Malibu Wines - Yes, There Are Wineries and Vineyards in Malibu (Perfect Staycation Spot!)

Whenever I'm with my friend 'Designer', random but serendipitous things tend to happen to us.  We don't necessarily plan for adventure but somehow end up on them.  Back in May, on a whim we had gone to LACMA's annual Muse Art Walk - as we arrived fairly late in the day, we chose our first gallery for speed - because it was attached to the parking lot we pulled into. It happened to have a wine tasting table outside.  At the time we thought, "cool, free wine, just in time before they call it a night!" - little did we know that was only the start of our next adventure. 

The company hosting the tasting was called Malibu Wines.  On a previous hike up Temescal Canyon, we had spotted vineyards on the hills overlooking the ocean, roughly in the Malibu area - but we thought those might have been private backyard wineries of the rich and famous.  As if reading our minds, the friendly wine rep at Art Walk proceeded to talk about their tasting room up in the hills of Malibu, and that we should check it out sometime.  In fact, she had tokens she was giving out for complimentary tastings at the tasting room!  "Take as many as you want," she said, "it's the end of the day.  Take some for your friends!"  We actually liked the wines they sampled at the show, grabbed a few tokens, made a note to look up the place and moved on to the gallery.

It wasn't until Designer's birthday came up this past week, and we were looking for a daytime activity to celebrate (before hitting the bars, wanted to make a full day of it!) that we remembered the tokens that had landed in our hands so long ago - and decided to use them for a mini staycation. 

We were excited to see that we could bring our own food to eat in their picnic area - as they do not have a restaurant on the premises, which was all the more appealing to us as we are both on a budget! 

So, first order of business was to pick up sandwiches and salads from Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery in Santa Monica - which was conveniently for us on the way to the PCH.

Despite being a weekday, the deli was packed with hungry throngs of people, probably 6 deep, 4 wide by the deli counter - and since we were off to a late start due to pre-Carmageddon traffic, we opted for the pre-made sandwiches and salads.

It was grab and go, then a straight shot up the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu. Finding the winery was a bit of a process  - the road up the hill, Mulholland - was a small street that didn't have an obvious sign and we passed right by it the first time.  After getting up the hill it was another challenge to find the entrance to the winery - largely as we had been distracted by an amazing looking Tuscan villa atop a hill (we vow to go back to visit) and Malibu Wines had such an unobtrusive entrance, you wouldn't notice it unless you knew where to look (thank you, iPhone GPS!).

As we finally set foot on the grounds of Malibu Wines, we were completely charmed.  It was a cozy space with just a dozen or so tables out among olive trees and lush greenery, three open bar counters set into stone-walled buildings, with a giant vintage looking water/wine tower, vintage pickup trucks bearing wine barrels, and rustic wooden chair-swing adding personality.  On the far side is a gazebo which we thought was made for weddings, and a silver airstream which we guessed is a service station when they have barbecues for private events.

Apparently Malibu Wines is not a working vineyard - but they do pour two wine labels: Semler (from the vineyard across the street) and Saddlerock. Three tasting flights were on offer: one for each label, and a "Light" flight with combinations of the two.  Each consisted of four wines. 

As it was a hot summer day, we decided to go with the Light flight ($12 normally, but free for us that day with the tokens!) - which included tastings of NV Saddlerock Sparkling, 2010 Semler Sauvignon Blanc, 2010 Saddlerock Chardonnay and 2009 Semler Rose.

I am definitely not a wine connoisseur, so not going to attempt to analyze the wines, but to my amateur palate I liked the NV Saddlerock sparkling (Blanc de Blanc) the best - it tasted light and refreshing, pairing perfectly with the gorgeous weather that day!


We took our glasses to the picnic area and unpacked our Bay Cities Deli spread:  'Godmother' sandwiches (with genoa salami, mortadella, coppacola, ham, prosciutto, provolone, lettuce, tomato), caprese, potato salad and the cutest single-serving tiramisu cups with plastic shovel-like spoons packed in!  Not sure if the sandwich was so named as it represents an offer you can't refuse - but the ingredients and fresh bread really was pretty irresistible!

The Foundry on Melrose - Proving Its Mettle Mid-City

To kick off the start of a gorgeous long weekend, "Designer" and I decided to take her friend's dog, Stella (she was dogsitting that day) - the sweetest pitbull I've ever met - with us out to dinner.  This meant we had to find a place that balanced foodie-friendly fare with dog-friendly patio seating - The Foundry on Melrose fit the bill on both, and when I realized I had an OpenTable Spotlight deal to the place ($110 for 5-course meal for two, with wine pairings!) we knew that's where we were supposed to be that night.

Though a fine dining spot, with a beautiful and famous back patio, the restaurant was very gracious in accommodating our trio - dog included - in the front patio, even providing a water dish for Stella.  It was a perfect summer evening for al fresco dining - and people watching, from the charming patio with its loungey vibe on one side and casual rattan chairs on the other, framed by planters from which fragrant herbs sprouted.

We started with some bread with balsamic vinaigrette spread, followed by an amuse bouche of watermelon radish, avocado, edamame, pickled asparagus, burrata, and tangerine.  We loved the unusual mix of veggies, cheese and fruit, the playful presentation and interplay of tart, savory and subtly sweet with crunchy, creamy and buttery.  Couldn't have asked for a more refreshing start to a summer meal outdoors!
The OpenTable Spotlight deal offered the Chef's Tasting Menu for two, which can change daily.  That night, we had:

Course 1: Tuna Tartare with strawberries / asparagus / horseradish / pistachios
Wine pairing: 2009, Nardello, "Merides", Garganega, Soave, Italy

I have to say I've never had Tuna Tartare with strawberries before - in concept it was interesting, with the sweet/tart flavors theoretically a great way to cut through the fatty fish. Again the presentation was thoughtful and quite beautiful - however, we didn't end up loving the combination - the texture of the fish was for whatever reason sort of 'sticky' and clumped together, and though there was just a thin translucent slice of strawberry, for us the rich flavors overshadowed the fish.

Course 2: Caramelized Scallops rhubarb/ haricot vert/ chicken oysters
Wine pairing: 2008, Cambiata, Albarino, Monterey

The scallops were beautifully seared, with crisp shell yielding to a succulent, sweet interior.  This is another dish that presented pairings of ingredients we've never seen before - pickled rhubarb not only punctuated the plate with color (along with the haricot vert) but also a subtle tang.  This is skillfully counterbalanced by what we could really only describe as fried chicken nuggets - the juiciest ones we've ever had, with dark meat and a perfect flesh to fat ratio enrobed in light, crunchy, flavorful breading.

Course 3: Corn & Chorizo Agnolotti tarragon / lime brown butter
Wine pairing: 2007, Trinity Hill, Pinot Noir, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand

This was an interesting dish, with the chorizo seeping heat into an otherwise mellow pasta dish, and the lime brown butter / foam bringing levity to balance out the hefty flavors of the sausage.

Course 4: New York Striploin artichokes / gnocchi / nectarines

Wine pairing: 2007, Et Cetera, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County

A truly lovely meat course - we realized they didn't ask us how we'd like the steak prepared, which I think turned out great as they simply presented it cooked to their ideal degree and it was fantastic!  For the accompanying carb, instead of the standard mashed or baked potato, gnocchi was served after being we think pan fried to get a nice crusty edge.  The artichokes and nectarines were we think boiled so that they had the same consistency, but one was savory and one was sweet and added playful dimension to the plate.

Designer thought that one of the meat pieces was sirloin, and the other was short rib.  All night, Stella had been alternately poking her head up above the table whenever plates arrived, and dunking down on her paws in disappointment every time she was told she can't have 'human food'.  When the steak arrived Designer finally made the call to sneak Stella a piece or two - it was afterall her birthday week!  Stella couldn't stop licking our fingers long after the meat was already gone.  If not for the need to maintain some semblance of decorum, I think we would have done the same.

Course 5: Chocolate Brownie S'mores chocolate fudge / graham cracker streusel / marshmallow

Wine pairing: N.V., Taylor Fladgate, 10 Year Old Tawny Porto, Portugal

Of all the courses, this one was not a standout.  The brownie was not bad, but with the inventiveness of the previous courses, we were expecting something a little more creative.  And we didn't get the wine pairing on this last one, possibly as they saw that at least I was struggling to get through my glass from course 4 (though Designer finished hers so they should have at least served the 5th glass to her!).

All in all though, a solid meal and truly great deal (thanks OpenTable Spotlight!) at just $55 per person for 5-courses + wines with each course (ok, 4 for us but it should have been 5) before tax and tip.  The Chef's Tasting Menu normally goes for $80 per person + $30 for wine pairings.  Another lovely thing about The Foundry is their live band - on the night we went it was jazz, but they also offer "Lunes Latino" Mondays, Bluesy Tuesdays, and singers/songwriters Sundays - it makes for a relaxed yet lively and truly enjoyable evening out all around!

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 5.5 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Service - 5.5 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks mains)
Probability of return visit - 90%

[To find more deals like the one used here, check out my Get More Bites Outta Your Budget page, and follow me on Twitter for up to the minute finds!]

______________________________________________________________

The Foundry on Melrose
7465 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046
Phone: 323.651.0915

Website: thefoundryonmelrose.com
Look for reservations: Opentable.com
______________________________________________________________________

The Gorbals - Defying Definition Downtown

The biggest draw for most people at The Gorbals is chef Ilan Hall, winner of Top Chef season 2, though the chef's philosophy and concept for the restaurant rails against celebrity as one of the reasons for dining there (and against pretty much all conventions in general). 

Inspired by his Scottish / Jewish / Eastern-European heritage and international travels, Ilan's first restaurant in the historic Alexandria Hotel downtown is deliciously irreverent, offering dishes with a nodd to his heritage, but defying any categorization or easily accessible labels.  This is reflected in his choice of venue (historic as a euphemism for the very old, rundown Alexandria Hotel - though beautiful with lots of character, especially in the adjacent Palms Court ballroom - decidedly not the type of place you would immediately associate with Top Chef caliber talent), and in his menu, neatly embodied in his tongue-in-cheek signature dish - a traditional Jewish comfort food, matzo balls, wrapped in bacon (when pork is forbidden under Jewish dietary laws). 

So of course, the Bacon-Wrapped Matzoh Balls with Horseradish Aioli ($5) was the first dish we had to try when we stopped in after this month's Downtown LA Artwalk (The Gorbals is centrally located within Artwalk and a convenient casual dining place to have a great meal after a fun night of gallery hopping!).  As a devout baconist, and a huge fan of matzo balls, this seemed to be a match made in heaven for me, and I wanted to love it to pieces.  In concept this should have been amazing, with the salty flavors and crispiness of the bacon contrasting nicely with the subtle flavors of the soft mealy matzo balls.  The bite-sized 'rolls' turned out to be a little on the dry side, and the bacon flavors somewhat overwhelmed the denser-and-chewier-than-expected matzo - the aioli intended to sauce up the whole contraption and add a kick of flavor did not come together cohesively with the other two elements of the dish for me.  The only thing I can think of is maybe to infuse the matzo ball with bacon flavors before wrapping the whole thing in bacon, and maybe using a tiny bit of lard or soup stock to make the dish a little less dry.  I still really like the concept, and at $5 not a bad deal for a very original appetizer - I just didn't love it as much as I thought I would (so maybe this is just a product of overblown expectations).

 

The next dish we tried was also off the "Pork" section - in fact, I think we ordered nearly all the pork dishes on offer.  As my brother and his wife are from Montreal, I did not want to take up a dish with the poutine - but I have an awesome family and they wanted me to try it!  So an order was placed for the Bahn Mi Poutine ($12).  Based on the name of the dish, I really at first thought that it would involve some sort of Vietnamese baguette sandwich (banh mi) stuffed with fries, gravy and cheese curds (basic ingredients in poutine).  But the server was right on the money - this is not your regular poutine - but really a whole new take that I would not want to simplify as a 'fusion' dish, but essentially combines Vietnamese flavors inspired by banh mi sandwiches(lemongrass with shredded pork, carrots and jalapenos) with a French Canadian concept (fries loaded with gravy and cheese curds).  Simply amazing.

Next up was the Pork Loin, Creamed Turnips ($14) - the pork was tender, juicy and perfectly cooked, with fresh slices of spring onions adding crunch to the weightiness of the meat and smooth creamy turnip puree underneath.

One of our favorite dishes of the night was the Confit Beef Tongue, Romesco, with Pumpernickel Croutons ($12) - hands down, this was the best tongue I've ever had.  Perfectly tender pieces are simply dressed with spring onions and placed on a lake of romesco sauce - the simplicity of the way the tongue itself was prepared allowed its natural flavors to come through, while the romesco sauce added a splash of peppery goodness that was skillfully balanced with the meat. This one had us licking our lips! ;)

Our  next dish were the Potato Latkes, with Smoked Applesauce ($7) - the smoky-sweet-tangy applesauce was a nice pairing with the great, crispy and warm potato pancakes.  This dish, though not a standout, was a great one to round out the meal.

Though we were beyond full, we had to make room for the Sticky Toffee Pudding, Ice Cream, with Maldon Salt ($7)  This was my first Sticky Toffee Pudding - so without any frame of reference - I thought the flavors were great, but the toffee turned tough very quickly, making it a little difficult to chew through along with the bread pudding - not the best experience for someone who enjoys lighter desserts with creamy textures. 

That would be one of my notes for The Gorbals, that if they could offer just one more dessert option to give people a choice, that would be fantastic.  True to its irreverent spirit, there are two items listed under "Sweet" - and though I was quite amused by the other item in this category:  "buy the kitchen a round of beers" ($10) - would have loved to see one more pastry item, especially since Ilan has a certification in Baking and Pastry Arts from Culinary Institute of America (CIA)!

Three more things I want to mention that I loved about The Gorbals on my post-DTLA Artwalk dinner last week - LOVE that Ilan was very visible in the restaurant throughout the night, not cheesily 'working the room' as other celeb-chefs might do (or when many others may not be present at their namesake restaurants at all), but hanging out at the kitchen counter chatting with his staff.  At one point, he walked through with his bike - in our overactive imaginations we liked to imagine that he might regularly bike down to a local store to pick up last minute items like spices and/or herbs, just because he likes to do it.  I also loved the live band that started up towards the end of our meal  - The Petrojvic Blasting Company, whose music has a swing feel to it, and that LAWeekly described as "Street Sonic", were fantastic and added a lot of personality to the already great cozy casual chic ambience of the space!  And then the inimitable JGold walked in just as we were having dessert!  (Couldn't help imagining being at the table next to his - to hear his thoughts on the meal that night!)  After greeting his guests, Ilan immediately disappeared into the kitchen we presume to personally prepare the meal!


Anyways, having satisfied my curiosity about the place and food offerings, I wanted to know more about the name of the restaurant, as Gorbals is not a word I had ever heard of.  A quick Google search found that The Gorbals is an area south of the River Clyde in Glasgow, Scotland. According to Wikipedia - "the name could be related to the Latin word "garbale" (sheaf) found in the Scottish term "garbal teind" (10th sheaf), a tithe of corn given to the parish rector." Accuracy aside, I found this appropriate to the restaurant - after my dining experience there, I would gladly deposit 10% or more of my income to this temple of culinary creativity.

All in all, a great experience at The Gorbals that I'm looking forward to repeating, next time I'm in Downtown LA.

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Service - 6.5 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$ (2 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 98%

___________________________________________________________

The Gorbals
501 South Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90013
Ph: 213.488.3408

Website: thegorbalsla.com
Twitter: twitter.com/thegorbals
OpenTable:  Look for reservations
___________________________________________________________