Please The Palate |

Dinner and Music at Spaghettini & the Dave Koz Lounge Beverly Hills

When I went to lunch at Spago a few months ago, I saw that a new place was going in next door called Spaghettini. Silly me thought that meant that it was a "little Spago." But it's not. It's actually the second location for a successful restaurant and music venue, owned by Laurie Sisneros and Cary Hardwick, that has been in Seal Beach for 26 years. Spaghettini is a large rectangular space that is wide open. With white walls and dark wood and blue accents, it is rather simple in its décor, but also modernly elegant.

We started at the bar and ordered a couple drinks to start the evening. We ordered The Home Slice (apple ginger soda, Angel's Envy Bourbon, citrus) and The Duet (El Dorado 12 Year Rum, Rhum JM, honey, Italian sweet vermouth, Angostura, grapefruit peel). The Home Slice was refreshing with the sweetness of the bourbon on the finish. But, I would have liked a bit more acidity or bite on the front of the palate. The apple ginger soda seemed a bit muted. The Duet on the other hand was a well balanced cocktail. Perhaps not the first drink you want for the night on a chilly night, it was perfect. The cocktails range from $15-$18 and are a bit steep.

15 January, 2015

Ocean Prime Beverly Hills

A new steak house in Beverly Hills sounds a bit cliché. I can think of at least five within walking distance of each other. But, now there is a new one - Ocean Prime, the first California outpost of a restaurant group, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, out of Columbus, Ohio. Located where the El Torito stood for many years, on the corner of Wilshire and Camden, it is a stunning venue and more importantly it is more than a steakhouse. They also emphasize top-quality fish with a raw bar and full seafood menu. Ocean Prime is a 350-seat restaurant broken into two parts separated by a building entrance. On the right side is the lounge with a full bar that leads out to a huge patio overlooking Wilshire Blvd. On the left side, past the hostess stand is another lounge/bar that feeds into a large dining room, as well as a couple more private rooms. If you sit in the dining room, as we did, you will pass the raw bar as you are taken to your seat. So, that is where we started on the menu.

24 November, 2014

Maude: Superb Seasonal Tasting Menu

Curtis Stone opened up his tiny little restaurant Maude in Beverly Hills at the end of January. I called to make a reservation as soon as I heard that it was opening and the first reservation I could get was a 9pm in March so I grabbed it and waited in anticipation for the date to arrive.

Maude is a fairly small restaurant that has approximately 25 seats. The kitchen is open and no matter where you sit, you can watch the cooks at work. In a way, it feels like you are going to a friend's house for a dinner party as the space is intimate and charming, like an intimate chef’s table experience.

25 April, 2014