SiseFromm

I'm on board with a nice White Burgundy but if you want to go pink, Robert Sinskey has a lovely 2005 Vin Gris of Pinot Noir. It's a steal at $17 and refreshing in the hot months. We've already drained 3 of our bottles and I'm sure we'll dust the rest by the end of July.

Last night's premier of Hell's Kitchen was the same as it ever was. It's impossible to expect a bunch of total rookies (a marketing exec., a prison chef, or a 'caterer'?) to run a restaurant with a brand new menu. The entire show concept, by comparison to Top Chef, just falls apart. I'm surprised they didn't do anything different. The stupid LA actor patrons are back, the plate tossing is back, the gratuitous humiliation is back, and the predictability of the finalists is back. The contestants they chose look like they were poured into those chef's coats. Oh well, I'll still watch it. I'll still armchair-quarterback, and I'll still enjoy it. But Top Chef Season 2, where are you?

I dug our experience at Pride. Their mountain location definitely makes it an "off the beaten path" kind of winery. They seem eager also to show you around the grounds, including a picnic spot that offers a fantastic view of the Russian River Valley (I believe). It's been awhile, so I might be off on my geography. The Merlot they produced in 1999 was one of the most well reviewed and subsequently one of the Valley's most famous of the vintage. Some select shops still stock it amazingly enough (Hi Time had a bottle on their library shelf earlier this week). Pride has a couple of real gems, including the 2002 Cabernet we bought which smelled distincly of dark sugar/molasses. When we were there they were actually expanding and building a new tasting room which I presume is finished by now.

Agreed! We love the Silverado Trail wineries. Some of the most expressive Napa Valley reds seem to be grown there. Bg fruit and soft tannins are the hallmark of wineries over there and they seem to be less traveled than the main strip wineries. Our favorites include: Pina (tiny tiny production, 100% Howell Mountain Cab and that's it.) Baldacci (very small production, quiet and non-busy) Darioush (opulent and expensive) Robert Sinskey (the nicest wineroom employees in the valley) Shafer (good luck getting in) Paraduxx (Duckhorn's Zinfandel blend label, gorgeous modern tasting room) William Harrison (small and family owned, long Napa history) Other favorites if you're traveling around are Havens (Yountville, delicious merlot and syrah), Atalon, Cardinale (expensive but lush blended reds), and Ehlers. Bouchon, to me, is the must-eat place. If I could only do one meal in the area there is no doubt that's what I would choose. The thought of boudin blanc with potatoes and prunes makes me long to be there this very instant. We're heading back up again in December, one of our favorite times to go. It's quiet and cold and not very busy at all.

There is a Taco Mesa near us on 19th Street in Costa Mesa. I actually think it may be the original. It resides in an old Taco Bell building back when Taco Bell actually looked like a Mexican food joint. The patio is small and typically crowded and you'll see stickers slapped pretty much everywhere promoting local surf, skate, beer, and clothing companies to name just a few. They take cash only but there is an ATM inside near the counter. The spicy pickled vegetables are a great condiment and snack but I grew tired of the flavors from there. We used to go there once a week at least but that has really fallen off and I can't even remember the last time we went. The brothers that opened Taco Mesa also opened a more high-end version in Newport Beach called Taco Rosa. They feature a similar menu but in a more sit-down environment with margarita service and higher-end menu items like crab enchiladas and lobster tacos. I'm not sure how that place is doing because it's out of the way for us (way up Newport in the hills) and pricey if I remember correctly.

Agreed on Las Brisas. The patio (reserved for casual dining/cocktails) has a simply amazing view, but you're just as likely to get real Mexican food at Del Taco by ordering deluxe chili cheese fries. My vote is definitely for El Gallo Giro, with Jugos de Acapulco in Costa Mesa coming in second. You'll get the real deal at either. Mexican food served Southern California style in an authentic environment. Try the tacos lenguas, goat leg tortas, or crispy carnitas tacos at either establishment. Wash it all down with a mango agua fresca and you'll be happy happy happy. If you're at El Gallo Giro, then take a pack of tortillas or a giant chicharone home with you for later.

I'm big into salt too, and I know if I see small shakers for iodized salt and ancient ground pepper, I'm in trouble. I like a small ramekin of sea salt and a small pepper grinder . . . if anything at all. Those are usually good signs I'm in for a treat. Suzanne Goin at Lucques has it down pat. You get salt and pepper as I just described plus marcona almonds and Lucques olives swimming in fruity olive oil. It's a great table condiment.

I totally lied. I just checked the locker to make sure. It was the FAY I brought with us to the wedding, not the SLV. The 1995 SLV still sits comfortably on the shelves.

Interestingly, to celebrate my brother's wedding, we just had two bottles of 1995 SLV. I'm encouraged to hear your notes on the 1992 because I thought the 1995 was totally out of gas. All signs of acidity were depleted completely and all I got was soft, sugary, overripe fruit. It died on the finish and left me wanting more. I was worried for my other 1995's and felt a need to rush into them.

Yeah, I had to read that one about six times myself before I got the jist, which as far as I can tell is some sort of angered poke at your previous post. Fun times.

We were at Canteen on Friday afternoon for lunch. The dining room is lovely and cozy. Five small booths plus a green formica counter that seats another 7 or so guests. Most of the saute and cooking is done right behind the bar at a very small kitchen to the left. The wine list was nice and simple. The menu only had 5 or 6 items to choose from, no appetizers. Very approachable food. Holly ordered the sauteed sea bass with pureed corn and orange sauce and I had the lamb with chickpeas, lamb sausage, and okra. My big complaint was that I found two tooth-shattering and/or mouth-cutting pieces of bone in my chickpeas. That was a major bummer indeed. Plus, the lamb loin was overcooked. The fish dish was great though and I am partial to the relaxed atmosphere. If I had to choose over again though, I'd probably look elsewhere. Canteen wasn't horrible, but eating in San Francisco is precious and it is always such a shame when a meal doesn't shine. Have you checked out Foreign Cinema? We went to Bouchon on Saturday and that was, as usual, beyond. They're cooking at such a high level I can't even really comprehend it. How they make singular flavors sing with such clarity is something I'll continually chase until I can capture just a fraction of the food success they're acheiving in Yountville. Bless the Keller organization.

All this talk of Cirimusti is prompting me to make a return visit as soon as possible. I'd love to hit up those NY and Vegas restaurants, but I don't have any trips planned in the near future. Providence on the other hand is only about 45 minutes from here. By the way, did anybody notice Suzanne was named best chef in California? I know she has detractors, but I agree with the foundation. She rules.

I find it surprising that The Mansion is among the finalists. I mean, you enter the restaurant's front door after just walking past a bunch of slot machines. It's quite odd that one of the "best restaurants in the country" could be in such an environment. We were in Vegas just a bit ago and passed on dining there because, although it looked really gorgeous inside, we couldn't bring ourselves to pay those kind of prices with the jingle jangle just outside. We went to L'Atelier instead, right next door. It was lackluster, but that's for another thread. I suppose Bartolotta Ristorante di Mare might suffer from the same condition, but we didn't stop by that hotel/casino so I just don't know. What's really amazing is that Vegas holds just as many slots among the finalists as New York. What happened? Although I'm surprised Cirimusti made the list, I'm really happy for him. I thought our meal over New Year's was absolutely fantastic, although I thought some of the service needed to be tightened up. The staff outfits were awful, but he made up for it with his jovial and dedicated food-nerd attitude. Nothing beats making the chef belly laugh when you tell him the grenache in the wine pairing smelled like a hooker with a moustache.

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.

I posted a review on Providence with photos in this thread: providence restaurant (los angeles), anybody been recently

We were very tempted to order the whole fried chicken for two with mascarpone polenta, but decided on a more meaty route to dinner. The chicken is brought out on a cart and carved tableside. It looked delicious, crispy, and succulent.

I've eaten at Lucques a dozen times at least and can't recall ever having anything other than a totally exemplary dinner. Suzanne has been incredibly gracious to us as semi-regular Sunday diners and I can't give them anything but praise.

We ended up going early rather than waiting until next month. In short, the food was fantastic. The service was extremely friendly, although a little bumbled. At the entrance near the hostess stand are clear, polished glass wine racks for storage of Zins and Pinot Noirs. I presume the rest of the cellar is behind the scenes, but the three towering racks were well lit and extremely beautiful. The bar would be a fun place to have a cocktail, but the busy nature of the squared-corner "U-Shape" was too much to want to sit down for a dining experience. Flanking the bar were semi-private alcove booths similar to those at Nobhill in Vegas at the MGM Grand. In the future, I would reserve one of those directly for sure. The dining room is warm and lovely. When we were sat at the banquette in the main dining room, we waited patiently for five minutes before being given copies of the bar/cocktail menu and the wine list. Another annoying five minutes later we were asked if we would like anything to drink. I was planning on wine service, but I had no idea which direction to go in since we still had not been presented with menus. After asking though, our server did present us both with the main menu and the multi-coursed tasting at $95 plus $55 for pairing. We ended up going with the main menu since, within the appetizer menu, starters were offered optionally as "tasting trios". The trios available were tuna, scallops, greens, lobster, and duck. After opting for the lobster and duck appetizers, we were brought a small amuse of a perfect little dice of beet with artisan goat cheese, tiny fried basil leaf, and a beautiful/light vinaigrette. Our full appetizers consisted of: Duck - Cumin-Dusted Grilled Breast, Duck Jus, Roasted Chanterelle Crispy Shredded Duck Thigh, Crystallized Ginger, Roasted Onion Pan-Seared Foie Gras, Pear Salad, Baby Herbs, Brioche Lobster - Carpacio with Yuzu Vinaigrette, Avocado Bisque with Lobster Knuckle, Almond, Almond Cream Bacon-Wrapped Fritter with Japanese Lime and Herb Creme Fraiche All of it was lovely. The plating was solid, the flavors were clear, and the order of progression was exactly right for each of the trios. For dinner we ordered the Prime Shortrib with Glazed Mirepoix and Pureed Potatoes and the Berkshire Hog Bone-In Ribeye and Belly Sous Vide with Truffle Sauce, Potato-Turnip Puree, and Glazed Baby Apple. Both were superb. The shortribs were toothsome and meaty with beautiful cipollini onion, celery, and carrot. The potatoes were creamy and luscious with an unbelievable amount of butter. The pork was off the hook. That was nearly a perfect dish, except the crisped skin on the belly was extremely peppery, too much so. The texture of the skin also made it difficult to cut so there were some logistics on that plate that needed some working on, but with small adjustments it can be a house specialty. For desert we had the Angel Food Cake with Kaffir Lime Sorbet, Thai Basil, Strawberries, and Strawberry Soup. The cake was nearly custardy it was so rich and dense. The strawberries were surely soaked in strawberry juice with simple syrup. Nature surely can't make such a delightful berry on its own. The sorbet was nicely balanced with sweet and sour, and the floral quality of the kaffir was a nice touch. We spoke earlier in the evening with the restaurant’s wine director who was kind enough to pair the dessert with an outstanding Austrian Riesling. It was all white grapefruit on the nose with crisp pear, white cherry, and honey on the palette. It was amazing. All in all Stonehill was superb and I plan on heading back again soon. I'm sure their glitches in service will be straightened out in no time. The staff was overly kind and polite at every turn so the timing stuff we experienced will pass as the restaurant grows into itself. Kudos to Michael Mina once again for a huge hit, and thanks so much for setting up shop in Orange County where restaurants of this quality are in short supply. p.s., Where did you find so many uber-hot hostesses?

We plan on going in April for my sister's birthday. I'm expecting it will be delicious and have no doubt it will deliver. I'll post thoughts and a review after our experience.

I continually cite my Grandmother as my primary culinary influence. My earliest memories include standing on my tip toes and watching her sautee mushrroms with thyme and shallots . . . a preparation which to this day makes an appearance with my homemade pizzas, omelettes, and a host of other applications. She was just a cup or two of white wine and cream away from duxelles, something I didn't realize until much later in life. She was also the master of cheesecake, and without a water bath, can still to this day make a perfect one with no cracks, and with untouchable density. Don't get me started on her lemon meringe pie, something she's perfected to blue-ribbon quality. For some reason, even with all her wisdom and built-in technique, she gets shy around me and continues to look to me for approval for the simplest of preparations. Little does she know she's my own personal Kung-Fu master.

As for who owns the future (the subject heading of this thread), I'd have to say I'd place that baton in Cirimusti's hands.

If people don't think LA has a great restaurant scene with tons of gems, they're not looking very hard. Seriously.

Disney food pretty much sucks, but that's okay. It's fun eating around the park and since I never expect much anyway, I'm never really dissapointed. The corn dogs are indeed good though. The cornmeal coating is fresh, and taken to a dark roasted brown color. Not too bad, and a great re-fueler at the "Happiest Place on Earth". Also, who can resist a churro? The pizza place in Downtown Disney isn't too bad. I think that's a Joachim Splichal property, isn't it? I know he has Catal, the outside bar, and Tortilla Joe's. That is, the company he ended up selling off does and I think his name is still on most of the menus.

I still haven't gotten around to posting my entire review on our recent trip, but reviews for Bouchon, Redd, Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, and General's Daughter are all WAY overdue. The photos haven't even been cataloged or uploaded yet. Alas . . . As for General's Daughter, not only is Preston the man and his wife ever the gracious host, the value of our multi-coursed meal simply cannot be beat. We were blown away by the quality of food relative to the price. I say go there every chance you get. Preston is truly a great guy.

The folks that bought Aubergine are the owners of Le Quai, also on the Peninsula in Newport Beach. We ate at Le Quai for my birthday in August last year and it was awful. The plates were amateur and the menu was WILDLY overpriced. The tuna tartare was chopped into at least five different sizes so instead of a nice beautiful dice and mouthfeel, you wrestled with pureed tuna against a large dice. The baked goat cheese for an appetizer salad was completely charred to burnt black. The $40 lamb I ordered medium rare was medium well (they cook all their meats on an outside grill). The "sommelier" kept trying to recommend $300+ bottles of Bordeaux. Just disappointing all the way around so I can't imagine it will be any better at the old Aubergine.