date night — Wine & Dine

I've been to Napa Valley Grille twice already as well as talking about them here before. Coming here for my third time, I wasn't too sure with what to expect besides possibly trying out the rest of the menu items I've yet to lay my fork on. Without much notice, I made a reservation for the following day.

Upon arrival, we were informed that Chef Clinton had prepared a few special dishes for us to try. Without hesitation, I resigned the menu as I decided to let the chef prepare the whole meal for us.

|The first course| Melon Bowl |

When I first saw this.. I was caught off guard. My literal thoughts were wtf, where am I? This was definitely not something I am used to seeing at NVG.

The dish looked simple. A bowl of melons. But as you ate into this, you begin to realize how brilliant this course was. This melon bowl was the best starting course I've had all year. The flavors were bright, refreshing, and the citrus gazpacho hidden under these balls of wonder really opened up my palate for the next course.

|Second Course| Avocado Ravioli |

Yes. Avocado Ravioli. Inside the avocado is more of that house Steelhead Gravlax. Served with thinly sliced pickled cucumbers to help cut through the richness of the avocado and Steelhead. The choice of fresh herbs that was playfully placed made each bite fresh and vibrant.

|Third Course| Scallops |

Sweet Corn | Heart of Palm| Lava Fennel Salt | Ginger Citrus

At this point. I can't help but constantly look over my shoulders to see when the next creations arrive. I haven't had scallops in a long time. One of the reasons (if not the only) is people always mess it up. Either they are overcooked or sadly cooked with no sear marks. These were in no comparison to sad scallops. Beautifully seared served on top of a sweet corn puree/sauce, heart of palm with lava fennel salt on top, and a ginger citrus gastrique.

|Fourth Course| "Surf and Turf" |

Smoked King Crab | Bernaise | Wagyu | Armagnac Sauce | Crispy Rice

An amazing pairing with A5 wagyu beef with an Armagnac Sauce and a perfectly, but lightly smoked King Crab with a Bernaise sauce sitting in a claw. Beef was marbled and tender. Crab was definitely acting like a King with the crispy rice wrapped around like a crown. After this meal, I still had a lingering smoked sensation on my palate. Was pretty wonderful actually.

| Fifth Course | Dessert |

Basil Oil Cake | Creme Friache| Fruit | Strawberry Sorbet

How perfect is this. A basil cake with a strawberry sorbet to bring lighter flavors after a smokey entree. The basil olive cake eaten with the sorbet and all the components on the dish screams summertime. We enjoyed this with coffee. So delightful.

I spoke with Chef Clinton about his concepts and ideas. Playing with fresh local ingredients, he is able to create special tasting menus for any occasion. Napa Valley Grilled is open to preparing special menus such as the one I've experienced the past weekend. I would recommend for you to start thinking about your next food adventure with a group of friends. Call ahead and arrange a special menu, or go in a bigger group to share the fun.\

1100 Glendon Ave #100, Los Angeles, CA 90024 :: (310) 824-3322

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Nook Bistro is the perfect neighborhood spot to get your grub on. When we arrived, it immediately felt like a place you would need to be in the know to find. The restaurant is tucked away in a plaza and extremely easy to miss. So make apple maps or google maps your best friend.

Yes, they have a full bar with a big list of cocktails for you to try. I've decided to switch it up tonight by sipping a Manhattan instead of my usual Old Fashion. It was perfect for the evening. And I honestly just wanted the Luxardo cherry. It's a great treat to have once the drink is finished.

This was new on the Happy Hour Menu. Generous sized meatballs in a delicious marinara sauce.

Lightly fried tortilla filled with blackened shrimp, cabbage, roasted poblano pepper, avocado crema. The shrimp had a lot of flavor and packed a lot more wow than how it looks. This item is also in their happy hour.

The New Zealand Green Lip Mussel is cooked with andouile sausage, oven-dried tomato, garlic, herbs and white wine saffron broth. My favorite part was dipping that bread into that saffron white wine broth.

This calamari is fried then tossed in a citrus-soy vinaigrette and served with a wasabi dipping sauce. Fried Calamari is always a go to in my book no matter how overdone it is on menus.

The prime rib eye is seared to a perfect medium rare served with brandy sauteed apples, mushroom demi-glace, and crispy buttermilk onion rings. Every post workout meal should look like this. Pair this with a glass of wine(s) for the ultimate satisfaction.

These Spicy Gulf shrimp is prepared with Logan's Turnpike Stone ground grits and linguisa sausage. The sausage was nice and smokey which went really well with the creamy grits. The shrimps were plump and cooked perfectly. If everyone had shrimp and grits, the world would be a better place.

These large dayboat scallops are pan seared and served on top of a shiitake and english pea risotto, slow dried tomato, and shellfish broth. It's fantastic when scallops get a beautiful caramelized sear like this, makes them that much sweeter.

Silky Key lime pie with a blueberry compote and whipped cream. Goes great with a cup of black coffee.

I recommend making reservations.

11628 Santa Monica Blvd Ste 9, Los Angeles, CA 90025

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