Consuming LA

April 13, 2015 · 12:18 pm

Checking All The Boxes

Odys + Penelope, the most recent undertaking of the owners/chefs of the late Hatfield’s, checks every box of a new trendy LA restaurant:

1. A name which is actually two names connected by a “+” or a “&” such as Faith & Flower, Barrel & Ashes, Pine & Crane; who do we blame for starting this trend?
2. A space with an interesting lineage; O+P’s building originally housed a printing press; hence the restaurant being named after characters from Homer’s The Odyssey
3. A modern industrial chic interior which includes a communal table; O+P’s look is uber cool with exposed brick, a steel high beam ceiling and a concrete floor; the communal table is made from reclaimed wood
4. Creative craft cocktails; chipotle infused tequilla, anyone?
5. Small plates and/or bigger platters, all of which are intended for sharing
6. A themed twist on an otherwise eclectic menu; O+P’s specialty is Brazilian charrasco dishes
7. A commitment to local and sustainable ingredients
8. Some sort of unorthodox practice in connection with gratuity or additional amounts on your bill; here it’s a mandatory 18% service charge
9. Brussels sprouts
10. Kale

What distinguishes Odys + Penelope from many other new hot spots is that the food, for the most part, is really good and some dishes are exceptional. Pre-summer diets be damned, I highly recommend the Fried Wild Mushrooms with Persian Garlic Sauce. And although it looks like the odd man out on the menu, the House Made Pappardelle with Pork Belly Bolognese and Fried Sage is not to be missed. I also love the Marinated Niman Ranch Skirt Steak with Carrot Ginger Purre, Chilies, Cilantro and Radish. If you don’t order the Chocolate Pie with Rye Crust, Peanut Crumble and Vanilla-Malted Ice Cream (pictured above), you’re massively missing out.

Odys + Penelope is located at 127 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles.

Hot Skillet Focaccia, Dandelion Greens and Ricotta

Raw Hamachi Salad, Chickpea, Avocado, Cucumber, Preserved Lemon and Blood Orange

Fried Wild Mushrooms with Persian Garlic Sauce

House Made Pappardelle with Pork Belly Bolognese and Fried Sage

Smoked Lamb Lettuce Wraps

Dry Aged Churrasco Sirloin Cap with Crispy Onions and Horseradish Cream

Marinated Niman Ranch Skirt Steak, Carrot Ginger Puree, Chilies, Cilantro and Radish

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Roasted Almond, Caper and Dried Apricot

Warm StickyToffee Pudding with Roasted Apple, Candied Pecan and Lime Ice Cream

A Beautiful Space

[mappress mapid=”164″]

And Then There’s Maude

Maude is the pretty new girl at the ball that everyone wants to dance with. An ultra-ambitious endeavor by celebrity chef Curtis Stone, Maude serves solely a nine course fixed price tasting menu inspired by one seasonal ingredient which changes every month. This past January I dined with my wife and friends on a Pomegranate-centric menu. Other past monthly themes have included rhubarb, artichoke, morels, parsnips, berries and truffles.

The restaurant is beautiful, cozy and intimate. The whole place seats only 25 diners, and some of the courses are served directly by Curtis Stone himself. Reservations are extremely difficult to get and can require a lot of repeat dialing.

As for the food, while I thought it was good, the Pomegranate menu did not blow me away. Maybe my expectations were too high given the praise heaped on Maude by several friends and fellow bloggers. It’s not surprising, though, that a nine course menu which completely changes each month might not always be uniformly amazing.

The price each month varies based on the seasonal central ingredient, but ranges between $90-$125 with the exception of the truffle menu, which costs a whopping $250. This excludes wine, tax and a madatory 18% “service charge,” which they inform you is for the kitchen staff as well as your server, and you’re encouraged to leave a separate “tip” as well for your server. This is a new trend which I’m not a fan of. It’s confusing, makes you feel cheap for leaving 18-20% all-in, and is not the best way to end a nice evening of upscale dining.

Maude is located at 212 S. Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills.

Carrot Salad with Sunchoke, Blood Orange and Leeks

Salmon Crudo with Rye, Radish and Celery

Duck Terrine with Braised Red Cabbage and Frisee

Duck Raviolo with Winter Greens, Celeriac and Valoute

Lamp Rump with Turnip, Cous Cous and Chard

Chocolate with Burnt Orange, Tarragon and Hazelnut

Intimate and romantic

[mappress mapid=”163″]

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Filed under Beverly Hills

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February 27, 2015 · 11:57 am

It’s Zo Good

In the competitive world of LA Sushidom, Sushi Zo is a titan. How good is Sushi Zo? It’s Breaking Bad good. It’s Chris Paul and Blake Griffin good. Or in terms my wife can understand, it’s Saks Fifth Avenue Friends and Family Sale good.

The original location resides in a Cheviot Hills shopping center and has been a mecca for sushi lovers for the past eight years. But if you’re willing to shell out some serious shekels, the newer location Downtown in the Old Bank District is the one to really get excited about. Its menu is strictly omakase (chef’s choice) and consists of 20 or so expertly curated and prepared bite-sized slices of the best raw fish you’ve ever consumed, along with a few other amazing Japanese delicacies including Sushi Zo’s famous Squid Noodles with Uni and Truffle Salt. It simply does not get better than this.

Sushi Zo is located at 9824 National Blvd, Los Angeles (in Cheviot Hills) and 334 S. Main St, Los Angeles (Downtown).

Kumamoto Oysters

Amberjack Sashimi

Sea Bass Sashimi

Bluefin Tuna Sashimi

Octopus Sashimi

Halibut Sushi

Scallop Sushi

Wild Caught Yellow Tail Belly Sushi

Medium Toro Sushi

Amberjack Sushi

Pompano Sushi

Ankimo (Monk Fish Liver)

Japanese Barracuda Sushi

Chawanmushi (Egg Custard Dish)

Red Snapper Sushi

Squid Noodles with Uni and Truffle Salt

Salmon Roe

Uni (Sea Urchin) Sushi

Giant Clam Sushi

Cod Sperm Sac Sushi

Sea Eel Sushi

Sea Bass Soup

Tamago (Omelette)

Sushi Masters

[mappress mapid=”161″]
[mappress mapid=”162″]

5 Comments

Filed under Cheviot Hills, Downtown

February 11, 2015 · 10:38 am

A Nutty Place in the Valley

One of my favorite tv shows growing up was The Brady Bunch. Not only was it the perfect depiction of 1970’s suburban idealism, but it taught me “caveat emptor” and not to play ball in the house. If you want to check out the actual home used as the Brady house exterior, it’s located at 11222 Dilling Street in Studio City. While you’re in Studio City, I suggest you complete your Brady Bunch expedition by heading over to Spread PB for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, the quintessential suburban after-school snack.

Spread PB is a new restaurant devoted entirely to peanut butter, which they make themselves in numerous varieties including regular, nutty, dark chocolate, maple bacon, coconut, cinnamon raisin and banana chunky. Their extensive menu features childhood favorites such as “Ants on a Log” (celery sticks with peanut butter topped with raisins or chocolate chips) and “Smiles” (apple slices layered with peanut butter and mini marshmallows; pictured above) and creative concoctions such as “Banana Sushi” and greek yogurt peanut butter smoothies.

The main attractions, however, are the sandwiches. You can build your own with your choice of peanut butter, bread and a long list of toppings, or select from a list of house specialities. My favorites are the Chicken Curry Sandwich with green curry peanut butter and “The P’s Please” sandwich with peanut butter, pickles and potato chips. Both are surprisingly good; perhaps even better than the ones Carol and Alice used to make for Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby and Cindy.

SpreadPB is located at 12215, Ventura Blvd, Suite 104 in Studio City. UPDATE: Spread PB is permanently closed. I also heard that NYC’s Peanut Butter & Co. is closing. It’s sad timed for peanut butter.

The P’s Please (Peanut Butter, Pickles and Potato Chips) on Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Chicken Curry Sandwich with Green Curry Peanut Butter

Dogwich (Banana, Peanut Butter, Jelly and Chocolate Chips on a Hot Dog Bun)

Banana Sushi

Berry Berry Nuts and Bananas (Blueberry Bread, Peanut Butter, Strawberries, Blueberries and Bananas)

Ants on a Log (Celery Sticks with Peanut Butter and Raisins or Chocolate Chips)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

The Peanut Gallery

The Brady Bunch House in Studio City

[mappress mapid=”160″]

3 Comments

Filed under Studio City

Tagged as Brady Bunch food, flavored peanut butter, green curry peanut butter, peanut butter pickles and potato chips, peanut butter restaurant, peanut butter restaurant los angeles, peanut butter restaurant studio city, peanut butter restaurant the valley, spread pb, spreadpb, Studio City Restaurants

January 22, 2015 · 11:45 am

I Came, Orsa, I Conquered.

There’s a state of consciousness that I refer to as “aesthetic bliss.” It’s when one or more of your senses is completely enraptured as a result of a highbrow pursuit. It’s the feeling you get while listening to Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, taking in the Bolshoi Ballet’s Swan Lake at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, or viewing a Kandinsky exhibit at LACMA. The food version of this is Orsa & Winston, the dining experience from local superstar chef Josef Centeno.

Centeno is the creative talent behind awesome hipster eateries BÃ¤co Mercat and Bar Ama, as well as the former chef of Lazy Ox Canteen. With Orsa & Winston, Centeno now has a more sophisticated environment to show off his mad skills. The menu has you select from either a five or eight course seasonal tasting menu (or with a 72 hour advance reservation, you can truly indulge and opt for the “Super-Omakase” of more than 20 courses). All come with optional wine pairings, as well as optional supplemental dishes. Each tasting menu is a procession of beautiful, delectable and perfectly executed small plates to experience and savor.

Needless to say, such aesthetic bliss is not inexpensive. But for a special occasion or when you just want to treat yourself to an evening of exceptional food and wine, Orsa & Winston is worth the splurge.

Orsa & Winston is located at 122 W. 4th Street, Los Angeles (Downtown).