Scarpetta (Beverly Hills, CA)
Scarpetta
225 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.860.7970
www.scottconant.com/restaurants/scarpetta/beverly-hills
Mon 10/25/2010, 06:30p-11:20p
It's about time that the dining options at Montage Beverly Hills got some respect. The hotel opened with the modern American eatery Parq, as well as its bigger brother Muse, a "premium" dining room of sorts. Both spaces were helmed by Executive Chef John Cuevas. Unfortunately, Parq was a forgettable restaurant that never really established itself in the community, while Muse managed to be even more obscure, lacking its own Yelp entry, even. Montage management have learned a lesson from their past peccadilloes though, as evinced in the recruiting of Scott Conant to aid in the replacement of the ill-fated Parq. Conant is perhaps best known for his work at Manhattan mainstay Alto, but now spends his time tending to his mini-constellation of Scarpetta ("little shoe") restaurants scattered across the country. This latest iteration in Beverly Hills aims to bring Conant's signature style of seasonal, Southern-shaped Italian to the denizens of the LA basin.
A brief biography: Conant was born in Waterbury, Connecticut to an Italian-American family (from his mother's side) and showed an early aptitude in the kitchen. At the tender age of 11, he took cooking classes at a local community college, and four years later, enrolled in a trade school for the culinary arts. Conant eventually made his way to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, and during his tenure here, staged at the famed Italian eatery San Domenico in New York. After graduation, he traveled to Munich, honing his pastry skills at Hotel Bayerischer Hof. The Chef then returned home to the Big Apple to take up a Sous Chef post at San Domenico. Then, in 1995, Cesare Casella chose Conant to head up his Tuscan restaurant Il Toscanaccio in NYC's Upper East Side. 1996 saw Conant move to an Executive Chef role at Barolo, and two years later, he transitioned to Chianti, also as an Exec Chef. From here, the Chef moved to City Eatery in 2000, where he achieved a two-star review from the Times.
The gig lasted until 2001, when Conant was tapped by restaurateur Chris Cannon to open up L'Impero in Tudor City. The Chef traveled extensively to Italy in preparation for the restaurant's grand opening in September 2002. L'Impero was a smashing success, garnering a glowing three-star review from the NYT and winning Best New Restaurant from James Beard in 2003. The following year, Conant was named one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs, and also launched Bar Tonno, a 24-seat temple of crudo that quickly (2 months) failed and folded. Building upon the success enjoyed by L'Impero, Conant then debuted the Northern Italian eatery Alto in 2005, also in conjunction with Cannon. Everything was moving along swimmingly until 2007, when Conant underwent a bitter breakup with his partner, resulting in the Chef dissolving his interests in both Alto (now helmed by Marea chef Michael White) and L'Impero (shuttered, but reincarnated as Convivio, also under White).
After the split, he consulted at Tutto Il Giorno in Sag Harbor, and also got married to New York Dog co-owner Meltem Bozkurt in Turkey. Conant returned with a vengeance in 2008, launching his new concept Scarpetta in May that year to considerable praise, including three-star reviews from both the New York Times and New York Magazine and a nomination from James Beard for Best New Restaurant. In November 2008, he opened his second Scarpetta outpost in Miami at the Fontainebleau resort, and in June 2010, launched Scarpetta at the Thompson Toronto. Conant also introduced Faustina, a more casual Italian eatery, at NYC's Cooper Square Hotel the same year. Following his work here in Beverly Hills, the Chef will be opening Scarpetta at the new Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas in December, along with an accompanying wine bar called D.O.C.G. Enoteca.
Penned by Studio Gaia, the space seems like a tastefully reimagined version of Parq's. Inspired by "Old Hollywood," Scarpetta is comprised of three distinct areas--main dining room, bar, and courtyard--as well as a 12-seater Chef's Table, replete with views of the kitchen and the adjacent Beverly Canon Gardens. As we can see above, though, the best seats in the house are the five situated in the back of the kitchen. We're talking dinner and a show, and who knows, you might even spy Chef Conant personally preparing your spaghetti...
Above, we see the opening night menu, replete with plenty of seasonal flourishes. Though certainly influenced by the carte at Scarpetta NY, the selection of dishes here has been tweaked to better suit the restaurant's new environs. Of course, you'll find Conant's signature spaghetti and his creamy polenta, but no sign of the capretto (goat) though. We, however, opted to let the Chef do as he wished, the result of which was a 12-course, truffle-filled menu priced at $250, plus $110 for wine (so nearly $500pp all-in). Click for larger versions.
The wines by the glass and cocktail lists. If you're feeling more adventurous with your vino, Sommelier Mark Hefter also has an international list of 700 or so bottles to peruse. Click for larger versions.
Starting the evening with a cocktail just seems so de rigeur for me these days, so I quickly requested Scarpetta's cocktail list and ordered up a Torino [$16], made with Grey Goose citrus, strawberry, and rock candy syrup. It was a immensely quaffable, citrusy, sweet summery drink, reminiscent of orange soda! The Apollonia [$16], meanwhile, was a delicious mix of Fragoli strawberry liqueur and prosecco, a crisp, refreshing concoction with a great interplay of sweet and bitter flavors.
Serving as sort of an amuse bouche was a bowl of olives all'Ascolana, which are basically fried olives stuffed with beef, pork, and veal. They were fantastic--showing off an almost Indian samosa-like taste initially--with a great interplay of savory and herbaceous flavors.
Scarpetta is known for its bread basket, and it was no disappointment tonight. An array of breads were provided, but the table favorite was clearly the amazing meat- and cheese-filled stromboli. Accompaniments included eggplant caponata, mascarpone butter, and citrus-infused olive oil.
1a: RAW YELLOWTAIL | olio de zenzero & pickled red onion
A bit of crudo to start. The hamachi's soft, clean flavors went beautifully with the tang of the olio de zenzero (ginger oil) and red onion, while a pinch of Hawaiian sea salt gave the bite a salty, lingering finish.
1b: TUNA "SUSCI" | marinated vegetables & black truffles
Tuna was even better. I loved the interplay between the delicate fish and the intense earthiness of the truffles, all over a base of light, bright veggies. Quite nice.
2: PUREE OF PUMPKIN SOUP | black truffles, farro, almonds, spiced croutons & pumpkin oil
I'm no fan of pumpkin, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found that I enjoyed this soup. The pumpkin wasn't overly saccharine, which was what I was afraid of. Instead, it lent a subtle, but present undertone to the dish, which was deftly countered by the strong flavors of the black truffle. A dish very apropos for fall, with great textures, too.
3: AUTUMN VEGETABLE SALAD | black trumpet mushrooms, hazelnuts & foie gras emulsion
Composed of parsnip, acorn squash, butternut squash, pumpkin, carrot, and black trumpet mushroom, this was perhaps Conant's interpretation of the famed gargouillou dish. I appreciated how each element was apparent, different, yet all tied together so perfectly by the weight of the foie gras emulsion. The liver just lent a great depth of flavor to the course that elevated the impact of each and every vegetable.
Our next cocktail was the Cinque Terre [$16], comprised of limoncello, apertivo, fresh sour, and clover honey. This one was keenly sour at first, but with a saccharine, viscous, honeyed body tinged by just a hint of astringency.
Keep on shaving.
4: ROASTED SEA SCALLOP | black truffles, caramelized sunchokes & porcini mushrooms
Margarita (tequila, agave nectar, Pimm's No. 1 Cup, lime, egg white)
Scallop came expertly cooked, gently charred, but still somewhat creamy on the inside. The intense aroma of the truffle was a classic, but thoroughly effective pair with bivalve, but the added textural component of the porcinis and subtly sweet sunchokes took the dish to an even higher level.
5: CREAMY POLENTA | white truffles, fricassee of truffled mushrooms
Margarita (tequila, agave nectar, Pimm's No. 1 Cup, lime, egg white)
The polenta was clearly among the best that I've ever had; certainly, it was the most luxurious. Lusciously smooth, creamy, and almost decadent, the polenta was perfectly matched by the earthiness of the mushrooms, while the white truffle lent an overarching pungency to the entire dish. Heavy, hearty, and delectable. The margarita did a nice job in cutting some of the dish's weight with its tangy, spicy, acerbic flavors.
6: SPAGHETTI | tomato & basil
Brunello di Montalcino, Solaria, tuscany 2000
The moment that we've all been waiting for--Conant's famed signature spaghetti, prepared right before our eyes by the Chef himself. I fully expected the pasta to the perfect, and it was. The interaction between the tomato and basil is reminiscent of pizza margherita, a simple, yet undeniably satisfying combination. Faultless texture on the noodles as well, and easily the best spaghetti that I've ever tasted. The wine was also quite enjoyable, with the slight tomato leaf character on the Brunello's finish linking up nicely with the pasta.
7: BRAISED SHORT RIB GNOCCHI | chestnuts
Arvino, Statti, calabria 2007
An off-menu item, here we had short rib- and chestnut-stuffed gnocchi made with a chestnut-potato dough, topped with a beef glaze. The nuttiness really tempered the potency of the beef, giving the pasta a slight sweetness. I'm not particularly fond of chestnuts, but certainly didn't mind this dish.
Conant plating the duck.
8: ROASTED DUCK BREAST | heirloom parsnips, raisin mostarda & lentils
Barolo, Fontanafredda, piedmont 2005
I loved the taste of the duck here--smoky, savory, and just full of succulent sapor. The interaction with the earthy, tempering lentils was absolutely key, and I also appreciated the inclusion of carrot, in both pickled and roasted form. My only quibble was that the duck could've been a touch more tender.
9: AGED SIRLOIN OF BEEF | white truffles, roasted baby potatoes, porcini mushrooms & barolo reduction
Bibi Graetz, Testamatta, tuscany 2003
Our final savory was a lovely 21-day dry aged sirloin, served here with porcinis, fingerlings, chanterelles, Parmesan, and of course, loads of white truffle. Suitably tender and nicely moist, the meat showed off a great beefiness, which naturally played superbly with mushrooms and potato, not to mention the tartufo. The wine, meanwhile, was arguably my favorite of the night, with a hefty, heavy body and marked dark berry flavors.
10: FORMAGGI
Madeira, Blandy Alvada 5 Years Old
Our quartet of cheese included a 2-year Parmigiano-Reggiano with aged balsamic (showing off a funky essence of Parm that played beautifully with the balsamic), La Tur with pineapple chutney (from Piedmont, light/tangy and made with all three types of milk), Caveman Blue with stewed cherries (a prototypical bleu from Rogue Creamery in Oregon), and Pecorino Fresco with apple mostarda (a Tuscan cheese with a fantastic mouthfeel). In addition, the cheeses were served with savory, fennel and rosemary biscotti that really helped cut their weight. A very nice presentation of formaggi, especially when taken in concert with the Boal-Malmsey Madeira.
11a: RUM SOAKED CAKE | rum roasted pineapple
Elio Perrone Bigaro
In our first dessert, I adored the interaction between the sweet, charred bits of fruit and the sheer booziness of the rum, all moderated by the layers of cake--nice. The wine, meanwhile, was an effervescent rosé, an unabashedly sweet, summertime wine that one of my dining companions described as an "adult Shirley Temple!"
11b: VANILLA FLAN | marsala soaked berries
Elio Perrone Bigaro
Here, the light flavors of vanilla were gorgeously complemented by the weight of the caramel, while the fruit provided some offsetting tartness.
12: AMARETTO FLAN | spiced roasted pumpkin & marsala zabaglione gelato
Elio Perrone Bigaro
I loved how the initial sweetness of the flan gave way to the slight boozy, almond tinged flavor of the amaretto, while the marsala-imbued sabayon served as a stellar counterpoint. Just a great interplay of flavors.
To be sure, this was an expensive dinner, but I don't hesitate in deeming this my top Italian meal to date. The food was lusty yet refined, articulate yet earthy, a robust interpretation of modern Italian cuisine that I could find little fault with. Based off the strength of this opening night dinner, it's obvious that Scarpetta is a welcomed entrant to the City's burgeoning cuisine scene, and undeniably raises the bar for Italian dining here in the Southland.
225 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.860.7970
www.scottconant.com/restaurants/scarpetta/beverly-hills
Mon 10/25/2010, 06:30p-11:20p
It's about time that the dining options at Montage Beverly Hills got some respect. The hotel opened with the modern American eatery Parq, as well as its bigger brother Muse, a "premium" dining room of sorts. Both spaces were helmed by Executive Chef John Cuevas. Unfortunately, Parq was a forgettable restaurant that never really established itself in the community, while Muse managed to be even more obscure, lacking its own Yelp entry, even. Montage management have learned a lesson from their past peccadilloes though, as evinced in the recruiting of Scott Conant to aid in the replacement of the ill-fated Parq. Conant is perhaps best known for his work at Manhattan mainstay Alto, but now spends his time tending to his mini-constellation of Scarpetta ("little shoe") restaurants scattered across the country. This latest iteration in Beverly Hills aims to bring Conant's signature style of seasonal, Southern-shaped Italian to the denizens of the LA basin.
A brief biography: Conant was born in Waterbury, Connecticut to an Italian-American family (from his mother's side) and showed an early aptitude in the kitchen. At the tender age of 11, he took cooking classes at a local community college, and four years later, enrolled in a trade school for the culinary arts. Conant eventually made his way to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, and during his tenure here, staged at the famed Italian eatery San Domenico in New York. After graduation, he traveled to Munich, honing his pastry skills at Hotel Bayerischer Hof. The Chef then returned home to the Big Apple to take up a Sous Chef post at San Domenico. Then, in 1995, Cesare Casella chose Conant to head up his Tuscan restaurant Il Toscanaccio in NYC's Upper East Side. 1996 saw Conant move to an Executive Chef role at Barolo, and two years later, he transitioned to Chianti, also as an Exec Chef. From here, the Chef moved to City Eatery in 2000, where he achieved a two-star review from the Times.
The gig lasted until 2001, when Conant was tapped by restaurateur Chris Cannon to open up L'Impero in Tudor City. The Chef traveled extensively to Italy in preparation for the restaurant's grand opening in September 2002. L'Impero was a smashing success, garnering a glowing three-star review from the NYT and winning Best New Restaurant from James Beard in 2003. The following year, Conant was named one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs, and also launched Bar Tonno, a 24-seat temple of crudo that quickly (2 months) failed and folded. Building upon the success enjoyed by L'Impero, Conant then debuted the Northern Italian eatery Alto in 2005, also in conjunction with Cannon. Everything was moving along swimmingly until 2007, when Conant underwent a bitter breakup with his partner, resulting in the Chef dissolving his interests in both Alto (now helmed by Marea chef Michael White) and L'Impero (shuttered, but reincarnated as Convivio, also under White).
After the split, he consulted at Tutto Il Giorno in Sag Harbor, and also got married to New York Dog co-owner Meltem Bozkurt in Turkey. Conant returned with a vengeance in 2008, launching his new concept Scarpetta in May that year to considerable praise, including three-star reviews from both the New York Times and New York Magazine and a nomination from James Beard for Best New Restaurant. In November 2008, he opened his second Scarpetta outpost in Miami at the Fontainebleau resort, and in June 2010, launched Scarpetta at the Thompson Toronto. Conant also introduced Faustina, a more casual Italian eatery, at NYC's Cooper Square Hotel the same year. Following his work here in Beverly Hills, the Chef will be opening Scarpetta at the new Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas in December, along with an accompanying wine bar called D.O.C.G. Enoteca.
Penned by Studio Gaia, the space seems like a tastefully reimagined version of Parq's. Inspired by "Old Hollywood," Scarpetta is comprised of three distinct areas--main dining room, bar, and courtyard--as well as a 12-seater Chef's Table, replete with views of the kitchen and the adjacent Beverly Canon Gardens. As we can see above, though, the best seats in the house are the five situated in the back of the kitchen. We're talking dinner and a show, and who knows, you might even spy Chef Conant personally preparing your spaghetti...
Above, we see the opening night menu, replete with plenty of seasonal flourishes. Though certainly influenced by the carte at Scarpetta NY, the selection of dishes here has been tweaked to better suit the restaurant's new environs. Of course, you'll find Conant's signature spaghetti and his creamy polenta, but no sign of the capretto (goat) though. We, however, opted to let the Chef do as he wished, the result of which was a 12-course, truffle-filled menu priced at $250, plus $110 for wine (so nearly $500pp all-in). Click for larger versions.
The wines by the glass and cocktail lists. If you're feeling more adventurous with your vino, Sommelier Mark Hefter also has an international list of 700 or so bottles to peruse. Click for larger versions.
Starting the evening with a cocktail just seems so de rigeur for me these days, so I quickly requested Scarpetta's cocktail list and ordered up a Torino [$16], made with Grey Goose citrus, strawberry, and rock candy syrup. It was a immensely quaffable, citrusy, sweet summery drink, reminiscent of orange soda! The Apollonia [$16], meanwhile, was a delicious mix of Fragoli strawberry liqueur and prosecco, a crisp, refreshing concoction with a great interplay of sweet and bitter flavors.
Serving as sort of an amuse bouche was a bowl of olives all'Ascolana, which are basically fried olives stuffed with beef, pork, and veal. They were fantastic--showing off an almost Indian samosa-like taste initially--with a great interplay of savory and herbaceous flavors.
Scarpetta is known for its bread basket, and it was no disappointment tonight. An array of breads were provided, but the table favorite was clearly the amazing meat- and cheese-filled stromboli. Accompaniments included eggplant caponata, mascarpone butter, and citrus-infused olive oil.
1a: RAW YELLOWTAIL | olio de zenzero & pickled red onion
A bit of crudo to start. The hamachi's soft, clean flavors went beautifully with the tang of the olio de zenzero (ginger oil) and red onion, while a pinch of Hawaiian sea salt gave the bite a salty, lingering finish.
1b: TUNA "SUSCI" | marinated vegetables & black truffles
Tuna was even better. I loved the interplay between the delicate fish and the intense earthiness of the truffles, all over a base of light, bright veggies. Quite nice.
2: PUREE OF PUMPKIN SOUP | black truffles, farro, almonds, spiced croutons & pumpkin oil
I'm no fan of pumpkin, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found that I enjoyed this soup. The pumpkin wasn't overly saccharine, which was what I was afraid of. Instead, it lent a subtle, but present undertone to the dish, which was deftly countered by the strong flavors of the black truffle. A dish very apropos for fall, with great textures, too.
3: AUTUMN VEGETABLE SALAD | black trumpet mushrooms, hazelnuts & foie gras emulsion
Composed of parsnip, acorn squash, butternut squash, pumpkin, carrot, and black trumpet mushroom, this was perhaps Conant's interpretation of the famed gargouillou dish. I appreciated how each element was apparent, different, yet all tied together so perfectly by the weight of the foie gras emulsion. The liver just lent a great depth of flavor to the course that elevated the impact of each and every vegetable.
Our next cocktail was the Cinque Terre [$16], comprised of limoncello, apertivo, fresh sour, and clover honey. This one was keenly sour at first, but with a saccharine, viscous, honeyed body tinged by just a hint of astringency.
Keep on shaving.
4: ROASTED SEA SCALLOP | black truffles, caramelized sunchokes & porcini mushrooms
Margarita (tequila, agave nectar, Pimm's No. 1 Cup, lime, egg white)
Scallop came expertly cooked, gently charred, but still somewhat creamy on the inside. The intense aroma of the truffle was a classic, but thoroughly effective pair with bivalve, but the added textural component of the porcinis and subtly sweet sunchokes took the dish to an even higher level.
5: CREAMY POLENTA | white truffles, fricassee of truffled mushrooms
Margarita (tequila, agave nectar, Pimm's No. 1 Cup, lime, egg white)
The polenta was clearly among the best that I've ever had; certainly, it was the most luxurious. Lusciously smooth, creamy, and almost decadent, the polenta was perfectly matched by the earthiness of the mushrooms, while the white truffle lent an overarching pungency to the entire dish. Heavy, hearty, and delectable. The margarita did a nice job in cutting some of the dish's weight with its tangy, spicy, acerbic flavors.
6: SPAGHETTI | tomato & basil
Brunello di Montalcino, Solaria, tuscany 2000
The moment that we've all been waiting for--Conant's famed signature spaghetti, prepared right before our eyes by the Chef himself. I fully expected the pasta to the perfect, and it was. The interaction between the tomato and basil is reminiscent of pizza margherita, a simple, yet undeniably satisfying combination. Faultless texture on the noodles as well, and easily the best spaghetti that I've ever tasted. The wine was also quite enjoyable, with the slight tomato leaf character on the Brunello's finish linking up nicely with the pasta.
7: BRAISED SHORT RIB GNOCCHI | chestnuts
Arvino, Statti, calabria 2007
An off-menu item, here we had short rib- and chestnut-stuffed gnocchi made with a chestnut-potato dough, topped with a beef glaze. The nuttiness really tempered the potency of the beef, giving the pasta a slight sweetness. I'm not particularly fond of chestnuts, but certainly didn't mind this dish.
Conant plating the duck.
8: ROASTED DUCK BREAST | heirloom parsnips, raisin mostarda & lentils
Barolo, Fontanafredda, piedmont 2005
I loved the taste of the duck here--smoky, savory, and just full of succulent sapor. The interaction with the earthy, tempering lentils was absolutely key, and I also appreciated the inclusion of carrot, in both pickled and roasted form. My only quibble was that the duck could've been a touch more tender.
9: AGED SIRLOIN OF BEEF | white truffles, roasted baby potatoes, porcini mushrooms & barolo reduction
Bibi Graetz, Testamatta, tuscany 2003
Our final savory was a lovely 21-day dry aged sirloin, served here with porcinis, fingerlings, chanterelles, Parmesan, and of course, loads of white truffle. Suitably tender and nicely moist, the meat showed off a great beefiness, which naturally played superbly with mushrooms and potato, not to mention the tartufo. The wine, meanwhile, was arguably my favorite of the night, with a hefty, heavy body and marked dark berry flavors.
10: FORMAGGI
Madeira, Blandy Alvada 5 Years Old
Our quartet of cheese included a 2-year Parmigiano-Reggiano with aged balsamic (showing off a funky essence of Parm that played beautifully with the balsamic), La Tur with pineapple chutney (from Piedmont, light/tangy and made with all three types of milk), Caveman Blue with stewed cherries (a prototypical bleu from Rogue Creamery in Oregon), and Pecorino Fresco with apple mostarda (a Tuscan cheese with a fantastic mouthfeel). In addition, the cheeses were served with savory, fennel and rosemary biscotti that really helped cut their weight. A very nice presentation of formaggi, especially when taken in concert with the Boal-Malmsey Madeira.
11a: RUM SOAKED CAKE | rum roasted pineapple
Elio Perrone Bigaro
In our first dessert, I adored the interaction between the sweet, charred bits of fruit and the sheer booziness of the rum, all moderated by the layers of cake--nice. The wine, meanwhile, was an effervescent rosé, an unabashedly sweet, summertime wine that one of my dining companions described as an "adult Shirley Temple!"
11b: VANILLA FLAN | marsala soaked berries
Elio Perrone Bigaro
Here, the light flavors of vanilla were gorgeously complemented by the weight of the caramel, while the fruit provided some offsetting tartness.
12: AMARETTO FLAN | spiced roasted pumpkin & marsala zabaglione gelato
Elio Perrone Bigaro
I loved how the initial sweetness of the flan gave way to the slight boozy, almond tinged flavor of the amaretto, while the marsala-imbued sabayon served as a stellar counterpoint. Just a great interplay of flavors.
To be sure, this was an expensive dinner, but I don't hesitate in deeming this my top Italian meal to date. The food was lusty yet refined, articulate yet earthy, a robust interpretation of modern Italian cuisine that I could find little fault with. Based off the strength of this opening night dinner, it's obvious that Scarpetta is a welcomed entrant to the City's burgeoning cuisine scene, and undeniably raises the bar for Italian dining here in the Southland.
posted by kevinEats at
6:30 PM
35 Comments:
Nice review. Did you feel you had too much white truffles?
Don't worry -- you didn't miss much with the goat. I've had several great meals at Scarpetta in New York, but the goat was the most underwhelming dish in my opinion. Basically tasted like an elevated General Tso's Chicken (or whatever they call the General in you region) -- and was not a whole lot better frankly. Other than that, and a not exactly friendly markups on the wine, the Manhattan Scarpetta is great too.
Also -- minor note. L'Impero is shuttered-ish. Chris Cannon and Michael White did a bit of a makeover and renamed it Convivio.
not a bad price for 2 white truffle courses + 10 other courses. White truffles are running pricey this season, I'm seeing most places doing $70+ a plate.
Melisse is doing their 7 course for $380. We're going to do Drago's white truffle tasting on Friday, hopefully it's only $250 for 12 courses :D
Deciding between going to Ludobites 6.0 or Scarpetta. What would you recommend. Mind you I won't be able to splurge on the white truffles.
Anon: Not too much. In each case, the truffles, fortunately, didn't completely dominate the course. The beef was still a beef dish, the scallop still a scallop. The truffles just added that extra hint of earthiness to things.
mdp: Thanks for that bit of info about Convivio--I've since noted that in the post. You're making me feel better about not having the goat though. And yes, it's the General here, too.
Charlie: Initially, I was taken aback by the cost, but after I thought about it, it did make sense given the plethora of truffles presented (especially since it was $90 just to add white truffles to a pasta dish). Let us know how Drago turns out.
Anon: Since LudoBites is only going to be here for a while, I say knock it out first, then come back here. Don't wait too long though, as Chef Conant isn't going to be sticking around in LA forever.
Yum, the yellowtail & tuna look delicious.
Kevin,
Wonderful food picures and write-up for Scarpetta, the food looks luscious!
Would you like to try our wonderful hand made Hawaiian sea salt from Molokai Hawaii? Great with truffles! www.hawaiikaico.com
Gawd I sure missed out! All looks fabulous. Did you actually sit at the bar? Or were your pictures just centered around it? Trying to make a res this week -- hope Conant will still be in the kitchen.
-holly
Nice write up man, an epic meal indeed! What happened to the name shout outs of your fellow diners?? You don't do that anymore, or were you too tired to remember?? haha.. I could tell you were getting more tired towards the end of your post because your descriptions got shorter and shorter. I think you covered everything pretty well though. Looking back, the meal was certainly near perfect, if not totally flawless, but I do wish we had one more dish with some tomato's in it, or a red sauce. I suppose though, he wouldn't want anything overshadowing the spaghetti. I am still full, but you better believe I would have no problem putting down a big plate of that luscious pasta if you put it in front of me right now... Until next time...
That really does look like some great stuff, Kevin. Not sure I'd hit the truffle tasting but definitely a must-try while Scott Conant is still at the helm in LA. I'm sure not for very long at all.
Jennifer: They were. ;)
Anon: Are you implying that the Hawaiin sea salt used here was yours?
Holly: Yes, we actually sat the bar--best seat in the house definitely. Not too loud or too hot, either.
Collier: Not enough notable people at dinner (aside from our party) to warrant a named list I suppose. Actually, if we were going for one more pasta dish, I'd want the scialatielli--sounds interesting.
Linden: He mentioned that he'd be around a few weeks. The Chef is actually staying at one of his properties in Santa Monica.
When using a fresh black truffle when cooking, the truffle should only be washed right before cooking. The black truffle is usually added to the hot food just a moment before serving. You should never use the black truffle when cooking the food or all of the taste / aroma will have disappeared by the time you serve the food.
This place looks great! I've already made reservations for the opening in las Vegas. I'm really looking forward to it.. Will be in Vegas in a few weeks to dine and meet with robuchon. He will be in town 14-21 of November I know you hsve been wanting to meet him.
kevin, what kind of camera did you use for the panarama shots? They came out very nice. Love your blog.
my mouth is drooling all the way from israel. i don't even live in los angeles and i still visit your site religiously. you have by far one of the greatest blogs i've ever seen. i wish they would open a scarpetta here!
I'm a little confused about the price...using the menu as a guide, you could have ordered the 9 dishes for under $200 and split them...desert/cheese maybe another $40...wine/liquor maybe $150...we are at $400...it looks like, from the photos, that you got maybe a single serving's worth of truffles pp...for $200 supplement...that's $600 total...why the premium?
Ooooh, the spaghetti, the rum soaked cake and the vanilla flan sound right up my alley!
I like moscato, so the effevescent sweet rose wine sounds like something I should try as well, broaden my horizons a bit:)
Happy upcoming Halloween to you, Kevin!
Stevan: Yes.
Bobby: Thanks for the heads up on M. Robuchon. How do you keep such close tabs on his whereabouts?
Anon: I use my standard Sony a500 DSLR with a Sigma 28mm f1.8 macro lens, then stitch them together in post processing.
Melody: I appreciate the kind words. Conant has indicated that he won't be doing any more Scarpettas in the US, with the possible exception of DC. However, he did not rule out international expansion.
Anon: If we had ordered one of each of the items and split them four ways, the portions would've been much, much smaller. The tasting menu portions were, in many cases, as large as a single, regular order. As for the truffles, I'd say that we each received at least a single serving of both black and white.
Annie: When are you going to make it out here? The rosé definitely falls in the category of sweet and effervescent.
As always, I appreciate your timeliness. I was curious if you would going to Scarpetta. Forget Club 33, where's our invite to Scarpetta. We are actually going this Saturday with seating at the counter as you did.
Any advice, my understanding is you get to meet Scott and request what you want to eat. $200 base for food pp. We'll probably request heavier on pastas.
To further answer the earlier question. You are also paying a premium to have the chef cook your food two feet from you.
Kevin: I am going to be in town this Saturday.
If you don't already have plans, do you want to try Il Grano on 13359 Santa Monica Blvd?
Gayot gave it a 17 out of 20 recently.
baller!
@Kevin
Mr. Robuchon has his GM of either L'atelier or JR let us know when he will be in town.. We have known him for about 3 years now.. Still shocking to me when I talk about it..
Delicious post, nice to see an Italian entry.
Waleed: Thanks for the clarification. I had no idea that the counter started at $200pp, or that a tasting menu-style dinner was the norm. Let us know how it turns out!
Annie: I wouldn't mind trying Il Grano, but Saturday's not going to work unfortunately. I'll be interested to hear what you think of the place.
Amy: Indeed.
Bobby: So how is it communicating with the Chef? He doesn't speak English right? Is a translator always present?
FF: For sure. I am starting to warm up to Italian.
It takes some getting used to, but we know his translator who is also the GM really well.. We have been so many times now that we know everyone in both restaurants. Mr Robuchon has a great team working for him and we feel at home when we are there..
Looks awesome, I definitely want to try now. Good call on trying to catch Conant while he's still in the kitchen here.
btw.. $500 pp? Are you a TFB or what??
Bobby: Have you decided when exactly you're going to be in Vegas? Which other restaurants are you two hitting up?
Stephanie: According to his tweets, he's in Toronto right now, so hopefully he'll be back soon. Also, what's TFB???
Just had the best meal of my life at scarpetta. So thankful we read this post first and knew what to order. The spaghetti was insane. And tuna with truffles!!! Loooovveee this place. The patio with fire heaters was much more romantic than the dining room. Lastly, shaking the chefs hand after a kitchen tour... Does not get better!
Chell, great to hear that you enjoyed yourself here. Agree about the patio, but I think the kitchen's still the best seat in the house--try it next time. ;)
Eating here tonight for bday dinner, hope to see Chef Conant in the kitchen! Any menu musts? spaghetti & braised short rib for sure
Andee, I'd also consider the polenta and octopus. Or, you can always request a tasting menu, which is what I'd do. ;)
Stephanie and I ended up dining here on Friday instead of going to the LV opening.. We had an amazing meal. Sat at the chef counter and Chef Justin put together a fabulous tasting around 15 or 16 courses total.. The stand outs were the duck & foie ravioli, the polenta, and the pancetta wrapped veal.. The kitchen makes me feel like I'm dinning at home.. We are looking forward to returning..
Great to hear that you enjoyed yourself Bobby. I've seen mixed reviews about the main dining room, but so far everything I've heard about the chef's counter has been positive. You might still want to check out the LV outpost though, and compare.
completely forgot you wrote up a post on this place. Looks as if the BH location is as good as the Vegas one.
We went to the one in Vegas, 10 courses for $120 including tax (tip was separate)this past Friday. No charge for corkage with excellent wine service. Very reasonable. Even better at the Chef's table looking over the Bellagio fountains!
That stromboli bread was epic.
10 courses for $120 isn't bad, especially for the chef's table (and given that the meal here was double the cost).
How did Scarpetta compare to the best in LA?
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