We decided to risk it and walked up the hill, we were rewarded with two of the remaining four bar seats. I think when I go back, I will never bother with a table as we had much more fun chatting with our server, David, the sommelier, Colin, and occasionally Jeff Banker would stick his head out to say hello. While an extensive five-course prix fixe with wine pairing is available, we opted for a smaller tasting menu we which put together ourselves and the restaurant was more than accommodating in pouring us miniature carafes of wine (single pours, actually) for us to share. While waiting for our first official course, an amuse was sent out of spicy ahi tuna with Vietnamese slaw, crispy shallots, and peanuts. We were very happy a taste of this as it was high on our list of one of the courses we wanted. There was just enough light creamy dressing on the bright fresh ahi to complement the crunchy goodness of the slaw and shallots.

To accompany our first course, we ordered a 2008 Matthiasson White Wine from the Napa Valley. A blend of semillon, sauvignon blanc, and ribolla gialla, the nose provided a clean aroma of lemon peel and stone fruit. The entry was clean and engaging and was a spectacular pairing with the house smoked trout on celery root latke with horseradish crème fraîche, pickled beets, and shaved fennel. The sauce was made from concentrated beets but it was the crunchy celery root latke which marveled. This was a great combination of fresh ingredients with rich trout and horseradish cream which could have overwhelmed, but did not. The wine brought out the smokiness of the trout without being oppressive yet also heightened the collection of vegetables. A really great beginning.

Our next course was a torchon of foie gras served with pickled rhubarb, house-made brioche, and Sausalito Springs watercress which we paired with a wine recommended by Colin, a 2007 Domaine Belliviere l’Effraie chenin blanc. The wine produced a rich, tropical aroma and gave a bright entry of kumquat. The foie was simply prepared; a classic example of a properly-prepared torchon, yet heightened with large grilled slabs of the house-made brioche. The true stroke of genius was the pickled rhubarb and watercress. The tangy goodness made the foie that much creamier and also emphasized the exquisite nature of the kumquat tones in the wine. Absolutely lovely pairing with a foie offering that was both wholesome and delectable.

After our two starters, we decided to share an entrée; Black pepper pappardelle with braised shortribs, wild mushrooms, English peas, and shaved pecorino. This was paired with a 2006 Occhipinti Siccagno Nero d’Avola.  While we were pretty happy with our first two courses, here we reached a new level of richness. The pappardelle was handkerchief thin, laden with earthy mushrooms which were punctuated by the bright spurts of the English peas. Once again, we had a wine pairing that blew us out of the water; muted fruit of dark cherry and black olive on the nose opened up to earthy tastes of smoky tobacco, mushroom, and a delicate eucalyptus at the very finish. The creamy sauce in our entrée had a touch of truffle oil which provided an exciting counter-balance to the earthiness in the wine. This is a very rich dish and I could definitely see myself ordering it again on my own, but just to assure I had leftovers for breakfast. I am not sure I could see ordering and consuming an entire order in one sitting, but it could be fun to try.

Of course we ordered dessert, strawberry-filled PB&J doughnuts with peanut butter dipping sauce. And a very extensive write-up of those can be found over at Fried Dough Ho.

The post Baker & Banker first appeared on Feast Blog.

Florio is a little restaurant in my neighborhood that I dine at only once or twice a year. Quite frankly, the menu has always been a bit too restrained for my tastes; generic steak frites and mundane roast chicken. Not bad at all, just dishes I always felt I could create at home. In fact, the times I have gone there I have always enjoyed myself, but was never blown away. But when my older sister comes to visit, Florio is a favorite for her for the very reasons I forget about it; she is a woman who revels in a good roast chicken, craves a hearty steak with fries, and loves its basic goodness.

When she arrived for the annual jaunt up Fillmore Street for pre-Thanksgiving shopping, I tried to steer her towards some other establishments. “S.P.Q.R. has a new chef,” I entreated. “Japantown is just a block away,” I reminded. Nope. She wanted Florio.

Trying to be a bit on the healthier side, I started with a salad of shaved fennel, anchovies, and pomelos. And was I ever surprised. That which used to earmark as staid and mundane was now surprisingly fresh and innovative. Sister Sue had a squash soup which was heightened with fresh wild mushrooms – so creamy and rich and engaging. Continuing in her vein of comfort food, Susan ordered a Berkshire pork Milanese with house-made sauerkraut, fingerling potatoes, and mustard sauce. Pounded thin like a veal cutlet, for $19 this dish was astonishingly good; tender, moist, and with a great crust, possibly made with the addition of panko for extra crunchiness. I was a bit jealous I hadn’t ordered the dish myself.

Except that I had ordered mussels. From Totten Inlet, this was offered as a starter for $13.50 but with my salad opener, I wasn’t worried that I had under-ordered. And then the mussels arrived. Crowned with an aïoli-topped crouton, I have to admit that I have never seen such engorged, fleshy, monstrously huge mussels. There is no way to get around the sexual innuendo of these bivalves, but beyond the obvious shape, the taste elevated the experience to one of ecstasy. They were tender and rich, a clean white-wine broth combining with the garlicky sauce of the aïoli to create a creamy milkiness akin to… well… Okay, I suppose saying the dish was orgasmic is going to far, huh? Enough said.

Suffice to say I have a new fondness and respect for Florio. It is far from staid and sedate. I have found a new gem in my neighborhood to bring friends. And a last word on service: Exemplary.

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The continuation of the birthday celebration occurred with darling friends, Becky and Max at Chinois on Main in Santa Monica. Beautiful, charming people — the camaraderie outshining the food, which was fabulous. We started with what was probably my favorite dish of the evening, soft shell crab with fried greens and a green sauce. Beats me what the green sauce was, but these had to be the largest, freshest, and most stunning example of a soft shell crab I have ever experienced. Perfectly fried with a nary a touch of grease, all future crabs will be compared with these. We paired this with d’Herbert Champagne, Blanc de Blanc Brut (all wines brought by the generous Max!)

Next was a sashimi of fluke and tuna tartare with sevruga caviar served with a light ponzu sauce. I am such a sucker for great crudo and the combination of fluke served alongside the tuna with its avocado smear works exceptionally well.

We next opened a 1999 Verget Puligny-Montrachet “Les Enseignères” which had a lovely creamy entry, with a touch of pear and apple in the complex, engaging mouth feel. With this we ate the tempura ahi tuna sashimi with fresh uni sauce. This is a large round of tuna which has a thin tempura coating; just enough to entice without being overbearing and the redolently rich uni sauce. The brightness of the wine was emphasized by the thick, rich texture of the uni sauce and cleanness of the tuna.

Next came a platter of sizzling calamari and rock shrimp salad served in a won ton cup with Chinese chili paste. Of the entire evening’s offerings, this was the least successful. The calamari was slightly on the chewy side and it was mostly comprised of a bunch of fried fish on plain greens. The sauce did not bring the two major components together as one would have thought.

Max then had opened a La Croix Blance Vosne-Romanée (silly me, I didn’t get the vintage). This was a rich, elegant red which we paired with the roasted Cantonese duck with fresh plum sauce and steamed bao stuffed with pickled greens and shiitake mushrooms. The duck was perfectly prepared with a delightful crispy exterior. We picked apart the duck meat to stuff in our bao, scooping up the plum sauce. Getting full, the order of fried rice was packed up to-go before it ever got to the table.

However, despite bulging bellies, a miniature dessert platter was brought out which contained some molten chocolate cake with fudge sauce, crème brûlée, chocolate pot de crème, fresh fruit, and vanilla ice cream with a single scoop of mango sorbet. A perfect amount of small sweet bites to satisfy. The service was stellar as always, despite the crowd (lots of graduation parties). Wolfgang even made a brief appearance which surprised me; I hadn’t seen him at one of his own restaurants in over a decade (not that I frequent his restaurants…) In all, a fabulous birthday meal which was only surpassed by the love and friendship of my dining companions. Thanks B&M!

The post Chinois on Main – Santa Monica first appeared on Feast Blog.

Besides trying to look at as much art as possible, I went to Harrods every, every day. Quite simply, their food court is a thing of beauty. A jaunt to Harrods started my days, partly because they are less crowded right when they open at 10:00 a.m., but also because the food court is so diverse in its offerings. I had oysters on the half-shell with Muscadet for breakfast. One morning it was the cylindrical meat pies (venison with Stilton and orange, thank you!). How can you not love a place that has FOUR different providers of Goose Fat? Or a fish market that offers varieties which can be brought home — or they will cook it for you there (fry, broil, etc.?) The butcher has Scottish-raised beef and Danish-raised lamb. And it isn’t just the First Floor food court that makes Harrods special; they have restaurants and bistros on every floor, including a specialized chocolate bar (I know, I should have at least tried a hot chocolate from there and I didn’t!)

I also wandered into a local corner market and beheld a bounty of foreign treats for sale. It was delightful that it was not a specialty market; not an Indian market per se, or a Middle Eastern market. It was just a corner market with insta-curries and canned Moroccan lamb soup. I chuckled at the “Pot Noodle” offerings of Bombay Bad Boy, Lamb Hotpot, and more. I loved that an Apple and Elderflower drink is available. And that shelves which hold the instant custards and pre-made plum puddings lie above the shelf of bags of lentils, peas, and beans and below the shelf of instant Sindhi Biryani and Chatt Pakora mixes.

Another revelation occurred at the Borough Market. I….. Had….. No….. Idea….. This is where the Cheese Gods live. The heavenly angelic choir sings forth giant wads of coagulated milk and I exalt in the joy that is cheese. I hearken back to Clotaire Rapaille’s analysis of the American cheese market and how one such as I have been brought up with a knowledge of cheese:

I know that in America the cheese is dead, which means is pasteurized, which means legally dead and scientifically dead, and we don’t want any cheese that is alive, then I have to put that up front. I have to say this cheese is safe, is pasteurized, is wrapped up in plastic. I know that plastic is a body bag. You can put it in the fridge. I know the fridge is a morgue; that’s where you put dead bodies. And so once you know that, this is the way you market cheese in America.

At the Borough Market, for the first time in my life, I saw cheese specimens sitting out in the open; no plastic wrap, no refrigerator, and no one wearing surgical gloves when handling the cheese. The smell was pungent in the air and it was glorious. The green vegetables seemed greener. Mushrooms where strewn in a giant platter for the customer to pick at will. I also had a bit of a Dickensian/Pepysian moment in buying a cup of mulled wine from a vendor; warm and spicy and oh, so satisfying.

God, Britain, I love you so…

Harrods:

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