Archives for July, 2013

DineLA Summer Restaurant Week Launch

Posted on Jul 09, 2013 under Archives, Food and Travel News | No Comment
Courtyard Garden

Courtyard Garden

Tonight The LA Tourism & Convention Board and American Express hosted travel and food writers to a preview of their upcoming summer DineLA restaurant week.  Over 330 restaurants, from Southeast Asian fare to traditional steak house, rustic farm-to-table to white table cloth, will celebrate Los Angeles’ diverse dining options with prix-fixe deals from July 15 to 26.

mixing drinks

mixing drinks

Simon from Bouchon mixed writers drinks while appetizers were passed at Scarpetta.

puree of Brentwood corn soup

puree of Brentwood corn soup

The passed appetizers that we tasted will be featured as first plates for Scarpetta’s DineLA menu.  We sampled puree of Brentwood corn soup with mushrooms sotto’olio.

pork terrine

pork terrine

We also sampled a lovely pork terrine with porcini mustard, arugula and pickled cherries.  Yum.  We snuck in the Scarpetta kitchen to check out the action.

scarpetta kitchen

scarpetta kitchen

After we sat down, Scarpetta Chef Freddy Vargas spoke to the crowd and talked a bit about Scarpetta’s DineLA restaurant week menu.

Chef Freddy Vargas

Chef Freddy Vargas

Scarpetta bread basket

Scarpetta bread basket

We loved the variety of breads and sampled a nice braised veal and bone marrow agnolotti with fava beans, thumbelina carrots and gremolata breadcrumbs.

veal agnolotti

veal agnolotti

After a sampling of DineLA menu items at Scarpetta, we crossed the street and headed upstairs to Bouchon’s main dining room.

daiquaris

daiquiris

We sampled some refreshing daiquiris before heading into the kitchen.  General manager Stephen Cook shared some info about Bouchon and their DineLA menu before posing for a quick photo with pr folks Ty Brentsen from the Brandman Agency and Stacey Sun, DineLA Director.

writers at Bouchon

writers at Bouchon

Stacey Sun, Stephen Cook and Ty Brentsen

Stacey Sun, Stephen Cook and Ty Brentsen

We headed to the very clean streamlined kitchen where Chef David Hands met us and discussed appetizer items on the Bouchon DineLA menu.

Chef David Hands

Chef David Hands

In the kitchen we sampled a nice variety of appetizers on the DineLA menu including chicken rillettes with pickled grapes, mustard and grilled pain de campagne, Scottish salmon tartare with hard boiled hen eggs, red onions, capers, and creme fraiche on toasted croutons and truffle soup.  We also sampled a nice toasted wheat-berry, purslane, English cucumber, green grapes and Marcona almonds salad with buttermilk dressing.

chicken rillettes

chicken rillettes

chilled truffle soup

chilled truffle soup

salmon tartare

salmon tartare

wheat berry salad

wheat berry salad

We walked through the kitchen and got a quick look at some yummy fries.

Bouchon kitchen

Bouchon kitchen

fries in the kitchen

fries in the kitchen

produce in Bouchon kitchen

produce in Bouchon kitchen

Stock in Bouchon kitchen

Stock in Bouchon kitchen

I also got up and personal with a very delicious looking fresh crab in the fish walk-in fridge.

crab

crab

Chef Hands let us to the oyster bar where we tasted some very fresh yummy oysters.

oysters

oysters

Chef Hands discussing Bouchon oysters

Chef Hands discussing Bouchon oysters

We then sat down in the dining room and sampled a variety of dishes included in the DineLA menu, including market fish with potatoes, roasted peppers, mesclun salad with young market greens and shaved vegetables, braised fennel in a shellfish sauce, hand rolled cavatelli pasta with yellow corn, mushrooms, spinach and corn pudding, and steak frites.

fruits de mer

fruits de mer

mesclun salad

mesclun salad

cavetelli

cavetelli

fries

fries

We headed out to the garden area for a nice dessert, olive oil infused ice cream with shaved melons, provided by Chef Charles Olalia of Patina.

dessert

dessert

All of the writers received a great gift bag with desserts from Bouchon and a $100 dining card from Patina!

gift bag

gift bag

Thanks to all of the folks at Scarpetta, Bouchon, Patina, the LA Tourism and Convention Board, The Brandman Agency, The Beverly Hills Conference and Visitors Bureau and BluPrint PR.

DineLA Lunch menus will have  $15/$20/$25 price options,  dinner menus will have  $25/$35/$45 price options.

To make reservations and to view a complete list of participating restaurants visit www.discoverLosAngeles.com/dineLA.

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