Wednesday, March 21st 2007
And This, My Dear Sir, Is Perfection!
I decided to take Boy Wonder out to dinner for all of his hard work lately. Being Monday we had few options, until he suggested the new space that recently opened up in WeHo across Larrabee Street from East West called Eleven. We had been watching this space go through a massive renovation lately with its mosaic patio and concert style lighting that we would see at night.
The place is two stories, lit on multi-levels with warm, orange light and square decorations creating a strong, secure confident space. Above the front door is a DJ booth like no other. Appropriately at 11 the place turns into a lounge, removing the tables upstairs allowing for patrons to dance and hang out in this masterfully done atmosphere. The “booth” looks out over the entire space and is lit like a stage allowing the music man to interact with his subjects creating a harmony between them. Many of my DJ friends have expressed countless times that they perform better when they have a visual and an exchange of energy between them and the guests.
I always begin my critique of a restaurant when I walk in and meet the host or hostess. Our hostess was illuminated with personality, walked us upstairs to a perfect table and told us that she would be coming back to ensure our experience was nothing short of wonderful. So far so good; very good, in fact.
The waiter was from Australia and with that accent was sure to get me salivating long before anything else. He presented us with a drink menu and wine list first. I love that. When I was back in Boston I would always allow my guests to enjoy their arrival by offering that they sit with an aperitif of some sort before continuing with the dinner menu. This was of course done Sunday through Wednesday when the time to turn the table was not as important as the guests’ relaxation and enjoyment of the ambiance and everything thereafter. There was no rush for anything and we were presented with the dinner menu after our wine was delivered, which was a Pinot from the Carneros region here in CA.
On a Monday night you can expect a more relaxed vibe in restaurant service, but the leisurely pace we experienced had nothing to do with slow trade. The staff paid close attention to our needs to ensure that we savored every moment and that is exactly what we did.
If there is Tuna Tartare on the menu that is always our first course. We were not disappointed. This was not your run-of-the-mill tartare. It was Japanese Hamachi with Blue Fin Tuna Tartare. It was accompanied by a Cucumber, Avocado and Daikon Salad. The presentation was on a large, rectangular plate that allowed for one of us to eat the Blue Fin while the other was busy deconstructing the Hamachi. The pieces were more than adequate. They were thick slabs of succulent flesh wrapped around the salad creating two towers of decadence. The classic paring of the Daikon and Cucumber was elevated a notch with the inspired addition of avocado and a drizzle of Yuzo Ponzu.
For my main course I had a Pan Roasted Cod Filet with Romesco, Chorizo, Clams and White Beans. The cod was finished with a bright Garlic Parsley broth and toasted almonds. I was a bit hesitant with this dish; the long list of accompaniments was a little concerning. My reservations were not justified. It could not have been done better. A fish such as Cod was made to be paired with subtle compliments like Chorizo and White Beans. The Parsley broth was superb and the chef is genius. This dish was all about the ways that flavors can tease and play on the palate in a scrimmage of taste and texture. I was most impressed with the size of the portion. Just as I was saying to myself, “I had better stop now to save room for dessert” I was lifting my fork with the last bite.
Boy Wonder had a Macadamian Nut Crusted Maple Leaf Duck Breast with a Celery Root puree, Swiss Chard, Mizuna Radicchio, Golden Raisins and Black Trumpet Mushrooms in a Wild Huckleberry Sauce. My concern with the cod also extended to the Duck, but it should come to no surprise to you that my fears were unfounded. The Huckleberry sauce is what tied this dish together; the dark sweet flavor profile was a harmonious match for the rich and savory duck breast. The radicchio, spinach and celeriac gave the perfect amount of earthy tones to balance out the rich and sweet elements. I watched Boy Wonder’s eyes sing along with the dish and I knew that this was going down in the food books as the best meal yet.
For dessert I was pleased to see a Chocolate Crème Brule. I requested that along with two glasses of a Tawny Port, a fortified wine from Portugal that I find is always a good pair with chocolate. Unfortunately this fell behind the first and second course in presentation and taste. It was rather large sitting quietly on a dish with a lonely dusting of powdered sugar. The chocolate was bitter and immediately put me and the port off. There was also one more thing that I have to say on the note of lacking and falling behind. I only say this because it is a pet peeve of mine and has been for years. The salt and pepper shaker should be removed after the main course has been cleared to finish the meal and introduce a new course, dessert. One does not need to season their Crème Brule or any other dessert for that matter; it is part of the meal that, like the plates, should be removed.
The wait staff, the décor, the food and everything in between was absolutely superb and executed with pride and excellence. And by the way, our hostess did come back just in time to find us purring with delight into the final sips of our Pinot.
Memo to self: Never EVER read another Hazzard’s food review after a late night out, if you don’t want to find yourself cooking everything but the sink in the kitchen at 5 a.m.
BTW I’ve decided to christen the growth around my stomach after you, Johnny. Least I could do. Unless Ma H can suggest a nice italian name.
What a shame about the port! I probably wouldn’t have been as gracious as you; port is a big weakness of mine. I’ve had superb meals that lost their shine because I ended up being so disappointed in the tawny port I was served. Though I suppose in your case, it was the dessert’s fault. But still…
I think I’ve just been spoiled. My first exposure was to an absolutely gorgeous vintage tawny in London. Everything since has had high standards to live up to, lol.
…I would never dare to invite you guys for dinner without having ordered a perfect catering directly from across the ocean!
It’s remarkable your particular refined taste for high class meals, Johnny. Doesn’t it scare your friends when inviting you? ;o)
It was not the port’s fault in the slightest.
The evening was great.
My absolute fave is Banyuls. It is a fortified wine much like port in style, from a grape named Grenache. It mostly exists as a blendng grape in the South of France but has started to make a name for itself as a solo varietal. God I love wine!
Thanks for the recommendation; I’m going to have to look out for that. I was never a wine person until I met my husband, but he’s the type who wants to try everything under the sun at least once. Which means numerous trips to Napa since it’s so close, but then that’s never a bad thing.
Ahhh Americans always love the Aussie accent. You know if I went to the US, I reckon I’d have heaps of guys hanging off me just to hear my accent.
*books a flight*
As for the food thing.. I dunno, I think I was spoiled being brought up with such nice eclectic food (dad being an Italian and a Chinese chef), so I find it hard to appreciate many restaurants. I find here in Sydney a lot of them just look all flashy and the food looks nice but tastes like shit. I’m now at the stage where I can’t eat my beloved pasta out at any restaurant because it’s either the pasta is undercooked or the sauce tastes too much like a tin of diced tomatoes. In all honesty, I much prefer the small laksa kitchen stashed in the back corner of some quaint old inner city pub. It’s like the best food is some kind of secret place somewhere you have to stumble across. Even though the decor might be dated and have scratched old cutlery with cheap nasty napkins from a dispencer, they are usually my best eating out experience. And this comes from me, who’s quite stuck up and posh lol
Marastar – You’re right. Americans have a weakness for accents because they think they don’t have one. Meanwhile, when we’re in Oz, we’re the ones with the kinky speak. It’s difficult for me to maintain my accent when I’m someplace else – very annoying (especially when visiting Kentucky).
As for eating out, LA is not a restaurant town so when Johnny and I uncover an exceptional eatery we tend to get very excited. As refined as Johnny’s tastes are (I thought the dessert was far too sweet, but managed to scarf it down anyway) he also likes a good hole-in-the-wall if the food is good. I’ve even gone so far as to take him to chain restaurants *gasp* with moderate success.
I’m surprised by your take on Sydneyside dining. My experience was quite excellent across the board. Hot Thai in Surrey Hills, off-beat Mediterranean near Kings Cross, killer Yum Cha in Chinatown and some of the best Indian take-away ever in Glebe! Damn! Now I’m all hungry!
Well my home town of Adelaide is Australia’s restaurant city, so I think that’s part of it too. Sydney is all flashy and plastic really lol Still I love it dearly!
Yeah, the best Chinese I had was in China town and there’s this awesome Indian restaurant in Kings Cross on the other side of the main strip.
omg I actually had this really bizzare experience just recently at a restaurant in Surry Hills. It was this quaint terrace house that was converted into a restaurant. The meals were basic but you could mix and match stuff. The waiter was this old Austrian hippy with long grey hair and baggy white hippy clothes and a wooden beaded necklace. He was so loud and camp and whenever we asked for something he would go “joo can ‘ave anysing joo vant!”. It was pretty camp and creepy at the same time and as we were fairly wasted it was extra funny. Needless to say, we’re kinda not going there again.
Marastar. No offensive, but not until you have tried Chinese food in China (not in China town), you never know what does the word “delicious” mean. Oh~my, Chinese food (which you eat in China) is fantasitic!
Finding restaurants to elevate fine dining to an art form with personal attention is no easy task no matter the city that you are in. But reading an entry like this knocks it up a couple of levels to a near fantastical experience. Though, I’m making a copy of Frog’s memo because I’m typing with one hand while I bake a cheese cake.
“You make me wanna be a better diner!”
Jade, I can see from here your guests faces when you say: “I made the batter of that cake with one hand while checking out my favorite porn star’s website. Seconds anyone?”
LOL! Frog, telling them that would be a very bad idea… I’d find bits of cheese cake in my keyboard for weeks after. Mine is one of the few places with real internet, it’s enough that I have a parade of the other girls living on my floor coming through my apartment to check for updates to this blog at random hours. Mixing cheese cake, this blog, and the female masses flowing through my little apartment would spell disaster.
Thanks to Jade, we have a new slogan for this site: “Hazzard Ahead: Putting The Cheese Back In The Beefcake.”