BLVD 16: Commuters' Refuge at the Hotel Palomar

Raise your hand if you knew of the existence of a hotel on that stretch of Wilshire between Westwood and Beverly Glen?  Yeah, me neither.  Even after over a decade and a half of living in LA.

So it was that when I received an invite to a media tasting - to check out the new drink and food menu at Blvd 16, located inside the Hotel Palomar - I was intrigued. Hidden in plain sight on busy Wilshire Boulevard, the hotel sort of gets lost among the towering glossy condos on the row.  But once I stepped inside I wondered why it took me so long to make it there.  With its modern, chic yet relaxed interiors, it's kind of a perfect pitstop for those with long commutes, like me, looking for refuge from LA's notorious road congestion during rush hour.

We started off with a round of cocktails mixed in the lounge for us: The Lyder Side ($14), made with Bols Genever, hibiscus liquer, fresh lemon juice, splash of orange juice and agave nectar was balanced and refreshing.  An expensive drink for sure on the regular list. But love cocktails that use fresh ingredients and treated with culinary care - paying attention to how flavors work together. And love restaurants that see cocktails as an integral part of their dining experience.  Hoping some of the Happy Hour 'well cocktails' that are actually affordable will be pretty good quality as well.

Then came the food: starting with a giant bowl of hummus and pita chips. 

Then a vibrant, beautifully plated Crudo ($10) tuna, compressed watermelon, pickled chilies, ginger aioli. In the flurry of activity, none of us really caught what the callout of ingredients when the plate was set down, and when swooping to grab bites from the communal plate, were surprised when our forks met with resistance where we expected them to make easy passage through soft fish.  Turns out the whitish bits under the avocado were albacore tuna, and the pink pieces underneath, which we all assumed to be the tuna, was really compressed watermelon! I LOVED this dish and its pairing of creamy, buttery avocado with savory, tender fish, with crunchy, juicy, sweet watermelon. And those lovely colors! Not sure if this is the size offered during regular service but if so, I would definitely come back for this on my way home one night.  

They were generous with the pours that night and all cocktails were full sized! I could barely make my way through them - such a lightweight. But I really liked the Pisco Sour ($14) Kappa pisco, fresh lemon juice, egg white and Angostura bitters. Something in the way the 'bouquet' of this drink hits the nose reminded me of those Coca-Cola candies from Haribo that I used to have as a kid - yes, a sophisticated analogy, I know - but I loved this drink for that reason.  

Then came the Flat Bread ($7) - toppings change daily according to the "chef's daily creation".  The first we tasted was with asparagus, salmon and feta cheese - this was fairly good, though I wanted more fragrant bread that had more resilience to it.

The second flat bread had more unusual toppings: squash blossom, stinging nettle pesto and burrata cheese. I liked the creativity and risk-taking...but something in this flatbread was a little too pungent for me. Same comments on bread flavor and texture as above. The flat breads are both offered as "Bar Bites", but at the same price as full menu.

Next up: Short Rib Slider ($3 each regular or 2 for $5 / 3 for $8 / 4 for $10 at Happy Hour) robbiola cheese, crispy onions.  Everyone loved these little sliders, with the cute cornichons speared with a bamboo pick at the top.  These sliders were juicy, flavorful with buns that held up nicely, and crispy onions for textural contrast.  Not bad, and you can fill up on a bunch of them with drinks at Happy Hour.

The last savory dish was the Fish Taco ($4 each regular menu or 2 for $5 / 3 for $8 /4 for $10 at Happy Hour) - corn tortilla, pickled habanero, shredded cabbage, creme fraiche. Most of the other tasters seemed to like this, but it was way too spicy for me - I had to gulp down all liquids within reach to stop my tongue from burning.  So not a fun one for me - but those who enjoy heat in their food may like these.

For the sweet finish: Meyer Lemon Creme Brulee ($8) I think these were created for the media tasting, so while I loved the presentation on spoons, I would think the $8 charge on the regular menu gets you a bigger serving - the menu does mention that it comes with lavendar cookies.  I really loved the creamy, fresh flavor and carefully controlled amount of torched sugar on top (sometimes people overdo it and it's a too hard/crunchy sugary slab instead of a delicate crust!).

A note for those into live music: when we had just started the tasting, two random looking guys came in playing acoustic guitar and wandering through the clusters of guests.  The music actually was pretty good, but they were 'plain-clothed' (if memory serves correctly, in sporty looking shirts and shorts or cargo pants) and with the wandering we thought at first that they may have been UCLA students looking to pick up a few bucks - and just haven't been kicked out by hotel staff yet, due perhaps to initial surprise at their boldness.  Turns out, they are officially sanctioned performers who will play there Thursdays 5-6:30pm.

All in all, drinks are on the pricey side, but a nice spot to provide reprieve from the madness of LA roads if this is on your commute route - there are a few nice bites that I would come back for, perhaps during "Rush Hour" to catch drink and bar deals.
                
[Deal alert:
"Rush Hour" (Happy Hour)
Daily, 4pm - 7pm
Bar Bites menu daily, 4-10:30 PM
Fab $5 Well Cocktails, $4 Selected Beers, and $3 House Red/White Wine Bar Bites served daily 4pm - 10:30pm
Saturday and Sunday bottomless mimosas]                

*Disclosure: This meal was hosted.

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BLVD 16
10740 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood,CA 90024
Ph: 310.474.7765

Parking: Valet $7

Twitter: @blvd16
Website: blvd16.com
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Fig - Fresh from the Fairmont

Another dark, cold and stormy night in Los Angeles - time to catch up on blog posts (and dream of luscious meals on warmer days)!

For my birthday recently, "Lindyhopper" and "Bicycletta" - my bestest friends ever for among other things brushing aside their own aversion to 'gourmet' - indulged me in a choice between Cleo or Fig.  We originally decided on Cleo, but since we couldn't get reservations last minute, ended up at the fanta-bulous (but a bit further away) Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica.

I had been dying to go for a long time - but held off due to the relatively high prices for casual-sounding fare. I knew that many foodies whose opinion I respected love the place though - so I was ecstatic when Lindyhopper and Bicycletta said they would bring me!!

The Fairmont Miramar is an unexpected treat rooted just a block or so from the Pacific ocean.  Though not quite beachfront, it is a lush, lovely retreat that you would never expect to find just steps away from the sea of humanity ebbing and flowing up and down Third Street Promenade.  Just off of Wilshire and Ocean, the hotel's main entrance is grand, and breathtaking - with its wrought iron gates, long cobblestoned driveway and dramatic over-century-old Moreton Bay Fig tree (from which the restaurant draws its name) serving as centerpiece.

A big part of a great dining experience for me is in the ambience, and both the hotel and its bistro are perfect in that arena.  There are private bungalows set in the garden, with lovely waves of light from the pool / fountain washing gently over their walls at night.  Just past the lobby lounge, you arrive at Fig, a relaxed, casual yet well designed space - with a long communal bar-height table and cute single booth in the front room by the bar, and pool side / patio seating in the back.  It feels unpretentious, authentic - a great reflection on their menu, which is seasonal with French influences, a strong emphasis on fresh ingredients (sourced locally from the world famous Santa Monica Farmers' Market, conveniently walking distance from the restaurant!) from Chef Ray Garcia, and uncomplicated preparation.

From the very first thing to arrive at our table, Fig achieves a great balance of fine foods served casual style.  Instead of regular ole butter, Fig serves arugula butter, with salt to be applied yourself via an adorable wooden bucket / scooper set - delicious with their fresh baked baguette, served in a branded paper bag.

There is a cheese and charcuterie bar, but I wasn't about to abuse the goodwill of my hostesses!  I did however feel compelled to order off Fig's cocktail list, which is just as mouthwatering as their menu - always seeking discoveries, I decided to go with the Rosemary & Rhubarb cocktail, which was light and refreshing and reinforced my recent preference for savory ingredients in my drinks.

For our mains, I was torn between two seafood choices - luckily, Lindyhopper wanted the Hand-Harvested Scallops with Cauliflower, Pinenuts, Golden Raisins, Tangerines ($28) too, so I got to taste hers AND order the other dish I wanted.  The scallops were probably the freshest cooked scallops I have ever tasted in LA - incredibly tender and sweet.  The other ingredients were a bit extraneous and I thought should have taken more of a backseat, to let the scallops shine on their own.  But still a great dish, though very spendy at $28 with barely 3-4 scallops on the plate.

I was so happy to see my Whole Grilled Dorade ($28) served on the plate...whole.  Not many western venues serve fish with head-on - and its not even that I eat any part of the head - but the sight of the entire fish just triggers whatever it is in my mind that thinks...this just got pulled out of the ocean.  It wasn't hacked to bits and shipped in a freezer on the back of some truck for hours before arriving on my plate.  And one taste confirmed it - the texture was unlike any other grilled fish I've had - the meat was amazingly soft, smooth and subtly sweet - so much so that if not for the deliciously salty, crispy skin enrobing the fish, I would have thought it was steamed Cantonese style.  The fish was topped by a tapenade which gave it additional flavors and nice texture contrast (though visually may not be the most attractive...).  As if this were not enough to send my taste buds soaring, imagine my surprise to find in the middle of the fish, as 'stuffing' - fresh basil, slices of lemon, roasted peppers and sprigs of thyme!  These ingredients infused the inside of the fish with incredibly rich flavor.  This might be my favorite grilled fish dish to date (and I don't normally like grilled fish, as I feel grilling takes away from the pure, fresh taste of the fish)!

Bicycletta was on a health kick and went with a Chopped Salad - which she loved. But I don't normally like raw vegetables so I didn't taste or photograph it.  But I did capture all three of our desserts!

 

Of the three we ordered, I actually liked Bicycletta's the best: Melrose Apple Tatin with Caramel and Sea Salt Ice Cream ($9).  The pastry base was served at just the right temperature - somewhere between warm and scorching hot - and was incredibly buttery and flaky.  The whole thing was topped with powdered sugar, then crowned by a scoop of caramel and sea salt ice cream that showed the chef's skill in restraint with sweetness.



 
As for me, there are a few things that have a Pavlovian effect on me that is beyond control (e.g. black winter truffle, foie gras, bacon, Parisian macarons, champagne truffles...) and Nutella is one of them.  So when I saw the Nutella and Chocolate Tart with Candied Hazelnuts, Marshmallow Cream ($9) on the menu, I went for it like a puppy going off leash on the beach for the first time.

Our friendly server brought the plate out with a candle on it - sweet! - and I loved the presentation immediately (especially the round of torched Marshmallow Cream).  Unfortunately, the tart itself was way too dense and rich, which made the beautiful toasted marshmallow an overwhelming addition. The candied hazelnuts were a nice touch, adding light crunch to counterbalance the density of the tart.

Lindyhopper, a fellow chocoholic, ordered the Chocolate Pot au Creme with Market Berries, Sable Cookies ($9).  This was rich and creamy, and delicious with the fresh berries.

All in all, a truly great meal and great for a special occasion splurge.  Though, those who are lucky enough to live / work on the Westside can take advantage of Fig's happy hour pricing - 50% off ALL items on menu between 5-6pm Tuesday-Saturday!  (Thanks to SinoSoul for the tip! Though some sites have been reporting this "Fig at Five" deal is offered daily, when I talked to the hostess recently she said the deal is only on Tuesdays through Thursdays.  So I'd recommend you call the restaurant to confirm the deal before you go!)

Anyways, thanks again Lindyhopper, Bicycletta - and Fig - for an unforgettable meal - love you guys!!!!!
 

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100%___________________________________________________________

Fig Santa Monica
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows
101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica CA, 90401
Ph: 310.319.3111
Website: figsantamonica.com
OpenTable:  Look for reservations
Twitter: twitter.com/FIGSANTAMONICA
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Taste on Melrose on a Sunday Morning

In recent weeks, Groupon has become my new BFF.  If you haven't signed up yet - do it now.  You get daily emails with 50% deals at hotspots around your city, for "the best things to eat, see, do and buy"!

How does this relate to the latest 1MB post, you ask?  Well on a beautiful Sunday morning in LA, I decided to use my $50 Groupon on brunch for two, at a place I've only ever visited (and loved) for dinner - Taste on Melrose.

It was much livelier at brunch than at dinnertime - the cozy space, which reminds me of a converted bungalow with a large stoop and patio - was completely packed - and we were seated at one of the last open tables in a front corner of the covered patio.  It was a gorgeous, sunny SoCal day and the perfect weather for patio seating - so we were off to a great start!  So on to the food...

The menu is quite a bit different than the one for dinner - my favorite truffle risotto (so fragrant and intoxicating that I practically inhaled the dish, plate inclusive, every time I had it) was noticeably missing.

Luckily though, both brunch and lunch menus are offered around the time we arrived - 1pm.  The truffle hog in me quickly spotted an apt-looking replacement - a White Truffle Oil and Mushroom Mac and Cheese ($8.50).

Though from the appetizer section of the lunch menu, this dish arrived in a giant ramekin which looked big enough to be a meal for a smallish person!  We ended up splitting this appetizer - the truffle fragrance was just as evenly infused throughout the pasta shells as it is in my beloved risotto, but the mac and cheese fell short of expectations for several reasons: the conchiglie shells were not the right shape for this dish - they slid around uncomfortably in your mouth and did not provide a smooth surface for the cheese and indulgent truffle flavors to deposit themselves for maximum enjoyment - and to make matters worse, the shells were overcooked.  The layer of cheese that blanketed the top of the pasta was way too thick and greasy, while the cheese that held the pasta shells together had a consistency that was a bit too 'thin' and again, too greasy.  The whole thing ended up being overly rich and unsatisfying at the same time.

Not sure how many people order an appetizer and an 'entree' for brunch - but I couldn't pass up the Crab Cake Benedict - at least, in concept:  the dish was to offer up poached eggs on a toasted brioche and crab cake, with hollandaise sauce and a side of rosemary garlic potatoes ($15.25). 

Perhaps I set my expectations too high, based on my experiences at Taste for dinner meals - but the Crab Cake Benedict definitely disappointed on several levels:  in my view, as a rule, the central focus of any benedict dish should be the combination of a smooth, creamy poached egg, with a warm, crispy toast underneath - embraced in a rich hollandaise sauce that pulls all the elements together.  Any additional ingredients should be used to enhance the experience of the mix, and should not overwhelm it.  Taste breaks this rule, and not to great effect.  From the start, all the proportions were off - the crab cake and brioche were the same size - two towers each with one thick crab patty on top of a thick round of bread.  Sitting atop each tower was an egg that looked sadly dwarfed by comparisan - you normally only see 'Large' or 'Extra Large' eggs at the grocery store, and to me these eggs looked like they would be size 'Small' - they could almost pass for garnishes rather than the central show piece.

The crab cakes were pretty dry and bland, while the brioche fared no better in those areas.  They could have really used the help of the creaminess of the egg and hollandaise sauce, but unfortunately there wasn't enough of either to go around.

I get that in general people don't want strong, pungent tastes in the morning / for brunch - but that doesn't mean dishes served during this time should be absent of flavors!  Even the rosemary garlic potatoes were bland.

My friend ordered the Taste Cobb Frittata with shredded chicken breast, applewood smoked bacon, avocado, tomatoes, gorgonzola cheese, green onion, gorgonzola dressing and rosemary garlic potatoes ($11.25).  She thought it was good enough, but unimpressive.

The real saving grace of the meal was that our total came to $48.21 - the waiter actually noted that we had just over a dollar something left in the Groupon that we could have used - considering that we only paid $25 for the $50 meal, it was a great time!

The other highlight of the day - a tip for those looking for something to do after brunch - there is usually a Farmer's Market just down the street at Melrose Place (Melrose Place and Melrose Avenue, 10am-2 pm http://www.ccfm.com/).  It's just about a block and a half away from Taste - and a great way to walk off your meal.  On this particular day, the Farmer's Market happened to have been taken over by a Wedding Channel event - brides-to-be gathered to check out displays from local vendors offering everything from catering to favors to accessories.  When we arrived, mistakenly thinking we were headed to the Farmer's Market - a friendly security guard kindly let us sneak into the event to check it out since it was the tail end of the event.  Though neither of us were anywhere close to needing bridal services in the near future, we had a great time checking out all that's on offer - sampling hor d'oeuvres from the Patina tent, macaroons from a wedding planner stall, and fruit drinks from Izze!  We had our own crazy little version of the wedding crasher experience - it was pretty awesome!  Anyways, on a regular day at the Farmer's Market - you could have some less mischievous fun checking out organic produce and supporting local growers! :)

On a 7 point scale:

Flavor - 3 bites
Presentation - 3 bites
Originality - 2 bites
Ambience - 3 stars
Service - 3 stars

Overall experience - 3 bites
Price - $$ (2 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 80%

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Taste on Melrose
8454 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Ph: 323.852.6888
Website: ilovetaste.com
Twitter: twitter.com/ilovetaste
OpenTable: Look for reservations
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