Maude (Beverly Hills, CA) [3]

Maude Restaurant
212 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
310.859.3418
www.mauderestaurant.com
Fri 06/27/2014, 05:45p-07:55p



Following some pretty amazing meals at Curtis Stone's Maude for both citrus and rhubarb, I was particularly excited for this month's theme ingredient. After all, though I certainly appreciate citrus and/or rhubarb in a dish, the earthy, nutty goodness of the mushrooms is something I tend to seek out more.


Maude's morel menu was its priciest yet at $115 (though just wait for truffles in November), as apparently these wild mushrooms from the Pacific Northwest don't tend to come cheap. The "reserve" beverage pairing (which I hadn't encountered here before), meanwhile, tacked on an additional $125 per head. Click for a larger version.


1: Risotto | Citrus Butter, Chicken Mousse
Gosset, "Grande Reserve", Aÿ, Champagne, France NV
Stone's opening salvo was one of the highlights of the night, with the creamy, cheesy, yet slightly citric rice pairing gorgeously with the headiness of the single chicken-stuffed morel. Just give me a big, heaping bowl of this, and I'd be good to go.


2: Kampachi | Avocado, Herbs, Passion Fruit Snow
Takasago, "Divine Droplets", Junmai Daiginjo, Hokkaido, Japan
A crudo of amberjack was up next. Taken alone, the fish was cool, dense, clean, with just enough fattiness to it, a fitting stage on which the combination of sweet fruit, herbs, and morel could really show itself. The best part? That togarashi-dusted avocado, which added a lushness to the course along with just an inkling of spice.


3: Scallop | Wild Garlic, Watermelon Rind, Roe
Conreria d'Scala, "Les Brugueres", Priorat, Spain 2011
The scallop was spot on, perfectly cooked and caramelized, its briny goodness amped up by a subtle veil of morel and scallop roe foam. Equally as important was the fava and pickled rind, which offered up a great counterpoint and crunch.


4: Duck Egg | Summer Squash, Horseradish, Smoke
Set underneath a glass cloche was a mist of applewood(?) smoke that, when dissipated, revealed arguably the most ambitious course of the evening. The richness and weight of that duck egg was almost too much at first, but it melded beautifully with the lightness of the squash and horseradish while overarching notes of earthy smoke imparted further gravity to the dish. My favorite thing? Those crumbles, which simultaneously added crunch and savoriness to round out the dish.


5: Raviolo | Consommé, Truffle Crumble, Watercress
Radikon, "Oslavje", Venezie-Giulia, Italy 2007
The raviolo I had on my last visit here managed to be one of the tastiest I'd eaten in recent times, so I had high hopes for this one. It didn't let me down, coming out as probably the most morel-forward plate of the meal, the stuffing of what I believe was scallop mousseline permeated by the aromatic savor of the mushroom. If that wasn't enough, the truffle wafers added even further luxuriousness to the dish, while the watercress did provide a touch of countervailing zip to even things out.


6: Pork Belly | Jalapeno, Daikon, Carrot
A cuboid of pork belly arrived pretty much flawless, a perfect marriage of lean and fat, of crisp and supple textures. I thoroughly enjoyed the meat by itself, but the bright, acidic zing of the pickled veggies here formed a fitting complement, and I was a fan of those cheesy tuiles as well.


7: Lamb | Green Garbanzo, Eggplant, Leek
Château Canon, St-Emilion, Bordeaux, France 2004
A delectable lamb saddle formed our final savory, a full-flavored, yet not overtly gamy cut that went just swimmingly with its paired morels. I was a fan of the light, nutty relish of the garbanzos here as well, and the astringency of that charred leek was on point.


8: Taleggio | Onion, Charred Peach, Nasturtium
Taleggio was presented in spherical form, a delightful ball of fluffy goodness that presented a straightforward flavor profile that worked admirably with the sweet-tangy notes of the peach and pickled onion.


Our pre-dessert comprised some whimsical ice cream bars that satisfied in a simple sort of way, the vanilla filling integrated with chocolate shells imbued with nuances of morel and coffee.


9: Black Forest Floor | Dark Cherry, Chocolate, Hazelnut
De Conciliis, "Rai", Passito, Campania, Italy 2012
Tonight's dessert proper was a standout as well, a sort of a take on black forest cake. I loved the combination of chocolate, caramel, cherry, and nutty notes here, and how it formed a familiar flavor profile that was taken up a notch by an undercurrent of pungent morel.


Mignardises this time around included blueberry financiers, mango-coconut tarts, and raspberry dark chocolate bonbons.


To take home: morel salt (which I subsequently lost).

Well, it seems like Stone and his team have delivered once again, batting three-for-three with tonight's exploration of morels, showcasing the mushroom in a variety of ways that played to its strengths as both a star and a supporting player. The Chef's cooking is winning him throngs of fans, myself included. Now, to get into that truffle dinner...

Allumette (Los Angeles, CA) [2]

Allumette Restaurant
1320 Echo Park Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026
213.935.8787
www.allumettela.com
Wed 06/25/2014, 08:05p-11:25p





Sadly, by the time you read this, Allumette will have likely closed its doors for good. The restaurant is serving its last meal on June 28th after roughly a year-and-a-half in business. Helmed by one Miles Thompson, Allumette started out as The Vagrancy Project, a pop-up first held at the Chef's Hollywood apartment and later at Bill DiDonna and Charles Kelly's Allston Yacht Club. Seeing Thompson's potential, the two gave him his own stage, turning AYC into Allumette, an ambitious project for Echo Park that debuted in January last year to considerable fanfare. The restaurant was well-regarded by the culinarily adventuresome set and critics alike, and picked up a slew of honors--Bon Appétit's 50 Nominees for Best New Restaurant in America 2013, Los Angeles Magazine's Top 10 Best New Restaurants of 2013, LA Weekly's 99 Essential Restaurants 2014, LA Mag's 75 Best New Restaurants 2014, Jonathan Gold's 101 Best Restaurants 2014--but apparently just never clicked with the neighborhood's clientele, who were ostensibly "more focused on cheap tacos."


As for Allumette's menu, it switched from à la carte to prix fixe back in February (though you could still order individual items at the bar). Diners get four courses for $45 or five for $60, with an additional $32 or $40 for beverage pairing, along with the option of a few snacks. Also to drink, you had a selection of wine from co-owner Charles Kelly, as well as cocktails by the talented Serena Herrick. Click for larger versions.


Blacksmith 1987 [$12.00] | Oolong Infused Elote Mezcal - Kumquat - Honey - Lime - Smoked Salt
Though we certainly planned to do the beverage pairings, we opted for a round of Herrick's cocktails to go with our snacks. The Blacksmith 1987 instantly appealed to me thanks to its inclusion of mezcal, and indeed, the smoky weight of the booze was put to good use here, melding beautifully with the sweet, floral, citrusy notes in the cocktail. Very well balanced.


Life's Rich Pageant [$12.00] | Blackstrap Rum - Dominican Rum - Sherry - Passionfruit - Cinnamon - Falernum - Lime
The Life's Rich Pageant, on the other hand, was a much more lighthearted cocktail, one teeming with sweet spice and fruit, resulting in a gluggable concoction that muted the rum quite handily. Almost candy-like at times.


POTATO CHIPS [$7.00] | Smoked Whitefish - Uni Cream - Chive
Our first of three snacks brought out some delightful bites of potato chip. The uni version was expectedly lush, with the richness of the roe working nicely alongside the chive, while the chip gave things a great hit of crunch. The whitefish, though, was even better, with the smoky brine of the commixture working gorgeously in concert with the inherent saltiness of the chips.


BABY TORPEDO ONION PANISSE [$8.00] | Meyer Lemon Mustard - Hibiscus - Cilantro
Cuboid fritters of onion really showed off the savoriness of the veggie in a fun, compact package, the mustard and cilantro adding a kick of offsetting piquancy to the mix.


POTATOES A LA PLANCHA [$6.00] | Furikake Aioli - Parmigiano-Reggiano - Katsuobushi
Potatoes were excellent, hearty and delicious alone, but really taken up a notch when eaten with the paired aioli, which imparted a fantastic depth of flavor to the tubers. Great zing from that mizuna on top, too.


Khaleesi [$12.00] | Capurro Pisco - Cherimoya - Aloe - Cacoa - Lemon - Agave
Apparently named after something from Game of Thrones (a fact that was initially lost on me, as I don't watch the show), the Khaleesi was probably my favorite cocktail of the night. I loved the incorporation of cherimoya here, with the fruit's sweet, sugary nature commingling beautifully with the aloe, the whole amalgam evened out by just the right amount of zip from the cacao.


Gentlemen's Breakfast [$12.00] | The Famous Grouse Scotch - Egg White - Lemon - Ginger - Honey - Candy Cap Bitters
The Gentlemen's Breakfast was something that I had on my last visit, and was a bit different than I remembered, probably due to the removal of Islay scotch from the equation. As a result, tonight's drink was much more ginger-forward, with the egg white and citrus serving to balance out its considerable spice.


Allumette's "bread & butter" continued to be some of the most intriguing I've had, comprising an utterly smoky, buttery, cheese-dusted grilled focaccia accompanied by an unabashedly luxurious mascarpone-potato "butter."


1a: CUCUMBERS - Apricot Fennel Compote - Ripe & Unripe Berries - White Chocolate
Brut N.V., Graham Beck, South Africa
Our meal proper commenced with a cucumber salad of sorts, and it was quite the sight to behold. The light, bright flavors of the veggie were proudly displayed, countered by the zesty greens while the berries imparted jolts of sweet-n-sour. By far the most interesting item was the white chocolate, which provided a sugary heft to the dish, but which also seemed to simultaneously intensify all the other flavors at play. Very neat.


1b: PRAWN - Vinegar Meringue - Rice Paper - Tokyo Negi
Cider, Anthem Hops, Wandering Aengus Ciderworks
The prawn, meanwhile, arrived just rare enough, and loaded with char goodness to go along with its innate brine. I loved the spiciness of the crispy yuba skin, while the meringue added a tangy, creamy character to the plate.


2a: SUMMER SQUASH - White Corn Fondue - June Garlic Miso - Sage
Sauvignon, Erste + Neue, '12, Alto Adige
The squash was some of the best I've had, with a great crunch and savor to it that meshed flawlessly with the various accoutrements. I was especially a fan of the fried sage leaves.


2b: ARROWTIP SQUID - Pistachio Ponzu - Cherry - Black Mint
Vermentino di Gallura, Piero Mancini, '12, Sardegna
Another standout was the squid. The cephalopod itself showed off a lovely char, but the crux was the pistachio-cherry-mint combo, which gave up a sharp, sweet, nutty flavor profile that I'd never encountered before with squid. Lovely astringency and crunch from the onion, too.


Strega Genesis [$12.00] | Strega - Dolin Dry - Fennel - Cardamom - Lemon - Lime
Given that we were all children of the 80's/90's, we naturally couldn't resist a cocktail named the Strega Genesis. Think loads upon loads of fennel on this one, amplified by the herby, spicy smack of the Strega.


3a: OCTOPUS - Za'atar Yogurt - Okra Caviar - Plum
"Plum Rush" Cocktail
Octopus came out sticky and salty, an in-your-face presentation of the ingredient that really called for the moderating effect of the dish's various elements, making for one well-integrated bite. I was especially fond of the asparagus and cool, minty greens here.


3b: KING SALMON - Soured Celtuce - Radish - Beet Syrup
Koshu, Chateau Mercian, '12, Japan
Salmon was cooked to a flaky, near gelatinous consistency, its strong salinity perked up by the sugary beet syrup while the celtuce and radish imparted a touch of levity to things.


4a: BRANZINO - Shellfish Tapioca - Fried Broccoli - Lemon
Chardonnay, Koehler, '12, Santa Ynez
The branzino was excellent, arriving super moist, super briny and with a wonderfully crisp skin to boot. I found it delicious on its own, but the astringency of the broccoli and the tempering tapioca really made the dish sing.


4b: PORK COLLAR - Pho Charcoal - Eggplant Mayonnaise - Pickled Wasabi
Logsdon Organic Farmhouse Ales, Seizon
In our last savory course, rare cuts of pork were brazenly smoky, their boatloads of porky goodness balanced out near completely by the blast of sour heat from the 'sabi. Very cool, especially when taken with the aromatic, anise-y spice of the pho-inspired "charcoal."


Shemingway Daiquiri [$12.00] | Avuá Cachaça Prata - Amontillado Sherry - Grapefruit Syrup - Maraschino - Lemon
A couple cocktails to pair with dessert. The Shemingway Daiquiri was a worthy take on the classic drink, its fruity, tropical nature underscored nicely by the weight of the sherry and cachaça.


Last Ango [$12.00] | Angostura Bitters - Smith & Cross Rum - Orgeat - Pineapple - Lime
Another repeat from last time, the Last Ango was just as I remembered, a masterful blend of sweet, cinnamon-y spice countervailed by the bitters and Smith & Cross.


5a: TOASTED BARLEY POT-de-CRÈME - Feuille de Brick - Strawberry - Rosemary
Amaro Meletti
Time for dessert. Allumette's pot de crème was one of the strongest I've had, its toasted barley and feuille de brick giving up a familiar, yet unidentifiable flavor profile that I really enjoyed, especially when taken with the sugary strawberry.


5b: LEMONGRASS BAVAROIS - Hibiscus - Oat - Tangerine
Rosenhof, Welschriesling, '06, Burgenland
The bavarois, finally, was a winner as well, a mishmash of sour, sweet, floral and aromatic nuances grounded perfectly by the oat.

It's been great to see Thompson's cooking progress over the past couple of years. His food's better than ever now, a more mature, more understated expression of his style that's nonetheless imbued with a palpable blend of thoughtfulness, complexity, and novelty. It's sad to see this place go, but I guess it was really a case of having the wrong concept--a concept ahead of its time--for the space. I do sincerely hope that the Chef manages to wind up somewhere else in the City. Allumette, you'll be missed.

Superba Food + Bread (Los Angeles, CA)

Superba Food and Bread
1900 S Lincoln Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
310-907-5075
www.superbafoodandbread.com
Sun 06/22/2014, 08:20p-11:25p





The latest entrant into Paul Hibler's American Gonzo Food Corp debuted on April 11th, joining the ranks of East Borough, Superba Snack Bar, Pie Society, and Pitfire Artisan Pizza. Superba Food + Bread is an all-day eatery, a bakery-cafe-coffee bar-wine bar-dinner spot all jammed together in a building that used to house an auto body shop. Envisioned all the way back in 2012, this place was supposed to be helmed by Jason Neroni from the original Superba (who's since decamped), but nowadays, Littlefork's Jason Travi's in charge. He's joined in the kitchen by Pastry Chef Lincoln Carson (former corporate pastry chef for Michael Mina) and head baker Jonathan Eng (Le Pain Quotidien).


The restaurant features no less than six menus: breakfast, lunch, weekend brunch, afternoon, dinner, and bakery. We were here, obviously, for dinner, and the carte was filled with the sort of modern-rustic-seasonal cooking that you'd expect from Travi. To drink, you get a reasonably-sized wine list, some beers, as well as coffee from Heart Roasters (a change over from Stumptown). Click for larger versions.


I ended up bringing my own beers this evening (corkage was waived), starting with the oft-bandied-about, hard-to-find Logsdon Peche 'n Brett, a saison brewed with, as the name would imply, peaches and Brettanomyces. This was a pretty cool one, with loads of sweet, juicy stonefruit on the nose, though less on the palate, where the Brett character really shined with its funky, herby qualities, the whole thing finishing dry.


sweet pea [$9.00] | creme fraiche, bacon gelee, pea tendril
Superba features a wide selection of various bruschetta-esque "toasts," and the pea version was a nice way to kick things off, the inherent sweetness of the vegetable really commingling well with the tangy spread of crème fraîche while the greenery gave up a light, bright crunch to things. Interesting hit of salt, too, from the bacon jelly.


avocado [$7.00] | pickled fresno pepper, radish sprouts, sea salt
I think the consensus was that the avocado toast was our favorite of the bunch. The key here was how the lushness of the avocado paired with the slightly astringent character of the sprouts, all while sea salt and Fresno adding contrasting jolts of salt and heat to the mix. Great integration with the actual bread here, to boot.


prime rib [$12.00] | horseradish, asparagus
Our final toast was a special this evening, and featured prime rib paired with its traditional accompaniment of horseradish, with asparagus contributing a counterbalancing bit of bitterness and crunch. Quite tasty.


For my next beer, I went with an IPA, the Noble Ale Works TBA Showers (TBA because the hop varietal used, HBC366, hadn't been given a name yet--it's now known as Equinox). The fifth entrant in Noble's highly desirable series of limited production single hop beers, I found it a great example of the style, with plenty of hop bitterness intermixed with juicy notes of citrus and tropical fruit, the whole shebang underpinned by a subtle malt character.


figs + prosciutto [$18.00] | black mission figs, american prosciutto, burrata, balsamic
Moving on into the starters now, the classic combo of figs, prosciutto, and cheese was done justice here, a mishmash of sweet, salty, sour flavors tied together by the richness of that burrata. I liked the levity imparted by the frisée here, too.


rabbi's day off [$8.00] | not-so matzo balls, chicken broth
A take on the traditional matzah ball soup really was classic in essence (even though the balls were composed of cheese, breadcrumbs, and lard), with robust flavors of chicken to pair with the fluffy, float-y spheres.


little gem lettuce [$12.00] | shaved vegetables, green goddess, bread crumbs
A salad of little gem was a surprise standout, the crisp, crunchy shards of lettuce going quite well with the breadcrumbs here, all while the green goddess dressing served to tie everything together.


Bottle #3 was something that I'd been trying to get my hands on for a while, The Bruery Windowsill, a one-time-only, oak-aged bottling done in collaboration with KCRW's Evan Kleiman. Inspired by rhubarb-raspberry pie, this one smelled of tart berry flavors and tasted of it as well, with a bready, funky quality to balance things out. Very neat, and a very drinkable sour beer.


fried chicken [$20.00] | (slightly spicy) biscuit, collard green slaw
Superba features a list of nightly suppers, and Sunday's was fried chicken, so you know we had to oblige. It was a laudable presentation of the American classic, the bird coming out appropriately tender, succulent, and crisp, with a great bit of spicing to it. Lovely biscuit, too.


broccolini [$9.00] | 63 degree egg, roasted garlic, piquillo harissa
In our first side, broccolini was smartly paired with egg and harissa, the bitterness of the veggie serving as a fitting base for the runny egg and piquant pepper. I wish they would've included more of the tender florets though, as certain parts here were on the chewy side.


seared arctic char [$22.00] | snap pea, rhubarb, mint
Char was cooked to a spot-on, semi-rare temperature, its fatty, flavorful flesh perfect played against the light, bright, crunchy zing of the greenery


crispy cauliflower [$8.00] | j.g. sauce
Cauliflower was pretty delectable, showing off a mouth-watering savor that obviated the needed for any of that accompanying sauce. I would've liked a touch less batter on them, however.


porchetta [$26.00] | sweet + sour apricot, fingerling potato, crispy skin
Porchetta was as fatty and luxurious and in-your-face porcine as you'd expect, tempered only slightly by the hearty cuts of potato present. The best part? Those crunchy bits of chicharrón.


padron peppers [$8.00]
A special side tonight, fried Padróns conveyed plenty of sweet-hot heat to round out the savory portion of our meal.


For our final beer, I went with something more "dessert-y," the Terrapin Side Project #22 Orange Chocolate Weizenbock. The chocolate was strong in this one, joined by expected malty, spicy notes and just a whisper of aromatic orange overarching everything.


superba candy bar [$9.00] | marcona almond, chocolate, sea salt
Time for some sweet stuff, and of course we had to begin with Superba's signature dessert, a long cuboid comprising a sort of chocolate mousse wrapped in dark chocolate glaze and topped with Maldon, marcona, and housemade pop rocks. It was an interesting study in disparate elements that did manage to come together into something cohesive, and tasty. This is the one to get.


apricot tart [$7.00]
An apricot tart was delightful, really displaying the juicy goodness of the stonefruit against a backdrop of floral lavender notes.


vanilla caramel [$9.00] | custard, orange, aperol
Can't go too wrong with the combo of vanilla, caramel, and citrus. I actually got a little bit of orange creamsicle on this one as well. Particularly good when taken with the Terrapin.


butterscotch tart [$7.00]
A rich butterscotch tart had some Macallan folded in there if I recall correctly. Great contrast between the toffee-esque flavors here and the buttery crust.


pavlova [$9.00] | farm strawberry, basil meringue, whipped cream
We closed out the night with the restaurant's take on the classic pavlova, an updated example that brought together the winning combination of strawberries and basil, the whipped cream adding a bit more luxuriousness to the dish.

Though I can't really comment on Superba Food + Bread's daytime activities, I left quite pleased with dinner service. There was a nice range of cooking on display here, and the food was actually more elegant, nuanced, and multifaceted than I thought it'd be. Another win for the neighborhood, and another feather in Mr. Hibler's cap it seems.