Castagna (Portland, OR)

Castagna Restaurant
1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
503.231.7373
www.castagnarestaurant.com
Fri 02/28/2014, 07:00p-11:00p



After an invigorating meal at Pok Pok the previous evening, we decided upon pretty much its polar opposite tonight: Castagna, the sole bastion of modernist-ish cooking here in Portland. The restaurant was founded back in 1999 (and the attached cafe in 2002) as a rustic Italianate place by Monique Siu, who's known around these parts as the former pastry chef/co-owner of Christopher Israel's groundbreaking Zefiro (where, coincidentally, Andy Ricker worked prior to delving head first into Thai). Her opening chef/partner was Kevin Gibson, who left in 2007 and has since launched both Evoe and Davenport. He was replaced by Elias Cairo, who stayed for a year before leaving to start Olympic Provisions.

The chef who really put Castagna on the map, though, was Matthew Lightner, who took over in late '09. Siu took a gamble on the 28-year-old Mugaritz and Noma alum, and in less than two years, he'd transformed the eatery into the most cutting edge joint in the City with his naturalistic, heavily-foraged plates. People took notice. In 2010, Lightner was deemed a semi-finalist in the annual James Beard awards, cooked a dinner at the Beard house in New York, and also snagged Food & Wine's "Best New Chef" prize, while Castagna was named "Restaurant of the Year" by The Oregonian. Lightner eventually got the itch to move to NYC, though, and left at the end of 2011 to start Atera, which has since garnered two stars from Michelin. He was replaced by his right hand man, Chef de Cuisine Justin Woodward, who had some pretty big shoes to fill.

About the Chef: Woodward was born in 1982 in Boston, but grew up in the San Diego region, helping his grandmother in the kitchen and his father in the family garden. He attended Torrey Pines High School, graduating in 2001, and started working at various restaurants in the area. Feeling a need for a more formal education, he enrolled at the Art Institute of California's San Diego campus in 2003 and secured a culinary degree two years later. During his tenure at the AI, Woodward cooked at Blackhorse Grille in Del Mar under Ryan Johnston, a friend of Grant Achatz's who introduced him to the modernist techniques that were being pioneered at Alinea at the time. His interest piqued, he started working at L'Auberge Del Mar in 2005 (where Paul McCabe made a name for himself), which is where he first met Matt Lightner.

Woodward's next move was to New York's wd~50 in 2008, where he spent a year in pastry under Alinea vet Alex Stupak; also in his cohort there was Rosio Sanchez, who just happens to be the head pastry chef at Noma now. He would stage at Noma the following year, as well as at Mugaritz, Corton, and Eleven Madison Park--an impressive compendium no doubt. He then moved back to California, where he worked briefly under Steven Rojas at El Bizcocho at Rancho Bernardo Inn, but quickly relocated to Portland to cook for Lightner once he was hired at Castagna. The two formed a tight, well-oiled team together, and when Lightner left in 2011, Woodward was able to transition relatively seamlessly (and yes, he was asked to work at Atera, but declined). Like his predecessor, he's been singled out by James Beard, first in 2013 as a "Rising Star Chef" semi-finalist, then just recently in February as a semi-finalist for "Best Chef: Northwest."


There are a couple ways to dine at Castagna. First is a three-course prix fixe at $65 plus $35 for wine pairing, and then a Chef's Tasting Menu at $110 plus $55 (seen above), both options preceded by a half-dozen or so "snacks." For fans of the sweeter stuff, there's also a previously off-menu three-course dessert flight at $25+$12. If you opt out of the beverage pairings, you'll also find a varied selection of wines (corkage is $20 a bottle) as well as cocktails by Bartender David Cooper. Click for a larger version.


1a: Beet chips, beef tartar, black truffle
Covides, Brut, Cava, Penedés, Spain NV
Our gauntlet of snacks began with these beet chips, draped over black truffle and beef tartare. They were fun little amuses, the sugariness of the root veggie playing off of the savory, slightly tangy meat well.


1b: Buckwheat, avocado, jalapeño
Covides, Brut, Cava, Penedés, Spain NV
Even better were these dollops of avocado, jalapeño, and clover sprout, sandwich between shards of buckwheat tuile. Here, I really liked the refreshing brightness of the bites--that astringency of the sprouts in particular--and how that paired with the nutty heft of the crackers. Very good.



1c: Buttermilk, trout roe, egg
Covides, Brut, Cava, Penedés, Spain NV
Yes, I know, these look like boobs. With that out of the way, I must say that were damn tasty. The buttermilk meringue really melted on the tongue, in the process evening out the lushness of the egg underneath, all while the trout roe contributed a salty accent to the bite.


1d: Onion, white bean, winter cress
Covides, Brut, Cava, Penedés, Spain NV
A base of savory cipollini onion custard served as the foundation to this dish, providing an earthy, weighty backdrop against which the piquant flavors of scallion, winter cress, pea shoots, and charcoal drops could really dance. I was a fan of the white bean here as well, which moderated the interaction and provided a bit of textural variation to the mix.


1e: Raspberry, sheep cheese, shiso
Covides, Brut, Cava, Penedés, Spain NV
Here, raspberry leather was swathed atop a combination of sheep's milk cheese and shiso, the tart sweetness of the fruit really working well alongside the contrasting lactic and minty flavors below.


1f: Satsuma, Mandarin, espelette
Covides, Brut, Cava, Penedés, Spain NV
In a wine glass came a Satsuma and Mandarin gelée, which put forth a blast of citrusy sweetness that transitioned to the creeping spice from the piment d'Espelette drizzled on top.


1g: Salmon, daikon, ginger
Covides, Brut, Cava, Penedés, Spain NV
Our final snack brought us smoked salmon, ginger, and daikon. I was impressed here by how the smokiness of the fish was so smartly paired against the daikon and ginger, all while icy bits imparted a great temperature contrast to the dish.


2: Shigoku oyster with chorizo
The first proper course of the evening was a singular Shigoku, one that really conveyed an intense brine, a burst of salty, ocean-y goodness that was moderated only slightly by an overarching touch of chorizo spice.


3: Dungeness crab, celery root, pickled garlic and toasted crab emulsion
Ostatu, Rioja Alevesa, Ebro River Valley, Spain 2012
Dungeness was superb, the sweetness of the crustacean on proud display, acute and unmistakable, yet perfectly paired with the herbaceous, slightly sweet-n-sour notes in the course. A real showcase of crab--delicious.


Bread service consisted of lovely rye dinner rolls, accompanied by smoked pork lardo and house-churned butter. I was rather enamored with the bread even by itself, but a smear of butter (regular or porcine) made it all the better.


4: Fresh shucked razor clam, Frog Eyes wasabi, potato and lime
Weingut Willi Brundlmayer, Riesling, Kamptaler Terrassem, Kamptal, Austria 2011
I'm a big fan of razor clam, and Woodward did them proud here, balancing their bright, saline flavors--augmented by what I believe was an oyster purée--against the zing of kaffir zest. The potato, meanwhile, was key as well, serving to ground and temper the entire dish.


The kitchen sent out a "bonus" course comprising roasted beet, blood orange Béarnaise, cipollini, endive, nasturtium, wild onion, and tarragon powder. It was a smart presentation of the root veggie, its sweetness well matched by the myriad of bitter, astringent flavors at play, the endive imparting a superb crunch to the dish. I think I'm starting to like beet more and more...



5: Yellowfoot chanterelles with pork and hop infusion, dill and thyme
Domaine Labet, Fleur de Chardonnay, Côtes du Jura, France 2011
Yellowfoots arrived with roast carrot, mushroom and parsley purées, thyme, malt, dill oil, and pork jus, displaying shades of the mushroom's earthiness amplified by the meatiness of the pork infusion, all while the various herbs countered with a bright, bitter tint. Quite a lot going on here, though I would've liked the chanterelle to have been more forward in its presentation.


6: Creamy stew of sturgeon and crab with charred leeks
Schloss Gobelsburg, Grüner Veltliner, Gobelsburger, Kamptal, Austria 2012
A favorite was the sturgeon, which came with coriander, kohlrabi, leeks, crab, and Meyer lemon. The fish itself was spot on, giving us a fantastic salinity and savor that melded swimmingly with the crab. At the same time, I loved the leeks as well, which provided the course with a counterbalancing crunch and astringency that really brought everything together.


7: Roasted lamb sweetbreads, apple, wild licorice
Podere Ruggeri Corsini, Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Italy 2010
Sweetbreads were deftly presented, their earthy, offal-y richness vibrantly conveyed, yet enhanced by a touch of brown butter while celery root provided a moderating element. The use of apple and licorice, though, was key, adding a sweet spice to the dish that really set it apart.


8: Duck, white sausage, wild rice, duck liver enriched gastrique
J. Christopher, La Mer, Pinot Noir, Yamhill-Carlton District, Oregon 2011
Duck comprised our final savory course, and was one of the most "ducky" preparations of the protein I'd had in recent memory, the liver-enriched jus really amplifying the bird's inherent flavors. Fortunately, the large leaf of kohlrabi contributed a much-appreciated bitterness to the course, and I was a big fan of that chicken sausage, too.


9: Huckleberry
Elio Perrone, Bigaro, Moscato/Brachetto, Piedmont, Italy 2012
The first dessert was a hit at the table, a well-constructed mélange of sweet, tart, and floral nuances in the form of a huckleberry sorbet and frozen buttermilk financier.


10: Apple leaf and vanilla
Apple was the star of the show in our next dessert, the fruit working flawlessly with the rich, buttery notes in the dish, the pecan streusel adding a great savory crunch to the mix. Yum.


11: Meyer lemon, brown butter ice, green juniper
Domaine Des Baumard, Coteaux du Layon Carte D’Or, Anjou, Loire, France 2011
Here, the tartness of Meyer lemon and sugariness of brown butter worked hand-in-hand together, forming a base on which the green flavors of garden sorrel, pine, and juniper could really sing. Sticks infused with cinnamon, meanwhile, imparted a sweet spice to the dessert, and also provided some textural variation.


12: Mignardises
Lastly: Crème anglaise bonbons, and coffee-enriched wafers.

Sadly, I never had the opportunity to dine at Castagna while Matt Lightner was at the helm, but Woodward appears to be holding down the fort just fine. His food is oft described as "New Northwest Cuisine," which to me means a manner imbued with a sort of modern sensibility, but one with a naturalistic bent highlighting a sense of place unique to the region. The food may look precious, but the flavors are smartly-crafted and worth experiencing, yet somehow grounded. It's a style that speaks to me, and you'd be remiss if you visited Portland and didn't at least consider this place.

Pok Pok (Portland, OR)

Pok Pok Restaurant
3226 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202
503.232.1387
www.pokpokpdx.com
Thu 02/27/2014, 08:20p-10:25p



I took a brief trip up to the Portland/Seattle area recently, and it was actually my first time in either of the two cities. First up was Portland, and naturally, I spent a good amount of time considering the various dining options in the vicinity before deciding on perennial favorite Pok Pok for my introduction to the PDX food scene. Pok Pok is, of course, the game changing Thai restaurant from Chef Andy Ricker that was one of the first to really bring the cuisine of northern Thailand to the limelight.

About the Chef: Ricker was born in 1964 in North Carolina, but spent his formative years largely in Vermont, raised by a mother who was, in the Chef's own words, a "pot-smoking hippie," but also a cook at a local restaurant. He started in the business at age 15, serving as a dishwasher at a Swiss fondue joint, and worked at a number of places in the area throughout high school. Ricker moved out to Vail, Colorado the day of his graduation and got a job there as a short order cook, then made his way up the ranks, eventually reaching the level of sous chef. He later relocated to Los Angeles, though not for culinary reasons, but left the United States to see the world in 1985. He was abroad for four years, landing in New Zealand, Australia, various parts of Asia (including Thailand in 1987), and even Europe, where he cooked at Raymond Blanc's Michelin-ranked Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons in England.

Ricker got back Stateside in 1989, and eventually secured a position at Christopher Israel's Zefiro in Portland. He ended up burning out, however, and, after a short stint as a bartender, took an eight year break from the restaurant business and started a painting company. Ricker's obsession with Thai cookery, thus, came almost accidentally in 1993, when he visited his old friend Chris and his wife Lakhana in Chiang Mai. He tasted a revelatory local puffball mushroom curry called kaeng het thawp, which got him hooked on the bounties of regional, seasonal northern Thai cuisine, and would return many times to further study the food there. After splitting his time between Portland and Thailand for nearly a decade (with a brief detour in 2003 to New York), he launched Pok Pok in 2005 as a take-out stall selling grilled game hens and som tam in the southeast portion of the City (at his own house). The shack garnered quite a following, which led Ricker to turn it into a proper restaurant the next year.

Pok Pok became a huge hit, even scoring the "Restaurant of the Year" award from The Oregonian in 2007. This success allowed Ricker to debut Ping in 2009, a pub-y sort of eatery that made Alan Richman's list of top 10 best new restaurants in the country, and was also The Oregonian's pick for "Rising Star." Ping was followed up by Whiskey Soda Lounge later that year, which had previously resided in the basement of Pok Pok. It served as a bar/lounge serving ahaan kap klaem, or drinking food. In January 2010, Ricker stepped away from Thai for a bit and opened Foster Burger with partners Daniel Mondok and Kurt Huffman, and soon thereafter, got a double dose of James Beard, nominated both for "Best Chef Northwest" and for "Best New Restaurant." In September however, he relinquished his stake in Foster Burger, ostensibly to focus on other projects such as his line of drinking vinegars, which went on sale that December.

March 2011 saw the debut of Pok Pok Noi, a take-out place (though it eventually turned into a full service restaurant the following May). This was followed by Ricker's snagging of James Beard's "Best Chef Northwest" award, and in September, he took over a spot just a few blocks from the original Pok Pok with the goal of transforming it into a curry place. He also announced his New York intentions around this time, and in October, Eddie Huang broke the news that a wing-focused eatery would be taking over his old Baohaus space in the Lower East Side. Meanwhile, Ricker also finalized plans for a full-service Pok Pok in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, and simultaneously bowed out of his responsibilities at Ping, citing his growing work load. Pok Pok Wing ended up opening in January 2012, while Pok Pok proper bowed in April. However, the wing joint didn't last long, closing in August and quickly replaced by a pad thai restaurant called Pok Pok Phat Thai.

2013 started with Ricker scrapping the idea for his Portland curry place Pok Pok Lat Khao. Instead, he premiered Sen Yai, a Thai noodle house, in May. Getting back to NYC, the Brooklyn branch of Whiskey Soda Lounge came to fruition that August, and the Chef released his cookbook Pok Pok: Food and Stories from the Streets, Homes, and Roadside Restaurants of Thailand, written in collaboration with JJ Goode, in October. Toward the end of the year, Pok Pok New York moved to a larger space just a few doors up the street, and the old space is reportedly turning into an event space called Suan Pok Pok. 2014, finally, will see the debut of Farang, a feature length documentary detailing Ricker's obsession with Thai cookery and the process of opening up Sen Yai.


Pok Pok's menu focuses on northern Thai, though the kitchen does deviate quite often (hell, the famous wings aren't even Thai). Most of the items are meant for sharing, and many tend to go well with sticky rice and booze. To drink, you'll find a legit cocktail list, a selection of lighter beers, a couple wines (Ricker doesn't seem to be a practitioner of the Night+Market school of pairing wine with Thai), and an impressive selection of whiskies; corkage is a reasonable $10 per bottle. Click for larger versions.


Tamarind Whiskey Sour [$9.00] | Tamarind, fresh lime juice, palm sugar and bourbon on the rocks.
Since it was my first time here, I had to give Pok Pok's signature cocktail a go. It didn't let me down, conveying a wonderful sweet spice against a balance of tart citrus, all underscored by the boozy weight of bourbon. Definitely worth a try.


Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings [$14.00] | Half dozen fresh whole natural chicken wings marinated in fish sauce and sugar, deep fried, tossed in caramelized Phu Quoc fish sauce and garlic and served with Vietnamese table salad. Our signature dish. Based on our daytime cook Ike's recipe from his home in Vietnam.
Naturally, we had to try the restaurant's much-talked-about wings, and it was quickly obvious why they've remained so popular throughout the years. They were largely the work of Ricker's first employee, Ich "Ike" Truong, and helped get Pok Pok off the ground in the early days. The wings were some of the best I've had: succulent and tender, with great crispy caramelized bits and a taste that perfectly commingled the inherent goodness of the chicken with just the right amount of sweetness and umami-laden funk of fish sauce. Accompanying the meat was a Vietnamese table salad--pickled carrots and daikon, cucumber, lettuce--that helped even out some of the strong flavors at play.


Plaa Neung Buai [$29.00] | steamed branzino with salted plums
Next was one of the evening's specials, a steamed whole Mediterranean seabass that I found tender, flaky, and delightfully delicate tasting. There were some great herb-y aromatics going on here that really elevated the fish without overpowering it, and I was especially fond of the richness of the mushrooms, as well as the sharp pricks of heat provided by the bird's eye chili.


Yam Thua Plun [$12.00] | wingbean "salad"
Another special brought us a plate of winged beans (thawphu), which I liked much more than I thought I would. The dish was super well-integrated and balanced, conveying some really elegant, yet bright and vivacious flavors, and was satisfying texturally as well.


Kaeng Hang Leh [$14.00] | Northern Thai sweet pork belly and pork shoulder curry with ginger, palm sugar, turmeric, tamarind, Burmese curry powder and pickled garlic. Rich and exotically spiced, a Chiang Mai classic with Burmese origins.
A Northern Thai stew gave us gorgeous chunks of pork that recalled hongshao rou, an explosion of deep, sweet, and savory flavors over a balance of tender, fatty, gelatinous flesh. Comforting and utterly gratifying.


Phat Khanaeng [$9.00] | Stir-fried brussels sprouts with Thai chilies, garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce and fish sauce.
I'm quite the Brussels sprouts fiend, and this was certainly a worthwhile rendition of one of my favorite veggies. I was a big fan of the crunchy, satisfying bite on the sprouts, and how their astringency paired with the rich umami flavors present.


Sai Ua Samun Phrai [$14.00] | Chiang Mai sausage with herbs, Burmese curry powder and aromatics. Charcoal grilled and served with Naam Phrik Num (spicy green chile dip), Khaep Muu (Thai pork rinds) and steamed crudites. Rustic and spicy, should be eaten with sticky rice.
Sai uah's one of my favorite types of tubed meat, and Ricker's was a classic presentation of the style: rustic, gritty, and just teeming with herbaceous, spicy notes that were amped up even more by the heat of the nam phrik num, all while the veggies strived to temper the experience.


Hunny [$10.00] | Fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice with lime. Som honey drinking vinegar and tequila.
Our next cocktail featured Ricker's Som drinking vinegar and was quite delicious, giving us a balance between jolts of tart citrus and an undercurrent of honeyed sweetness, the tequila adding just enough gravitas to the mix.


Lord Bergamot [$10.00] | Smith Teas bergamot tea infused vodka. Som honey drinking vinegar, orange liqueur and soda on the rocks.
This next drink also incorporated drinking vinegar, and displayed some great tea-like aromatics that really enveloped the drink's base of honey and orange.


Cha Ca "La Vong" [$15.00] | Catfish marinated in turmeric and sour rice, fried in turmeric oil with scallions and dill, served on rice vermicelli with peanuts, mint, cilantro and mam nem. Our stab at the famous dish from La Vong Restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Ricker returns to Vietnam here with his take on the legendary namesake dish of Cha Ca La Vong restaurant. It was a surprise winner, and quite possibly the best catfish I'd ever tasted. The fish was perfect texturally, and showed off a mouthwatering depth and complexity to it that melded seamlessly with the vibrant, verdant flavors of the various greenery here, all while the rice noodles moderated the entire interaction. Great crunch from those peanuts, too.


Hoi Thawt [$13.00] | Crispy broken crepe with steamed fresh mussels, eggs, garlic, chives and bean sprouts, served with Shark Sri Racha sauce. Thai street vendor's specialty, popular in night markets.
Yet another surprise hit of the night was the crepe, the dish showing off an almost hash brown-esque savor to it that really hit the spot, a perfect stage on which the brine of the mussels could really sing. Countering that was the lightness and crunch of the chives and sprouts, while the hot sauce added a fantastic bit of heat to complete the dish. Excellent--you can almost think of this as the best banh xeo that you've ever had.


Papaya Pok Pok [$9.00] | Spicy green papaya salad with tomatoes, long beans, Thai chili, lime juice, tamarind, fish sauce, garlic, palm sugar, dried shrimp and peanut, made to order in the pok pok (mortar and pestle). Our namesake. Needs Sticky Rice!!
Our final savory was Pok Pok's signature som tam, a laudable execution of the classic that gave us a mélange of disparate textures and a flavor profile that brought together sour, sweet, and a creeping undertone of spice with the bright nuances of papaya, the dried shrimp adding just the right amount of funk to the fray.


There are only a handful of desserts on offer at Pok Pok, which are joined by a surprisingly lengthy list of digestifs. Click for a larger version.


Pok Pok Affogato [$7.50] | Condensed milk ice cream drowned in a shot of Vietnamese coffee, served with patangko, fried Thai-style savory crullers.
Ricker's pathongko were superb with their combination of sweet and savory flavors and crisp bite, and ate very similarly to Chinese style youtiao. I thoroughly enjoyed them alone, but the application of affogato added another layer of goodness to the dessert.


Coconut Ice Cream Sandwich [$7.00] | Coconut-jackfruit ice cream served on a sweet bun with peanuts, sweet sticky rice, condensed milk and chocolate syrup. Found on any Thai street, especially in the markets.
We had to end with Pok Pok's ice cream sandwich. What set this apart I think was the jackfruit, which imparted another facet of fruitiness to things that really permeated the dessert. Everything just came together nicely here in sort of a light-hearted, multifaceted sweetness accented by a few savory bits here and there.

Pok Pok was a great introduction to the Portland food scene, and just a great meal in general, one filled with bold, yet balanced flavors that nonetheless managed to convey a certain elegance and finesse that you might not typically associate with Thai cookery. I can see how Ricker's cooking is helping change the face of the cuisine in the States, giving diners a taste of dishes that really weren't represented before, and still aren't for the most part, at least with the dash of bravado you find here. Can't make it to Portland? Kris Yenbamroong's Night+Market is like Pok Pok's brother from another mother, and has the benefit of Kris' own unique take on the food to boot.

Maude (Beverly Hills, CA)

Maude Restaurant
212 S Beverly Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90212
310.859.3418
www.mauderestaurant.com
Thu 02/20/2014, 08:50p-11:10p



February 1st marked the official grand opening of Maude, celebrity chef Curtis Stone's long-awaited "dream little restaurant" named after his grandmother. We'd heard rumors of an eatery since late 2010, but it was finally confirmed last year when he took over the old Pici Enoteca space on Beverly. I'm glad that Stone's forgoing something big, glitzy, and horrible (à la Guy Fieri), instead opening up a place that's right up my alley: small, seasonal, and tasting menu-focused.

About the Chef: An Australian native, Stone was born in 1975 to a family that loved cooking, and started in the kitchen with his mom and grandmum at age four. He attended the Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School, then went to study business before leaving to pursue a career in the culinary field. Stone's first real job in the biz, at age 18, was an apprenticeship at the Savoy Hotel in his hometown of Melbourne. Following, he ate his way around Europe before arriving in London to seek employment with the legendary Marco Pierre White, whose autobiographical cookbook White Heat was the first he'd ever read. At age 22, Stone realized his dream and began cooking under White at The Grill Room at the Café Royal Hotel. A year later, in 1998, he moved to White's newly-opened Mirabelle, starting as a chef de partie before being promoted to Sous after six months. After helping the restaurant secure a Michelin star, he transitioned to White's Italian-influenced Quo Vadis, where he spent four years as head chef and helped earn the spot a star from Michelin.

While Stone was working at Quo Vadis, he was approached by a publisher who wanted him to appear in the book London on a Plate, written about the City's best chefs. Once the volume was released, he received a call from Jamie Oliver's agent and began doing television work in Britain, appearing on Taste Today, Good Food Live, Saturday Kitchen, This Morning, and even filming a 15-episode series called Dinner in a Box in 2002. The next year, Stone returned home to Australia to film traveling cooking show Surfing the Menu with fellow chef Ben O'Donoghue. In 2004, he hosted the reality show My Restaurant Rules, then moved back to London to help relaunch Bluebird in Chelsea with Sir Terence Conran.

Stone relocated to the US in 2006, finding work on TLC's Take Home Chef, which introduced him to American audiences. This led to further TV appearances, including on shows such as Today and Martha. In 2010, he competed on Season 8 of Iron Chef America, losing to Bobby Flay in Battle Skipjack Tuna. This was followed up by a stint on Season 9 of The Apprentice, where he finished in fourth place, and then a role on NBC's America's Next Great Restaurant in 2011. Stone's next gig brought him to Bravo, where he famously replaced Kelly Choi on Top Chef Masters, and in 2012, the network made him co-host of Around the World in 80 Plates, along with Cat Cora. His latest score came late last year, when it was announced that he'd be guest-hosting The Chew on ABC. In between all these various projects, Stone's also been able to release three cookbooks: Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone in 2009, Cooking with Curtis in 2010, and What's for Dinner? in 2013.

Despite all this mainstream success, Stone never had his own restaurant, so that's where Maude comes in, serving as a sort of passion project for the Chef. Inklings of the spot first appear back in 2010, when Steven Fretz left XIV and joined Stone's organization. The two were reportedly working on a restaurant together, but the idea ultimately went nowhere. Fretz, of course, landed at The Church Key, while Stone ended up purchasing Pici Enoteca (which used to be Bossa Nova's Beverly Hills outpost) in early 2013. He reworked the space and a hired pedigreed team--proudly advertised as hailing from Alinea, El Bulli, French Laundry, Joël Robuchon, Torrisi Italian Specialties, and Vue de Monde--before debuting Maude (in soft-opening mode) in January this year.


The only dining option at Maude is a nine-course tasting menu, which features a monthly-changing ingredient that's featured in some form or another in every course ("citrus" for February). The price is set at a very reasonable $75 (with some wiggle room depending on ingredient), and wine pairings tack on another $55. Also to drink, you'll find a pretty good selection of beers, ciders, wines, and sakes chosen by GM/Wine Director Ben Aviram (Elizabeth, Alinea, The French Laundry), and corkage is set at $30 a bottle (limit one per person). Click for a larger version.


1a: Lime Sorbet
H. Goutorbe, "Cuvee Prestige", Champagne, France N.V
A meal at Maude begins with a series of snacks, the first of which brought together lime sorbet and Cara Cara segments. It was a super light, refreshing sort of dish meant to awaken the palate, the initial sourness of lime leading to sweeter notes from the orange.


1b: Oysters and Caviar
H. Goutorbe, "Cuvee Prestige", Champagne, France N.V
It doesn't get much more classic than oysters and caviar, but Stone mixed things up here with the inclusion of what I believe was a cava-citrus gelée. Think tangy and sweet, intermingled with a focused, forceful salinity, going back and forth on the tongue. A great match to the paired Champagne, which I found delightfully toasty and uncommonly rich, with a particularly intriguing fruitiness to it.


1c: Gougère
H. Goutorbe, "Cuvee Prestige", Champagne, France N.V
Next up were what must be the tiniest gougères ever. Cuteness aside, they showed off the cheesy goodness that you'd expect, but one joined by almost ethereal notes of artichoke.


1d: Onion Bhaji
H. Goutorbe, "Cuvee Prestige", Champagne, France N.V
Here was Stone's take on the traditional Indian snack of onion bhaji. They conveyed traditional South Asian flavors along with a sort of lingering bitterness, the cilantro-mint-lime crème fraîche brightening up the experience.


1e: Crispy Mussel
H. Goutorbe, "Cuvee Prestige", Champagne, France N.V
The final of the fivesome gave us crispy mussels with blood orange aioli, a spot on rendition of the fritter that had a delectable savoriness to it that was smartly paired with creeping notes of the citrus toward the back end.


2: Garden Salad | Pearl Onion, Buttermilk, Nasturtium
George Skouras, Moscofilero, Peloponnese, Greece 2012
Our first proper course was Stone's interpretation of the ubiquitous chef's salad, comprised of winter greens, oro blanco, and pickled onion, then dressed with caraway-buttermilk. I liked the bitter base to the dish, as well as the bevy of textures going on, but the crux was that dressing, which had a creaminess to it that tied everything together, but also, critically, a hint of anise-y flavor that really differentiated the dish.


3: Carrot Soup | Smoke Parsnip, Orange, Serrano Ham
George Skouras, Moscofilero, Peloponnese, Greece 2012
You have to have a soup with your salad, and the one here was of the carrot-orange variety, featuring smoked parsnip cream, a jamón serrano chip, and parsley purée. I usually abhor carrot soups, but this one truly hit the mark: a hearty, comforting potage with a great depth of flavor, laced with a subtle undercurrent of sweetness, the ham adding a welcomed jolt of salt and crunch to the fray. Superb with the paired wine and its interplay between floral/fruity and saline flavors.


4: Lobster | Crimson Turnip, Radish, Brioche
Hitori Musume, Junmai Nigori, Ibaraki, Japan
A standout for me was the crudo, which combined spiny lobster with crimson turnip cream, watermelon radish, lemon, fennel, and a brioche tuile. The crustacean itself was slick and snappy, displaying just a modicum of sweetness that paired swimmingly against the bitter crunch of the root veggies, all while the herb-y accents present heightened the dish even further.


5: Terrine | Chicken, Pain Perdu, Mustard
Breton, "Clos Senechal", Bourgueil, France 2010
I was a fan of the terrine as well, a layered presentation of pain perdu, chicken, mushroom, tangerine gel, and dill, all accompanied by a Dijon ice cream. I loved the deep, soulful flavors here, and how they played off of the nuances of bittersweet citrus and herbaceous dill, the mustard acting as an appropriately piquant counterpoint to the mash-up.


6: "Duck, Duck Goose" | Duck Egg, Smoked Goose Fat, Swiss Chard
Breton, "Clos Senechal", Bourgueil, France 2010
The whimsically-named ravioli was a crowd pleaser, an amalgam of duck mousse, Swiss chard, smoked goose fat, grated dehydrated salted duck yolk, beurre blanc, and Brussels sprouts. I was quite enamored with the deep, lush flavors of the birds here, a succulent, almost buttery sensation that was tempered just enough by the greenery, with a peek of citrus showing through toward the close.


7: Snake River Farm's Beef | Beef Cheek, Broccoli, Rosti
Emilio Moro, Ribera del Duero, Spain 2009
Our final savory brought us American-style wagyu rib eye from Snake River Farms, paired with broccoli and broccoli purée, wood sorrel, potato rösti, and a cube of braised cheek atop a disk of rutabaga. I wish that the steak were a touch more succulent, but I had no qualms with its taste, which worked wonderfully alongside the citrus-y and broccoli notes in the dish. The cheek, meanwhile, was even more luxurious, as dark and tender and gelatinous and deep as you'd want, a great counterpoint to the comparatively subdued flavors of the rutabaga. Perhaps my favorite thing here, though, was the potato, a super savory, satisfying preparation of the ingredient that was amplified by the intoxicating aromatics of what I believe was rosemary.


8: Abbaye de Belloc | Mostarda, Semolina Crackers
Emilio Moro, Ribera del Duero, Spain 2009
There's no room for a proper cheese cart at Maude, so fromage was represented by a lone block of Abbaye de Belloc, shaved tableside. The sheep's milk varietal was to my liking, a semi-hard, creamy sort of cheese that ate well with the citrus mostarda and the crackers in particular (which had a savoriness to them that I swear recalled La Choy Crispy Noodles).


At this point, Pastry Chef Vanessa brought out a pre-dessert of orange blossom madeleines. They were rather fetching, with a wondrously lingering floral quality to them that combined exquisitely with the hefty salted caramel.


9: Lemon Curd | Dulcey Cremeux, Yuzu Sorbet, Hempseed
Badia a Coltibuono, Vin Santo, Tuscany, Italy 2006
Dessert proper comprised lemon curd, Dulcey cremeux, shortbread, and a crème fraîche-yuzu sorbet. I found the dish very well integrated, with homey, yet elevated flavors that balanced sweet and sour with a buttery, subtly savory flair. A lovely complement to the paired dessert wine.


Mignardises arrived in sets of five. Going right to left, we have: light, airy blood orange marshmallows; Limoncello macarons that conveyed a taste reminiscent of lemon Starbursts(!); super aromatic Buddha's hand pâtes de fruits; chocolate-kumquat thumbprints; and satsuma-chocolate truffles, which showed off that classic chocolate-orange interplay.


Take home gifts included lemon butter and a mini loaf of brioche, both of which I enjoyed for lunch the following day.

I'm happy to report that I was decidedly satisfied with my meal at Maude. I think there are quite a few people that'll be surprised with the place, since, around these parts, Stone is known for more for his camera-friendly looks and extensive television work than his cooking. People don't realize his background, the fact that he ran a Michelin-starred place for Marco back in the day, and so with this restaurant, he's showing us that he's more than just a pretty face and can actually run a kitchen (and yes, he was actually in the kitchen most of the night, not just working the dining room). The cooking's on point, and I'm a fan of the concept, of featuring a key ingredient that must be weaved throughout the menu, sometimes as the hero in the dish, but other times in a supporting, or even barely discernable role. Maude's likely the most interesting, ambitious new restaurant to grace Beverly Hills in a while, and is the type of place that I sorta want to revisit periodically, just to see what they do with each month's secret ingredient. I suspect that many others might want to do the same after eating here.