Scarpetta Spaghetti

If you ever needed a reason to dine at Scarpetta inside the Montage Beverly Hills, I’ve got a few reasons.

After the unexpected exit of Executive Chef Alex Stratta and the re-entry of Freddy Vargas, a Scarpetta veteran, they’ve started offering a rather reasonably priced prix fixe menu featuring the restaurant’s classic dishes in a four-course dinner featuring none other than their famously simple yet delicious spaghetti (that is, if you choose it over the agnolotti, which sounds pretty decadent itself). It costs just $45 per person; the wine pairing option is additional.

Kitchen Chef’s Counter

The other things I love about Scarpetta, you won’t exactly find on the menu. First of all, their bread basket is probably the best I’ve had in Los Angeles. A rather unfortunate thing since it’s a New York import, but since Scott Conant has fully embraced this western end to his bi-coastal lifestyle, I’ll let this one pass. Do not overlook the stromboli in your bread basket. It’s layers of warm meat and cheese pressed between pillowy bread. Then again, if you’re full before the first course even arrives, I’m pretty sure the stromboli is your culprit. Tread carefully.

Also, you may not be aware that the best seats in the house are in the kitchen at the Chef’s Counter, and available to anyone upon request. Of course, the meaning of “best seats” is subjective to you and whom you’ll be dining with. It’s probably best for parties of 4 or less (it’s a corner spot, so you can still face each other while you conversate), but I’ve always preferred the seats that showcase the action. I like to feel the energy and the creativity behind what I’m about to eat. And the best part is that you can enjoy this very menu (rotating different dishes approximately at the end of every month) while you are seated there:

Primi Piatti
Farmers Market Salad
local vegetables, pecorino, hazelnuts & true vinaigrette
Creamy Polenta
fricassee of trued mushrooms

Paste
Spaghetti
tomato & basil
Short Rib Agnolotti
hon shimeji, brown butter, hazelnuts & horseradish

Piatti
Roasted Black Bass with Lemon & Garlic
caponata & saron sauce
Braised Veal Osso Bucco
saron fregola, baby carrots & natural reduction

Dolce
Bicerin Parfait
praline, coee gelato & baci di dama
Vanilla Caramel Budino
gianduja chocolate sable cookies
45

Need a cocktail to try? The bar has quite a menu. One of my favorites is the Serpente d’Argento, made with Deleon Diamante, Green Chartreuse, Szechuan Peppercorn syrup and lemon. It’s so savory and delicious. Or, you can let the Sommelier do a pairing with your dishes.

So make your reservations and requests for the Chef’s Counter. It’s the perfect setting in which to enjoy these refined Scarpetta classics.

Basil Blush – White rum, strawberry, basil, balsalmic, built over ice

While we’ve gone back and forth for awhile, the weather has gotten pretty warm and I’m sure that it’s here to stay. Well, besides June Gloom in a couple weeks, that is.

But it’s hard to argue that Los Angeles is the place to be in Spring, and Comme Ça, fresh off their remodel, is the perfect place to celebrate and clink glasses. They’ve got quite an impressive cocktail menu that has been out for a couple weeks. Looks are deceiving, because while the Basil Blush, for instance, looks like your typical strawberry-basil cooler, it actually packs quite a punch thanks to its freshly muddled ingredients and tasty, spicy white rum.

My notes to follow underneath the slideshow as you page through:

Lillet Bee by Tim Loden – Gin, Lillet Blanc, lemon, egg white, shaken, served up, Angostura bitters
I prefer this over a Pisco Sour, since it lends less tartness and more savory flavors to the drink. Count me in!

Bridgetown Twist by Jeff Knudesen – Rye, gin, Velvet Falernum, built over ice with orange twist
Definitely one of my favorites on the menu. Simple ingredients (okay, maybe V. Falernum itself isn’t simple but it’s beautiful), so easy to sip yet beautifully nuanced. Plus, rye and gin are my favorites. What is not to love? Triple threat!

JFK to LAX by Brent Henry – Vodka, muddled citrus, cucumber, basil, shaken, served up
Loved how refreshing this was. An off-the-cuff drink created by Brent for a particular customer who had just arrived in town, it’s the drink on the menu that’s really for everybody.

Archangel – Gin, Aperol, cucumber, served up
This was another of my favorites. So simple, it’s hard to go wrong with these ingredients. If you want boozy yet refreshing, you’ll love this as the cucumber essence from the garnish takes a little of the edge off.

Green Point – Rye, Yellow Chartreuse, Carpano Antica, served up
One of the mainstays from Comme Ça’s long-standing Manhattan variation program, this combination of Rye, Chartreuse and Carpano Antica formula is just the trick. Whether you’re warming up to Manhattans or have been drinking them for years, this will win you over.

Golden Delicious – Applejack, lemon, honey, shaken and served over ice with apple slice
This cocktail is pretty straightforward and for those who are looking for an easy sipper that will complement, not overwhelm, their food.

Flora de Lys – Tequila, St. Germain, lime, rose water, shaken and served up with cucumber
I really loved this cocktail. There was just enough St. Germain and rose water to put enough floral notes in it without making it soapy – or maybe that was the ingenious combination with tequila. I liked how the focus was taken away from citrus (as is usual in tequila cocktails) very artfully.

Cherry Julep – Bourbon, muddled cherries, simple, built over crushed ice with sprig of mint
Here’s one way to vary your Derby cocktail. It’s interesting and boozy, but I actually prefer the original in its traditional cup (yeah, kind of a snob, huh?)

And if beer is more your style upon your visit, another great result of the remodel is newly installed beer taps, 4 in all. So far, they’ve very carefully picked a variety of tasty European beers that go with Comme Ça’s food, including a French red ale, La Gavroche; an Austrian Stiegl Pilsner and the Belgian Pale Ale, Rince Cochon Blonde.

I’ll see you drinking up at Comme Ça - at the bar or otherwise.

Viva Mezcal Documentary

What’s better than a documentary about Mezcal accompanied by free-flowing Mezcal and Oaxacan antijitos (street food dishes, if you will)? Probably the setting – which will be the iconic La Guelaguetza in Koreatown.

Viva Mezcal, a film directed by Pedro Jiménez, addresses the current state of the Mezcal industry, complete with interviews from biologoists, agronomes, ‘maestros mezcaleros,” researchers, distributors, bartenders and experts. Following the film, tasty treats by Chef Rodolfo Castellanos will accompany a Mezcal tasting.

The Mezcals that will be represented? So far, Bricia Lopez has secured brands such as Tosba, Los Amantes, Wahaka, MonteLobos, Nina del Mezcal and Mina Real Mezcal. It’s a great opportunity to try brands you probably haven’t seen in the bars around Los Angeles.

I’m giving away a pair of tickets to this tasting on Thursday. To enter:

1. Leave a comment below as to your favorite Mezcal, your favorite Mezcal cocktail or what you love about Mezcal in general and
2. Tweet this post: “Giveaway by @estarLA: Pair of tix to “Viva Mezcal” screening, Mezcal tasting & Oaxacan Antijitos at @LaGuelaguetza http://estar.la/e/fi” OR post this blog post on your Facebook page and link to it in your comment.

You must do both (I’m checking!) or I’ll have to pick someone else. This giveaway will close tomorrow, Tuesday, May 14th, 2013 at 5 PM, when I’ll announce the winner on Twitter.

Good luck! And see you at Guelaguetza!

See the “Viva Mezcal” trailer here.

Memphis BBQ Dog – Porker Dog, grilled peppers, crushed paprika chips

What happens when you take an iconic, American food known for consisting of meat trimmings, fat and preservatives and reinvent it utilizing top notch ingredients and dress them up with imaginative combinations – before framing it all in a delicious bun?

You get Fritzi Dog, now at its first outpost in The Original Farmer’s Market at 3rd and Fairfax, serving up awesome dogs and sausages made with prime cuts sourced from veggie-fed, humanely treated animals. What you won’t find are snouts, tails, antibiotics, added nitrates nor mechanically separated meat. ”You’ll find the same quality of ingredients [at Fritzi Dog] as you’ve found at [my other restaurants] Grace or BLD,” Neal states.

Slaw Dog – Deli Dog, creamy coleslaw, brown mustard

But what I’m a huge fan of are the expert combinations thought up by Neal Fraser, of which there are plenty to go around, so you’re bound to find one or five that strikes your fancy. Though there’s an option to build your own dog (5 dogs in all) with the same awesome ingredients and toppings to choose at your own whim, I’d actually recommend one of the many specialty dogs Neal built and tested himself – such as the Garlic Dog, a Cali Dog (beef and pork merguez) in a pretzel bun (!), topped with garlic aioli and fried onions.

At a recent media tasting, Neal revealed that he isn’t a fan of fake meats, and so he came up with a pretty ingenious vegetarian option that is tasty yet not trying to be something it really isn’t. In fact, I was a big fan of Fritzi’s Carrot Dog, which is essentially a carrot sous-vide in spices before being grilled for good flavor.

The dogs aren’t the only thing to be desired as the other items are also solid in their own right, with Tots to die for (the Buffalo Tots come with a couple deadly aiolis) and a hopelessly fluffy, tasty batter to encase each hand-dipped Corn Dog. Also try the Bacon Pups, which are also sous-vide bacon ends dipped in the same, delicious Corn Dog batter that come with a Thai chili sauce.

While perhaps you’ve run out of reasons to visit (other than, say, Short Order and Loteria Grill), Fritzi Dog is a great, casual reason to visit The Original Farmer’s Market at 3rd and Fairfax with plenty of delicious dogs to try every time you come back.

All food was hosted.

Photo by VisitBatonRouge on Flickr

I’ll admit: I’ve always had a soft spot for crawfish. Once you get the hang of peeling and eating those little mudbugs (and believe me, getting proficient at it is like a rite of passage), it’s like a crafty, delicious feast doubling as entertainment.

Fortunately, we’ve got Chef Brandon Boudet – a New Orleans native – helming Dominick’s kitchen right in West Hollywood, ready to bring the goods two Saturdays in a row, for the fourth year in a row. Of course, if you’re a crawdad lover like me, you’ll want to partake in a few Bayou-seasoned pounds of a total 300 flown in from NOLA at $11.99 per unit.

Don’t forget the sides! In fact, see below for the entire Bayou Boil menu:

Crawfish – $11.99/lb.
½ Dozen Oysters – $14
Roast Beef Po’ Boy – $8
Crawfish Boiled Artichoke with Creole Remoulade – $11
Maui Onion Rings – $7
New Orleans Sno Balls – $3.25 (Blueberry, Raspberry, Chocolate and Coconut Cream)
Shot of Old New Orleans Spiced Rum – $9 (can also be added to Sno Ball)
Beer – $3
Dago Red, Dago White & Prosecco- $12 per bottle

If you’ve got some people in your party who aren’t so much into crawdads, there’s a brunch menu available for them – so everyone can partake in a festive Spring on Dominick’s beautiful, foliage-covered, brick patio. Whether you’re into sucking the heads or not, I’ll see you at the Bayou Boil!

RedMedicineLA.com

There are a lot of freebies and promotion deals to be had in our wonderful city, but I can’t say I’ve run across the offering of an entire dinner in exchange for the test drive of a car, before. And now, we have.

Mark Tuesday, May 14th down for dinner at Red Medicine, the Beverly Hills restaurant known for Jordan Kahn’s artful, exquisite and delicious creations – but perhaps also for the calling out of unwanted critics and no-show diners. So if you’re intent on keeping your reservation a couple weeks from now, you’ll want to call 323.651.5500 ASAP to secure your reservation between 5 and 10:30 PM.

Dinner will be preceded by a 2013 Lincoln MKZ test drive and is served prix fixe on Lincoln’s dime (without the “prix,” if you will). There is no limit to the party size; however, if you have a reservation of 5 or more, you’ll be split up into groups of 2 or 3 depending on your preference.

Happy test driving, and bon appetit!

Crab Benedict

The Wilshire Restaurant (Top Chef star Nyesha Arrington helms the kitchen) has recently launched a pretty spectacular Sunday weekly, and that happens to be a buffet-style brunch that is not to be missed. Since I normally relegate buffets (read: gorge parties) to Vegas, if even that, it’s really easy for me to dismiss these all-you-can eat, self-serve extravaganzas.

However, the Wilshire Restaurant’s Sunday deal has not only the brunch plate essentials, but bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Mary bar – plus a really neat patio ensconced in the cool, Santa Monica air – at the very reasonable price of $35 per person. It runs throughout the daytime for your leisure, so if you are into loitering, you could go from 11 AM until 5 PM if you really wanted to – but that would be pretty tacky.

Wilshire Restaurant Daytime Patio

Included are cheeses, charcuterie, an omelette station, beet salad, roasted red peppers, granola and yogurt, fruit, dessert bar and hot dishes such as French toast and berries. My favorite was certainly the Crab Benedict topped with Tomato Hollandaise. The hot items have to periodically be refilled from the kitchen, but it’s worth the wait.

On the liquid brunch front, order your OJ-bubbly concoction or go with the spice and garnish-rich Bloody Mary bar. It’s glorious to the BM-lover that I am, and I easily subbed gin for vodka, so if you’re into that, don’t be afraid to ask.

If you happen to be into portion control or see something on the a la carte menu that strikes your fancy, you can also order from that and add the bottomless option for $15. Win-win.

Have a great weekend and enjoy your Sunday, whatever you happen to fancy.

Screenshot of my junk on MyPermissions.com

In the course of figuring out this blog’s and my social media presence around the internet, there is a lot of passing off of personal information between applications and services, whether I’ve realized it or not. Chances are, this is just as relevant to you. If you use Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Foursquare, Flickr, Google+ or anything else that has asked permission to access your information elsewhere, it’s simply hard to keep track of what exactly you’ve allowed to do what with your personal information.

Good thing there’s a tool out there that helps you do exactly that. And the best part is, it’s not yet another application. MyPermissions uses a website interface with an optional plug-in that you can install on your browser for easy access. And directly from inside the one-page interface, you can click directly to your account’s permissions page inside Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc. to see exactly what each social media tool is accessing.

Before you tweet and instagram your next food photo, you best give it a try. You’d be surprised to see the different apps you’ve inadvertently allowed access to – especially your Facebook account. (Those sneaky guys.) From the same interface, you can edit these very permissions. Easy.

And that concludes my latest PSA. All for your benefit. Back to our regularly scheduled food programming…

Chao Sang

These days, it’s not exactly hard to find a pop-up around town. So when on the look out for one, unique themes and meal times will catch my eye more than others. Good thing Chef Connie Tran is launching her centrally located Sunday Vietnamese brunch pop-up on Melrose.

It’s a refreshing survey of her style of Vietnamese dishes. Because sometimes, you just want to go beyond a bowl of pho, and for multiple courses. And the option to BYOB is always a great way to go.

Thit Kho, Tom Rang, Ca Tim

I loved the vibrant flavors of the brunch, which kicked off with a savory bowl of modern congee, or rice porridge – after extracting myself from a quickly attained addiction to the spiced boiled peanuts that were set on the table. It’s hard to argue with modernization in the form of lardon crisps, poached egg and sage brown butter, really. A refreshing salad, pleasing to the eye, follows with burrata, fennel and a light lemon dressing.

You’ll wrap sheets of woven vermicelli around deliciously grilled beef wrapped in betel leaves and grilled tumeric catfish – finished off with herbs – like basil. Then you’ll dip them in n??c ch?m, tender to the bite and easy to sink your teeth into.

And then come the Braised Galangal Pork with boiled quail eggs and coconut molasses, Grilled Honey Prawns with okra (keep your eye on the bird’s eye chili) and carmelized shallots, and finally Asian Eggplant with Grilled Corn and Purple Perilla Scallion Oil. All of these family-style little dishes served with Jasmine rice are contrasts with each other and flavorful. Kabocha squash pudding and Coconut Gelato Sandwich are just enough to elegantly sate your sweet tooth for the finale.

No alcohol is served, so you’re free to bring your own libations. But I do recommend the pickled plum soda for some cheek-sucking, effervescent pleasure. In all, you’ve never had a brunch as bright as this.

on the table
spiced boiled peanuts

first
chao sang: rice porridge, lardon crisps, poached egg, sage brown butter
starfruit, fennel, burrata, bibb lettuce, lemon balm dressing

vermicelli
bo la lot: grilled beef wrapped in betel leaf, roasted peanuts
cha ca thanh long: grilled turmeric catfish, dill, green scallions, roasted peanuts, sesame crackers
served with vermicelli cakes, mixed herbs & nuoc cham

rice
thit kho: braised galangal pork, quail eggs, coconut molasses, BEP picklins
tom rang: grilled honey prawns, okra, bird chili, caramelized shallots, northern mint
ca tim: asian eggplant, grilled corn, purple perilla scallion oil
served with jasmine rice

sweet
coconut gelato sandwich: chili sesame cookies
kabocha pot de crème, vietnamese yogurt, peanut ginger brittle

drink
chrysanthemum mint tea (hot/iced), pickled plum soda, vietnamese coffee (hot/iced)

Further reading: Interview with Chef Connie Tran on LA Magazine Digest Blog

All food and drink were hosted.

Wolvesmouth and Miles Thompson of Allumette at Le Grand Fooding Pre-Event Dinner (Credit: Wolvesmouth, Le Grand Fooding)

You have probably already heard about Le Grand Fooding: Crush, the posse’s upcoming inaugural event in Los Angeles on April 26-27. In fact, tickets went on sale a month ago, and a glance at the event website’s signage would indicate they’ve already sold out the duo of dates.

Therefore, it would be cruel of me to rehash that participants include Nancy Silverton (Mozza), Ludo Lefebvre (Trois Mec), Josef Centeno (Bäco Mercat, Bar Ama), Roy Choi (Kogi BBQ, Chego, A-Frame, Sunny Spot), Jordan Kahn (Red Medicine) and Carolynn Spence (Chateau Marmont) as well as Parisian chefs such as Inaki Aizpitarte (Le Chateaubriand), Gregory Marchand (Frenchie), Jean-François Piège (Restaurant Jean-François Piège) and for VIPs, Sven Chartier (Saturne). …And yet!

Maybe not. Fortunately, there’s an arguably even better opportunity for the winner of this giveaway. The pre-event dinner (wherein the winner of this giveaway plus a guest will join media and VIP) will feature a meal prepared by Craig Thornton of Wolvesmouth and Miles Thompson of Allumette. It’s no secret that I am a big fan of both chefs, so I can confidently say this dinner promises to be quite an adventure. And you may be in the company of some participating chefs from the main event.

To enter:

1. Comment below with a correct email address – this way I can get in touch with you – and why you want to go to the Le Grand Fooding pre-event dinner.
2. Tweet this:

“Giveaway by @estarLA: @LeFooding Pre-Event Dinner on 4/25 ft. @wolvesmouth and @allumettela with @MasterCard. http://estar.la/e/fb”

If you don’t have Twitter, post this blog post publicly on your Facebook wall. Link to your Facebook wall in comments if you did the Facebook post instead of the tweet. (I’ll be able to find you if you tweet.)

You must do both of these; if you don’t and I can’t confirm you’ve done both, I’ll have to choose another winner should your number come up in the lottery.

Contest will close Tuesday, April 23 at 5 PM. I will announce the winner via Twitter as well as contact you via the email you use to comment below. If the winner doesn’t respond to me by the end of the day on Tuesday, I’ll pick a new winner to be announced Wednesday morning.

Good luck!!

Disclosures: These tickets were given to me by MasterCard for promotional purposes to award to a reader, but I am responsible for this promotion. Winner must provide proper contact info to me, which I will then forward on to MasterCard. Your contact info will be used for fulfillment purposes only.