special occasion Archives | A Travel Foodie's Journey

October 12, 2022 in Local Eats

In Defense of Meteora

As many have likely seen by now, there was a scathing review of Jordan Kahn’s newest offering, Meteora. Days before it was published, my husband, sister-in-law and I ran into the two Michelin starred chef at its helm and complimented him on a wonderful experience, thanking his wife for the delectable inspiration of the rice dish on Meteora’s menu.

In researching this particular writer’s past restaurant reviews, featured were casual restaurants with simple offerings which, in comparison to Meteora’s complex menu and earthy decor, is a rapid departure from the writer’s repertoire.

“Beginning with the rhythms of nature, our cuisine emphasizes the healing energy of ingredients.”

Jordan Kahn stopped by every table, including ours, and explained the ingredients in each of the dishes ordered and why he incorporated them in the dinner set.

Perhaps the writer did not have that benefit during his visit. One needs to have a wide range of culinary experience from extensive travels and have an appreciation and understanding of history, culture and traditions which are all celebrated and highlighted at Meteora.

Was Meteora expensive? Yes. Were unusual and unfamiliar pairings served? Yes. Was there a purpose and message for each of the offerings? Yes.

I have traveled to 31 countries, including 4 trips to the Yucatán Peninsula and sampled a wide range of of dishes at restaurants on every end of the budgetary spectrum. I can wholeheartedly recommend Meteora as a dining experience that should not be missed.

The dishes are beautifully and artfully presented, and the combination of flavors is just exquisite.

Admittedly, Meteora caters to those with cultured, diversified and upscale tastes. It is not for everybody, but if you are looking to experience simple dishes reimagined while sitting within a beautiful Tulum inspired setting, then Meteora should be your next fine dining destination.

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.

Mastro’s Steakhouse Beverly Hills will continue to be our special occasion restaurant for many more years to come.

Mastro’s Steakhouse Beverly Hills

246 N. Canon Drive

Beverly Hills, CA

https://www.mastrosrestaurants.com/Locations/CA/Beverly-Hills-Steakhouse/

June 2, 2019 in Local Eats

Slaying it at Slay

We had the great fortune of joining our friends for a special birthday celebration at Slay in Manhattan Beach. It was previously the short-lived Darren’s where we had dined for my sister-in-law’s 40th birthday dinner which we deemed her Tiffany birthday, complete with the breakfast at Tiffany’s DVD, a Tiffany themed birthday cake and a necklace from Tiffany. The company was much better than the food and after our special occasion dinner, we did not return.

Tonight’s dinner experience was much improved. The space had been renovated and had a bit of a nautical old world scheme. The new owner and chef served us a dinner feast which was quite exceptional.

The meatballs we ordered were moist and had a subtle but well seasoned flavor.

Our Caesar salad had crispy romaine bites with a creamy but not overpowering dressing and sprinkles of crispy croutons to round out the texture.

My ahi was sitting on a bed of fries and was perfectly seared and seasoned, and my husband’s filet was tender, moist and flavorful. His pesto mashed potatoes were very unique and truthfully just brilliantly simple and delicious.

Our friends enjoyed their steak entrees as well and the desserts were also delightful.

All in all, it was a 5 star understated and divine experience at Manhattan Beach’s newest additions.

SLAY Steak + Fish House

1141 Manhattan Avenue

Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

https://www.slaysteakandfishhouse.com

February 3, 2019 in Local Eats

Chinese New Year at Fifty One

The location of the newest Culver City addition has been a revolving door of various feasts over the last decade or so. The first restaurant I recall being there was a Korean establishment called Gyenari Korean BBQ which was quite good but a bit expensive for what it was. That was replaced by Lyfe Kitchen which served healthy cafeteria style food. Most recently the space hosted OOAK, a vegetarian restaurant which didn’t last the year as its price point was much too high for its limited menu. Fortunately, it modified its menu to pseudo traditional Chinese fare that matches the West Los Angeles Chinese restaurant prices and portions.

Initially, the reviews for Fifty One on Yelp hovered around 3 stars. Wanting to celebrate a new month and the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Pig, the year in which I was born, I read the recent reviews which increased the rating to a very acceptable 4 stars. I went on Open Table and saw they had lots of availability so I picked a time that I knew would work for us and off we went.

Upon entering the restaurant, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful the interior design was. It felt Chinese but had an overall pleasant and bright Asian theme which could easily feel like a nice restaurant in Phuket or even in Tokyo. We were seated at a table midway into the restaurant, giving us a view of the front of house, the bar as well as a peek into the private back room which was shielded by several floral screens. I looked to see who was dining and saw a table of Jewish men to our left as well as a few other tables with possibly Chinese immigrants and an Asian couple walking around with the manager possibly considering an event at the restaurant. As an aside, what gives a Chinese restaurant street credit is having Asians eat there, preferably first generation immigrants, the newer, the better.

We tried to order more ethnic style dishes, if only by name. Our server, Caylin, was instrumental in helping us narrow down the options. He suggested the Hong Shao E-Fu Noodles with Chicken, Yang Chow Seafood Fried Rice, Sichuan Peppercorn Hot Pot with Shrimp, Scallion Fish Fillet and Spicy String Beans. I also ordered a hot and sour seafood soup which ended up being too sweet and thick. However, the rest of our dinner was exceptional. The fish had a very mild flavor with a perfectly slightly crispy exterior. The hot pot was a bigger offering with a significant amount of shrimp and vegetables. It had a mildly spiced aftertaste. The noodles and rice both packed a great deal of layered flavors and had a bit more oil than the other dishes. The spicy string beans had a bit of heat but wasn’t overpowering and crispy. With all of our dishes, we were pleasantly surprised that our bill totaled $80 for 2 people.

In addition to the amazing complexity of flavors of our entrees, the caliber of the service and the friendliness of the staff primarily from our server but also the manager was exceptional. For those who live on the Westside and don’t want the hassle of a drive to San Gabriel Valley and are looking for delicious and reasonably priced Asian food in a beautiful setting, Fifty One is a solid option and is a neighborhood gem. We’ll be back and will bring lots of Westside friends!

Fifty One

9540 Washington Blvd

Culver City, CA 90232

https://www.fiftyonekitchen.com