Epicurean: Little Dom's

In our eating and drinking anniversary festivities, FT and I decided to try Little Dom's in Los Feliz for lunch. We sat at one of the booths in the bar area and enjoyed the warm afternoon sunlight streaming through the expanse of windows. The bartender was our server and he was superb. He was personable, recommended an excellent summer afternoon cocktail (that he prepared with evident expertise) and when it came to dessert, suggested a strawberry polenta shortcake that I nearly finished off without giving FT a taste!

While we were there, we noticed an advertisement for their next Monday night wine tasting. We queried the bartender about it, and found out that they did a wine tasting every Monday night, from wines they usually only sold by the bottle. They run about $15 for a three-wine flight and are available throughout the evening.

We decided to check out the one on the 21st, and invited two other couples to join us. We met at 8 PM and found seats around the bar. Four of us went with the wine flights (a selection of whites from northern Italy), while two of the gentleman decided on beer, albeit Italian as well (Peroni). Our favorite bartender (whose name I have yet to ask) was there again, and was very knowledgeable about the wines he poured. (He also poured generously, a fine trait in a bartender!) Although I am usually a red drinker myself, I quite enjoyed the selection, especially when we paired it with two desserts (a delicious cheesecake and a trio of sorbets). Combined with the pleasure of good conversation, it was another excellent Little Dom's experience.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to attend a tasting since then, but, fingers crossed, I'll be at the tasting this Monday!

Allez-y

What I am trying to find time to do soon:



"Between Earth and Heaven: The Architecture of John Lautner" at the Hammer Museum in Westwood.

Epicurean: CommeCa

July 3rd was our second wedding anniversary. FT and I spent the day together (obvy) and as usual, tried to do too many things at once. LACMA was shoved to the side in favor of a nap, and the Fairfax Corridor exploration was saved for another day.

But for dinner, reservations had been booked for weeks. I had been looking forward to checking out CommeCa ever since it opened, and couldn't wait to celebrate our anniversary with a wonderful dinner. FT wore jeans and a button down and I busted out the little black dress I had worn at our rehearsal dinner. We were running late (again, as usual) and decided to spring for the valet. I know that end of Melrose can be pricey, but $8? Seriously? That's just ridiculous!

When we walked into the restaurant, the first thing I noticed was how loud it was. I had heard this mentioned in reviews when they first opened, but I had been under the impression it was something they had worked on. (How, I don't know, but I was optimistic.) We ordered a carafe of red wine and the oysters to start, much like we had on our honeymoon. The oyster appetizer came with three different types (don't ask me what they were, I don't remember) and the first set was not so good. Luckily, the other two types were delicious. The bread and butter each table receives was yummy (trust me, some restaurants can even screw up the simple things) and the wine was quite good.

For our entrees, FT ordered the steak frites special and I finally decided on the morel mushroom risotto. While we waited for them to arrive, I checked out the cheese bar and our various dinner companions. It was your usual LA crowd, and I wasn't surprised that we seemed to be almost overdressed compared to the rest of the room. When our entrees arrived, I was dismayed to see that FT's frites were overdone. I tried a taste of his steak, and for all its "28-day aged"-ness, it wasn't worth the price. My risotto was good, but not spectacular.

By this time, the noise level was really getting to me. I tried to ignore it and enjoy FT's company, but it was kind of hard to do when I had to keep asking him to repeat what he had said and then shout my replies. Nonetheless, I can't leave a restaurant without trying their desserts, so we ordered the profiteroles (a personal favorite from my Paris days) and the chocolate cake, both of which were excellent. Thank goodness.

I think if I were to go back, it would only be for dessert and maybe a glass of wine. I didn't find the food equal to its price, and I really can't stress enough how annoying the noise was. But I liked the look of the place and would enjoy bellying up to the cheese bar to see what it's all about.

A Person Who Is Fond Of or Greatly Admires France or the French

Last Wednesday, I met my friend FH for a drink after work. We decided to meet at Pastis, a French restaurant on Beverly Blvd that appealed to our Francophile souls. Since we weren't certain that we would be staying for dinner, we decided to sit at the bar. I've found it always pays to get to know your bartender(s), and we weren't disappointed. We had an excellent first drink, thanks to the generosity of the Gallic soul, complimented by appetizers (sauteed soft shell crab for FH and seared peppered Ahi tuna for me) while we caught up on all that had happened in the months since we had last seen each other.

We decided against moving onto dinner, and instead shared a dessert (confit lemon tart with raspberry coulis). One of the bartenders/servers recommended a glass of white wine for FH to try, and a Bordeaux for me. Soon the dessert was polished off, followed thereafter by the wine, and we began to think about leaving. It was the kind of evening that reminds me why I love LA and my friends here, and thus makes me less likely to sigh about how much I miss traveling. There is so much to explore right here at home!

Plus, Wednesday nights at Pastis are "buy one bottle, take home one free," something I'll be sure to take advantage of next time...

Epicurean: Creperie by Jack n' Jill's

After our Monday metro adventure, MG and I decided to grab dinner at Creperie, the restaurant in Beverly Hills where a friend of his works. MG frequently eats there when he's in town, but I had been there only once before, for lunch, right after they opened. FT wasn't sure when he would be able to meet us, so we went ahead and ordered. I decided on a bowl of the smoked chicken gumbo, with some of their delicious cornbread and honey butter on the side. MG ordered the savory Quarter crepe, one of his favorites. The chicken gumbo was flavorful, and spicy enough to require refills of my water glass. I tried a bit of MG's crepe, which was covered in Jambalaya sauce, and found it to be spicy as well, but quite good.

FT arrived shortly after we began our meal, and quickly ordered the Magnolia salad. He wasn't overly impressed with it, so we decided to move on to dessert. FT went with the Cinnamon Simple (cinnamon, sugar and butter), I chose a classic sugar-and-butter mix, and MG went with his usual, the Chocolate Banana Cream (Nutella, banana cream, bananas and caramel). All three were delicious, but the portions were huge and no one was able to finish.

I'm hoping to convince FT to return with me sometime, and maybe just make a meal of appetizers and sweet crepes!