Thursday, January 25, 2018

GEORGIE (BEVERLY HILLS, CA)

Georgie
Montage Beverly Hills
225 N. Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
www.georgierestaurant.com
Tel: 310.860.7970
Cuisine: American
$$$$ ($50+)
Mon, 1/22/2018, 7:00pm reservation
    (3.5 Piglets)



I am an avid watcher of the Food Network and many of the celebrity chefs. Geoffrey Zakarian is one of those chefs who seems personable and makes the food look delicious. The chef recently opened up the restaurant Georgie in Beverly Hills, replacing his fellow colleague Scott Conant's Scarpetta (which I was a fan of). 

Located in the Montage Beverly Hills, the restaurant space is exquisite. It's classy and sophisticated. The chairs and benches are lush and candlelights with a white interior complete the décor. 

My friends and I were torn between the regular menu and the dineLA menu. We opted for the dineLA along with an order of their most delicious bread...

Interior
FENNEL AND ZA'ATAR PARKER HOUSE ROLLS ($3.00): Smoked Honey Butter. I loved these rolls. They were warm and delicious and just went so well with the honey butter. I didn't quite taste the smokiness, which was a disappointment. But seriously, this is a must order.



MY FAVORITE DISH. FIRST COURSE: KOBOCHA SQUASH SOUP: Roasted Chestnuts Emulsion and Pepitas (Vegetarian). I loved this dish. It was creamy and full of flavor. It coated the palate well and the emulsion added a creaminess to the soup. If I had this soup everyday, I wouldn't mind. The best part, it's vegetarian and I enjoyed it!


COURSE TWO: ROASTED MARY'S CHICKEN: Slowly Roasted Parsnips, Carrots, Rosemary Oil. From vegetarian, I had to pick my next dish that wasn't. I chose the chicken out of the options available. The chicken was moist and tender. I wish the skin was a little crispier, but other than that, the chicken was cooked perfectly. The vegetables were nicely roasted, but it was nothing special.
THIRD COURSE: CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT TORTE: Cookies and Cream Ice Cream and Cocoa Nib Tuile. I'm a big fan of chocolate and peppermint. The cake was a bit too dense for my liking, but still delicious. I liked the ice cream but unfortunately, I wish there was more. I didn't finish my dessert, so that says something in itself.
Overall, I thought the food was just ok. The dineLA menu was different than their regular menu, so it is possible that the food could be better. I thought the service was on point and they were very quick to time the dishes right. The restaurant is beautiful and I love the spacing between tables so you're not elbowing other diners. Would I come back? It's questionable, but the bread sorta sold me here.

Notable Dishes: House Rolls and Squash Soup

Thursday, January 18, 2018

CATCH LA (WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA)

Catch LA
8715 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90069
www.catchrestaurants.com
Tel: 323.347.6060
Cuisine: Seafood
$$$$ ($50+)
Fri, 01/12/2018, 6:45pm reservation
   (3.5 Piglets)




Lights. Beautiful people. Trendy food. Celebrities. Fancy cars. This is the epitome of what Catch LA is all about. It's a scene at this restaurant and so many people want to be a part of it. It's usually a headache to get a res, and when you do, you don't want to let it go.

Upon arrival, you're greeted by a reservationist who checks you in and tells you to head up in the elevator to the top floor. Doors open and you're lead through this gorgeous hallway with lights that sets you in another dimension. The host leads you to a table either indoors or alfresco. My friend and I are seated alfresco surrounded by the beautiful views of LA. It's dim, lit by simple streams of lightbulbs. 

We order our food, which ends up being difficult from the darkness. We needed to turn on our flashlights from the phone in order to see and so did every other person sitting alfresco. We settled on our order after having a glass of wine. 
The interior
PARMESAN-TRUFFLE FRIES ($14.00): Vegan Truffle Aioli. These fries were delicious. They were the shoestring fries that I normally prefer. It was super crispy on the outside and the truffle oil wasn't too strong to overpower the potatoes. The aioli complemented the fries well. 

MY FAVORITE DISH. SALMON BELLY CARPACCIO ($24.00): Watercress, Sweet and Sour Onion, Yuzu. I loved this dish. It was light and fresh. The watercress gave it a crispiness to balance out the smoothness of the salmon. It was a great combination of acidity on the palate. 

CRUNCHY RICE CAKES ($21.00): Tuna Tartare, Wasabi. This was my second favorite dish. It was basically the spicy tuna on crispy rice that I normally get at Katsuya, but elevated. The rice was warm and crispy with a great chewy interior. The spicy tuna had just the right amount of flavor. It's a must get. 

LOBSTER MAC AND CHEESE ($24.00): Maine Lobster, Mascarpone, Breadcrumbs, Grated Parmesan Cheese. This was good, but not amazing. There were bits and pieces of lobster throughout. The dish was creamy and the noodles actually reminded me of a fancy kraft mac and cheese. Nonetheless, it was a tasty. 

WAGYU SHORT RIB TACOS ($19.00): Grilled Pineapple, Pickled Vegetable, Ginger Aioli. I disliked this dish a lot. I thought the short ribs were super dry. The tacos were crispy though. I just think the whole dish was a mess. I wouldn't order it again. 

HIT ME CHOCOLATE CAKE ($19.00): Liquid "Klondike" Roasted White Chocolate Ice Cream, Brownie, and Devil's Food. Our waitress kept telling us that this was the dessert to order. So naturally, we expected a lot and wanted it to live up to its hype. Unfortunately, it failed. I thought it was good, but it just wasn't what I was hoping it to be. The Klondike was cool and broke when it was "hit" but that was the only cool thing about it. I would've rather tried the pecan pie. 

Overall, Catch LA is a place if you want a cool, trendy, and "douchy" vibe. The food is ok, but I wouldn't venture all the way out here to get the pricey dishes. The atmosphere is what makes this place special. There is a video booth near the bathroom, which I thought was cool, but awkward to have people behind you coming from the bathroom passing by in your video. I would only come here for snacks and drinks and maybe to party. Don't expect much if you want amazing food at a good price. I ran into Randy Jackson in the elevator, so you definitely can spot celebs if that is your thing. PS. There are paparazzi waiting to take pics outside of the restaurant. 

Notable Dishes: Salmon Belly Carpaccio and Crunchy Rice Cakes