The Divine Dish

Dinner at the New Royce Wood-Fired Steakhouse

Posted on Mar 31, 2013 under Archives | No Comment

Last week my friend and chef in training Travis and I visited the brand new steakhouse at  The Langham in Pasadena.  The Royce | Wood-Fired Steakhouse is helmed by Chef Anthony Zappola, who has more than eight years of experience with Tom Colicchio’s Craft Restaurant Group.

The menu features a selection of USDA Prime Cuts, Australian Wagyu and Kobe-style Japanese Beef prepared over a wood-fired grill with White Oak and seasonal wood.  There is also a nice selection of fresh, seasonal seafood, vegetables and side dishes. The blue and white décor reminded us of a less trendy version of The Bazaar’s blanca room.

Here is what we sampled:

I started out with a nice dirty martini, Trav had a Manhattan with extra cherries.  Both were a great way to start off a steakhouse meal.

Our appetizers started off with a nice warm kale salad with smoked bacon and blue cheese and a steak tartar with a tabasco vinaigrette.

Next came two more appetizers, a nice Wagyu beef carpaccio with spicy radishes and seared yellowfin tuna with aged soy and cucumber.

Next came our meat entrees, a perfectly cooked ribeye and our fave of the night – the Wagyu beef brisket with a soy ginger bordelaise.  We both agreed the brisket was the star of the evening.

We also sampled a nice plate of Hawaiian blue prawns with candied peanuts and chiles.

We also sampled a nice plate of vegetables and some homey mac n cheese with tasso ham.

Our last course was dessert.  We chose the chocolate cake with a vanilla milkshake side.  Yum.

The Royce’s Red Wine Room serves as a destination for pre- and post-dinner drinks, with wine tasting classes and a small plates menu.  The Royce also offers a new communal dining experience, perfect for individual diners seeking a more casual spot, and it will continue to feature an exclusive chef’s table for guests to enjoy a multi-course dining experience.  Manager Matt Nathanson was nice enough to show us the awesome wine rooms at The Royce.

The Royce Wood-Fired Steakhouse is located in The Langham, 1401 South Oak Knoll Avenue in Pasadena.  Reservations can be made at 626/568-3900.

Sunday Brunch at Scarpetta Beverly Hills

Posted on Mar 25, 2013 under Archives | No Comment

I recently visited Scarpetta at the Montage Beverly Hills to sample their upcoming Easter brunch for a story I am doing for The Daily Meal.  My friend Nick and I enjoyed a variety of beautifully displayed delicious food.

Scarpetta’s seasonally inspired Easter brunch menu includes fresh local ingredients and clean earthy flavors that elevate modern Italian cuisine.  Chef Alex Stratta’s courses include snow crab legs, polenta waffles, short rib agnolotti, green and white asparagus, and slow poached eggs with lobster hash and truffle hollandaise.   Here is a sampling of what we enjoyed.

The spaghetti and prime rib were our faves.

The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills had an extensive display of delicious cheeses on display.

Norbert was on hand and created a special cheese plate for us.

The dessert area was stunning.  So much to choose from.

We had a great time enjoying all the wonderful food at Scarpetta’s Sunday brunch.

Make your Easter Sunday brunch reservation today at Scarpetta, $95, located at 225 North Canon Drive, Montage Beverly Hills, 310.860.7970.

Dinner at RivaBella

Posted on Mar 16, 2013 under Uncategorized | No Comment

It isn’t surprising to recognize a lot of similarities between the new RivaBella and other Innovative Dining Group owned restaurants like BOA and Delphine.   The new Italian inspired eatery is huge (8,000 square feet), attracts a Hollywood crowd of stars and stargazers, is located across the street from BOA on the Sunset Strip and boasts a modern chic design.

It’s unique because it highlights Mediterranean fare thanks to co-owner Angelini Osteria chef Gino Angelini.  The massive space is broken into several different areas – an interior marble-topped bar/lounge, a large dining centered around a double sided brick fireplace with a retractable roof and a few nice rounded big leather booths amidst tall trees, an outdoor patio and a cozy private room resembling a rustic Italian wine cellar.

I visited RivaBella with my good friend Al.  Here is what we sampled:

Our salad was a crisp mix of radicchio, polenta croutons, egg and gorgonzola dressing.

We loved the comforting eggplant parmesan made with light spinach pasta, ricotta and meat sauce.  This dish is an appetizer and definitely worth ordering.

Our fave of the night was the lasagna Nonna Elvira with layers of spinach pasta, meat sauce and bechamel.  There are other traditional Italian items including the  hearty Osso Buco with risotto and gremalata.  The menu  also features innovative dishes such as the squid ink crab ravioli, linguini with sea urchin sauce, pizza with quail egg and asparagus and saffron tagliatelle with a prosciutto ragu.  Our other main was the perfectly grilled branzino with sauteed spinach and a Sicilian style sauce.

Desserts included a lovely chocolate gelato and a light tiramasu.

Dining in such a beautiful ambiance amidst celebrities comes at a price.  Most pasta dishes are around $18 with the exception of the spaghetti with truffle and sausage at $44.  Head downtown to Bestia and a very similar more rustic pasta, sausage and truffle dish will cost you about half as much.  RivaBella boasts the atmosphere and is a perfect spot for a variety of situations.   Bring visiting tourists who want to see a trendy new Hollywood restaurant complete with celebrities diners (we saw Halle Berry), impress a first date with the romantic atmosphere and expensive bill, or just come to enjoy the traditional Italian standout comfort food by the fireplace.  Reservations required 310/278-2060, located at 9201 Sunset Boulevard.

Dinner at Bestia

Posted on Mar 03, 2013 under Archives, Los Angeles | No Comment

Bestia, the newest hotspot for LA downtown dining, is appropriately named for a few reasons.  It’s a beast to find, park and get a reservation.   It seems everyone wants a table to try Chef Uri Menashe (formerly of Osteria Angelini) innovative take on Italian fare.  I visited last on a Tuesday night to a packed house.

Located in an old industrial warehouse in the Arts District of downtown, the only clue tipping diners off of Bestia’s location is its spray painted name and valet stand on the alley below the restaurant.   Inside, Bestia has an upscale urban architectural fell with exposed brick walls, concrete floors and an open kitchen.  The L shaped interior space is divided into a main dining area with small booths, communal tables and a long charcuterier bar featuring a salami counter with marble tabletops.

I recommend trying to snag a seat in the middle of the restaurant so you can view the open kitchen, salami case, and have a view of all the tables.  Another good spot is at the bar right in front of the salami table, where you can view chefs slicing a variety of meats for the delicious house cured meats appetizer.  Here is what my friend and chef in training Travis and I sampled at Bestia.

The wine list is predominately Eastern European including lambrusco, pinot grigio and moscato from the Friuli wine region.  I started off with a lovely bubbly salamino lambrusco.

Antipasti are both traditional and adventurous including a housemade selection of cured meats, grilled sardines, roasted bone marrow, chicken gizzards and beef heart tartare.  We began with the marinated olives including cerignola, castelvetrano, taggiasche, gaeta and picholine.

Next we sampled the delicious and hearty chicken liver crostini.  We loved the the thick meaty chicken liver paired with aged balsamic and sea salt over a big piece of charred bread.  Yum.

Our salad choice was the Bloomsdale spinach with shaved carrots, radish, baby fennel and sieved egg with a lemon oregano citronette.  The citrus dressing paired well with the slightly bitter spinach and vegetables.

Bestia is known for their house cured meats, so of course we had to try the salami plate.  Here we were served a selection of all the cured meats paired with pickles and a lovely tangy mustard and crunchy bread.  We loved this combination.  When we return to Bestia we will definitely order the meat board and the chicken liver crostini again.

Main courses include a variety of rustic handmade pizzas, pastas and a small selection of seconds including dorade, braised pork and hen.  We tried the guanciale pizza with ricotta, brussels sprouts, chili oil and breadcrumbs.  The crust was heavenly, light and charred.  Our only complaint was that we would have liked a bit more guanciale included.

Our pasta dish was the fave of the night, Cavatelli all a Norcina.  Plump ricotta dumplings, housemade pork sausage, black truffles and grana padano.  Often times truffles overpower when used in a pasta dish, but here they blended perfectly to create a bowl of dumplings that we wanted to dive into.  I noticed many other tables using the house bread to soak up every last drop of this sauce.  It is worth a trip to Bestia simply to enjoy this dish.

Desserts, made by Menashe’s wife pastry chef Genevieve Gergis, are seasonal and include chestnut doughnuts with coffee gelato and whipped cream, crème fraiche panna cotta with huckleberries and a persimmon and pistachio cream tart with buttermilk gelato.  We tried the light and airy spiced chestnut zeppole with whipped cream and coffee gelato.  Travis loved the strong coffee taste of the gelato.  We also were served the creme fraiche panna cotta, also lovely, served with winter citrus meyer lemon cookies.

If you’re looking for rustic Italian cuisine at a reasonable price, head to Bestia.  Located at 2121 East 7th Place, reservations a must, 213/514-5724.