Please The Palate |

Summer is Here and Napa Valley Grille has a special menu to celebrate it!

Just as the summer started, Napa Valley Grille in Westwood Village reopened after a major renovation. And now that summer is underway, Napa Valley Grille is offering a special three course pre-fixe summer menu that will be available until the first of September. The theme of the summer menu is grilling. But the menu is not a bunch of grilled meats and vegetables. Various ingredients are grilled, resulting in charring which brings out different flavor profiles. For the first course, there is a choice between Summer Corn Soup and Grilled Octopus. The Summer Corn Soup with grilled baby corn, sesame crackers, blue croutons and micro cilantro tastes liked the corn is fresh off the grill. The char flavor of the corn is dominant and the soup is rather light but could have used a little more seasoning.

Summer Corn Soup, grilled baby corn, sesame crackers, blue croutons, micro cilantro

08 August, 2016

Nuevo Rancho Cuisine at Sausal El Segundo

El Segundo is the small beach community just south of LAX. I accidentally ended up there once when I missed a turn off of Sepulveda on the way to the airport. But recently I made a point of going there to check out Sausal, a restaurant featuring Nuevo Rancho cuisine. In fact, I hopped off a flight to LAX and was there in less than ten minutes.

Sausal is named after Rancho Sausal Redondo, the vast farmstead that once encompassed El Segundo and most of the South Bay. It offers a modern take on rancho-inspired cuisine with an emphasis on wood-fired, slow-roasted cooking. This Nuevo Rancho cuisine melds the bold flavors of Mexican cuisine with the essential flavors of citrus, olives and figs that were brought by the Spanish missionaries and with the fresh California vegetables and produce.

At the head of the restaurant is Chef Anne Conness, who has worked for Michael Cimarusti at Water Grill, Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton at Campanile, Mako Tanaka at Wolfgang Puck’s Chinois on Main and Alex Scrimgeour at Saddlepeak Lodge and ALEX.

05 August, 2016

The Springs LA: A Calming Oasis in the Heart of the DTLA Arts District

In the middle of the day, I sat in traffic to get across the city from the westside of Los Angeles to the downtown LA Arts District. It was a rather frustrating drive considering it was not during rush hour and I was stuck behind a lot of trucks.

When I entered The Springs, a sense of serenity came over me. Perhaps it is because it is a yoga and wellness center that lends a calmness to the space. But, perhaps it is the massive open space with high ceilings and the bright color chairs and accents against the slate-gray, industrial base that has a calming effect.

As you walk into the space, the restaurant is in the front. Yes, the menu is generally gluten-free, free of refined sugar and uses organic, local and sustainable produce. And it is vegan, except for the sustainable eggs that are responsibly sourced from Petaluma Farms. After all, remember that The Springs is a yoga and wellness center.

01 August, 2016