The Divine Dish

Dinner at the Polo Lounge, Beverly Hills Hotel

Posted on Nov 16, 2009 under Uncategorized | No Comment

Last week my friend Nicole joined me for dinner at the famous Polo Lounge.  Since its opening in 1912, the Pink Palace’s famous restaurant  has been the Hollywood meeting place.  Home to some of the Rat Pack’s greatest binges, the lounge oozes fame, fortune, charm, and grace.   The understated traditional elegance of the historic room is lush with dark green and cream striped walls, huge comfortable leather and velvet booths, and soft live piano music.

We sat inside in a plush booth and ordered up some martinis.  Here is what we ordered, all delicious.

The chef sent out an amuse of fresh tomato and mozzarella cheese, a nice way to start.

I started with the pan seared duck foie gras, served with sweet white poached peaches, brioche French toast and a vanilla ver jus gastrique.

Nicole had the chilled Maine lobster salad with grapefruit and lambs lettuce with a sesame brittle.  Both yummy.

For the main courses I had the porcini crusted dry aged New York steak, it was huge, with creamed spinach, gremolata bone marrow, tiny potatoes and some mixed mushrooms.

Nicole had the caramelized sea scallop risotto with young leeks, lobster mushrooms and a carrot emulsion.  Very tasty.

Our waiter knew we both shared birthdays recently, so he brought us this nice dessert, in addition to the chocolate souffle and cappuccino souffle we had already ordered.   We were very full by the end of the evening.

We spent about five hours enjoying dinner.  The Polo Lounge is the perfect spot to take guests or even to just enjoy a nice dinner with a good friend.  Reservations recommended, open 7 am to 1:30 am, 310/276-2251, Beverly Hills Hotel, 9641 Sunset Boulevard.

The Beverly Hills Hotel

Posted on Nov 16, 2009 under Uncategorized | No Comment

I had the good fortune of staying at the Beverly Hills Hotel for two nights recently, in a deluxe suite that I was told is JLo’s choice when she visits the Bev Hills landmark.  It was beautiful.  I felt like a movie star walking the red carpet into the spectacular lobby.

Countless Hollywood luminaries have stayed in this Pink Palace, with 203 large lavishly adorned rooms, suites and bungalows each appointed with plush art-deco style and offer the perfect romantic hideaway.  Many rooms also offer terraces, wood-burning fireplaces and separate entrances. The 12-acre grounds which include the infamous pool and cabanas are lush and overgrown.  The hotel’s infamous Polo Lounge serves everything from breakfast to late night suppers.  Below are some more pics from my suite.

In addition to the two bathrooms, kitchen, huge living room area with fireplace, master bedroom and really big walk in closet (I guess those celebs need a place for their fancy clothes), there was an enormous attached patio that was fully enclosed for absolute privacy.

I never wanted to leave the room, but I did to meet Wendy the pr director for lunch.  She let me know all about the history of the hotel and some interesting fun facts, such as the city of Beverly Hills was named after the hotel (not the other way around) and that there were polo fields in the back area at one time, which is where the famous Polo Lounge got its name.  Here is what we had for lunch:

We ended with this creamy pumpkin tart.

Later my neighbor Todd and his visiting friend Rob came by to hang by the Polo Lounge, where we enjoyed another yummy chocolate dessert.

Here are some shots of the pool, just as famous as the hotel.

Between guests (my friend Nicole showed up for dinner in the Polo Lounge, see next post), I retired to my bedroom and took a nap.  If you can afford to go (my room was $2,000 per night, without tax!) , I highly recommend staying at least once at the legendary Beverly Hills Hotel (9641 Sunset Blvd., 310/276-2251.

Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Opening Soon in Beverly Hills

Posted on Nov 03, 2009 under Uncategorized | No Comment

Thomas Keller’s latest restaurant, Bouchon Beverly Hills, is set to open on November 18 at 235 North Canon Drive.  Above is a pic of Bouchon Las Vegas (sorry, no pics yet of the new Bouchon), which is fabulous.  You can now make reservations for the new Beverly Hills eatery by calling 310/271-9910, and can view pics and a write up of his latest Yountville eatery, ad hoc, on a previous divine dish post as well as an interview with ad hoc chef Dave Cruz under the interview section.

Chef Keller recently received seven total stars from the acclaimed Michelin Guide 2010.  This honor gives him the distinction of being the only American-born chef to hold Michelin stars at multiple restaurants.

 Keller’s widely acclaimed fine dining establishments, The French Laundry in Yountville, California and Per Se in New York City have each received the guides’ highest possible ranking of three stars.  Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, California, provides the chef’s seventh star of distinction.  Foodies outside of Manhattan, Las Vegas and Yountville now can visit Bouchon in Los Angeles.

Named for the particular style of café that existed in the province of Lyon for centuries, Bouchon will feature classic bistro favorites and seasonal offerings, along with a signature raw bar featuring a wide array of oysters on the half-shell from both the west and east coasts.  The new restaurant will be located in the Beverly Hills Gardens building. 
 
To complement menu offerings, beverage offerings will feature a broad wine selection, available both by the glass and bottle along with an array of artisanal beers. Vin de Carafe, a Bouchon wine program that brings recognition to vintners of the cherished California wine region, will feature unique selections to showcase wine producers in Southern California. Each exclusive selection is blended specially for the restaurant one barrel at a time to showcase the distinct personality and flavors of the featured winemaker.

Keller opened the renowned The French Laundry in 1994 and later brought his distinct style to Manhattan with the opening of Per Se in 2004.  
 
Located just steps from The French Laundry, Bouchon in Yountville was also for the fourth consecutive year presented with a one-star rating from the 2010 Michelin Guide San Francisco Bay Area and Wine Country. Rooted in traditional French bistro fare, Bouchon continues to exemplify Keller’s philosophy of combining the finest, seasonal ingredients with an unfailing attention to detail in presentation. 
 
Keller’s culinary vision, combining award-winning cuisine and guest service, has contributed to the growing presence of American gastronomy within the global industry.
 
Keller’s additional casual dining establishments include Bouchon Bakery (Yountville, Las Vegas, New York City) and Ad Hoc (Yountville).

Dinner at Cafe La Boheme

Posted on Oct 28, 2009 under Uncategorized | No Comment

Last night, I visited Cafe La Boheme to dine and get some info for a new iphone app I am writing on LA dining.  The newly redesigned interior is mesmerizing, opulent and comfortable.  The restaurant houses five grand chandeliers suspended from the high wooden plank ceiling into the dining space below with two huge open fireplaces.  Seating is in three spots, the crimson colored dining room, upstairs in cozy balcony tables overlooking the action below, or outside in the lush patio.  My friend Dalbert and I opted for the dining room seating which was decked out in Halloween decor.

We started with an amuse of a crispy vegetable spring roll.  Next came appetizers, Dalbert ordered the Maryland crab cakes with a sauteed corn salad and spicy remoulade.  I had the tuna tataki, a beautiful tower of tuna tartare, avocado, cucumber and wasabi mayonaisse.  Both were delicious.

We both ordered the special filet mignon with whiskey peppercorn sauce and horseradish mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus for our entrees.   It was the special of the night and hard to resist.

We also had a really nice bottle of La Crema pinot noir to go with our steaks, which paired perfectly.

We were forced to get dessert, well… not really forced but the choices looked so good that we had to order something.  I opted for the vanilla creme brulee with berries and Dalbert got the savory chocolate chip bread pudding.  Both were sweet and yummy.

If you find yourself in WeHo and want a great meal with an intimate ornate setting, make a reservation at Cafe La Boheme.  Located at 8400 Santa Monica Boulevard, reservations recommended at 323.848.2360