Viewing entries tagged
buratta

Georgie - Beverly Hills

September 9, 2017

I had the pleasure of dining at Georgie located in what I like to call restaurant row of Beverly Hills. Tucked away in Montage Beverly Hills you will find Georgie, a modern American cuisine showcasing quality ingredients treated with Michelin technique-driven preparations by Executive Chef Wilfrid Hocquet. Extremely humble and passionate about cooking, he brings his many years of experience from working in Michelin Restaurants in France to Le Louis XV out in Monaco.

G eorgie
225 N. Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Without much time put in (ok maybe a little), we ordered a few rounds of appetizers to start.

The fennel added such a nice touch without being too herbaceous. I loved the crackling of coarse salt which complimented the butter. These are made to order and something I would recommend.

House Pâté cut up into squares so it's easy to share. Topped with Peach Compote, Pickles, Jus Vinaigrette. There's all kinds of meat mixture in this. I believe there is chicken, duck, foie gras, and a few more. Good stuff.

Served with Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Calamansi. I can almost never say no to Hamachi Crudo. It's always a refreshing appetizer that feels guilt free. Gorgeous plating again.

Meaty Dungeness Crab served with Cucumber, Preserved Lemon Aioli, Tomato Jelly. Another extremely refreshing appetizer. And if you've never had tomato jelly, you are missing out. This dish is what summer is all about.

Burrate is slowly surfacing a lot of restaurants these days. Georgie showcases the burrata with Stone Fruit, Market Tomatoes, Apple Cider Vinaigrette. The fruits were a mixture of goodies. All in season. Loved how all the appetizers ties in together.

This was the special of the night. Handmade Cavatelli pasta with braised oxtail. The oxtail was so tender. The Cavatelli pasta was delicious with the slightest chew you love from fresh pasta. I would be on a lookout for specials if you come.

A fish you would rarely find in any restaurants. I believe it's a European Sea Bass. Delicate and holds up to a lot of flavors. Served with Artichokes, Zucchini, Saffron Sauce. The silky skin on the fish is captivating.

Perfectly cooked rack of lamb. Little to no gaminess which is what I prefer. Served with ground lamb stuffed in eggplant, chickpea crisps, and savory jus. It's hard to find lamb cooked like this. I feel like in America, we love things with tons of char. I know that's how I like my meat at least. This had a slight golden brown all around the lamb. It didn't take over the flavor of the meat. This was really good. I would order this again.

Chicken is not something I would order. EVER. I can't put together what can make chicken breast different from one to another. I love making it at home, don't get me wrong. But at a restaurant especially one as fancy as this, I would never. But, our host, the ever so sweet Cassandra, highly recommends we tried it. Chicken Breast, served with Confit Carrots, Blackened Potatoes, Tarragon Aioli. BEST bite of the night. Or, hands down probably the best dish of the night. The chicken breast was sous vide so the protein of the meat has broken down to something I've never experienced before in a chicken breast. It almost had a texture of a medium cooked tenderloin. Not stringy at all, easy to cut with a butter knife. Those blackened potatoes were also on a different level. I can never eat potatoes the same way anymore. I can't... with this dish. Must order.

Almost there guys.

Man. Desserts never hit me this hard. I'm not a big sweets girl. All my friends know that. Even my attitude shows. But this was flipping good. We think that might be a pistachio gelato. Salted Almond Butter Gelato, Almond Dacquoise, Malted Milk Crumble. If I died that day, I would be happy. But I didn't. And another dessert was served.

This should be the last thing you eat. If you want something rich, order an espresso or hot coffee. Fresh Mint Chip Gelato & Sweet Cream. I slapped my forehead in disbelief how delicious that mint chip gelato was. With the sweet strawberries and little meringue... there's no other way to end the night.

But it ends. I will be back soon. They seem to have a pretty tasty looking breakfast menu as well I am dying to try.

Thank you Georgie for having me.

Au Revoir

Georgie
225 N. Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

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Claudine - Encino

June 15, 2016

A little bio on Claudine,

"Claudine Artisan Kitchen & Bakeshop is the collaborative effort of Chef Anthony Jacquet and Pastry Chef Lea Newton, whose combined skills and culinary passions have led to the opening of a globally-influenced neighborhood café and bakeshop in the San Fernando Valley. Named after Jacquet’s late sister, the driving force behind his decision to become a chef, Claudine Artisan Kitchen & Bakeshop is a full service restaurant, bakeshop, coffee bar, and grab n’ go deli. Serving only the highest quality food made with local and sustainable ingredients, Claudine Artisan Kitchen & Bakeshop features an assortment of breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes.Highlighting the bounty of local and seasonal produce in California, the restaurant’s menu draws inspiration from the many cultures and people who have shaped the city."

16350 Ventura Blvd., Suite F, Encino, CA 91436

Located on Ventura Blvd in Encino is where you will find Claudine. From the outside, it blends it with the neighborhood Chipotle which sits in the same center. But walking inside, the expectations are blown away by how adorable this place is. Open kitchen with tons of baked goods ready for you to hover over. Everything is made fresh daily, so if you see low inventory, that's a good sign.

Claudine also serves wine and beer which is always a plus. I started with a Stone IPA. They also carried a few specialty cocktails like sangrias and micheladas.

We had a few dishes to sample, all delicious. They make their own house cured lox on toast. The salmon was not overly salty served on top of some preserved Lemon Cream Cheese, Pickled Shallots, Cucumber and Capers. Their Briana's Short Rib Grilled Cheese is also a must order. Stuffed with Stout Braised Onions, Roasted Mushrooms, ‘Merican Cheese, Black Vinegar Teriyaki, and russet wedges. Get your napkins ready.

They also make their own naan pizzas. We've tried 2 and fell in love instantly. Cianna's Naan-Zza: pesto, buratta, bacon, mushrooms and asparagus. Serrano Ham and Olive Naan-Zza: fresno chile, buratta cheese and oregano. The Lea's Lightened Quiche was a winner all around. Custard made with spinach, basil, and only one egg with salad greens (SO GOOD).

If you are not sure what to do about your life, order the Malted Milk Pancakes. Cinnamon-Blueberry compote, salted honey butter, Warm Maple Syrup and Bacon. Sandwich this baby together and eat it with pride. Lot's of it.

16350 Ventura Blvd., Suite F, Encino, CA 91436

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The Factory Kitchen - DTLA

June 6, 2016

If you think you know DTLA, there's still a lot of little nooks and cranny for you to go through. Seems like every time you find a new restaurant, you end up discovering 5 more. It just never stops. The Factory Kitchen is one of those restaurants you kind of have to be in the know to hear about it. Luckily, this place was passed along through word of mouth, and I was fortunate to try out a few of their signature cocktails paired with a few of their tasty bites.

A few cocktails

All the cocktails had were delicious and friendly to drink. There wasn't one that I wasn't able to consume. Nothing was overly sweet and can always be adjusted if you are sensitive. Love the spicy Mezcaline.

This thing right here was pretty freaking awesome. Besides the parma prosciutto being amazing and aged for 24 months, it's served on top of a lightly fried sage dough with stracciatella cheese on top. The stracciatella cheese would remind me of a consistency like Burrata cheese, but like shreds, hence the name. Amazing quality to make this one of my favorites on the menu.

They also have a few selections of amazing Focaccina Calda Di Recco Al Formaggio. Thin dough with crescenza cheese that brings a lovely salty and briny finish. Loved all the renditions from san marzano tomatoes, capers, anchovies, oregano to foraged mushrooms, zucchini blossoms, ligurian olive oil and parsley. Crispy to eat. Makes you feel great without the guilt.

For dessert, we shared an order of bigne.

Definitely worth a shot to come by if you are looking for a destination in DTLA. Seating's were forgivable, but can be packed so get ready to wait if you don't have reservations. This just might be the birthday destination for me. Just might.

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Wine & Dine

Georgie - Beverly Hills

Claudine - Encino

The Factory Kitchen - DTLA

A few cocktails