First Fridays @ Abbot Kinney: Primitivo & Lillys

Every first friday of the month, Abbot Kinney's stores and galleries are open until 10pm. First Fridays is a big community event with lots of people roaming the blvd., music blasting from stores, and food trucks on the street ranging from sushi, bbq to the famed Kogi korean taco truck.

Primitivo

My friends Uday, Diana and I decided to start the festivities early with dinner at Primitivo, a spanish wine and tapas bar on Abbot Kinney. The restaurant is divided into a bar section at the front of the restaurant, a dining area, and an outdoor patio. It was packed and lively on a Friday night at 7pm. The menu is categorized between cold and hot tapas, ranging from $6-17. Cold tapas comprise mainly of salads, hummus and cheese plates. In addition, Primitivo has an extensive wine list.

We ordered a pitcher of sangria which came in a large jug and was made with red wine, apples and oranges. There were probably about 6-8 pours per pitcher, quite a good deal for $30.

Our first tapas dish was grilled Baby Octopus salad with lemon thyme vinaigrette, arugula, watercress, fennel and grapefruit segments. I liked the grapefruit which gave the salad a light and fresh taste. However this was our least noteworthy dish as the flavors were not robust. I did however like that there were quite a few pieces of octopus.

Next came the Tuna Tartar with Chipotle Aioli, Basil syrup, Yuzu gelee and Toasted pine nuts. I am not a raw fish lover so I only had a nibble of this. Presentation was simple and the tuna tasted like it was of a good quality. I can't speak much for the dish but my friends loved it and said that this was their top 2 of the night.

Our next dish was the Bacon wrapped Medjool Dates with Chorizo, Balsamic, and Candied Walnuts. This was hands down our favorite of the night. They were bite sizes that you could pop into your mouth for a lovely sensation. The date was creamy and sweet, and it paired excellently with the saltiness and crispiness of the bacon. I enjoyed the balsamic reduction as it worked very well with the dates.

Diver Scallops with melted leeks and duo of rosemary infused tomato coulis came next. The scallops were perfectly cooked, nice and brown on the exterior and tender in the interior. The leaks were soft and well seasoned. I did not care for the tomato coulis, however I do not care for tomato purees in general.

Our last dish was the Paella with Chicken, Tiger Shrimp, Mussels. and Chorizo. Personally, I liked this dish as it had amazing flavors. There was ample seafood and the rice was so delicious. Uday however, compared it to Uncle Ben's.

Five dishes between three hungry diners was more than sufficient. We contemplated on getting a dessert (I've had their bread pudding duo before and it was excellent), however we wanted to save our stomachs for the ice-cream truck or stores on the street.

Lilly's

Afterwards, we started bar hopping and headed over to Lilly's next door. I've been to Lilly's before for brunch and dinner. Good french food, great patio. We got seats at the front of the bar area which is a good spot for people watching. The bar section was crowded and it is good to see that the AK establishments are benefiting from this monthly event. As we were already full from our tapas feast at Primitivo, we decided to sample from their bar menu. We ordered a trio of oysters that came with a glass of wine, the terrine of duck and two glasses of their Sparkling Rose Marquis de la Tour.

The appetizers came rather quickly, as Diana and I waited for our Rose. As it turns out, we ended up waiting over 20 minutes for our wine which was quite disconcerting. When it did arrive, it was lukewarm. The oysters were very good and fresh, however the wine that was paired with it was extremely sweet and difficult to drink. The duck pate was also a little disappointing. It was hard and hence difficult to spread on the crostini. There was also an odd flavor, something that I can't quite put my finger on, but it was a little sour. What a downer after an amazing dinner at Primitivo. We got our bill and made a dash, hoping to find some redemption for the night.

Afterwards we walked along Abbot Kinney and checked out the galleries and stores. We stopped into Topo ranch to catch a band play. At this point in the evening, the sidewalk was getting congested, although not as manic as the prior month. Apparently this months event was a little more "toned down" as a result of last month's frenzy. I could notice the difference: the woman dancing and hula-hooping on the street was missing this month.

As it drew closer to midnight, we made one final culinary stop. Kogi truck. We were in line for only about 20 minutes or so; I had expected worse. Afterall, we waiting in line for much longer last month and finally gave up. I ordered two tacos: Spicy pork and Korean Short ribs. They were $2 each and could be eaten in two small bites. I preferred the pork taco because it was bursting with flavor and was juicy and delicious.

Fun Friday night out. Come out next month to support our local merchants!

Pimitivo Wine Bistro

1025 Abbot Kinney Blvd

Venice, CA 90291

(310) 396-5353

http://www.primitivowinebistro.com/

Lilly's French Cafe & Bar

1031 Abbot Kinney Blvd,

Venice, CA 90291

(310) 314-0004

http://www.lillysfrenchcafe.com/

Grano de Oro Restaurant, San Jose, Costa Rica

On our last stop before returning from our Costa Rican surf trip, we stayed at Hotel Grano de Oro in San Jose. The hotel is a converted Victorian mansion and its restaurant is considered one of San Jose's finest. The restaurant is comprised of a dining room and a garden courtyard; we sat in the former. The clientele was mainly middle-aged and well dressed; I was relieved that they let me dine in a sundress and flip flops.. Scanning the menu, there were so many items that I wanted: foie gras, duck pate, duck, lamb chops, a rabbit medley, scallops, fish.. what's a girl to do??

My dining companion and I decided on an appetizer and an entree each. We ordered a bottle of Bodega del Fin del Mundo, an Argentinean pinot noir from Patagonia. I'm typically a white wine drinker but the pinot noir was light and smooth, with a hint of spice.


The waiter came around with bread and herb butter: I got the twist which was fresh and warm. Over the course of dinner, I devoured 3 of these.



My appetizer was the foie gras creme brulee with poached pear and crostini. The foie was only a tiny layer right under the caramelized sugar on the creme brulee. That was one darn good creme brulee and the foie worked well with the mild flavor of the brulee. Of course, I always wish there were more foie but it was definitely a great start to the meal.
My friend got the heart of palm salad with lettuce, asparagus and avocado in dill dressing. The asparagus was crisp and the relatively flavorless heart of palm (which appears to be very popular in Latin America cuisine) took on the flavor of the dill dressing. Very light and refreshing dish.
I decided on the roasted duck breast for my entree. It was served with a pate crostini, brussel sprouts, caramelized fig and butternut squash. The duck was cooked perfectly, was extemely tender and had a nice crust to it. I especially loved the pate crostini and wished there was more than one.



He got the Beef Tenderloin with asparagus and garden vegetables. It was served with 3 sauces (cocoa, bernaise and peppercorn). We tried each of the three and the peppercorn was the winner. The cocoa was also interesting and unique. Both entrees came with a side of mash potatoes which were creamy and buttery.

Although I was a little full by the time we were done with our entrees, skipping dessert is never an option. We shared the trio of chocolate (chocolate mousse, ganache, marquise and a cup of coffee mousse). The ganache was our favorite. It was chilled and hard, rich and delicious. We ended the night with a cup of cafe con leche each. Costa Rican coffee is amazing and flavorful.

The bill came with two chocolate truffles. I almost fell off my seat when I saw that our check came up to 73,400 colones (which converts to $126). This already includes tax and a 10% tip (of course we added another 10% tip to the bill). I was so pleasantly surprised as a similar dinner in LA would have cost us at least that amount per person, often times more. Most definitely a great deal for an excellent dinner.

Hotel Grano de Oro
Calle 30, Avenida 2 y 4,
San Jose, Costa Rica
(506) 2255-3322
http://www.hotelgranodeoro.com/

Ludobites @ Breadbar

Yesterday, my friend and I went to Breadbar for Ludobites. Chef Ludovic Lefebvre rents the Breadbar space on 3rd Street from May 19th - August 22nd (available Tuesday – Saturday) and prepares a handful of items, all of which are small-plates style.

We started off with the basket of rustic bread and butter; loved the butter but it would have been better if there was more than one selection of bread included in the bread basket. Our waiter advised that most patrons order 3 dishes each. Scanning the menu, it was with much difficulty that we were able to just choose six between the two of us.

Our first plate, which came recommended by our waiter, was the calamari with avocado slices and pineapples. There were two calamari steaks in the dish and they were slightly breaded. I really enjoyed this dish because I was not expecting it to be fried so it was a nice surprise. Fortunately, it was not too greasy. Next up was the chicken liver mousse, with bacon and green apples on toast. It was delicious and rich! It is probably sacrilege for me to say.. but I thought there was a little too much liver on the toast. Yes, you could probably have spread some of it on the bread from the breadbasket (which I did), but the bread wasn’t as toasty as the ones that came with the meal. Our next dish was the poached egg on toast with chorizo and saffron sauce. I love a good poached egg, and this it was. The saffron sauce was a nice complement and the chorizo gave the dish a little kick.

Our last three dishes were more entrée-centric. We got the cod with fennel and dill which was light and clean. Good but not especially unique. I've had more flavorful cod dishes, especially the miso cod at Japanese restaurants such as Nobu and Sasaya. Next came the much anticipated fried chicken, cooked in duck fat with herbs de provence. OMG, it was so good and everything I had expected! The chicken was so moist; although it looked like white meat, it tasted like dark. The breading was crisp and not at all oily. This was definitely our winner of the night.

Our last plate was the oxtail with polenta. Easily one of my favorites as well. The oxtail was fork tender and so scrumptious that I could have finished it all by myself. The polenta had just the right amount of cheese in it to the point that it was not heavy. I was sad as that was our last dish but I was stuffed at that point. Stuffed… but never too full for dessert. There are only two desserts on the menu: Strawberry Soup with rhubarb, hibiscus and marshmallow ice cream, and Chocolate Mousse with crème brulee ice cream. Our waiter mentioned that the strawberry soup was the more popular selection but how can I pass up on chocolate? The chocolate mousse was a perfect end to our meal; it had a little jalapeño kick to it that left a nice little burning sensation.

The only qualm I had with this dining experience was that the food was not paced properly and came out too quickly and often times, almost all at once. I am a pretty fast eater but at some point during dinner, we had 3 plates on the table. All 3 were dishes that would have been better enjoyed while hot, specifically the fried chicken and oxtail. I felt like I was rushing through my dinner instead of taking my time to savor my meal. As we were dining on a Wednesday night and the restaurant was not at all packed, there was no reason to rush us to turn the tables over at a faster pace. Otherwise, the food and service were both great.

Chef Ludo told us that he tries to change the menu every two weeks although a bunch of items will still remain week over week, only because there are certain dishes that everyone wants and expects, such as the fried chicken.

The total bill came up to $95 excluding tip. Very affordable for 6 plates + dessert. It also helped that the restaurant is B.Y.O.B, with a nominal corkage fee of $5.


Breadbar
8718 West 3rd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(310) 205-0124

Tavern Brentwood

Went to Tavern yesterday for dinner. The Tavern space houses a bakery, a larder for takeout orders, a bar section and the dining area. Loved the décor, I’ll be sure to pop by some day for casual drinks and nibbles. Really glad to finally have a little bar scene (that doesn’t include frat boys and tequila shots) in the area. Sorry, I was camera-less today..

My friend and I started by sharing the roasted asparagus with polenta and fried egg appetizer. It was excellent. I had expected an actual fried egg ala breakfast style, but instead it was a semi boiled egg, fried on the outside, nice and runny on the inside. Yolk heaven! The bread was good too, especially the blueberry bread. For my entrée, I ordered the pork chop with cornbread stuffing. I believe there were collard greens in the mix. The pork chop was excellent (not dry at all) and the stuffing was the winner, although a little greasy from the chorizo. Nonetheless, delicious! My friend ordered the mussels and clams with artichokes and toast. I had read some reviews about how few mussels were in the entrée. I thought there were ample. Perhaps the kitchen made these changes after getting some feedback. My friend was lucky that I dislike artichokes or I would have shamelessly helped myself to most of her food! Finally, there’s always room for dessert. We shared the panna cotta that came with prosecco sorbet. It came in a sundae-like glass so digging for the bottom of the panna cotta took a little effort. My friend said that was her favorite of the evening.

I thought the service was great. The server came by many times to fill up my water glass and to offer me more bread after I had commented that I was starving, and the hostess/manager came by to check up on us. Our waiter was attentive but not to a point of overbearing, and he came by to tell us that Regis Philbin was sitting two tables away. Also, apparently, Thomas Keller was at the restaurant the day before. Darn it, a day too late…

I thought the bill was reasonable, given the neighborhood. $120 before tax & tip for one appetizer, two entrees, a dessert and 3 glasses of wine - 2 for me of course ;-) Overall a great dining experience, I’ll definitely venture back. The beef daube is next on my list!

Tavern
11648 San Vicente Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 806-6464
http://www.tavernla.com/

La Cocarde, St Paul de-Vence, France

While in the France Riviera for the Cannes Film Festival, we made a side trip to the quaint town of St Paul de-Vence. You can get to the town via a 45 min bus trip from Nice that will only cost one euro. St Paul de-Vence is a fortified medieval city and is home to one of the most well-known museums Foundation Maeght, and burial site of famed painter, Mark Chagall.

After walking through the streets of St Paul de-Vence, I was getting a little exhausted. My friends were psyched to buy souvenirs and visit the Choisy gallery, all I wanted was an adult beverage. We were on a mission to find a restaurant that was not a tourist trap. After walking by a bunch of restaurants, we finally stumbled upon La Cocarde.

The orange wine in the window was what caught our attention so we decided to give it a try. Wine: sweet.. not so good.. but menu looked great, affordable and the place is charming.

Without missing a beat, we ordered a bottle of white wine and I was satiated. The menu was simple: salads, quiches, couple entrees. I ordered the duck, Jinny got the quiche, Uday got a simple pasta and Diana ordered the prawns.

Everything was delicious! The duck came brochette style, was cooked perfectly, served alongside french fries and potatoes. It was a generous portion of duck, considering the lunch pricing.

The prawns were grilled Mediterranean style, bursting with flavor and served with toast and a vegetable slaw.

I have to say that the quiche was one of my favorites. Fortunately for me, Jinny is a small eater so I helped myself to some of hers. I treaded lightly, hoping that the quiche was not too cheesy. It wasn't! In fact, the filling was light and flavorful, and the crust was flaky and buttery.

The pasta looked like nothing special but Uday raved about it. It had a pesto sauce with pine nuts. Simple and light. La Cocarde was exactly what we were looking for, a quaint bistro serving tasteful meals. This gave us fuel to trek through the town for a few more hours.

La Cocarde

23 Rue Grande- 06570

Saint-paul, France

Tèl : 04.93.32.86.17