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.

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!

Neighborhood Hot Spot

It’s curious that Pingtung is called an “Eat-in Market,” the “market” designation perhaps being a way of propping up the Asian goods that lie on overhead (to me) shelves along the sides of the deep-drawn cafe. Though I have a few guilty snack pleasures such as Yan Yan, Shrimp Chips, that clear, Japanese soda with the swingy little ball, Calpico and the like, I’d make the trek to 99 Ranch, Mitsuwa or Zion if I wanted to go Asian grocery shopping. (I’m trying to cut down on the snacks, much less MSG-laden ones, anyway.)

Sauteed Pea Shoots

But like the hot food that’s served in-house, the packaged snacks and sodas are a great pick-me-up. They are at the center of the already bustling, 3-week-old cafe, and it seems like the place is smoothly transitioning into a neighborhood favorite. There’s a really pleasant back patio complete with requisite orchids from opening day, a few lounge seats and a square-shaped patio with bench and table seating lining the walls. Li Ping runs the show, as I’ve noticed she’s a cook, expediter as well as sometime-server. The urgency she brings to my Friday night visit is not lost on the ambiance, either, but it’s exciting.

Named after the town in southern Taiwan where owner-cook Li Ping is from, Pingtung struck an internal chord because while I’m Taiwanese, both of my parents are also from the south part of the island. Of course, all of this became somewhat irrelevant once I looked at the menu, which is a mishmash of Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese, with dashes of Korean and Vietnamese.

Like all cafes in the San Gabriel Valley (or even Momofuku Ssam Bar in New York), every table comes with a bevy of condiments. Sriracha, soy sauce, salt, pepper, sweet chili sauce and dumpling sauce (soy with vinegar, for sure) accompany napkins, chopsticks and angular soup spoons. The price points are more than reasonable for what is transported to and ultimately transplanted right in the middle of the funky shopping district part of Melrose. The consistent quality despite the wide range on the well-curated menu betrays that this is not Li Ping’s first restaurant.

Radish Cakes with Chinese Sausage

I have lived in Los Angeles for over a decade and I still have friends I have not successfully schlepped out to San Gabriel Valley for dim sum, for both distance and weekend awakening requirements (dim sum is usually available only on weekend mornings to early afternoon). If you’re the same, Pingtung may also be your answer. They open until 11 PM, and your friends were probably not ready for the chicken feet in black bean sauce or the pork knuckles in ginger, anyway. Shrimp dumplings, radish cakes, chicken shumai, sticky rice tamales, spring rolls, stuffed mushrooms, pork encased in tofu skin, panfried pork or steamed BBQ pork buns are amongst almost twenty varieties of dim sum. If you could name the overall American favorites of dim sum, they’d probably be right here, without too much Americanization.

The Taiwanese dishes, such as the pea shoots with garlic and fermented bean and bean curd in vinegar sauce, were on the mark – and dare I say, just like Mom’s. Sure, there’s an emotional attachment (these were dishes I was eating at home for dinner with my family in Wisconsin while my classmates ate casserole), but let’s just say how little I was expecting based on Pingtung’s outpost on Melrose alone: Not much. The Scallion Pancake, a Taiwanese classic, was more than decent. The texture, a crispy outside with an almost buttery, pull-apart inside also translated to their sweet dessert flatbread version, which comes topped with mochi ice cream.

Pork & Shrimp Shumai

But there’s so much to cover: There’s not just Tonkotsu Ramen, but excellent Spicy Miso Tonkotsu Ramen with thin, bitey noodles – and chicken varieties available on both. If you want chicken curry (it’s really tasty), they have that too – as well as a rotating variety of spicy rolls and dressed sashimi.

Feeling like a sandwich? Banh Mi sandwiches come with a variety of fillings and with a side du jour. Feeling like something over rice? They’ve got Mapo Doufu (Spicy Bean Curd Home Style), Paiku Pork Chop and even Galbi BBQ Beef. While I haven’t tried these, I noticed pretty generous, un-L.A. portions coming out of the kitchen and very satisfied diners bent over bowls of them all.

The best thing about their drink menu is, like the food, the variety. Width over depth, though both menus stop just short of trying to do too much. There are many teas – a multitude as compared with the choices you get at SGV dim sum (flower or oolong) – but there are also beers on tap, sakes and Stumptown coffee. The 5 taps they have aren’t the fancy craft beer kind but they’re enough – with Kirin, Sapporo, Stella and Negra Modelo rounding out the light beer selection Asian food is meant to be enjoyed with. If you so please, there’s also shochu and wine.

The success of Pingtung could be the trickling down of the phasing out of the offensive “ethnic” descriptor of food. While Bryant Ng (The Spice Table), Roy Choi (Kogi, A-Frame, Sunny Spot) and Kris Yenbamroong (Night + Market) have received mainstream recognition for their respective Asian culinary prowess in Metro L.A., Pingtung isn’t trying to revolutionize anything, but trying to serve Asian favorites in a previously unattainable location to an audience that’s finally ready, willing and curious.

Bravo, and long live the Asian cafe.

All food and beer were hosted.

Short Rib cooked in Pho, Xiu Mai, Scallion Pancake, Herbs

I first visited the space owned by Bill Didonna and Charles Kelly when it was Allston Yacht Club. Since then, the space had taken a 180 degree turn away from its incarnation as a casual, neighborhood spot. Though there’s no warmth lacking from the feel that emanated throughout Allston’s dining room, it has evolved to the kind of environment that encourages diners’ curiosity for new things.

Carrot Salad

Allumette, as it stands now, is an ambitious venture in avant-garde a la carte with dishes best shared and a tasting menu option to be made available soon. Chef Miles Thompson, at a young 24 who had previously served as sous chef at Son of a Gun (and starred in a Miranda July film), first established his own culinary identity in town via a pop-up stint known as The Vagrancy Project held in the same restaurant. Didonna and Kelly were so impressed, they brought him on to helm the reinvention of their permanent Echo Park establishment.

A reinvention, Allumette is – not only in cuisine but in its vision of Echo Park as a place to eat. To dine. I can’t think of many places in the neighborhood that start, on average, at $14 per plate (with the exception of two vegetable dishes, at $8). But I also can’t think of any other places that are open only Wednesday through Saturday, either. With Red Hill, which stands across the street, first ushering in flashes of elevated eating not too long ago, the stage is perhaps set for Allumette to take Echo Park to even higher levels.

Smoking Gun

Not the least of ways to do that is to bring the cocktail program up to snuff, and in this case Serena Herrick of Harvard Stone has done a spectacular job of creating a cocktail menu that is a lovely collection of variations on the classics. The drinks match the inventive menu quite nicely with as wide a range that can be achieved with 7 cocktails – enough to satisfy veteran cocktailians and novice drinkers, alike, with none of the dumbing down you’ll usually find elsewhere (don’t expect to see vodka this time around, at least).

My favorites were the Negroni Sbagliato #2, a lighter version of the classic aperitif, and especially the spirits-forward Smoking Gun, made with Vida Mezcal, Cynar and Calisaya. The frothy and sumptuous Gentleman’s Breakfast goes down ever so easily while the orgeat and pineapple gomme do such a great job of balancing out the overproof Smith & Cross in the Last Ango.

The creativity in Chef Thompson’s current menu materializes in a fascination with taking Asian dishes out of their context. The main attraction of the night came in the form of Short Rib cooked in Pho Broth, yet plated alongside a mini scallion pancake and xiu mai wrapped in a spring roll wrapper, altogether garnished with herbs such as tiato. The short rib itself was perfectly cooked and enough to stand on its own, even though its cohesiveness with the pancake and dumpling was elusive.

Scallop Ceviche

The Szechuan Pork Dumpling came wrapped in pasta in lieu of the traditional, giving it a nice bite. The salmon roe deliciously brought out the pork flavors in the filling while the spicy black vinegar and tarragon were a great way to brighten up the plate.

What was really lovely was the Carrot Salad, complete with sunchokes, radishes, pickled turnips and dressed ever so lightly in black carrot syrup. A nice departure from your usual beet salad, it was an excellent introduction to the meal as a whole. Another favorite was the Scallop Ceviche, with strawberries, black truffle, citrus, and elderflower. It was beautifully delicate with just enough truffles to give it weight.

As uni pasta is really popular right now, I found the Cavatelli sauced with Uni Ragu and puddled with pea puree a pleasant dish that found a good balance between the rich and sweet, with poached mushrooms bringing the dish’s earthiness to the forefront.

Pork Shoulder, Bacon, Crosnes, Caramelized Onions, Feuille de Brick

I really enjoyed the little intermezzo bites in between a few of the courses, such as the Fairy Squid with cilantro flower and lime ponzu. The fried oyster in kimchi sauce was also a delicious gobble – something I could have used more of. Alas, there were plenty of other things to focus on.

I appreciated the citrus that Miles used to balance out his dishes – including the expertly cooked Octopus, Sour Apple Syrup, Cardamom Butterscotch Potato, Sorrel and Grapefruit (!) – another one of my absolute favorites. It’ll be interesting to see what he does when the weather warms up even more, so we get to see what he does with the season changes.

Visit Allumette for the adventure, and with others who also love to experiment – and don’t mind a slightly higher price point that adventure requires. There’s really interesting things going on, here, and it seems as though Chef Miles is only getting started.

All food and cocktails were hosted.

Polibo con Patate e Olive – Roasted Octopus with Potatoes, Taggiasche Olives, and Salsa Verde

There’s a trace amount of apprehension I try to temper when I find myself dining in oversized spaces. The fear stems from the likelihood of spending time and money dining in a space that is less likely to feel personalized – whether in terms of physical sense of space and/or the quality of service enjoyed during the meal.

Nidi di Rondine – Nested Pasta with Italian Ham and Parmigiano Cream

You’d think this wouldn’t bode well for RivaBella, IDG’s latest project on the western most end of The Sunset Strip, as it sprawls across an expansive 8,000 square feet. In hindsight of a pleasant night in their really beautiful space, though: Who, besides IDG, might have the resources to maximize the talents of Gino Angelini, the maestro of the long-reigning Los Angeles osteria?

On that patio, with perhaps the largest retractable roof in L.A, the layout was such that my table actually felt even a little bit intimate. The foliage, fireplace and differentiating space design (like a little faux wine cave) was tastefully done so as to let the ambiance flow freely while still affording a bit a privacy from party to party.

Parmigiana di melanzane – eggplant parmigiana

Two cocktails I tried were successfully spirit-forward and delicious, indicating a promising cocktail menu I’m curious to delve into even more – especially given their beautiful, marble and silver-detailed bar. For now: Order the white negroni, which is fittingly served in a martini glass as opposed to the rocks glass at Bestia (West Hollywood vs. Industrial District, what have you) – but it’s nearly just as fantastic.

That’s not to discount, though, that RivaBella, in all its Sunset Strip glory, is the scene to see and be seen. So know what you go for. With Angelini Osteria being the well-oiled machine that it is, Gino Angelini now spends all of his time here. While we’re all intimately familiar with the “small plates” concept here in Los Angeles and ultimately at RivaBella, the flavors outsized any expectation I had reserved for such scenes. So while it could be chalked up to the low bar I had set, the well executed dishes are to the credit of Chef Angelini.

Branzino alla Griglia con Salmoriglio Siciliano – Grilled Filet of Branzino, Sauteed Spinach, Sicilian Style Sauce

The octopus had that classic, charred flavor and texture while the salsa verde ladled over the top was beautifully bright; the nested pasta was the perfect portion to impart equal parts spicy meat and cream. And as a perfect metaphor for the restaurant, the Eggplant Parmigiana was deceptively small – even bordering on looking precious - but once you weave past the fried eggplant splices and cut into the delicate, cylindrically cut layers of pasta, the intense flavors and textures delight. Rustic Italian cooking fancified for Hollywood consumption – this is RivaBella.

The Branzino, however, was pretty much the star of the night. It was impossibly flaky with some intensely rich flavors  - all topped by a perfect, crispy and salty skin. The roasted tomatoes were a nice, sweet element to the dish and, together with the spinach, it just made for a beautifully executed trio.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t go over the desserts. They’re fancy like your fellow diners and they’re pretty much delicious. But the Tiramisu was especially boozy, so you’ll want to go with that.

Lobster Paella

As the Los Angeles “chill” continues, it’s only natural to crave the comforting foods in which we take refuge. Luckily, there’s Bar Pinxto, a tapas place that has reinvigorated the Spanish traditions behind the term that was once disgracefully applied to all “small plates.” The place has the most mom and pop feel of anywhere in the tourist hub of Santa Monica, and the reasonable price points, accommodating happy hour specials and prix fixe menu options clinch its status as a neighborhood favorite.

Salmon tartar, dill creme fraiche, wild paddlefish caviar

That the food is incredibly good may seem like an afterthought in a place like Santa Monica is the real tragedy, but that would be to underestimate its regulars, of which it has many. And you’ll forgive the bar at the front for being communal seating because of its inviting feel. Here, it only adds to home cooked feel of the place – but one of the many tables in the main part of the restaurant will also suffice should you want some privacy.

I prefer to eat my meal in view of a whole leg of jamón ibérico, however, and so the bar, it was. At an average of $29-35 for a 3-course prix fix meal, you might expect a deal, but to get the quality of food that my friend and I were served, it’s one of the best bangs for your Santa Monica buck. There was also no skimping on ingredients, as we started out with a deliciously salty Salmon Crudo, composed of tartar, dill creme fraiche and topped with paddlefish caviar. It went beautifully with Emanuel Tres’ 2011 Blanco from Santa Barbara, the minerality of which was a great balance to the fish. (Wine pairings cost an additional $15.)

Corvina Sea Bass rolled in potato with sage, orange-glazed turnips

The other-than-paella main event, a Corvina Sea Bass wrapped in extra-thinly sliced potatoes with sage and a side of orange-glazed turnips was such a masterpiece in flavor combinations while the fish itself was so perfectly cooked. Flaky to the fork yet its mildness enhanced with sage, it was one of the best fish dishes I’d had in recent memory. The orange glaze on the turnips were such a nice way to impart citrus indirectly, while the texture of the roasted turnips along with the thinly sliced potatoes in which the fish was rolled gave the overall dish some weight. It was beautiful, and it makes me wonder if the dish makes repeat appearances at the wine bar. I hope it does.

But I’d be lying if the main attraction weren’t the Lobster Paella. The fact is, it was heavenly – with incredible flavor in the rice, which was just that perfect consistency of gummy, far short of mushy. You could taste the freshness of the lobster that lay across the paella pan. Unfortunately, I can’t surmise as to when the next time lobster paella will be available, but the good news is that they do serve a different paella every day except Thursday, with Tuesday being on the patio ($9 per plate) after 6 PM. So the moral of the story is, know before you go.

Bread Pudding Cake with salted caramel and chocolate emulsion

They even did their bread pudding right, which made for the best sweet-salty nightcap. It came in the form of a just-dense-enough bread pudding cake topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate emulsion. And for the chef’s tasting menu, you’d best be visting Bar Pintxo for a similar, refined experience early on a Thursday through Saturday, as those days are when the tasting menus are available. (It’s only $29 on Thursday nights, apparently.)

They do also offer a 6 dishes for $6 happy hour, which is a great way to dip your toe in the water. Based on my experience, it’s worth it to just go all in, though, and commit to the meal. Wash your meal down with some excellent California and/or Spanish wines. Dabble a little with their full liquor capacity, which they’ve been experimenting with lately in the form of a Gin & Tonic bar. Think infused gins with cilantro, ginger, olives and the like.

While I’d be hesitant to harp on the often controversial factor of authenticity in a restaurant, it looks and tastes as if Chef David Plonowski is really creating a true, Spanish experience in the open kitchen of Bar Pintxo for his diners.

All food and wine were hosted.

The Little Truffle Maker: First Course in Saam’s Black Truffle Dinner

Starting tomorrow and every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening only for a limited time (until March 2nd), you can taste a 16-course black truffle dinner at SAAM for the ultimate, seasonal private dining experience at José Andres’ The Bazaar. The masterminds behind the dinner are Think Food Group’s research and development Chef Aitor Lozano, Executive Chef Joshua Whigham and Sous Chef Holly Jivin.

Amanda Gunderson

The kitchen is pretty hush-hush about the menu, but you can expect some of the 16 to include whimsical dishes like “Dark Egg” with carbonara, Black Truffle Penne with almond milk and Turbot with black pepper air and chicken perigueux sauce. The cocktail that kicks off your evening, however, provides some extra excitement as it’s the result of a competition amongst the bar staff, which the very talented Amanda Gunderson won. Her creation is called The Little Truffle Maker, and the cocktail is nothing short of delicious.

She tells me it took a lot of R&D – because while it’s indisputable that while black truffle is a magic ingredient, they’re also very expensive and potentially overwhelming. The Little Truffle Maker is made with Martin Miller’s gin infused with asian pears from the in-house patisserie, truffle juice reduction, french lemon juice and quince paste grenadine made with truffle chunks and thyme. Truffle salt is sprinkled on the cocktail and a strip of honey glazed bacon garnishes the top. Amanda advises that you smell and sip the cocktail before biting the bacon (as hard as it may be not to eat the garnish first), and alternate your sips and bites so that the bacon doesn’t overwhelm the cocktail. I tried my hardest to show restraint.

As you can guess, it’s quite the financial commitment, as truffles are, at $250 per guest. The wine pairing option runs an additional $100. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 310.246.5555.

Bon appetit!

Charcuterie Board

There was a post I did awhile ago on “Bars That Don’t Belong,” and the essence of that article was that the particular bars listed weren’t categorically all good or all bad – just that their ambiance and drink were divergent from those of the surrounding establishments. What that entails is a problem with the diffusion of foot traffic from nearby establishments.

Belgian endives poached in aromatic broth, vanilla bean sauce, toasted almonds

Located on Sunset Boulevard, Gorge is just a few doors down from The Whiskey. It goes without saying that The Sunset Strip is not a place you’d expect to find a French wine bar, much less one that makes all their sausages, terrine and pâtés in-house, as a proper French wine bar would. So I was surprised as anyone that at Gorge, not only is the food delicious, but the food-wine pairings are exceptional thanks to Master Sommelier Darius Allyn, who just so happens to also be the husband of head chef Elia Aboumrad. It’s quite a departure from where he came – that is, the Montage Beverly Hills – but the results of their efforts have captured all my admiration for doing so. While the food and atmosphere is comfortably no frills, it probably leans towards exotic in the perspective of your typical Sunset Boulevard patron.

The same of which could be said of Night + Market, not too far west of Gorge. And so the culinarily adventurous restaurants along The Sunset Strip continues. Thank goodness both examples are on the mark in their respective disciplines.

Beer Sausage, sauteed fingerling potatoes, Choucroute, German mustard

The Belgian Endives came poached in a delicious vanilla bean sauce and dressed with flower petals and toasted almonds – a pleasantly aromatic start and paired perfectly with a 2007 Becky Wasserman Chardonnay from Burgundy. But the Chicken Liver Parfait was literally some of the best I’ve had. It comes with a layer of clarified butter and paprika on top, which was a nice touch. I enjoyed the consistency and fully developed flavor – this is one of those must-order starters, or you didn’t really visit Gorge.

Though the same, I guess, could be said about their Charcuterie Board – the cuts of which, like everything else, are made in-house. There was good variety but each cut was seasoned and cured just perfectly. Both the parfait and charcuterie were paired with 2010 Domaine Roland Schmitt Pinot Gris from the Alsace region of France – a dry white with a good amount of acidity and perfect for holding up to the flavors of the meat.

Pheasant Terrine – Wild pheasant, Black truffles, Pecans, Potato puree

The Beer Sausage was also exceptional – juicy, tender and delicious – and paired so well with 3 Monts, a spicy if even fruity golden ale that really brought out the flavors of the sausage. And what an extra special treat the Pheasant Pâté was. Made with wild pheasant, black truffles and pecans, the two slices of pheasant pie were the most texturally interesting of the bunch. There were just a few black truffles, understandably, sprinkled throughout but it gave just the right amount of weight to the pâté. The pecans added a tiny crunch. So delicious, but like most items on the menu, will fill you up fast with their rich flavor.

Gorge, in my mind, is one of those rarities. The food and drink are top-notch, so much so that there’s nothing preventing it from becoming a destination. When you have Joël Robuchon, Guy Savoy and The Montage in the collective resume, these account for all the bragging rights experience a new restaurant needs. The best part of it, though, is that all this comes without the pretension, including an affordable price range on top of the great attitude by all partners involved.

Pumpkin St. Honoré – Pumpkin custard, Vanilla choux, Vanilla chantilly

Just take a look at Uyen Nguyen’s fantastic St. Honoré cakes, originally named for the French patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs. They’re not only delicious, with just the right amount of cream and sugar, but texturally complex, chock full of flavor (5 in all) and really, a pastry lover’s dream. Don’t skip over it. You’ll probably eat the macaron mounted on the cake first, for effect. (I’ve also a couple more missions to complete at Gorge: The cheese selection and brunch. Report back if you’ve tried.)

While enjoying our dinner, two rockers walked in to look at the menu, each step punctuated by the jangling of chains on their motorcycle boots and leather jackets, only to leave after a courteous “Thanks, man.” I so want Gorge to thrive, but in order to do so, it must attract patrons from off The Strip. But on the other hand, if more headbangers get into head cheese, the more power to them. It’s an ambitious task to bring these palates together, and we’ll see if Los Angeles – or more specifically, West Hollywood – is ready for it. So long as Gorge remains in business, I’m all horns up.

All food and drink were hosted.

Cavatelli alla Norcina

(What qualifies as) The Los Angeles chill and corresponding grey skies have gotten me into a pasta mood. You may call them carbs with requisite detachment, but I have nothing but reverence for such sustenance. Fresh, handmade pasta is the stuff of comfort: It’s the thick, wool scarf on a windy day. It’s the down fill in your duvet.

So as I sat down at the bar at Bestia for a taste of the menu – a one-top during one of my reclusive holiday moods – I realized immediately that I’d have to come back. There were just too many things on the menu that sounded too good to pass up. But thanks to bartender Karen Grill, who was working that night, I had the inside on the menu highlights…of which there were many. So of course, the hard part was picking just one.

You guessed it – I went with pasta. Specifically, the Cavatelli alla Norcina, which is made with ricotta dumplings and peppered with crumbled house pork sausage. Shreds of black truffles speckled the grana padano sauce – the last of which would’ve been way more efficient to lick straight off the plate than the 30 swishes I made across it with my fork. The housemade pork sausage was bright as the pasta was perfectly al dente. The truffles and grana padano made for a savory, umami-packed flavors against the canvas of tightly wound pasta. After all, black truffles are so seasonal.

Sidebar: Somehow, I tend to favor these shapes in colder temps – cavatelli, fusilli, gnocchi, gigli (this is where the list ends because of my very limited pasta vocabulary). It’s like a metaphor for my subconscious, a recoiling from the pleasantly lower temps. …Not that I’d kick a noodle dish off the table.

When I return to Bestia, it’s going to be very hard not to order the cavatelli, again.

P.S. – I may be cheating here, but I must stress that you cannot skip dessert. If possible, order the Huckleberry Semifreddo, which comes with a brown sugar meringue and steeped in a Meyer lemon cream. Textures, tangy taste combinations and the like. And now, you’ve had the yin and yang of the superstar chef-pastry chef marriage that is Ori and Genevieve. You’re welcome.

Handcut Chitarra Pasta, fennel sausage, garden thyme, black preserved truffle, parmesan reggiano foam, cauliflower ash

It’d be a glaring omission to recall best Los Angeles meals of 2012 on Eater LA and not give my mentions a proper write-up, and so here is an account of my experience at the bespoke Salon at Heirloom LA.

I say bespoke because the act of stumbling into Heirloom was shockingly not via their famously flavor-packed, personal sized lasagna cupcakes found at farmer’s markets around town, but instead by luck of an invitation to a private dinner showcasing Bridlewood Wines in that said tasting room. Fortunately, they’ll be opening it up to the public a few days during the week, and I imagine the Eagle Rock community will meet that unveiling with elation. So bring on 2013, then.

Lamb Loin

A winemaker party beginning with an impressive cheese selection is one that begins right, as was the case (Point Reyes Bleu, you complete me). But follow that up with Winter Gourd Soup with a mishmash of crab, crab apples from their own backyard, fried rosemary and shaved sea salt – paired with their 2010 Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County, and the rainy day meal is masterfully underway.

Next was incredibly flavorful Handcut Chitarra Pasta peppered with crumbled fennel sausage, garden thyme, black preserved truffle and parmesan reggiano over a smear of cauliflower ash (who said there weren’t any vegetables in this dinner?). I loved how the bite of the preserved truffle went so well with the fresh made, al dente pasta, complementing both texture and taste. Paired with Bridlewood’s signature Blend 175, the pasta dish was a home run. If their notoriety for lasagna cupcakes weren’t already indicative, Heirloom surely excels when it comes to pasta.

Or so I thought. The ultra tender Smoked Lamb Loin had this intense yet balanced flavor – it was heavenly. The delicious bean ragout rounded out its smoke with French tarragon and the blackberry demi-glaze added just the right amount of sweetness. It was the best lamb dish of the year paired with Bridlewood’s 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon – a full wine to hold its own against the bold flavors of the food.

Chef Matthew Poley

The last course was, of course, the sweets to top it all off. Here, we had Chocolate Ganache Cake with salted caramel, cocoa nibs and whipped cream. It was dense and it was rich; it oozed and delighted.

So you can mark down Heirloom LA’s Salon public opening as one of the things to watch for this year. Until then, order a batch of their lasagna cupcakes by chefs Matthew Poley and Tara Maxey. They’re not cheap but with all the varieties and flavor packed in each one, they’re worth it – especially for special occasions. Or go to Silver Lake Wine for a Monday wine tasting, at which the Heirloom LA food truck is usually parked outside.

And I’ll be bookmarking Bridlewood Winery’s tasting room as a stop on my next trip to Santa Barbara. No matter how clichéd pop-ups have become, there are some quality ones that will surprise you. Thankfully in this case, the cream rises to the top. 

See you in Silver Lake, Eagle Rock and beyond!