BlogHer Food 2009’s Local Reunion Lunch Meet Up
There were lots of yummy sounding options. The first thing that caught my eye was a Goat Cheese Custard with Arugula under the appetizer portion of the menu. When I ordered the Goat Cheese Custard, our server said- "Oh-the Grilled Figs", which it happened to be accompanying. Isn't that the way it is- the sides are so often the make or break factor. The Grilled Figs/Goat Cheese appetizer seemed quite popular among us, although one or two went for the Herbed Crusted Abalone, and the Lobster Pumpkin Bisque with Salted Vanilla Cream for first courses. The Grilled Figs/Goat Cheese Custard arrived with a thick crusted, chewy bread filled with dried fruit and nuts, to spread the custard on- divine! For my main course. For my main course, I went with the Roasted Capon (with a fennel stuffing) served on a Preserved Lemon-Chick Pea Puree. The clear winner in the group among entreés, though, was the Ling Cod with Saffron Pumpkin Risotto. See-the sides make all the difference.
Erika Penzer Kerekes, blogging at In Erika's Kitchen and also penning the L.A. Cooking Examiner column had dined at the restaurant previously, so she knew to ask for the fabulous flatbreads that didn't happen show up on any of those menus. Several of them appeared topped with all kinds of goodies- pulled barbecued rabbit, burrata and cherry tomatoes, prosciutto and arugula, and my personal favorite, tapenade, artichoke hearts, and frisée, sprinkled with goat cheese- now how can you go wrong with that?
The Dine LA week menu paired wines with the various menu options. As befits any great restaurant serving a sunny climate, they offered a Rosé (Chateau Desclans " Whispering Angel"). It was paired with the Ling Cod- Pumpkin Risotto entreé, but any blush wine lover knows a good dry Rosé pairs well with almost any food, so a lot of us sampled that. Would, btw, that more L.A. restaurants would get the message re: Rosés.
I originally declined dessert, but wouldn't you know it- one of our group had to leave before her dessert arrived, and the server just happened to place it in front of me. I tried to resist, but the individual Pumpkin Cheesecake beckoned, and I'm glad I indulged. While I'm not a fan of pumpkin pie, this cheesecake was light- like maybe it was made with ricotta rather than cream cheese- and perfectly spiced, sitting atop a fabulous chewy nut crust. Okay, I really did try, but it was worth the calories.
Yep- sometimes it's really good to live in L.A.
P.S. If you want to read an account of my time at the BlogHer conference visit my other blog-smallpleasurescateringblog
