Archives for March, 2013

Dinner at the New Royce Wood-Fired Steakhouse

Posted on Mar 31, 2013 under Archives | No Comment
Dining Room at The Royce

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:

dirty martini

dirty martini

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.

manhattan

manhattan

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

warm kale salad

warm kale salad

steak tartare

steak tartare

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

Wagyu beef carpaccio

Wagyu beef carpaccio

seared yellowfin tuna

seared yellowfin tuna

seared tuna

seared tuna

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.

ribeye

ribeye

ribeye

ribeye

brisket

brisket

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

prawns

prawns

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

grilled veggies

grilled veggies

mac n cheese

mac n cheese

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

chocolate cake

chocolate cake

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.

Manager Matt Nathanson shows us the wine room

Manager Matt Nathanson shows us the wine room

wine room

wine room

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
Montage Beverly Hills

Montage Beverly Hills

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

Scarpetta

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.

beet salad

beet salad

tomato mozzarella salad

tomato mozzarella salad

spaghetti

spaghetti

The spaghetti and prime rib were our faves.

prime rib

prime rib

pork

pork

mac n cheese

mac n cheese

sausage and bacon

sausage and bacon

salmon

salmon

salami

salami

breads

breads

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

cheese display

cheese display

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

cheese plate

cheese plate

my plate

my plate

my seafood plate

my seafood plate

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

orange panna cotta

orange panna cotta

fruit tarts

fruit tarts

chocolate cupcakes

chocolate cupcakes

creme brulee

creme brulee

mini key lime pies

mini key lime pies

lemon bars

lemon bars

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

me and nick, bellini and mimosa

me and nick, bellini and mimosa

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
RivaBella

RivaBella

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:

radicchio salad

radicchio salad

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

eggplant parm

eggplant parm

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

lasagna

lasagna

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.

branzino

branzino

Desserts included a lovely chocolate gelato and a light tiramasu.

gelato

gelato

tiramasu

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
salami board at Bestia

salami board at Bestia

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.

salami/meat case

salami/meat case

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.

salamino lambrusco

salamino lambrusco

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.

marinated olives

marinated olives

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.

chicken liver crostini

chicken liver crostini

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.

spinach salad

spinach salad

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.

salami board

salami board

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.

guanciale pizza

guanciale pizza

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.

cavetelli

cavetelli

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.

coffee and doughnuts

coffee and doughnuts

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.

panna cotta

panna cotta

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.

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