Ok, what’s with the food scene on Abbot Kinney?  It seems to hover somewhere between casual/creative and uptight/snobbish.  It certainly has a big attitude for such a small street.  You want a reservation when?  That’s laughable.  You don’t like the table you’re sitting at?  Tough.  You want to leave the speck out of the salad?  We don’t do substitutions, the chef is an artist.  Puhlease.  Why do we put up with this?  Because some of those atmosphere-less industrial spaces are actually great.  It was with this in mind that we tried the latest, The Tasting Kitchen.  We were sat in the packed front dining room, a large plain cube with what has to be the worst acoustics since Border Grill.  We found ourselves yelling over the din.  At one point, a screeching patron at the table behind ours drowned out our server.  She stopped talking, turned to look at her, then turned back to us shrugged her shoulders and shouted, “Happy Tuesday!”  The cacophonous crowd were a mixture of suits, flannel, tattoos, dreadlocks, and sundresses.  Once we adjusted, we went over the ‘bill of fare’.  You know those menus that must list every ingredient and its provenance?  This ain’t one of those.  Things like Cluck ‘n frites and halibut. blossoms. creme. abound, which left us confused.  The server soon sorted us out.  I was impressed to see stichelton.cow.uk. under cheeses, so we ordered that with some bread and butter.  The bread was wonderful; warm, crusty, delicious.  Off to a good start.  Then we tried the frittura di verdure.  well-executed tempura vegetables with a delightful aioli.  We moved on to a butter lettuce salad with blue cheese and tarragon.  Good, but I’m a firm believer that butter lettuce requires a delicate dressing or it gets lost.  Here the dressing was too heavy-handed.  Finally, we tried the spaghetti/tomatoes/basil, not exactly revolutionary cuisine.  But I can honestly say, it was one of the best I have ever had.  Tangy, fresh, perfectly cooked large spaghetti.  We were impressed that the chef could inspire us with such a plain dish.  At that point, the noise levels were beginning to grate on our nerves and we had to leave.  I’d definitely go again, only with earplugs.

The Tasting Kitchen

(310) 392-6644  www.thetastingkitchen.com/

I have a real problem with market (veggie) plates.  Throwing together on one plate all the side dishes that were specifically designed to go with meats is not what I call good restauranteering.  The practice treats vegetarians as afterthoughts.  I mean come on, a chef can’t come up with even one veggie main?  I almost never order a market plate.  But there are always exceptions to the rule.  There is one restaurant in LA that I always order the veggie plate.  It may seem odd to order vegetarian at Cut in Beverly Hills, however the choices are amazing.  Recently I created my own plate out of english and snap peas with morels and young garlic, creamed spinach with organic egg, decadent and luscious cavatappi mac and cheese with Quebec cheddar, and chanterelle mushrooms.  I love experimenting and playing with the various favors.  The food is always sublime, the service as near perfect as you can get, and the wonderful atmosphere created by the giant photos of famous people cooly staring down at the patrons as real flesh-and-blood stars stare back.  (Last time, I sat next to Andie MacDowell.)  It a magic formula for a perfect Saturday night out.  

A recent dinner with friends at Hatfield’s proved to be a lovely evening.  The owners, Quinn and Karen Hatfield have kept the configuration of the space the same as the Goodell’s Red Pearl Kitchen, the previous inhabitant, but have cleaned it up and made it airier, crowned by a large geometric honeycomb chandelier creating the illusion of a hive.  The open kitchen pulls one into the action as the chefs and kitchen staff scurry like bees, creating a delightful menu of some truly memorable dishes.  We selected the vegetarian prix fixe which consisted of a Roasted Sunchoke and Rocket Salad which was surprisingly delicious with the inclusion of unsuspected ‘falafel crumble’.  The impressive Fricassee of Chanterelle and Fave Beans with hand-rolled garaganelle and parsnip ‘bacon’ continued the ‘wow’ factor.  The dish was well-executed, creamy, satisfying and well-balanced.  Next came the Wild Mushroom “Cannelloni” which consisted of oat groats inside an oat crepe with marinated radish and pickled beets.  This was the only disappointment in an otherwise stellar meal. Although the texture was rich and meaty, the flavors were dull and flat and shortly lead to boredom.  Thankfully the delightful Beignets served with a small dish of melted chocolate and a mini-milkshake (did I taste a hint of cardamom?) came to the rescue.  I love a dessert that can be played with and although perhaps now a bit passé, I’m a big fan of deconstructed desserts.  I find something so sensual in dipping a lightly sweetened beignet into unctuous, oozing chocolate and cooling it with a sip of rich, creamy milkshake as it luxuriously slides down the back of the throat, .  It was fun, playful, and utterly delicious.  A perfect way to end a perfectly respectable dinner.  Service was spotty but attentive enough to ensure a decent enough timeline.  All in all, a memorable meal and well worth the visit.  Now about that curious apple sculpture near the entrance…

There is hardly a more lovely place in Los Angeles to linger over a salad and glass of Sancerre than Bar Bouchon, at the Montage in Beverly Hills.  The downstairs diminutive version of Thomas Keller’s Bouchon  upstairs, Bar Bouchon is a charmer with a simplified menu and friendly staff.  There are few places to sit inside, but trust me,  you won’t want to.  Grab an outside table and on a splendid sunny afternoon, you’ll feel transported to a French cafe. 

235 Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, 90210  (310) 271-9910 bouchonbistro.com

If you haven’t yet been to Culina at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, stop what you’re doing, go to Opentable and make a reservation now.  You will not regret it.  The newly remodeled restaurant bears little resemblance to the previous one.  The interior space is beautifully decorated, bright, and modern.  But I recommend asking for a patio seat.  You’ll be swept past the crudo bar and onto one of the loveliest spaces for al fresco dining in LA right now.  This is what you want Beverly Hills to feel like; comfortable and welcoming yet refined and elegant with a slight clubby feel.  I was instantly at home when I took my place on an overstuffed banquette on a recent visit, the balmy evening air heavy with the perfume of orange blossom and night blooming jasmine.  John, our server, was friendly and helpful as we studied the menu.  The chef is Victor Casanova who has previously worked in Scottsdale, Las Vegas, and San Francisco.   I decided on the ‘piccoli piatti’, in which one chooses three of many small plates as a starter.  My piati consisted of  fava beans with mint and pecorino, artichoke with lemon and rosemary, and eggplant with pesto and caprino (an Italian fresh goat cheese).  All three were thoroughly delicious, but it was the fava beans which made me melt.  Likewise the ‘mista’ salad consisting of ribbons of asparagus, raw artichoke, mushrooms, arugula, and lemon vinaigrette balanced the flavors perfectly and rivals the best carciofi salads in town (Toscana and Ago).  We went straight for the pizzas.  The  charming manager, Kelly, came around to check on our dinner (a nice touch).  With tongue in cheek, she told us that they were going to push Mozza’s pizzas out of the limelight.  While I love Mozza, personally I prefer a thinner crust like Gjelina.  Here they get it right; crisp, thinner than Mozza but still substantial, charred in places, and wonderfully flavorful.  The tartufo (truffle) pizza was remarkable.  Other menu items looked impressive as well; a tableside panzanella for two, arancini with truffle oil, spaghetti alla chitarra, a balsamic potato carpaccio pizza.  The  entire experience was wonderful.  I can’t wait to return.