64 replies to this topic

[tb86]

anybody been recently , how was the experience?

[greensNbeans]

anybody been recently , how was the experience?

knowing who is in charge over there - Im sure it is amazing!

[greensNbeans]

anybody been recently , how was the experience?

knowing who is in charge over there - Im sure it is amazing!

[rjwong]

tb86, Welcome to the California forum!

I haven't been there ... yet. I'm definitely planning to go. I just have to prepare myself and my credit card for the event.

In the meantime, the link to LA Times's review of Providence is in the LA Times Food Section Digest, submitted weekly by some eG Specialist. The LA Times food critic gave it 3*. When she mentioned it first in her "Critic's Notebook" before the full review came out, I sensed she was in culinary ecstasy. I've heard many great things about chef Michael Cimarusti from a friend.


Here's the website link to Providence.

[dfunghi]

I too have not been but would like to go. I have spoken with many who have gone and the reviews are mixed with 2 constants. It is very expensive, and a little fussy, which is to say it is not a seafood place done with simple preparations ala Jasper White. BTW it is one of the hottest restaurants in LA at this time and has been since it opened. The chef has great pedigree and real talent.

[russ parsons]

i've been a couple of times, so i'll speak up, warning that my opinion maybe should be taken with a grain of salt because i consider the chef, michael cimarusti, to be a friend. in my opinion, providence is one of the most exciting restaurants to open in southern california in quite some time. most of my favorite restaurants in southern california are either "ethnic" places or places that serve kind of upscale home cooking --aoc, campanile, etc. cimarusti is really reaching for something different and, considering how recently the restaurant has been open, i think he is succeeding remarkably. in ambition, i would compare this to teh french laundry, rather than chez panisse. This is certainly not to say that it is the equal of the french laundry, but that is the direction he is going and in a couple of years, who knows? this is NOT a seafood grill, but an experimental restaurant that focuses on seafood. the presentations are detailed and adventurous (i don't find them fussy because they almost always work; your mileage may vary). it is fairly expensive, but i think the quality/price ratio is very much in line (i don't remember exactly, but i'd guess a blow-out dinner with wine and appropriate tip would run $150 to $175 per person). the wine list is amazing--many great white food wines for under $45 a bottle. last time i was there they still seemed to be working out some front-of-the-house kinks--seemed like there were too many levels of servers without enough focus--but that is a very minor caveat.

[chuckyoufarley]

I am eating at Providence with a few friends on New Years Eve this year.

There is so much positive press and word of mouth in the Southern California food community about this place that I hope I am not setting myself up for a let down.

The thing that excites me most is eating at a place that is firing on all cylinders with a seriously talented chef at the helm before there are and distractions of expansion and empire building.
It’s an exciting time when a restaurant destined for great things is striving to carve out its niche in the upper echelon of the culinary landscape.
I can’t wait.


new year’s eve 2005
market menu
amuse bouche
~
nancy’s diver scallops
american caviar, apples
~
foie gras parfait
spiced pumpkin, pedro ximenez sherry, pumpkin seed oil
~
maine lobster
parsnip-pear puree
~
rouget de roche
eggplant, red wine, crispy chorizo
~
quinault river steelhead
red beets, salsify, tender dandelion greens
~
turbot
crispy confit pork belly, lentils, truffled jus de poulet
~
market cheeses
~
blood orange sorbet
~
chocolate truffle tart
candied kumquats, vanilla bean ice cream
~
petits fours

[SiseFromm]

We were in Los Angeles for a few days over Christmas (just got back today) and Providence is the buzz word of 2005. Every chef/foodie I spoke with while we were up there eating at Dakota and Lucques went on and on about Ciramusti. I feel like this is the perfect moment to hit the restaurant, ala Keller in the latter nineties or Splichal when he just had Patina, ironically in the same spot on Melrose.

[elicious]

I can't speak from personal experience, but would like to comment about my parents' experience at Providence.

They were visiting LA from the East Coast in September and the concierge at the W where they were staying made reservations for them and some friends at Providence. Due to the LA traffic, they were an hour late for their reservation. The hostess was extremely accommodating and since the chef's table was free, offered them seats there. Apparently, the chef's table is in a glass-enclosed room that looks into the kitchen so they were able to have an intimate and quiet dinner while still being able to see what was going on around them.

After a meal they thought was fabulous, they went into the kitchen and gave the staff a standing ovation to show their appreciation. Cheesy but true. It really put a bright spot in their trip to LA.

[SiseFromm]

Blood orange sorbet, huh? I haven't seen any at the market yet this year. I missed the last couple of weeks though. We'll see on Saturday. I've been waiting for them to hit since they're the star in several winter cocktails I make from January through March. Here's to hoping.

[SiseFromm]

Providence ROCKED New Year's Eve. Best bartender ever. Cirimusti is gentlemen. More to come with full review and photos. I want the bartender to move into my house permanently.

[SiseFromm]

Shaun (ChuckYouFarley) sent me his photos from New Year's Eve. Some look amazing, others didn't work so well. I think the problem was all the wine pairings, which were spot on by Providence's wine guy. Best buy? The 2003 Montebuena Rioja we found for under $7 a bottle.

Anyway, here you go:

lemon jelee, truffe noire, creme leger:



nantucket bay scallops, american caviar, apples3:



foie gras confit, spiced pumpkin, pedro ximenez sherry, pumpkin seed oil:



maine lobster, parsnip-pear puree:



rouget de roche, eggplant, red wine vinegar, crispy chorizo:



quinault river steelhead, red beets, salsify, tender dandelion greens:



turbot, crispy confit pork belly, lentils, truffled jus de poulet:



market cheeses:



We didn't get any photos of the blood orange sorbet (which was amazing), the chocolate truffle tart with candied kumquats and vanilla bean ice cream, nor of the petits fours.

All in all? Cirimusti is at the top of his game. The food was perfect all the way around. I thought the staff uniforms needed some work, but Vincenzo, the best bartender on the planet, made up for it in strides with his cucumber water martini, his mint/yuzuu/tangerine cocktail, and whatever that heavenly pink thing was with the strong honey finish.

[rjwong]

The latest news from the 8 Feb. 2006 edition of the LA Times Food Section:

There's a new pastry chef at Providence: Adrian R. Vasquez, a San Francisco native who has worked in the kitchens of Aqua and the Michelin-starred Pied à Terre in London. Chicago's Bin 36 was his most recent post.

[rjwong]

I haven't been there ... yet. I'm definitely planning to go. I just have to prepare myself and my credit card for the event.

On Thursday night, my credit card and I went to Providence.


A view of Providence’s building, north side of Melrose Ave.


Entrance door


Interior view from my table. To the right of the entry area is the entrance door. Across the hallway is the bar.


Slovenian Sauvignon Blanc, Pellegrino, butter, and a little flame


kumamoto oyster with vodka gelee

I’ve never eaten an oyster before, let alone a raw oyster. it did taste like the ocean!! What a great start!


celery sorbet with spot prawn & tomato mille-feuille on a skewer

The sorbet provided a nice change to eating celery, paired appropriately with tomato mille-feuille & spot prawn.


coconut purée, white asparagus, brik

The coconut had a good flavor, not sweet. The asparagus was fresh and the brik added a nice textural contrast.


Japanese kanpanchi, sea urchin parfait

I never had sea urchin before. The kanpanchi was quite delicious. I did finish my parfait, no problem.


foie gras au torchon, sour cherries, black pepper

I never gave foie gras a fair chance. I think I like their foie gras ...


Santa Barbara spot prawn, candied kumquats, ramps

The head was quite edible, quite tasty. I was savoring every bite.


diver scallop with mushrooms, asparagus, salsify, foie gras powder

I loved that scallop! It was excellent! The foie gras powder tasted great, and no, I didn’t snort it!


Japanese eel risotto and skewered eel liver

The eel was so fresh that when the restaurant received it, the tail was still twitching ... The eel liver had a good flavor, not overwhelming like regular liver, which I hate.


braised pork belly with salad (bad photo, sorry!)

The pork belly just melted in my mouth. This little piggy wouldn’t mind more.


Tasmanian sea trout, applewood-smoked bacon bits, ramp (white part), ramp (green part) foam, fingerling potato slices

The sea trout reminded me of salmon, which is an acquired taste to me. The bacon bits helped balance things out.


Say cheese!!


cow, sheep, goat, figs, candied walnuts, quince, bread

Normally, I’m not really into cheese courses. And thinking back, I should have chosen the bleu cheese for my cow cheese. See, I was starting to wear down.


Darjeeling tea


mojito deconstructed (rum gelee, mint sorbet, lemon foam)

Fascinating concept! It wasn’t too potent, I think. You can always go to the bar.


blood orange & black licorice popsicle, almond cake, blood orange granite

The texture of the popsicle had a tingling, dissolving sensation that woke up my mouth. The black licorice blended well with the blood orange and I’m not a black licorice fan (I’m red instead).


freshly-made doughnut, rad el hanout (poached pear balls, curry soda mixture, lemon ice cream)

The rad el hanout tasted different and good. The doughnut was definitely fresh.


chocolate bread pudding, avocado/banana puree, nacho sorbet , chocolate disc

This dessert was too savory for me. Except for the nacho sorbet, the flavors seemed quite plain. I’m pondering whether the avocado/banana pair is workable. Perhaps it needs some salsa to go with the nacho sorbet. Oh, yes, the nacho sorbet. Very grounded corn tortillas mixed into the sorbet. That worked very well! At this point, I was overwhelmed.

And to end the menu, cookie powder mixture on a spoon and milk (sorry, the photo turned out really bad), as well as some ...


petit fours

Adrian, the pastry chef, came by the table and greeted me. Afterwards, my server, Peter, escorted me into the kitchen. I saw the glass-encased room called the chef’s table, which has an up-close view of the kitchen. I finally got to meet the chef. Chef Michael Cimarusti greeted me and said,

“We’ve been waiting for you!” Well, so much for dining in cognito ...

We had a wonderful chat.

While I’m still digesting that meal, I’m recalling how excellent the service was. The server’s outfit was black top (t-shirt) and black pants, with a golden (mustard-toned) jacket unbuttoned, all made of soft cotton or cotton-like material. Thus, the servers looked casual and relaxed. Mind you, they were quite professional. They worked well ... together. There was a fluidity in the service that wasn’t stiff at all. As a result, I felt relaxed and was able to fully focus and enjoy the food.

Four hours later, I was back in my car driving home and contemplating what just occurred at that restaurant on Melrose Ave. The oyster, the foie gras, the shrimp, the scallop, the eel, the pork belly, the desserts, the service, the kitchen tour, the chef ... So many different things on track at so many different levels.

Now that I know that certain restaurant staff members have found me out, I want to express my deep appreciation & gratitude for a very wonderful culinary adventure at Providence Restaurant. That meal was one of the best meals I have ever had in my entire life. Thank you.




edited for spelling and grammar

Edited by rjwong, 15 April 2006 - 12:34 PM.

[FoodZealot]

Looks fantastic. Good on you for trying a bunch of new stuff!

~Tad

[SiseFromm]

It looks to me like he's tightening up his menu since we went. It seems more focused, yet more daring. I like the nod to Keller with those donuts.

[Ling]

Wow...thanks for the pictures. Providence looks great. I only have time for one dinner in LA, and this might be it.

[kai-m]

We went there on may 12th. Had the 5 course tasting menu (75$) with wine pairing.
The menu after one tiyn tiny and somewhat "boring" amuse bouche (a heart of palm foam) was:
-bagaduche oysters with lemon gelee, creme fraiche, australian pepper berry
A nice dish, if somewhat "classical" in the combination. What I missed was sort of a contrast in textures - all the elements were, as one can imagine, on the soft/creamy/"jelly" side. On the one side, this way they all nicely "melted" together in the mouth, on the other side, you had no chance to kind of "distinguish" the elements and their individual flavors. It was just, to put it more critical, one big soft, "glibbery" "thing" in your mouth...

-spot prawn, poached, sweet peas, wasabi peas
Very nice, but tiny dish (even though the prawn was a tad -just a tad- overcooked), with differing and contrasting textures and flavors that went very well together.

-black sea bass, king oyster mushroom, burdock root, wattleseed
Just simply an excellent dish and a great combination, the fish had a delicious crispy skin (but again, the fish was a tad -just a tad- overcooked. but maybe that is just a differing style as is common in europe, where fish always is real "glassy" inside).

-muscovy duck, kumquat, baby turnip, turnip green
Again an excellent dish and a great combination, even though this time the outside crispy meat was a tad too "rare" for european taste (we weren't asked how we wanted it and supposed it would come "medium" as is common in most of europe).

-floating island, rhubarb, raspberry, ginger
Great dessert (which is always the most important -and often the most disappointing- dish for me...). Light, with intene flavors and nicely balanced differences in texture and temperature.

Wine pairings were good for the reasonable price of 30$

All in all it was one of the (if not *the*) best meals of our trip through california. Unfortunaltely I spilled a whole espresso over my shirt while desperately trying to open the silver sugar bowl whose lid was jammed...well, at least I got a new espresso...

Service was good, if somewhat confused sometimes (for example one waiter asked if we would like to wait with our look at the menu until finishing our champagne. We said yes. One minute later *another* waiter came and handed us the menu...). The table (in the first room) could have been better (I had to look against the wall), but who really cares if the food is that good...

Would I go again? Definitely!

PS: @rjwong: are you a food critic or something like that? Or why were they "waiting for you"?.

PPS: How come I have the impression that the portions on the pictures in this thread look much bigger than the ones we had on our plates? Is it a "picture thing" or have portions at Providence gotten smaller lately...?!

Edited by kai-m, 24 May 2006 - 08:57 AM.

[rjwong]

PS: @rjwong: are you a food critic or something like that? Or why were they "waiting for you"?.

No, I am not a food critic, where I get paid to review restaurants. The reason they were waiting for me is because members of the restaurant staff read the eGullet forums just like you and me. And my "screen name" is my real name, so people can recognize who I am apparently. I didn't expect this. Many restaurant chefs read the eGullet forums, so I've heard.

kai, I'm glad you enjoyed your dinner at Providence. Is your shirt that had espesso on it getting better? Es geht Ihnen besser? What other restaurants did you eat at? Please post your dining experiences in the appropriate discussion threads. I, and many others I suspect, would like to read about the meals you ate here in the States.

[moosnsqrl]

Somehow I've missed this thread and just found out I'm dining there the 17th, so I was delighted with the pictures (thanks RJ!) and comments. I'm curious about the menu situation, though. The website has only a "market menu" (5 courses, $70) but I see references here to 5- and 10-course, and upthread a mention of $150-$170pp which, I guess is attainable with wine and tip but not if you do the pairings. Has something changed?

And Russell, sounds like you crossed a lot of culinary rubicons all in one meal. Bravo!

[kai-m]

Look again: on the website there is a choice between the "5 course" (75$/105$ with wine pairing) and the "full tasting menu" (95$/140$). You can even download the menu...

Next time I would go for the full tasting menu, since the tasting portions are rather on the smaller side (on the other hand I was already drunk after the 5 wine pairings...).

Champagne starts at 15$ a glass.

[Ling]

How many courses are in the full tasting menu?

[rjwong]

The full tasting menu should be ten courses. When I was dining, I was offered the chef's menu, where the kitchen staff added a couple extra courses here and there, but who's counting anyways?

According to their webpage, the dishes of the five course menu are indicated by a mark of some sort .

[Carlsbad]

"Courses" can be a relative thing these days.

[moosnsqrl]

Look again: on the website there is a choice between the "5 course" (75$/105$ with wine pairing) and the "full tasting menu" (95$/140$). You can even download the menu...

Next time I would go for the full tasting menu, since the tasting portions are rather on the smaller side (on the other hand I was already drunk after the 5 wine pairings...).

Champagne starts at 15$ a glass.

Right you are, thanks for helping me see the light. Note to myself: tuck a pair of reading specs into the evening bag .

So it sounds like we should get the full tasting but only the 5-course wine pairings if we want to make it home? We generally take wine but I don't see any mention of a corkage arrangement, so I assume they don't allow it. Anyone have first-hand knowledge?

[russ parsons]

i haven't eaten there in a couple of months, and things may have changed, but to tell the truth, i didn't find their wine pairings to be particularly revelatory. they're certainly not bad, they just aren't at the level of, say, the french laundry where you really understand more about wine through the pairings. that said, the list is really wonderful, with many bottles of great food wines for around $50 and a good number under $40. my suggestion would be to pick out two that you really want and go that way. they also have a fair number of half-bottles and good wines by the glass.

[rjwong]

So it sounds like we should get the full tasting but only the 5-course wine pairings if we want to make it home?   We generally take wine but I don't see any mention of a corkage arrangement, so I assume they don't allow it.  Anyone have first-hand knowledge?

I asked about corkage: Providence has a two-bottle limit. Each bottle has a $25 corkage fee. You can always ask the sommelier, if you have further questions.

[moosnsqrl]

So it sounds like we should get the full tasting but only the 5-course wine pairings if we want to make it home?   We generally take wine but I don't see any mention of a corkage arrangement, so I assume they don't allow it.  Anyone have first-hand knowledge?

I asked about corkage: Providence has a two-bottle limit. Each bottle has a $25 corkage fee. You can always ask the sommelier, if you have further questions.

Thanks, Russell, but you'll make me lazy(-ier) if you do my homework for me. My dining companion is in the wine biz and consequently has access to, well, revelatory (if I may appropriate Russ Parson's word) bottles that never make it to my part of the world. I'm not opposed to getting house pairings but it seems kind of unnecessary and if often disappointing compared to what we have when we're allowed to schlep our own.

[Ling]

We had dinner at Providence on Friday night. Overall, I wasn't too impressed with the dishes we got (9 course full tasting menu). Everything was consistently good, but at those prices, I expect to be blown away at least once or twice.

There were problem with the service. We were given no spoon with our first course, which included consomme. The servers, with the exception of perhaps 3 of our courses, gave really brief descriptions of the dish--one server set down the plates, said the two main ingredients (really, just two words), and then left abruptly. Another server told me the fruit paste served with the cheese course was strawberry but I was quite sure it was quince...and when I heard a different server telling the table next to us that the cheese plate comes with quince, I asked again and had it confirmed as quince.

Usually, I have no problem with "cozier" seating, but a group of men who were seated to my right spoke loudly and obnoxiously during our entire meal and I felt that really detracted from our dining experience. (And in case you're wondering about the subject of their conversations, one of them including bridles and saddles, and no, we're not talking about horseback riding. ) The table on my left (a couple celebrating an anniversary) were very quiet for the duration of their meal and looked rather unhappy. I have no doubt they heard every word.

As noted above, portions are on the small side and you won't leave feeling stuffed, but pleasantly full, after a 9 course meal.

Best parts of the meal were the gougeres, the lime shiso sorbet, the pork belly with the super thin, crisp skin (though neither of us liked the strawberry tarragon sauce on the side), and the first course which consisted of a barely poached oyster, chorizo consomme, and celery sorbet. The bread was also excellent.

Anyway, to sum up...better-than-ordinary food at extradinary prices, beautiful room, hit-and-miss service.

ETA: Sorry, no pictures...our camera ran out of battery. The presentation on the plates were very artistic and looked as good as Russell's pictures.

Edited by Ling, 11 June 2006 - 02:20 PM.

[hhlodesign]

We had dinner at Providence on Friday night. Overall, I wasn't too impressed with the dishes we got (9 course full tasting menu). Everything was consistently good, but at those prices, I expect to be blown away at least once or twice.

There were problem with the service. We were given no spoon with our first course, which included consomme. The servers, with the exception of perhaps 3 of our courses, gave really brief descriptions of the dish--one server set down the plates, said the two main ingredients (really, just two words), and then left abruptly. Another server told me the fruit paste served with the cheese course was strawberry but I was quite sure it was quince...and when I heard a different server telling the table next to us that the cheese plate comes with quince, I asked again and had it confirmed as quince.

Usually, I have no problem with "cozier" seating, but a group of men who were seated to my right spoke loudly and obnoxiously during our entire meal and I felt that really detracted from our dining experience. (And in case you're wondering about the subject of their conversations, one of them including bridles and saddles, and no, we're not talking about horseback riding.  ) The table on my left (a couple celebrating an anniversary) were very quiet for the duration of their meal and looked rather unhappy. I have no doubt they heard every word.

As noted above, portions are on the small side and you won't leave feeling stuffed, but pleasantly full, after a 9 course meal.

Best parts of the meal were the gougeres, the lime shiso sorbet, the pork belly with the super thin, crisp skin (though neither of us liked the strawberry tarragon sauce on the side), and the first course which consisted of a barely poached oyster, chorizo consomme, and celery sorbet. The bread was also excellent.

Anyway, to sum up...better-than-ordinary food at extradinary prices, beautiful room, hit-and-miss service.

ETA: Sorry, no pictures...our camera ran out of battery. The presentation on the plates were very artistic and looked as good as Russell's pictures.

I had a slightly better impression than Ling. I thought the meal was above average, but not extraordinary.

I found one flavor combination to be particularly interesting. The oyster course which paired barely poached oyster with celery sorbet, chorizo consume, and paprika oil. I loved this dish! Although I felt that the oyster did not do much for me. It was the celery sorbet, paprika, and chorizo flavor which came from a clear broth which made the dish so interesting. Unfortunately, this course was served without spoons. So I naturally assumed the chef wanted the consume to be a light sauce and not mask the subtle flavour of the oyster. I asked after the course was cleared and found out that the missing spoon was a mistake. I should have asked sooner.

I found the course explanations to be very bothersome. I (and Ling) enjoy knowing what we are eating and some idea of the preparations. At a place like Providence, I'd expect better than the plate hitting the table with a quick statement like, "shrimp and fennel." The main server was very good about letting us know about each course. Unfortunatley, he was only there to explain 3 out of the 9 courses. The expos who dropped the other courses were not very interested in informing us about what we were eating.

The table next to us was somewhat loud, but I'm not sure what the restaurant could have done about that. The service from the upper levels of the staff was very professional. I just wish they trained the expos about the courses we were receiving.