, tan and clean-cut, but with pocked skin. He was older and gave off an air of sophistication that led me to believe he had a cultured profession (as a classical musician, an artist or a book critic)...or maybe he wasn't sophisticated and cultured, but just French. Anyway, while waiting to be seated, I professed my affinity for the guy in what was probably too loud a voice, but he took no notice until I happened to say something along the lines of c'est la vie in my Midwestern accent. Competing with my fascination for this stranger were our celebrity sightings...

-Name dropping like its hot
One profession I know I will not pursue is being a paparazzi. First, I am not sure it is a valid profession and, secondly, I cannot spot a celebrity. Luckily, other people in our party were 'on' that night and pointed out a few people to me. Either during our post at the door or while eating we spotted Katherine Heigl, Christina Aguilera and Joe McIntyre. It is so weird to recognize someone, only to figure out you don't even know them. But, because they are recognizable we feel that we can pass judgement on them, so here it goes: Katherine Heigl had beautiful skin and looked as she does on the screen; Christina Aguilera is petite and wears too much makeup; Joe McIntyre looks like a regular guy and we wavered for a good 5 minutes before proclaiming it was really him. *

- As for the food
As expected, the food was very good. We started out with a mozzarella tasting, consisting of 3 different mozzarellas that were all very good and perfectly salted. We also shared 2 appetizers (linguine with clams and another pasta), which the wait staff very thoughtfully split for us. After that we branched off and ordered our main courses and I opted for the goat cheese ravioli. It was rich and delicious and reminded once again how much I love cheese, specifically goat cheese. The most bizarre dish of the night goes to lawyerchefgirl, who ordered the duck. The duck was cooked to perfection, but came with a pear mustard sauce that smelled like a chemical from a nail salon - I kid you not. After several minutes of passing the sauce around the table and practically huffing the stuff, we finally asked 2 of our wait staff to smell it and make sure it was okay. They assured us it was normal and while two of us thought it enhanced the duck, one member of our party looked positively sick after trying it and our last member declined to try it based on the smell and reaction of our fallen comrade.

- And the staff
It appeared that way too many people worked at the restaurant. Several men in suits walked around and didn't do much of anything. One guy in particular looked like a lanky hipster that had been forced to dress in his suit, wear thick black-rimmed glasses and walk the floor of the restaurant all night as punishment to some unknown deed. He had a certain slouch that I am too short to imitate and cocked his head back just enough so his slacked jaw seemed appropriate. We asked our wait staff who he was, only to find out he was one of 3-4 managers on duty at any time. For all you out-of-work hipsters, please don your best couldn't care less demeanor and apply in person to Osteria Mozza.

* A note on celebrity name-dropping: I don't subscribe to celebrity magazines or even regularly follow celebrity gossip, yet I guiltily leaf through gossip mags at the salon/doctor's office and am embarrassed when I can hold my own on the topic of celebrity gossip. But I will no longer fret about this trivial matter: science has cleared my conscious. A study on the social networking behavior of monkeys showed that male rhesus monkeys would forgo banana flavored treats to look at pictures of high-ranking monkeys and actually demand banana flavored treats in exchange for looking at pictures of low-ranking males. Although I am not an anthropologist, the argument could be made that this same behavior is demonstrated by humans within their own social circles and on a much grander scale (celebrities). Here's looking at you, science.

A week in review: L.A. restaurant eating

Okay, the Los Angeles week in review is winding down (I promise), but I felt the need to compile a list of all the eateries we visited.

Saturday
Lunch: Camilo's California Bistro, Eagle Rock . Great breakfast/lunch menu
Dinner: Melisse, Santa Monica . Review

Sunday
Brunch: Dish, La Canada-Flintridge . Cutest little place with decent brunch menu
Linner: Orochon Ramen, Little Tokyo . Not like your cup o' ramen, good and spicey ramen

Monday
Dinner: El Arco Iris, Highland Park . Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, but the food was just okay

Tuesday
Dinner: Din Tai Fung, Arcadia . Best dumplings I've ever had

Wednesday
Dinner: Osteria Mozza, Hollywood . Review tomorrow

Thursday
Dinner: 8 oz Burger Bar, West Hollywood . Gourmet burgers and shakes - fries were delish, but the burgers left much to be desired

Course list: Melisse . Santa Monica, CA

I was very excited when our friends mentioned they had reservations for four at Melisse the night we flew in to Los Angeles. As a burgeoning little foodie, I wanted to see what a two Michelin star, 4 AAA diamond eatery was all about. We arrived at the Santa Monica restaurant and were promptly seated. For the ladies carrying purses, a foot stool was brought table side so the purse could perch like a little lapdog next to its owner. After one party member asked the hostess for a black napkin, we were told the napkins were 100% Egyptian cotton and would not pill. Okay, so two minutes in and it is understood the place is posh. On to the food - we all perused the menu and decided upon a five-course tasting menu. In this tasting menu you selected your four courses (the cheese course required no pre-selection) and our 4 person party ordered differently from each other in almost everything. By my calculations the kitchen made no fewer than 14 different plates for our table - pretty amazing. Because I can only be responsible to recount what I ate, here it is:

Amuse bouche: Grapes wrapped in goat cheese and pistachios
Loved the amuse bouche. Lawyerchefgirl has threatened to recreate this simple dish, whilst I dismissed the idea as being harder than it looks.

First course: Maine Diver Scallops, Arugula, Endives, Fumet D'Oursin
3 perfectly cooked scallops in two deliciously decadent sauces - an uni (sea urchin) sauce and a sauce I can only guess was made of the leafy greens listed on the description.

Second course: Maine Lobster "Thermidor," Creamy Spinach, Lobster-Mustard Sabayon
Quite honestly, the dinner was so good and rich to this point that I could have stopped here and been completely satisfied. The lobster was cooked and placed back in the shell, which rested upon a bed of creamy spinach.

Third course: Trio of Berkshire Pork, Meyer Lemon Stuffed Dates, Braised Cabbage, Sauce Aigre Doux
I usually don't pick pork for a main course, unless it is a BBQ joint - but, the Meyer lemon stuffed dates really piqued my interest and I decided I had to go for it. The dish was, again, very rich but very good.

Fourth course: Fromage course
We selected lots of scrumptious cheeses. I might note that I love cheese - so this course is not for lactose intolerant or the cheese-hating population. My favorite, by far, is a chalky goat cheese (bucheron, maybe?) that they always seem to have on the cheese cart.

Fifth course: Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate
That is actually what the menu calls it. Just before I slipped into unconsciousness I do remember a chocolate souffle injected with chocolate ganache at the table, but the other components on the plate have totally escaped me.

The biggest regret of the night is not being able to take pictures of the food. But I liked every single thing I ate and did not once wish something wasn't on the plate. I will note that I do prefer the tasting menu that allows no selection and therefore no thought...call me lazy.

Course list: Tasting menu @ Niche

So...After my last visit to the restaurant Niche I took a silent vow to not write a single blog entry until I revisited Niche. A mere 4 months later, Daniel and I went with foodie friends with the mission to have the tasting menu again. I must say the portion size was notably smaller, but the food was delicious and we left feeling very satisfied. Here is the rundown:

1) Seared scallop in popcorn consumme with pork cracklings and meyer lemon.
2) Crab ravioli (and the rest of this course escapes me - sorry for the pathetic reporting)
3) Take on a "reuben"- rye gnocchi with cabbage slaw and mustard seeds, fried pig's tongue
4) Intermezzo: green apple and rosemary sorbet
5) Sous-vied lamb with cauliflower puree
6) Coconut Kulfi with passion fruit glazed pineapple and granola

I must say this was such a delicious meal and everything was spot on. The sorbet was such a delightful taste that lawyerchefgirl and I decided to try to recreate and see how it went. More on that another day...

Course list: Tasting menu @ Niche

Last night we did a 5 course Chef's tasting menu at Niche restaurant located in the Benton Park neighborhood of St. Louis. The restaurant was cozy with modern decor and the chef, Gerald Craft, was just listed as one of Food&Wine's best new chefs. This time, I scored the tasting menu and immediately wrote notes so there will be none of the "I can't really remember" going on in this list. To begin:

1) Parsnip consomme with bacon and grapefruit pearls and brown butter foam.
2) Fried brandade (crab cake) with a sunny side up egg, mustard greens and lemon sauce
3) A take on the reuben: Rye gnocchi, pickled mustard seeds, fried pig's tongue, horseradish
4) Intermezzo: carrot and lime sorbet
5) Lamb with rhubarb sauce, white chocolate with hummus, mushrooms and garlic foam
6) Coconut Kulfi with passion fruit glazed pineapple and granola

(Nine) Course work

As another round of Top Chef comes to a close, I sit and wait patiently for them to finally ask me to be a judge for next season (I would never let a certain someone make it to the final round based on what I saw). I would even settle with a guest stint on Iron Chef America - anything that would allow me to try all those fantastically complex dishes with phenomenal presentation. Until I get booked on one of those shows (note to self: get an agent tomorrow) I must join the commoners that have to pay for the privilege of a tasting menu. The tasting menu I had this week at Providence was a privilege indeed and I present to you a fuzzy recollection of the 9+ courses we indulged in.

Amuse bouche
Gin and tonic gelee, activated with a lime juice
Mojito Raviolo
A shot of Fennel soup

Course 1 - Snapper
Snapper sashimi with sour plum reduction and segments and a granita. Delicious - perhaps the best course of the night and definitely a wonderful way to start the night. I finished this quickly and found myself wanting more - lots more.

Course 2 - Scallop
I have never been a fan of scallops and I now know it was because I never had a scallop like this. Cooked to perfection and paired with asparagus, an almond infusion and a sauce that I can only guess was a sherry reduction - only because sherry was listed on this course and I don't know where else it was hidden.

Course 3 - Calamari
Calamari two ways - fried and sauteed. I thought the presentation was clever with the lightly cooked calamari sitting on a bed of cooked tomatoes with the fried calamari as garnish - as a play on spaghetti with sauce.

Course 4 - Halibut
Halibut in a lemon butter sauce, goji nuts, a vegetable puree and a squash flower. The goji nuts were a mystery - a soft texture with a bit of nutty bitterness - like if when you cooked a nut it actually got soft.

Course 5 - Salmon
Lightly cooked salmon with mushrooms and cinnamon espuma. Garnished with fried salmon skin.

Course 6 - Veal
Veal medallion with a jus sauce, sweet corn and perhaps mushrooms...the specifics of this course escape me.

Course 7 - Cheese tasting
A selection of cheeses are presented by the server and you choose which cheeses you wish to taste. Read that again cheese lovers and let it sink in...
We selected six different cheeses and during the preparation of the cheese plate by our server, the Chef came out and suggested another cheese he thought would pair well. If I could remember all the cheeses I would wax poetic on each of them, but I can't. What I can tell you is hands down my favorite what a thick, almost chalky (as described by our server) goat cheese that was heavenly. Plated with our spread of fromage was an olive marmalade, an apple chutney, figs and candied walnuts.

Course 8 - Dessert
Pineapple sorbet on top of avocado and banana puree sprinkled with freeze dried bananas chips. I know what you are thinking - the flavors would just mush together and not compliment each other...not so, my friend.

Course 9 - Dessert
Blackberries with blue corn tortilla streusel and corn tortilla ice cream garnished with candied jalapeno. Outrageously different, but so delicious.