"The Great Steakhouse Challenge" - Dinner at Jar

Third up in this series was Jar in Los Angeles, CA. After my heavenly experience at Dal Rae, Jar definitely had a lot to live up to in my books.

Unfortunately, my tale is part woe and part bliss. Before we get to the woe part, I want to mention that everything started off on a high note for me when I had my salad. That salad, which consisted of roasted beets, arugula, sweet roquefort and balsamic vinaigrette, was absolutely delicious. Considering that I work for a produce company that makes bagged salads, I'm extremely picky about my salads and I finished everything on my plate to the last beet.

Following the fantastic salad came the woe. :( I ordered the skirt steak and was extremely disappointed. First off, I expected the meat to be more marbelized, just a little bit fatty to allow for flavor in the meat. Also with that little bit of fat, the outside of the steak would have also been more caramelized, which again would have again contributed better to its flavor. The meat was also chewy-soft, if that makes sense. After the high of the Petite Filet Pepper Steak I had at Dal Rae, this skirt steak was a real downer.

In retrospect, the waiter did say that the dishes that Jar is known for are the items listed under the Braises and Sautes section of the menu and lo and behold, some in the group ordered the lamb shank with star anise, coriander and garlic as well as the Jar's signature pot roast and were quite happy with their meal, so on a return visit, I probably would make different choices.

However, it should be noted that two people in our group split the Prime Porterhouse and raved about the tenderness of the meat, the flavor and the juiciness of the meat, which is another reason to avoid the skirt steak altogether next time.

But along with the woe was bliss and that bliss for me in the form of the french fries with garlic and parsley that I ordered as a side. Crunchy and with a flavor zing...those fries made me a happy camper. Also, the dessert special that I shared with a friend was awesome, a rich butterscotch pudding that almost made me weep with joy. I also had a taste of Jar's signature chocolate pudding and oh my gosh, it was creamy dark chocolate perfection!

Overall, I would make my way to Jar again, but at least this time, I know what not to order in way of a steak and if the butterscotch pudding isn't available, the chocolate pudding will do just as well.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594345082313/

By the way, my camera settings weren't as they should be, so the pics are a bit blurry in the photoset above.

Jar
8225 Beverly Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90048
323-655-6566

Hunan's Restaurant in Alhambra - CLOSED

Last night, my dining group made a foray into Alhambra to try out the Hunan cuisine at Hunan's restaurant. We ordered a total of 9 different dishes and we definitely chowed down. For the most part, I'd say that the dishes were hit and miss. Either I really liked a particular dish a lot or there would be something I probably would never order again.

The three standouts for me included the following:

* Toss-Fried Mutton with Cilantro - The mutton was tender and upon taking the first bite, the dish didn't seem that spicy, but then it does give you a zing on your palate after swallowing. I also liked the grassiness of the cilantro.

* Toss-Fried Chicken with Hot Sauce - Everything just came together, the heat, the texture, the flavor!

* Steamed Hunan Style Spicy Fresh Fish (Whole) - This fish was awesome. The meat was moist and delicate plus the sauce really complemented the fish meat as opposed to overwhelming it.

The two dishes I would skip over are:

* Three Flavored Dumplings - Not much flavor here. In fact, these dumplings were beyond bland.

* Eggplant & Ground Pork with Pickled Vegetables - Normally, I love eggplant, but this dish was way too salty for my taste.

Overall, I would make my way back to Hunan's Restaurant again. There were a lot of items on the menu I wasn't able to try this time, but would like to another time and hopefully, I'll have even more hits than last night.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594325669815/

Hunan's Restaurant
903 W. Valley Blvd.
Alhambra, CA, 91803
626-289-0789

Dinner at the Oinkster

I finally checked out Oinkster and while I really, really wanted to like it, I was very disappointed. I ordered the regular combo which consisted of the bbq pork sandwich, regular fries and a soft drink. To add to my order, I also got a side of red cabbage slaw and a peanut butter and jelly cupcake. The only thing I really liked was the peanut butter and jelly cupcake.

First, my bbq pulled pork sandwich was a bust! There was more red cabbage slaw and onions than actual pork. While the pork was reasonably moist, it had no flavor. They also didn't add the bbq sauce to the sandwich and when I got some in a little cup to add to the sandwich myself, the bbq sauce was so watery that I decided to forget about it.

The Belgian fries weren't crispy enough. It's almost as if they fried it only once and not twice which is the standard way of cooking Belgian French Fries. They reminded me of In-N-Out Fries and that's not to say that I don't like In-N-Out Fries, but for something that's touting itself to be Belgian French Fries, that's what I should have gotten.

This red slaw was too vinegary and had too strong a flavor that I couldn't identify until my friend mentioned that they added too much celery seed.

As for the peanut butter cupcake, while I would have liked the frosting to be a bit creamier, the flavor was good and plus I loved the fact that there was grape jelly inside.

Overall, I won't be making my way back to The Oinkster anytime soon.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594320875945/

The Oinkster
2005 Colorado Blvd.
Eagle Rock, CA
323-255-oink
http://www.oinkster.com/

"Burmese Feast" at Golden Triangle

Earlier in the year, I set up a sampler dinner at Golden Triangle for my dining group, where we got to experience 14 different Burmese dishes. Wow, what an evening of culinary delight.

Out of the 14 dishes, I've had six of them before and of course, that includes Golden Triangle's signature dish, their Ginger Salad. For those of you who have never had this salad before, believe me, it's worth the drive to Whittier just to try it.

The Ginger Salad consists of shredded ginger tossed with coconut, garlic, yellow peas, ground peanuts and sesame seeds with lemon sauce. The textures, the crunch and the flavors are amazing. You get a little sweet, a little tart, a little nutty, a little spicy in every single bite and you'd think that all those flavors would clash, but I kid you not, they harmonize very well on the palate.

Other dishes that I've enjoyed before include the Dai Kon Vegetable Sour Soup, which is very similar to Sinigang, a tamarind-based sour Filipino soup as well as the Burmese Dun Bauk Htamin, which is baked rice with herbs and chicken. This baked rice is actually drier than you'd expect, but I kind of liked the harder texture of the rice as well as the curry flavoring of the dish.

Of the 8 dishes that I've never tried before, three of them really stood out for me. One was the Tofu Salad. On the menu, it looks unassuming and there's not much of a description to go along with it, but let me tell you, that Tofu Salad was out of this world.

The great thing about the tofu in the salad is that it's housemade. You won't believe how creamy and silky that tofu was and again just like the Ginger Salad; there were a lot of great textures to this Salad. Along with the creamy tofu, you get the crisp cabbage as well as crunchy deep fried onions. I honestly think that if all I had for my meal was the Ginger Salad and the Tofu Salad, I would have been perfectly happy.

The second item that blew my socks off was Burmese Shrimp, which was shrimp sautéed with tomatoes, onions and a pretty spicy sauce. The sweetness of the shrimp really mixed well with the tomato's acidity and that sauce was amazing. Lots of flavor layers and it had a really good kick to it.

Another new favorite was the Shue Gi Mok, which was a very interesting dessert. It's cake-like and at least two of the ingredients were coconut milk and raisins. I'm not sure what else was in this dessert, but I liked it a lot. It was sweet, but overwhelmingly so and I could really taste the coconut milk. The dessert reminded me of the Filipino cassava cake. Very similar in texture, although the Shue Gi Mok was softer.

Overall, I really love putting together these sampler dinners. Not only do I get re-experience the dishes that I already love, but I also get to try out new dishes that I've never had before. It was a really fun night and I think that everyone enjoyed their meal so much that they'll definitely be going back.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594311851702/

Golden Triangle
7011 Greenleaf Ave
Whittier, CA, 90602
562-945-6778

Alejandro's Filipino Restaurant in Glassell Park - CLOSED

Being Filipino, I'm very picky about Filipino food. At every Filipino restaurant I go to, the litmus test for me is that after having eaten there, I ask myself, is the food there as good as Mom's cooking. It doesn't even matter to me whether it's a particular dish that my Mom has made or not. It's more about the food matching up to my Mom's high standard of cooking.

So far, only one restaurant has come close to that high standard and it was a Filipino restaurant in Artesia called Magic Wok, but last month, I experienced with my dining group a restaurant that I feel surpasses Magic Wok. That restaurant is Alejandro's in the Glassell Park area.

The food there was outstanding and every thing we ordered, I could easily see on my Mom's dining table ready for us to devour. There was the spicy goat stew. The goat meat was tender and didn't have any the normally gamey taste associated with it. The addition of the olives to this dish also gave it a nice hit of saltiness The creamy coconut sauce with the Shrimp Hipon was so good, I could have easily drank it by the gallon.

And than there was the crispy pata. Now my Mom has never deep fried pig knuckles, but if she did, it would have been like the one at Alejandro's. The dish arrived with a knife sticking straight out, which left no room for doubt that this dish wasn't for the faint of heart. Not very many people are into pork skin, but growing up eating crispy pata, I completely appreciated and savored the crispy, crunchy golden skin and of course, the moist meat underneath the skin was also something I enjoyed completely.

Other standouts of the meal happened before the meal when many of us ordered a variety of unsusual smoothies and iced drinks. There was the pandan and green mango smoothie, which had pistachio notes as well as having a hint of tartness. I had the sweet yellow corn milkshake, which to many in the group, was a bit odd, but after letting some sample it, I got a few converts.

For dessert, we all had suman, which is a sweetened rice wrapped in banana leaves. Alejandro's actually cut the suman in squares, topped with fried coconut as well as a piece of leche plan (e.g. flan). It was an awesome dessert and served in a way that I've never experienced before, so it was definitely a first.

Overall, Alejandro's is definitely a find and a restaurant that I will certainly return to over and over again and I hope that many of you will decide to check it out as well.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594301556763/

Alejandro's
4126 Verdugo Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90065
323-550-1063

"The Great Steakhouse Challenge" - Dinner at Dal Rae

Second up for the "Great Steakhouse Challenge" dinner series was Dal Rae in Pico Rivera.

Did you know that the 1950s never left Dal Rae in Pico Rivera? In fact, as I was driving up Washington Blvd, I already knew I was going somewhere special. From a few streets away, I could already see the tall beautiful neon sign with the restaurant name in blazing red lights. No cheesy backlit plastic for Dal Rae. It was class all the way.

Upon entering the lobby, I was greeted by live music in the bar and two hostesses, who with their almost bouffant hair-dos helped set the stage for my 50s time warp. Inside the bustling restaurant, my eyes took in the wood paneled walls and the black leather banquettes and I felt right at home.

Once seated, iced relish trays were swept onto to the table while drink orders were taken. While perusing the menu, we were able to crunch our way through cold crisp veggies. It's amazing to start your meal with fresh produce edibles. For someone who's eaten at a lot of restaurants, this was a welcome first for me.

Speaking of the menu, Dal Rae's vintage menu contained old standbys like lobster thermidor, oysters Rockefeller and tableside Caesar. Desserts even included relics like bananas flambé and cherries jubilee.

With all the choices, it was hard to decide but eventually everyone made their selections. After placing our orders, French bread, breadsticks and thick cracker wafers came out, soon followed by garlic bread. For our presently carb-conscious world, a lot of people would be running out the door screaming, but hey, in my 50s daze, I took helpings of both.

Appetizers were ordered, but the one that held the most fascination was the escargot cooked in garlic butter. The aroma was so strong that I think people from the bar could have smelled it; yet, it was also so tantalizing that I may have been willing to forget that escargot was French for snails and sampled the dish anyway.

After the appetizers were enjoyed and consumed, our steak fest began. After all, steak was the main reason we came to Dal Rae in the first place. Orders included Steak Diane, prepared tableside, as well as prime rib, steak and other various cuts of meat. For the meat entrees, it truly is all about the meat. The sides are kept simple. You get veggies and potatoes cooked in some fashion whether it's baked or French-fried.

I ordered the Petite Filet Pepper Steak and it was cooked to perfection. Both tender and moist, it was literally packed with flavor. Just looking at it, I could see the black and white pepper embedded into the meat's surface. I was so enthralled with my steak that I barely touched the vegetables or my baked potato. My steak was just that good. The empty plates around the table conveyed how much we all loved Dal Rae's steak offerings.

Amazingly enough, there was still room for dessert or perhaps it was our childish glee in seeing fruit set on fire that prompted us to order both the bananas flambé and the cherries jubilee. The tableside preparation of both our desserts was a sight to see with flames igniting the fruit and alcohol in the pans. But even better was savoring the hot sweetness of the fruit mixtures poured over the cold sweetness of vanilla ice cream. A perfect end to a perfect meal.

So ended our time space continuum foray into 1950s steakhouse glory and wow, was it worth the trip. From start to finish, our time at Dal Rae was a sheer visual, atmospheric and culinary delight and if the only way I can come back is to sport a beehive, I'd do so without question.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594301475787/

Dal Rae
9023 Washington Blvd
Pico Rivera, CA 90660
(323) 723-4427
http://www.dalrae.com/

Pizza and Wine Pairings at Pitfire Pizza Company

Being always on the look out for fun food and wine combinations, I set up a pizza and wine pairing event with Pitfire Pizza Company and my dining group came along to share the experience.

Pitfire Pizza Company prides itself in using fresh local ingredients for most of the items on their menu and that definitely showed in the 6 different pizzas we sampled that night. Of the six, two stood out.

First, there's the asparagus and egg pizza. Yes, you are reading correctly. Asparagus and egg pizza. Along with the asparagus and an oven-poached egg, ingredients also include Tuscan proscuitto, roasted garlic, fontina cheese and lemon zest. Dare I say that with the ham and the egg, it's almost like a breakfast pizza, for surely, I could eat this pizza morning, noon or night. With all its many textures and flavors, from the crunch of the asparagus to the subtle tartness of the lemon zest, each bite felt like a wonderful surprise party.

But my absolute favorite pizza of the night was called Deidre's Bianca, inspired by Pitfire Pizza's Marketing Director, Deidre. Ingredients for this pizza included a mix of dandelion greens, black Russian kale, arugula with herbed ricotta, mozzarella and roasted garlic. What I loved about this pizza was the flavor profiles of the greens, which leaned towards being peppery, a little bitter and overall, packed punches of strong flavor. The herbs in the cheese served as a great enhancement to the greens while some of the sweetness of the roasted garlic ensured that everything was in balance.

Here I have been raving about the pizza, but have yet to even mention the pizza and wine pairings, which were a welcome change from the regular standby of pizza and beer. However, I found something amusing about the whole business of eating pizza with my hands while twirling a wine glass in between bites. It was definitely an "Inner Child" meets "Grown Up Sophisticate (or at least the Sophisticate of my own mind)" kind of thing.

Since I'm more of a foodie than a wine enthusiast, I can't necessarily speak well about the wine we had for the evening. I can say that some pairings worked better than others. For example, I really enjoyed the Rock Rabbit Sauvignon Blanc 2005 with the Heirloom Tomato Pizza. It was a wine that was a bit citrusy and mellow and balanced well with the sweet acidity of the tomatoes and the stronger flavor of the basil. On the other end of the spectrum, the Boutari Moschofilero, a Greek wine, bombed when paired with Deidre's Bianca pizza. It makes sense to pair the Bianca with a stronger red wine given that the greens on that pizza have a kick to them, but that wine was too over powering.

For many, pizza and beer may still be the way to go, but I think that pizza and wine also have their own merits and it's fun to experiment. With the variety of wines out there, you're certain to find a perfect marriage of pizza and wine and you'll probably have a lot of fun in the process, too.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594302638099/

Pitfire Pizza Company
108 West 2nd Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
213-808-1200
www.pitfirepizza.com

El Mercadito and Lunch at El Gallito

Last summer, a group of us went off to explore El Mercadito in East LA. El Mercadito is a three-level shopping center that caters to the Hispanic population in Los Angeles, but we were there in the most part for the food. Since many of us who came were unfamiliar with true authentic Mexican foods and beverages, I enlisted the help of Raul Rodriguez, owner of Nevera Fruit Creations, to help shed some light and he's the one that would describe some of the various foods we were seeing and tasting and would even enlist the vendors to further explain, if needed.

With the weather being very warm and while waiting for others to arrive, some of us already opted to quench our thirst with many of the beverage choices that were available. I went with a fresca, which is a water beverage flavored and sweetened with fruits and flowers. My fruit of choice was cantaloupe and believe me, drinking that cantaloupe fresca was pure heaven. Others went with the more well-known horchatas and a couple of us even had the raspado, the Mexican version of shaved ice.

When everyone was finally gathered together and after paying a visit to the painting of the Virgin Mary in the parking lot, our taste buds were ready for some action and they definitely got that. For our time at El Mercadito, we sampled a variety of items from something as well-known as golden, crunchy churros to sweetened pumpkin that reminded me of a pumpkin pie with my first bite of it. We also had tried out a fermented corn drink that had a sour taste to it that didn't appeal to me very much but there were one or two in our group who enjoyed it a lot.

Other things included chili mango, corn with cotija cheese (at least I think it's cotija cheese) and a variety of sweets from the Mexican sweet shop that was inside the El Mercadito. While we were grazing, we also checked out the Market from top to bottom.

The first floor has stalls that sell a variety of goods, from leather goods to clothing to music. The second floor is definitely geared towards food. There is a bakery, a produce section and stalls where you can purchase everything from pre-made mole sauce to snack items to seeds and spices that can be used for cooking. There are also between 5 to 6 small restaurants where you can get a bite to eat. The third floor had two larger restaurants facing each other with dueling mariachi bands both playing at the same time.

El Mercadito is a really cool market and it was great to have a guide talk us through El Mercadito's culinary offerings and even better, get to sample some of them. After close to 2 hours walking through the market, the majority of the group was ready to call it a day, but my friend and I decided to have lunch at one of the restaurants and Raul recommended El Gallito.

Upon approaching El Gallito, we were overwhelmed by all the choices available to us and there were some dishes that we never heard of before. It actually helped that at the windowsill surrounding the kitchen area, you could actually see up close some of the dishes that were pictured below the restaurant neon sign.

I ordered a sope with carnitas, a huarache with carne asada and a ceviche tostado with shrimp. I have to tell you that in the pictures these items seemed smaller than they actually were once the plates were put in front of you. I think they really gave you good portions. Now on to the food. First, I didn't care too much for the sope. The tortilla shell it was resting on was too hard and the pork was a little dry. Also, it just had too much stuff on it, which made it difficult to eat.

The huarache was wonderful. It was my first time having this dish and I have to say that it was delicious, especially the meat, which had lots of flavor and everything that went with this dish, the lettuce, the sour cream, the cheese just really makes me wish for a second time sometime soon.

The ceviche tostado with shrimp was absolutely yummy. The tartness of the lime, the acidity of the tomatoes, the sweetness of the shrimp all came together in perfect harmony. I also ordered a papaya milkshake, which I was disappointed in. It had more milk than papaya I think and I would have preferred to taste more of the fruit. El Gallito was a good recommendation and I'm glad we managed to save some room for lunch there.

Overall, I enjoyed my time at El Mercadito and I would definitely go back and for those of you who have never paid a visit, I hope that you'll decide it check it sometime.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594285918251/

El Gallo Pinto in Azusa

A couple of weeks ago, I had the fortune to check out El Gallo Pinto, a Nicaraguan restaurant in Azusa. Amazingly enough, I have been driving past this restaurant for years and never knew about the treasure that has been near my hometown all this time. Of course, the fact that it's not very visible from the street and is hidden in a mini-mall probably contributed to why I hadn't really known about its existence until just recently.

Upon entering El Gallo Pinto, you'll notice that it's not a fancy place, but it's still very welcoming with its orange walls, brown booths and assorted paintings and photos hanging on the walls. The wait staff was also very friendly and quite willing to answer any questions about the food.

When ordering my drink, I asked for a typical Nicaraguan drink and was given Cacao. It was like a chocolate version of a Horchata and when asked about the ingredients, I was told that along with chocolate, there was also cinnamon and vanilla mixed in. I found it quite refreshing.

Since there wasn't an appetizer section in the menu, our group ordered 3 a la carte items to start off with. One was a pork and yucca dish topped with cabbage and tomatoes. I was actually surprised to see the cabbage. I've done other Central and South American dining before, but this was the first time that I saw cabbage so frequently used. We were also served small side cabbage and tomato salads, which I think everyone gets with every meal and is also what topped the pork dish. The pork was tender and flavorful while the yucca was nice in that it wasn't overcooked and the combination of the two with the crunchy cabbage and acidity of the tomatoes worked well for me.

We also ordered fried green plantains and fried cheese. With those two items came what I personally refer to as Nicaraguan "salsa" which was made up of sour orange juice, onions and either green bell peppers or green chilies, I'm not quite sure. The flavor was citrusy-tangy-sweet and onion-y. I liked it. It was unusual. We were told to dip or top our plantains and/or cheese with this mixture, but our waitress also told us that she'd also pour the sauce over other food items as well. The plantains were addicting and I actually liked the fact that they weren't ripe, which means that they weren't as sweet. The fried cheese seemed a little salty to me, but adding that "salsa" cut that down.

For my entrees, I wanted 3 a la carte items just because I wanted try some specific dishes that I read were typical Nicaraguan dishes. One was Vigoron , which actually was the same dish as the Pork and Yuca we shared as an appetizer, but chicharron was used instead. Still a good dish and I actually prefer the chicharron version.

I also ordered the gallo pinto, which is a staple rice dish that generally comes with every meal. Gallo pinto is a mixture of fried rice with onion and sweet pepper and beans boiled with garlic. This is a great rice dish and I prefer it to Mexican rice. I think it's the beans that are the draw and the fact that it's boiled in garlic. It adds a great flavor to the rice plus the beans adds some moisture to the dish. Generally, I don't care for Mexican rice because it always seems dry, but you definitely do not have that problem with the gallo pinto.

My last a la carte item was the nactamal. The owner told me that one of the great things about Nicaraguan food is that it isn't greasy, which I found to be true in everything I've had so far, but the nacatamal is a little different.

The nactamal is made up of a dough that is prepared with ground corn and butter. This is then filled up with small pieces of pork or chicken, rice, potatoes, tomatoes, onion, sweet pepper (all in slices). This mixture is packed in leaves of plantain trees (not edible), tightened with a small thread that makes it look like a tiny pillow. It is then cooked inside the leaves and boiled during five hours.

They must put a lot of butter in that dough because it was definitely true that the nacatamale had more of an oily taste to it than any tamale I've ever had. Even with all that, I really enjoyed it. Yes, it was oilier than I would have liked, but the fact that it was also buttery made a difference and also because of it being boiled, it was also a moist dish. Tamales can sometimes err on being too dry, which this nacatamal definitely was not.

Ordering a la carte meant a lot of food, so I ended up eating a bit of everything and boxed the rest for home. To end the meal, we had bunelos, which were yuca and cheese fritters drizzled with syrup. Yum! This was a delicious dessert and luckily, we only could get one each or else I would have had the whole plate.

Overall, I really enjoyed my meal at El Gallo Pinto and am very happy to know that it's a restaurant close to home. The food was great. The wait staff and the owner were very friendly and I enjoyed my experience so much that I'm going to be hosting a sampler dinner there in January as part of my "Feast Series." It's a restaurant that's a little hidden away, but it's worth finding and hopefully, some of you will venture out looking.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594273770386/

El Gallo Pinto
5559 N Azusa Ave
Azusa, CA
626) 815-9907

Dinner at L'Orangerie - CLOSED

For the last few years, I've been meaning to dine at L'Orangerie, but have never found the occasion to do so. With this restaurant landmark finally closing its doors at the end of this year, I finally decided that now was as good a time as any to check this place out. So last Friday, I visited L'Orangerie for the first and last time.

Upon walking through the green door from the valet to the front courtyard of the restaurant, I caught my breath at the very pretty sight before me. There were tables with white linen table clothes, fresh pink and white roses, and candlelight along with sage green wrought iron chairs with a curvy pattern. There was greenery everywhere from potted miniature fruit trees to ivy along the walls. At the end of the courtyard was a beautiful creamy white fountain that had a yellow glow of light at the mouth of the lion where water would normally be streaming out of.

Even the door to the restaurant was no ordinary door. It was a dark blue with a golden knocker and with arched windows above it made it seem larger than it probably was. As you enter through the front door, you're greeted by Sphinx-like statues guarding the entrance into the middle patio of the restaurant, which is where I was guided by the Maitre'd to await the rest of my party. Inside was just as beautiful with more greenery and white tablecloths, but instead of pink roses, white roses were the choice this time and of course, candlelight and crystal stemware were on the tabletops.

Once everyone arrived, we started perusing the menu and eventually placed our orders. Many of us ordered appetizers and that included me. Before the appetizers came, we were treated to an amuse bouche. It came in a little glass cup and it was three-layered. The bottom layer was eggplant, the middle layer was yogurt and the last layer was something sweet, but I can't remember what. It was a weird mix of flavors. I didn't care for it much and neither did most of the people in my party.

As for the appetizers, I decided to share an appetizer with someone else and we ordered the zucchini flowers with basil, tomatoes and olive oil with lemon. Believe me, I'm glad I shared because there's no way I would have been able to finish all four of the zucchini flowers, which is what comprises a full order. A nice thing that the restaurant did was to split the order onto two separate plates.

In regards to the zucchini flowers, while I liked the combined flavor of the acidity of the tomatoes and the slight bite of the basil, the dish as a whole was really mushy. The only time I've ever had zucchini flowers in the past were when they had been stuffed with cheese and deep-fried and those were delicious. Not that I expected the ones I ordered to be deep fried, but just the general limpness of the flowers were quite disappointing to me. They seemed overcooked.

For my entrée, I had the roasted breast of duck with Tonka beans, grilled zucchini and potatoes. I was really disappointed with this dish as well. The duck breasts were too chewy and the bean and veggie mixture left a funny after taste in my mouth, so I took a couple of bites and that was it. So far, it's been three strikes and dessert hadn't even arrived yet. For dessert, I ordered an assortment of 4 crème brulees: vanilla, coffee, amaretto and dark chocolate. Thank goodness for these crème brulees. They were so good. Creamy with lots of flavor. I think if I didn't have at least one good course, I would have been really upset. While enjoying our desserts, we also were treated to two trays of little mini dessert trays, which included cream puffs, a guava-tasting mousse and a few others. The presentation was pretty. Unfortunately, many of us were too full to enjoy them, so I ended up taking most of them home.

While the restaurant is absolutely beautiful, there were more misses for me than hits. The service wasn't that great. It seemed like we were always having to signal our waiter or the bus boy for things we needed. I already mentioned how I wasn't very happy with my food orders, except for the crème brulees. I don't know if the fact that the restaurant is closing down at the end of the year has anything to do with my negative experience there. Whether it is or not, it's too bad that a restaurant that I've always kind of put on a pedestal would come crashing down so hard.

Anyway, regardless of my less than spectacular meal, I'm glad that I was able to say a good-bye. At the very least, I'll have pictures of what was once a beautiful restaurant space and now will be able to share them with you.

To see pics, go to:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157594262567567/

L'Orangerie
903 N. La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(310) 652-9770