Beverly Hills Archives | A Travel Foodie's Journey

September 5, 2022 in Local Eats

Ella at Sixty in Beverly Hills

Ella is set inside a boutique hotel in the heart of Beverly Hills.

It has a tropical vibe giving it the quintessential Los Angeles experience.

We met a couple of girlfriends who had previously eaten at the establishment for a holiday party several years prior.

We started off with the sourdough focaccia which was quite generous in size. It had a nice light crisp shell with a warm doughy middle and was served with a small bowl of black truffle butter and elderflower honey.

One of our friends ordered the little gem salad which was served with a top layer of breadcrumbs and a heavy pour of buttermilk dressing.

She seemed to enjoy it so it seemed like a winner. Her next dish, the grilled broccolini, was perfectly cooked, crisp but not overdone lightly seasoned.

My husband ordered the bolognese which was nice and al dente.

We also shared a spicy pepperoni pizza which was good but was doused with oil.

Two of us ordered the burger and fries which was just the perfect California burger. The ground beef was lightly seasoned and smoky but still perfectly moist and the fries were exceptionally crispy and salty.

After dinner we headed up to the quieter rooftop bar to have our nightcap. It had a lovely view of the city and was just a great place to decompress from the week.

All in all, Ella was a lovely experience. The only downside during our dinner was the erratic service. Our waiter had a penchant for disappearing for long periods of time but the food was good and it had a nice vibe.

November 14, 2019 in Local Eats

Mastros Steakhouse Beverly Hills – Birthday Dinner

We recently returned to the Beverly Hills location for my husband’s birthday dinner. As I had previously reviewed this restaurant before, I hadn’t anticipated writing another review but the exemplary service, the sensational quality of the food and the generosity of the manager warranted an update.

The morning before our reservation, I emailed the manager, Michael Hudson, who we had met on our last visit for our anniversary. I mentioned that it was my husband’s birthday and we were looking forward to seeing him again.

I didn’t hear back but sensed he had received my email as I did not get the usual confirmation phone call from Phillip. We arrived a few minutes late but didn’t wait long to be seated. We sat against the wall in the front section of the second floor close to the singers and pianist. It was the first time we sat in that specific section and it dawned on us that we could hear the music much better in that area so we’re making a mental note for future visits.

Our server, Summer, was likely the best server we have ever had at the restaurant. She was attentive but not overbearing. Her timing on refreshing our beverages was impeccable.

We started with the spinach salad which was split in half. It was perfectly dressed, not oversaturated with dressing.

The kitchen was slightly heavy-handed with the blue cheese but the bacon and crumbled hard-boiled egg was served in more equal proportion.

Next to arrive was the creamy, decadent lobster bisque which had chunks of lobster with each delectable sip.

The bisque always has the pleasure reflex, where one’s eyes roll to the back of the head on first taste. It just hits all the right notes, and no visit to Mastro’s is complete without this bowl of amazing goodness.

After the empty plates from starters were whisked away, our filets arrived. They were cooked perfectly, a bit charred on the outside with a warm, pink center. The filet was so tender I’m not sure a steak knife was even necessary.

The smell of sizzling, buttery beef wafting through the air was curtailed by the savory side dishes’ arrival.

The green beans were cooked just right, crispy but not overly oily.

The Gorgonzola mac n cheese had a slightly smoky top layer which enveloped a steamy, gooey, dense center.

The lobster mashed potatoes had very generous chunks of lobster intermixed with the luxuriously creamy potatoes.

Last to arrive was the trio of birthday cakes, courtesy of the restaurant. We were served with the mind numbingly decadent butter cake as well as a slice of the super rich chocolate cake.

New to the mix was the key lime pie which was a bit of a palate cleanser from the richness of the entire meal.

All in all, it was an amazing experience. The combination of dishes with the attentive staff made it the best night we have had at Mastro’s Beverly Hills. Thank you to Michael, Summer, your kitchen and staff for an impeccable evening.

Mastro’s Steakhouse
246 N. Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
https://www.mastrosrestaurants.com/Locations/CA/Beverly-Hills-Steakhouse/

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August 11, 2019 in Local Eats

Mastro’s Steakhouse Beverly Hills

Mastro’s Beverly Hills has been our special occasion dining restaurant for well over a decade. The service has always been exemplary, the location is ideal and the food is nothing short of amazing.
We decided to celebrate our anniversary two days early this year as it falls on a Monday.

Prior to our arrival, I contacted the restaurant to advise them that we were running about fifteen minutes late to which the hostess said would not be an issue and we would be seated in between the parties. When we arrived, all the seats at the bar were full and there were a few guests standing, waiting in the lobby. About ten minutes later, we were whisked to the second floor where we had requested to be seated so we could listen to the pianist and singer during our dinner. This particular evening, the set being played was quite lively and there was both a male and female singer which was a pleasant surprise.

We were welcomed by our server Keith who made the evening feel effortless.

The basket of bread arrived a few minutes after we were seated and drinks arrived less than five minutes after ordering.

Our Caesar salad was split and served shortly thereafter. Surprisingly, my favorite bread in the bread basket, the cheese crisp and the croutons in the salad were stale and lacked crunch. I made a point to mention it to the busboy and our server who thanked me for raising it so that the kitchen is aware and can test the bread being served to other guests during the evening.

Next to arrive were the sizzling 12 ounce filets immediately followed by several runners with each of our side dishes. The filets were cooked to a perfect medium, pink in the middle, so buttery and tender it seemed like you barely needed a knife to cut through it.

The Gorgonzola mashed potatoes were incredibly rich, the Alaskan King crab gnocchi was super decadent, the mushrooms were silky and savory. Each side was a very filling and divine accompaniment to the steak. Since the servings were so large, we opted to pack up the rest and eat it at home on our actual anniversary.

Our dinner ended with a beautiful pairing of both a slice of chocolate cake and butter cake on the house. We saved the chocolate cake but devoured the butter cake which was moist, slightly sweet and topped with a scoop of refreshing vanilla ice cream.

Our evening at the Beverly Hills Mastro’s was once again a spectacular experience, starting with the valet and all the way to the manager, Michael, who came by to ask how our evening was going and gave us his card for future visits. Though we have dined at other Mastros locations, specifically the Malibu and the Newport Beach restaurants, the service at the Beverly Hills location has always been top notch and beyond compare.