Showing posts with label restaurant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restaurant. Show all posts
Return to the Multi-Course Meal at Chef Curtis Stone's Maude
Chef/Owner Curtis Stone's new Beverly Hills restaurant, Maude, is described in its website as:
"One key ingredient. Nine courses. Twenty-five spots. My dream little restaurant."
For me, as a diner, it was and is my dream restaurant too. It's inspiring, mouth-watering food, intimate location, open kitchen superb service, and mostly, the passion evident in every little detail, just blew me away.
Open for prix-fixe 9-course dinners featuring a monthly "seasonal story", a special ingredient, every seat in the room becomes a chef table experience.
I was very fortunate to partake in the opening preview, or "friends and family" dinners, thanks to a kind friend. Not only, that but Chef Curtis Stone cooked that night himself.
The lineup of chefs hail from the likes of legendary restaurants like Alinea, The French Laundry, elBulli, and Joel Rubochon. Just being able to eat their food in one place is impressive in itself.
My excitement was only compounded by the fact that legendary food writer, Ruth Reichl dined at the adjacent table. You can find her spot on write up from the evening over here. Curtis Stone is disarmingly even more charming and handsome as he appears on TV (Top Chef Masters, among other shows).
Being a celebrity chef I assumed he owned restaurants all over the world. However, Maude, inspired by his grandmother who taught him how to cook, is his first.
Theme: citrus family
Our star ingredient of the evening, and continuing through February, is citrus - finger limes, Buddha's hands, satsumas, yuzus, blood oranges and more.
The meal began with a succession of snacks - kusshi oysters topped with osetra caviar and rose cava gelee, lime sorbet with cara cara orange segments, crispy mussel with orange aioli, onion bhaji with cilantro cream.
Following came a divine carrot and smoked parsnip soup topped with a piece of crispy serrano jamon, a sublime Garden Salad with nasturtium pesto, pickled onions, frisee and dressed with orange reduction as well as a buttermilk carraway dressing.
Chef Stone grated a dehydrated, cured duck yolk tableside for Duck Duck Goose, a duck and swiss chard raviolo dressed with smoked goose fat and a finger lime beurre blanc.
Chef Stone grated a dehydrated, cured duck yolk tableside for Duck Duck Goose, a duck and swiss chard raviolo dressed with smoked goose fat and a finger lime beurre blanc.
Each course resulted in the table declaring it their favorite course, but throughout the meal, each course was topped in flavor.
One of my favorites was the spiny lobster crudo with watermelon radish, crimson turnip cream and brioche.
One of the most exciting chicken dishes ever, was this chicken terrine with sunchokes and mushrooms, pain perdu and Djon mustard ice cream. The textures melded flawlessly into a taste explosion.
We lingered for some time enjoying the ambiance of classic furniture, stunning peonies, the Vegemite jar on the shelf and the wonderful staff, before ending a superb evening.
For reservations, click here.
Recent Seafood Favorites
Many of my previous posts attest to the fact that I adore seafood. Over the past 6 months or so, I encountered a couple of truly inspiring and mouth watering preparations.In short, here they are.
The Scratch Bar - Green Mussel and Sea Urchin Sake Shooter
This little shot glass holds a citrusy sake fluid and a skewer of green mussel, pickled onion and a touch of chili. They walk you through the fact that it's a two hand process to bite the mussel, drink the shot, then you get to scoop up a glorious mixture of sea urchin and avocado cream.
Trattoria Neopolis - salmon crudo
I've been to this place a couple of times simply for this amazing couple of bites of salmon. It's sashimi grade rich, fatty salmon with a very refreshing citrus, herb, onion, olive oil seasonings. The fish is then sprinkled with sea salt crystals.
The setting is very charming as well, especially the front patio and the bar.
Cousins Maine Lobster - Lobster Roll
East Coast style seafood "shacks" have definitely been in vogue in the LA dining soon this past year. But quite some time ago this place opened up a pop up restaurant in Pasadena, sharing the space with Live Mixx Lounge.
Their lobster rolls are juicy and naturally sweet. Sadly not too big, they are gone in a couple of bites.
If you are a huge Shark Tank fan like me, you will know that this is one of the show's most successful funded businesses. If you don't mind enjoying freshly shipped Maine lobster in an odd "clubby" type atmosphere, this is much easier than chasing down their trucks or ordering online.
Daisy Mint - Spicy Catfish Salad
Now my third Pasadena area recommendation kind of demonstrates how the area is coming into its own in terms of food. This salad is a knockout for catfish lovers.
Two generous fried catfish filets come tossed with julienned green apples, shallots, scallions, cilantro, heaps of cashews, in a spicy lime dressing. It hits ever flavor and texture. A jackpot dish!
It washes down great with their Lemon Thai Tea, a great alternative to lactose sensitive Thai Ice tea lovers.
Pictured from top, clockwise: Smoked Marlin Tacos (just like those in Baja California), shrimp in butter sauce, Ceviche marinero (with mangos and shrimp in Worcesteshire sauce), Camarones a la Diabla, shrimp Aguachiles.
You can really live out all your shrimp fantasies here, in this Mexican seafood paradise in Inglewood, with so many delicious takes on it. The butter rice, chips and tortillas are even top notch as is their famous Pescado Zarandeado (grilled Snook fish).
Sushi Roku - Chirashi Premium bowl (lunch only)
What is any seafood roundup without sashimi? This gorgeous bowl is off menu and served only during lunch. In fact we had to ask the Manager for it. It is pricey but worth it. The edible flowers add so much beauty to the captivating bowl including fresh fish such as bluefin tuna, toro, Scottish salmon, amberjack, sea bream, sea urchin, marinated salmon roe, tamago, shrimp, octopus and snow crab leg.
This well seasoned cucumber slice shows off their stunning knife work, and the sushi rice is perfect. It was one of the only times I finished all the rice in my bowl and wanted more. Surprisingly good for my expectations in a corporate style restaurant.
These local standouts demonstrate a small sampling of seafood bounty around town. What are your recent favorites?
Racion, Basque tapas with a California Twist
For a long time I've been wanting to write about Racion, a charming French/Spanish Basque region with California twist restaurant in Pasadena. As of the last couple of years Pasadena has really come into its own food scene.It used to be a given that I'd have to go out of area to enjoy interesting food. Although a fair share of chain and corporate style restaurants remain, there are definitely more choices for the foodie.
For starters, their sangria boasts a beautiful burgundy color and depth of flavor - fruity without being too sweet.
On my first visit with a larger group, they brought out these amuse bouches of fresh trout on thin toasty crisps.
The menu is divided into Pintxos (small snacks served on house made bread), Manos (bar snacks), Tenedor (tapas to share) and Cuchillo (raciones to share).
The setas consist of white bean puree spread on toast, topped with wild mushrooms cooked in sweet sherry and fresh herbs.
Calamar a la plancha, or grilled calamari on toast, also sits atop a bed of caramelized onions, which the menu describes as "melted", and lemon aioli.
On the same vein, the manos of salt cod fritters with lemon cream and herbs could go terribly wrong. But they came out crispy, light and fluffy on the inside and the lemon cream balanced the saltiness well.
One of the very enticing and popular dishes is the duck sausage-stuffed squid, brava sauce, squid ink sauce. It packs a lot of flavor and color.
While it's on the light side of the cuchillo menu, the coliflor ahumodo, or smoked cauliflower steak, ajo blanco, almonds, showed a satisfying way to enjoy vegetables as an entree.
The fideua negra did not impress some of my dining partners, but for a classic dish with a California twist, I enjoyed it. They do not claim perfect authenticity.
The buttery fideua was composed of Spanish pasta, mussels, poached quail egg and baby squid. Everything blended in so you could not see everything, but could certainly taste it.
Finally, another one of my favorites, the paella deconstruita of crispy prawns, lobster rice, bouillabaise really allowed tasting and enjoying all components separately. On the current menu, I believe it's called arroz con gambas.
I personally prefer risotto and biriyani over paella as far as rice dishes go. This light version with plenty of caramelized, griddled rice brought out lovely brininess, crunch and broth. It streamlines the dish in a clever way.
These dishes illustrate the style and some highlights from Chef Teresa Montaño's menu of several months to possibly a year ago. The menu does change often and may not include all these dishes, but there are some mainstays. The lunch menu pares things down to tapas mainly and the dinner menu also offers cheese, charcuterie, desserts and other items not covered here.
Overall, Racion, at the spot of the former Tre Venezie Trattoria, a very popular Italian restaurant, stands as a solid meal choice in Old Town Pasadena.
Mo Better Burgers is Still Mo Better
As far as food goes, I don't usually get too nostalgic about the past because there is so much in the present to discover and taste. Over the years each time I had one of the fancy, designer burgers in town, I kept thinking back to my former favorite.
It was then called Mo Better Meatty Meat Burger. What a great name, isn't it? I love the redundancy.
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| Photo appears at WSC When Saturday Comes site: http://www.wsc.co.uk/forum-index/28-world/441477-who-likes-looking-at-maps?limit=20&start=220 |
They were known for their quality of meat and produce as well as their very popular veggie burger.
A couple of months ago I drove down La Brea and saw a sign in a strip mall for Mo Better Burgers. I wondered, could it be?
Yes, it was. A quick web search later I found out the beloved burger was back! Apparently the original founder's daughter, Eve Fouche, is part of this glorious comeback. Evidently they use an organic angus chuck blend, organic turkey and non-GMO produce.
Because I no longer live in the neighborhood and they close relatively early in the evening, I tucked this idea in the back of my head.
Well yesterday at work, we successfully completed a large and long term project. As a celebration, I drove past my old apartment (my first one after college). It happened to be 4 blocks away from Mo Better Burgers.
I couldn't resist going in and having a taste. There was just 15 minutes before I had to meet a friend so I reigned myself in and had the small 3" burger without fries. From what I remember their seasoned fries also delivered.
I used to enjoy it with raw onions, but since I had to be somewhere I went for the grilled. And even though I don't eat much dairy anymore, I had to go for a slice of cheddar for old times' sake.
It tasted just like I remembered. Just a great, finely seasoned burger, as you can see from the multiple spice tins by the grill. Always made fresh to order, the meat gets grilled in its own juices.
The veges are fresh and crisp, not the limp and processed stuff you get at a fast food joint. The potato bun is light and fluffy giving it just the right ratio of meat to veges to bun. One of the few burgers where I do not have to remove one of the buns nor add more meat to taste it.
Although perfect as is I usually add a few shakes of their house made hot sauce which also tastes uniquely flavorful. After my first bite I regretted getting the smaller size.
The clientele seemed to consist of regulars and each person who walked in after me was greeted by name. It's a wonderful touch you do not see much these days. They asked me how I heard of the place and greeted me by name when I left.
There is a special Magic Johnson burger on the menu, as well as his signed memorabilia throughout the store as well as mementos of the earlier burger stand.
Baja Summer Trip - Tasting Dinner at Manzanilla
Our "fancy" sit down dinner during the Baja weekend was at Chef Benito Molina’s restaurant Manzanilla in Ensenada. Chef Pablo Diaz was led our inspiring chef's tasting meal.
We really enjoyed the eclectic decor and the grounds. The building contains several rooms and patios, giving a wonderful indoor/outdoor vibe.
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| Pink building is their immaculate kitchen - I peeked through the large window |
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| artwork and Andy Warhol label Perrier bottle |
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| Chef Pablo Diaz |
And then came the luxurious, satisfying meal. I did not take notes during the meal, as with the other tasting meal because between photography and eating, I opted to enjoy the experience more. But I will fill in the captions in the future with more details.
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| amuse bouche and salad with fig tomato olive almond cheese |
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| housemade bread, lime and salt plate for tequila |
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| oysters 4 ways, served on rock salt |
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| abalone 3 ways - the one on left fried with fried parsley (wanted to eat it like a bowl of popcorn!) |
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| Bill Esparza |
He was in very good spirits and spent a long time chatting with us, enjoying a meal and toasting us at the end of the meal.
It was wonderful to have most of Club Tengo Hambre together in one place as they all share a true passion for the region and it's clearly evident.
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| yellowtail curdo and crab claw (removed from shell) |
This innovative plating for the quail dish is based on a game involving a cat and bird. I loved the deconstructed dish, although some of the sauces and pickles overwhelmed the quail flavor. It was tempting to eat one square at a time but they taste better combined into a bite.
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| eel and yellowtail courses |
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| who wouldn't love a purse full of warm, just made tortillas? |
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| tender ribeye steak with finishing salt and fresh salsa - loved this combination |
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| cheese course with local cheese, of course |
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| my favorite dessert of the trip - very textural, creamy and fruity |
Our last evening treat ended with a taste of Mezcal, with a sice of orange slices dipped in ant salt as the chaser. I try anything at least once and this is not my first taste of ant! It capped off our meal quite well.
