Wolvesmouth Underground Dinner (Los Angeles, CA) [2]

Wolvesmouth Underground Dinner
Los Angeles, CA
www.wolvesmouth.com
Sat 11/06/2010, 06:30p-11:00p



The Wolvesden has moved.


Yes, LA's premiere underground supper club has left its former Hollywood Hills hideout and taken up residence in a decidedly urban Los Angeles loft. The new, larger location has allowed dinner parties to expand from eight diners to 12, but clearly, with only two or three events a month, demand for Craig "Wolvesmouth" Thornton's cutting edge cookery still outstrips supply.



The pre-meal mingling well underway.



The new loft provided ample space for the requisite pre-dinner dance-off.


Wolvesmouth at work. Note the dual immersion circulators in the background.


1: tahitian squash. sweetbread. blis.
Thornton was able to locate some elusive Tahitian squash (the phallic-looking one), which he promptly incorporated into this first dish. The squash was expectedly saccharine, with its sweetness kicked up a notch further by the inclusion of maple syrup. However, the sweetbreads actually did a very effective job in tempering the sugariness of the squash-syrup, and taken together, the dish was surprisingly balanced, with an almost breakfast-y essence to it.


Even Julian got in on the cooking action.


2: crab. jerusalem artichoke puree. watermelon radish. pickled persimmon.
Crab was very nice, showing off a characteristic sweet brine augmented by the crisp fruitiness of persimmon (which I usually do not care for). The sunroot, at the same time, grounded the dish somewhat, making for a successful mélange of tastes and textures.





3: scallop. potato. chive. chanterelle.
Scallop came perfectly cooked, and the dish announced itself with a positively intoxicating aroma. The earthiness of the mushrooms served as a superb counter to the bivalve, and I loved how the chive-potato combination tied everything together. Easily one of the best scallop dishes that I've had in a while.


4: tomato. olive oil. saba.
Hemispheres of four multicolored tomato cultivars arrived drizzled with saba (the grape must syrup, not the fish) and olive oil. The tomatoes were distinct in character, yet cohesive. Each was brimming with a pure, sweet, juicy savor that was heightened by the gravity of the saba, while the olive oil served as a countervailing element.


5: ocean trout. pumpernickel. lingonberry. creme fraiche.
Ocean trout was excellent. Its savory, slightly oily flesh was delectable alone, but also nicely balanced by the tang of crème fraiche and especially the earthy tinge of pumpernickel (genius!). The use of lingonberry was interesting, as its tart, jammy sweetness was a surprisingly apt pair with the fish.





6: rabbit. bacon n onion muffin. swiss fondue. green apple. mustard greens.
Next up was the Chef's reinterpretation of chicken cordon bleu. Rabbit was cooked sous vide, resulting in a stupendously tender consistency and a delicate, almost chicken-like relish. The key here was thus the Gruyère and its creamy, luscious flavor that perfectly completed the dish's base of rabbit. The muffin, on the other hand, served to provide a fitting saltiness to the fray, while the apple helped to lighten the dish. One of my favorite courses of the evening.


7: pork cheek bao.
Thornton's next dish married his Southern roots with the traditions of dim sum, resulting in a sort of Asian pulled pork sandwich in the same vein as a Cantonese char siu bao. The pork filling was suitably tender, with a definite porcine savor that, fortunately, wasn't overly saccharine. Very satisfying.


8: buddhas hand sorbet.
As a palate cleanser, we were provided a sorbet of Buddha's hand citron, gin, sugar, and salt. A refreshing jolt to the palate with a distinctly sweet-sour tang.





9: squab. roveja. prune leather. squab skin. sauce. tokyo turnip.
Our final savory of the evening brought us sous vide squab breast, heavy and substantial, and loaded with rich, dark flavors. Along with its crisp, savory skin, it went gorgeously with the included cake of roveja (a near extinct type of legume from Umbria, provided in this case by Sam Kim), which showed off a fantastic pea-like flavor that deftly complemented the bird. I also enjoyed the sweet "Fruit by the Foot," and especially the light, bitter, tempering taste of the Tokyo turnip.


10: ube "mochi". coconut milk powder. palm sugar coconut shortbread. avocado ice cream. lime styrofoam.
With this dessert, Thornton showed off his considerable prowess with the sweet stuff, a common weakness among savory chefs. Contrasting sweet and sour flavors from the ube (purple yam) and lime were tied together by the avocado ice cream, while the shortbread served to ground the dish. A flawless mixtures of disparate textures and tastes.


11: s'mores. toasted marshmallow ice cream. graham cracker pudding. salted chocolate. smoked pop rocks.
We finished the meal with a gorgeous rendition of a classic campfire treat: the s'more. The ice cream was marvelous even alone (Julian wisely commandeered the leftovers), beautifully capturing the essence of toasted marshmallow. It paired faultlessly with the graham cracker sauce and chocolate, making for a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and I adored the smoky tinge from the Voltaggio-esque pop rocks as well.


With the cooking done, it was time to bring out the pooch.

Amazingly, Thornton managed to outdo his previous effort, presenting us with a suite of dishes that were avant garde yet approachable, thoroughly inventive yet uncompromisingly delicious--an incredible experience overall. What we have here is simply the best "restaurant" that you won't be able to get into.