Feast Blog

In the space that used to be Bar Crudo is a restaurant called Swell. Quite frankly, it is so close to what Bar Crudo was in its realization as to be spooky. Well, similar in style, presentation and quality of seafood without the wait, crowd, or hype. There is also a more accessible menu insofar as small bites are concerned.

I learned all this late one afternoon when BFF Lisa and I were wandering around Union Square, trying yet again to decide where to eat that might be different and off-radar. I had completely forgotten about the restaurant’s existence after Bar Crudo departed and considering it was a Tuesday, we weren’t even sure it was going to be open. Walking in around 7:00 in the evening, we were really pleased to get a table. Once we finished our meal, we were more surprised they weren’t packed.

While we pondered the menu, we decided to start with a dozen oysters and I ordered a glass of Riesling from Chile to accompany — mostly because I have never tasted a Chilean Riesling. Our waitress instead suggested something I had never tried, Picpoul de Pinet, by Felines Jourdan from Languedoc. She was really fabulous; not only in the wine recommendation but also in bringing me a taste of the Chilean Riesling and a Domaine Auchere Sancerre, which I would have normally ordered with oysters. Her suggestion was spot on and a great complement to the oysters.

In wanting to try as many dishes as possible, we started with the larger portion of a Chef Tasting Platter; four selections for $22. For $15, you can start with three. And getting one taste of each kind was perfect for the two of us as $11 for four intense and interesting samplings was very intriguing. Lisa and I indicated that we would be very happy if one of the selections would include sea urchin, a particular favorite of ours. Our first four tastes:

Sashimi Grade Yellow Fin Tuna – Ample perfectly squared cuts of yellow fin tuna sits atop slices of Haas avocado with a bit of shiro dashi and sesame seeds. Very rich and quite good.

Dayboat Scallops – Fileted scallops wrapped around matchstick slices of crisp, green Granny Smith apples all topped with wasabi caviar and yuzu aïoli. This was a stunner of a combination. The rich scallop with creamy aïoli provided a rich juxtaposition with the clean, juicy apples.

Smoked Ocean Trout – Prepared with red beet gelée, wasabi-crème fraîche, and quail egg. Here the red beet gelée was prepared and used the way seaweed nori would be in a classic nigiri offering, clutching the delicately smoked trout. The fish and beet preparation sat beneath the ever-so-slightly-spicy wasabi crème fraîche and perfectly hard-boiled quail egg.

Santa Barbara Sea Urchin – With Asian pear wrap, nori, apple aïoli, and jalapeño. Served on a slice of cucumber, the waitress advised us to consume the fish combination separate from the cucumber as the vegetable component would overwhelm the rest. What was the most anticipated of all the crudo offerings proved to be the most disappointing. Perhaps because we were dining on a Tuesday and very often fresh fish is not brought in but used from the weekend, we found the uni lacking in freshness and the preparation to be the least enticing.

Of all the previous four, it was the scallops which were the most exciting with the smoked trout a close second. The tuna was very good, but with so many avocado and sashimi-grade fish offerings in the city, it was not as memorable as the other selections. Still a little hungry and very intrigued with the rest of the menu, we decided on another Chef Tasting of Four, this time getting a few cooked items on the platter.

Rhode Island Fluke – With pickled ginger, citrus salad and rice crispies. An another interesting crunch component with the light rice crispy added a very textural element but the citrus and ginger were too similar in tangy flavors to balance out the clean fluke. It was only the addition of the little sea bean which made the dish more interesting.

Coconut Ceviche of Kampachi – Served with sea bean, red onion, and rice chips.  The texture of raw fish, pickled vegetable, and crunch with a hint of coconut was intriguing, but there was a little too much of the rice chip although I can understand why it needed to be that size, to hold the dressed kampachi.

Miso Black Cod Brûlée – Served with purple potato salad, this was a universally loved concoction. The black cod with its miso marinade and slightly browned exterior had a skillfully prepared amount of sweetness which paired well with the rich, creamy potatoes.

Tuna Tartare – Prepared very similarly to a tartare recipe I grew to love when I worked for Joachim Splichal’s Patina group in Los Angeles, almost a decade ago. Freshly cut tuna, dressed with with black sesame and a hint of sesame oil plated atop finely slivered and pickled seaweed. I could eat a large plate of this.

Lisa was not interested in dessert but the waitress described the flavors of a Crème Brûlée sampler and I couldn’t resist; ginger, miso, and coffee. Our waitress insisted it was not too much and that just a few spoonfuls of each flavor would not be too overwhelming. Lisa was determined to not eat more than a bite or two but within just one taste of each flavor and we knew there was no way to not consume each one – and scrape out a little at the end with our fingers… The ginger was spicy enough with a strong, piquant taste that I adore. The coffee was rich and pungent, the way I like it – almost bitter with coffee taste. But it was the miso which was the surprise. Almost the way a salted caramel gives just enough salt taste to counter-balance the sweetness of a caramel, the umami and saltiness of the miso worked enticingly well with the sweet candied top of the crème brûlée.

There were a handful of larger dishes I would like to go back and try; a lobster bisque, a beef tartare, and bouillabaisse. Glad to have rediscovered the spot and looking forward to repeat visits.

My hairdresser, his boyfriend, and I stopped by Uva Enoteca after a haircut one Monday evening. This is of note as my hairdresser is in Lower Haight and there are only a few restaurants open on Mondays in that neighborhood (we usually go to RNM). The atmosphere in Uva is dark and subtle, warm and inviting. There is a bit of an oddity with the Zeppelin music in the background, but I kinda liked it. As it was my hairdresser’s birthday, I brought a homemade cake and the waitstaff were more than gracious in holding the cake for us as well as cutting and serving it after our meal. When we sat, we were given a small bowl of green olives. They were gone so quickly and thankfully, the waitstaff offered more. What *are* those giant, bright green olives?

The three of us started with three cocktails;
~ Prosecco Cocktail with peach bitters and a bit of sugar.
~ Miele Frizzante – Carpano antique, orange, peach bitters, and Heidrun buckwheat blossom mead. VERY odd cocktail; the mead made it seem like a light, fruity hefeweizen. Interesting, but not something I think I’d order again.
~ In Bocca Al Lupo – Lillet blanc, chilies, basil, prosecco and coconut salt. Too much chilies for me; spicy.

They have a very extensive wine list and we let the owner(?) offer a suggestion. He came up with a Barbera d’Alba, “Gisep,” Massolino from Piemont.

Loving the nosh, we again put ourselves in the hands of the capable staff; bring on a bunch of meat, a bunch of cheese, and some appropriate side dishes.

We started with the crudo of the day; on that day, tuna with olive oil and salt. As my hairdresser’s BF is a professional fish-monger, he confirmed my compliment that it was a great quality fish.

Next the meats and cheeses arrived. They offer various assorted sized plates and offerings and so five of each seemed a good compromise; Prosciutto di Parma, Bresaola from Bernina Montevideo, Coppa di Testa from Boccalone, orange and fennel from Boccalone, and a hot Soppressata from the Bronx. Sorry I can’t remember the five cheeses, but I can remember the accompaniments with the cheeses; truffled honey, a lemon/pepper condiment, and Marcona almonds.

Also served was chunks of fresh bread, eggplant caponata (a bit on the spicy side for me but still enjoyable), roasted asparagus with lemon aioli and Parmigiano (very fresh and nicely crunchy with person aioli), and fresh beans with pancetta and onions (I ate most of these, but I am obviously the veggie eater in the group). We should have stopped, but we were intrigued with the Semolina gnocchi with speck. Of all the dishes we ordered, the gnocchi was the least successful. Perhaps I’m spoiled with Sean O’Brien’s gnocchi but these were on the gummy side and with the speck and no sauce, way too dry. It needs SOMETHING moist on the plate and there was nothing.

I have to admit that there were a number of desserts which looked intriguing and I wished I could have tried the pumpkin cake with vanilla gelato, apples, saba, and pinenut brittle, but we had this cake I made instead. Again, the waitstaff was amazing and I would go back in a heartbeat.

It has taken living in the city for three years to beat it into me that I have to get out of my comfortable neighborhoods. I had yet to eat at ANY restaurants in Inner Sunset and I have my eating buddy, Lisa, to thank for bringing me here. Apparently it helps to know the chef or at least insist at sitting at the bar to ask what is special and fresh. And apologies that the pictures didn’t happen – we were too caught up in the moment…

We started with the ubiquitous “Spoonfuls of Happiness” – two soup spoons, one filled with a tai-wrapped smoked ankimo dressed with a bit of truffle oil and tobiko, the other a preparation of uni with quail egg and house-made ponzu sauce. The spoonfuls are served with a specialty sake and being an ankimo fan, I thought I would prefer that bite, but the freshness of the uni and the subtlety of the ponzu made the uni the preferred bite.

Not wanting to get full on rice, we specifically requested sashimi — with two slices each of maguro, tai aka, sake, hamachi, and and kanpachi. Note that the fresh, real wasabi is certainly a treat.

Indicating we were definitely interested in “unusual” offerings, the chef made us a salad of light mizuna greens, thinly sliced cucumber, and baby raw whole shrimp and squid. I don’t recall ever having been served whole squid the size of my thumb. Incredibly tender and lightly dressed, this was an amazing offering.

As my client requested salmon, a special offering of crudo was presented — thinly sliced white salmon, so tender and bright.

There was also an unagi course, but I’m not remembering exactly how it was offered.

We finished up with my one request of the evening; ama-ebi, as my good friend, Lance (visiting from London), had never had a fried shrimp head before. Perfectly fresh sweet shrimp and the fried heads were light and crunchy. Just perfect.

I brought a potential client and I’m sure we must have been given some deals as we drank a lot of sake, ate a lot of sushi, and the tab was only $300 for four.

Business found me in Las Vegas for my 45th birthday at the beginning of June. Before arriving, I had an invitation from a Facebook friend I had never met for a birthday cocktail, which I found utterly charming. I met Sonia Bañuelos of Saffron Paisley fame met me at the Parasol Bar in the Wynn. We were shortly joined by Denise of Delisch, and Meghan Riley. Debating where to dine for dinner, Daniel Boulud’s Brasserie is mere steps from the opulent water show, but despite the massive array of empty tables, I was told there was an hour+ wait. Getting hungry, we opted to squeeze into the lounge area, which is not quite as comfortable for where (we were told) at least the whole menu was available.

In our classic sharing mode, for the table I ordered a 2004 Outpost Zinfandel which was well-loved by all. Also for the table was the *small* version of the fruits de mer, an exceptional offering of chilled fish. On the platter was 4″ prawns, three types of crudo and tartare, a half lobster, mussels, oysters, and clams. The quality of the fish was exceptional and ample. I also ordered the terrine of foie which was easily one of the best offerings of foie I have tasted in a decade. Served alongside was an aspic of elderflower and a crème with an imperceptible flavor. We asked about it because it was so light and enticing and the waiter insisted it was horseradish, which was obviously wrong. Regardless, the foie itself was perfectly prepared with a firm, creamy texture and served with delightfully thin, toasted brioche.

Also on the table was a glorious charcuterie plate, the best burger I have ever tasted, a rich duck breast, and a side of creamed spinach. I would go back for the burger in a heart-beat, despite what I think was a $32 price tag. We finished up the evening with a cheese plate but because of the volume in the lounge, we didn’t really understand the cheese explanations which were offered. They were served with a few glasses of Tokaji and I was very surprised that in all, the entire meal with tip came to a mere $100 a person. Quite a bargain, considering the quality and bounty of the food offered.

A decade ago, I used to live in Redondo Beach. And I return at least once a year – usually for business – and still dine with an old foodie friend who always keeps me apprised of new and interesting restaurants. There was some local buzz of a French/Japanese fusion restaurant on the pier, Maison Riz, which had only recently set up shop, complete with a very large, glowing sign.  We called to make sure we could be seated and was told that if we arrived within 15 minutes, there would be room. When we arrived, we could see that more than ¾ of the restaurant was entirely empty.

There was some quandary about the menu as we wanted to try as many dishes as possible. The restaurant offered a six-course Riz Tasting menu which we ordered along with some additional dishes. Our waiter was young and energetic (maybe just legal to drink) and although he tried to exude sophistication.

The first course was a quiche-like something. It was barely warm and made with a puff pastry that was extremely rubbery. The dish was flavorless and piled atop a mound of over-dressed, limp lettuce. This dish arrived before we had an opportunity to even place a drink order. We were pondering the wine list and asked if they had a sommelier. We asked three different people several times if they had a sommelier. The bus boy was not sure what we were asking for and asked a waitress to help us. We repeated the request a number of times and without admitting ignorance of the word, she responded that she would check with the kitchen. Pondering a sparkling sake, there was a chance that it was dry or sweet, but no one seemed to know and our waiter’s only response was that someone had tasted it last week and enjoyed it.

The second course was a small tasting of crudo. However, under the two raw seafood preparations, was a puddle of spinach, a few pink peppercorns, and  citrus oil. I know that one of the fish offerings was tuna, but I can’t tell you what the white fish was. On top of the two fishes was uni and caviar. It was layered far too high to gather all of the ingredients, but even with those I did get in my first bite, my initial reaction was “train wreck.” It was extremely reminiscent of the sickly-sweet perfume I wore as a nine-year old. There were too many disparate flavors and the muddled, strident tones of the ingredients conflicted with each other. Served alongside was a tuille of parmesan cheese studded with sesame seeds, but the cracker was woefully stale. Thankfully, our order of individual glasses of champagne arrived to help cleanse the palate. The dish was piled so high as to be laughable with the ¼ teaspoon-sized utensils offered. I believe this was intended to be more along the lines of an amuse, but instead of amusing, I was aghast. I made a comment that I would not be remotely offended if we wanted to cut bait and leave, but we agreed to give them one more try. As we looked at each other in horror as the bread basket arrived. What looked to be potentially beautiful, crusty bread was in fact bread that had either been steamed or microwaved. I’m not sure this was the straw that broke our camel’s back, but it definitely showed an astonishing lack of professionalism on the part of the kitchen.

Our third course was a salad that was described as “Crab Ceasar.” The travesty which was offered was yet another multi-layered concoction of discordant components; intensely strong pesto underneath fried, greasy shoestring potatoes, under overly-dressed miso/Ceasar greens, under a salad of crab meat which was gloppy in its mayonnaise-based dressing, which was under some shredded vegetable of indeterminate origin. Yes, you read corrently: Three different dressings in one “salad,” none of which were balanced or remotely appetizing. And to have all three composed in one dish was atrocious. It was here that we started calling for servers to tell them to stop the meal.  We were just on the border of the evening being early enough to salvage some potential dining time and we needed to make our escape soon if we were going to have an opportunity at another establishment.

Unfortunately, another course arrived. It was in an oddly useless piece of service ware; a deep, oblong bowl on top of which was a two-handled, ceramic “spoon” which kept it from lying flat on its own. In the bowl itself was crab ravioli garnished with two over-cooked, ruby prawns. The ravioli dough was gummy and the sauce akin to Chef Boyardee. In the spoon-like attachment were two prosciutto-wrapped cherry tomatoes. For whatever reason, they call this “prosciutto maki” and garnished it again with the horrendous pesto.

The manager had arrived as my companion explained that the meal was just not working for us. I was reaching for my purse to escape, when the manager begged the indulgence of continuing the meal. I will grant that the restaurant is new and that it takes some time to iron out problems, but with the short time I have to visit, I was in no mood to be anyone’s guinea pig. To his credit, the manager pleaded for a return visit and while it seems obvious the chef has had some formal training, he seems to be one that is newly graduated from cooking school with the idea that good food must be a complicated mélange of flavors, but it seems shockingly evident that the chef has little experience with taste components or flavor matching.

Looking at their website, the mystery continues in presenting themselves as offering “French-Japanese inspired cuisine featuring European culinary traditions and ingredients indigenous to Japan.” I was unaware that pesto and fried shoestring potatoes were indigenous to Japan. Their website promotes “a distinctive wine list highlighting petite vineyards.” When was Beringer’s White Zinfandel’s vineyards ever considered petite? Well, they didn’t mislead in one regard; they state that their “goal is provide all the necessary elements that will result in an unforgettable dining experience, creating memories that will last a lifetime.” Man, there is no chance of me EVER forgetting this dining experience. I wish I could.