The Dining Room at the Ritz

[Carolyn Tillie]

“Dr. R” was the friend of the evening AND it was his birthday, so I chose the best place in his home town of Pasadena, The Dining at the Ritz-Carlton-Huntington. I also thought it would be interesting to compare this Ritz eatery since I was less than impressed with the one in San Francisco.

To start, the room is similarly appointed - elegant but not to the point of ostentatious. We were offered a menu for prix fixe or the option of a tasting menu where the chef would

Caviar Taco served with Taittinger, La Française, Brut, Épernay and Comte Audoin de Dampierre, Brut Rosé, Chenay

“Dr. R” chose the Taittinger while I chose the rosé which I preferred. A very nice start – the way an amuse should be; a single bite. Thin herb-crusted crepe filled with caviar and crème fraiche.

Mint sorbet topped with creamy sweet pea soup

Still drinking our Champagne, this dish was a revelation – two simple, incredibly well-prepared components that accentuated each other.

Watercress & fennel salad with house-cured salmon and fried red onions served with 2005 Rudd Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley

Clean mélange of well-prepared salmon which was heightened with bright vegetables. The fennel added a nice bright tang with the fried onions giving the requisite contrast. The Sauvignon Blanc pairing was crisp enough to give bring out the richness of the salmon as well as that lovely fennel bite.

Country paté; guinea hen and foie gras with Scarbrough Farms lettuces and truffle vinaigrette and Bread-stuffed baby calamari with aioli sauce, arugula salad with parmesan tuille and lemon dressing

2004 Trimbach Riesling, Alsace

Here we were served one wine with each of us receiving two different courses to share. I have always been a big fan of the Trimbach Riesling which provided just enough sweetness to work with both the paté and the calamari. Of the two, the paté was the clear favorite; layered with bites of pickled onion, raisins, and an occasional peppercorn. Unlike so many patés, it was not at all overly fatty at all, but nice proportioned.

Sautéed shrimp with Forbidden rice, bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, coconut milk green curry soup scented with lemon grass served with 2005 Conundrum, Napa Valley

I slightly question the pairing of what is now generally considered a mediocre wine (it was great when Caymus still owned it) but the quality of the dish made up for it and I was surprised at how pleasant the Conundrum was (“Dr. R” REALLY liked it). This was complex and rich and contained many favorite ingredients for me, especially the rice and mushrooms. I am often surprised more chefs are not utilizing the Forbidden black rice and Bhutanese red rice and this was one of those perfect examples of how it accentuates a dish. The creamy curry soup was perfectly seasoned with just enough integrated spices to be complemented with the rich mushrooms. Lovely.

Seared foie gras, kumquats, onion marmalade, and star anise soup served with 2002 Pouilly-Fuisse, Louis Jadot, Burgundy

I have figured it out. I hate overly sweet foie and hate it especially when paired with a sweet wine. Kumquats are probably the one and only fruit that I really enjoy with foie as they offer a subtle tanginess against their sweetness. In this case, it was the addition of star anise that set the dish apart, giving it a depth and umami to the dish.

Seared scallops, fresh spinach angel hair pasta with port wine truffle cream sauce served with 2005 Domaine Drouhin Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

Perfectly prepared scallops and mildly interesting sauce, but the inclusion of pasta was pointless. Actually, just a bite of scallop with the sauce and a sip of the wine was a great taste! I understand chefs feel the need to include “something” but when it has nothing to do with everything or anything else, what is the point?

Veal tenderloin and cheek with salsify, fava beans, baby carrots, pecans, and veal jus served with 2005 ZD Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Here was a truly great meat dish. While the veal tenderloin was perfect in tenderness, size, a quality it was the cheek which had more flavor and chi. The accompanying vegetables accentuated the meat and I loved the inclusion of pecans. I slightly regret the pairing of the ZD Cab which I don’t think is as good a quality wine as the dish warranted.

Roasted venison loin, braised red cabbage, apples, wild mushrooms, and grand Veneur sauce served 2004 Fontodi Chianti Classico, Conca d’Oro, Panzano, Italy

The wine was poured first and blew me away with complexity and integrated fruit. It was only when the venison came along that the wine reached new heights. In this case, it was the red cabbage that provided that something extra. The slightly pickled aspect of the cabbage, coupled with the earthiness of the mushrooms so well complemented the tender venison. Amazing pairing, again.

Lemon Mousse

This was really an amuse dessert and I wish they hadn’t bothered. It was called a mousse but really had the consistency of over-prepared, gummy Jell-O.

Toasted meringue with nutmeg beignet and pistachio ice cream served with 2003 Maculan Torcolato, Italy

This was hard for me this evening – we were both so exhausted at this point that I chose to forego the usual cheese course and cut straight to the dessert. Continuing the amazing service, the cheese course was boxed for us to take home as we tried to muscle down the sweets. The toasted meringue was exactly as it looked – pretty to behold and relatively bland. For me, it was the beignet which struck home. I desperately wanted a dozen of them prepared fresh for me the next morning with a pot of hot coffee served by some hunky beefcake of a guy… that would be shear heaven.

How to compare the two Ritz Carlton's? One can't. On the one hand, you have Chef Ron Siegel (SF) experimenting in molecular cuisine and pushing the envelope, sometimes with fabulous results and sometimes with disastrous results. On the other hand, you have Chef Craig Strong (Pasadena) working those tried-and-true haute cuisine techniques which made for a more cohesive meal. Between the two meals, I *consistently* enjoyed those prepared by Chef Strong, even though they were more middle of the road and "safe." The ones that Chef Siegel prepared that were so amazing were so because they were so amazing in their conception and presentation. Siegel's highs were definitely higher and his lows were definitely lower while Chef Strong <ahem, excuse the pun> stayed strong in his skills and presentation throughout. The scallop with pasta was the most lackluster course while the soup and shrimp soared. It will be interesting for me to come back and remember these meals a month from now and see what sticks in my head. Of Chef Siegel's offering, more faults are remembered than its exceptions while Chef Strong's will probably be recalled with as yet another of those great tasting menus I had during that succession of eating a lot of tasting menus (which I have been for a month or so and will probably continue to do so through the holidays).

[rjwong]

Here's my thread on the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington in Pasadena.

I *consistently* enjoyed those prepared by Chef Strong, even though they were more middle of the road and "safe."

Your statement is an accurate conclusion of Chef Craig Strong's culinary philosophy. He would rather "push the envelope" one step instead of three steps.

Nice report, Carolyn. And thank you for reminding me to make my annual trek to the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington.