Gary I.
Yelp
Serene island of calm dining in a city where restaurants are becoming ever noisier & more obnoxious. The clientele here on a Monday seems to be more old money and doesn't have the need to shout to be noticed in order to prove they are moneyed. More suits & tieless blazers than any other restaurant in Los Angeles. I wouldn't be surprised if they were Brooks Brothers which was favoured by the Kennedys.
Evening patio dining in late January is close to being indoors. Protective canvas & mylar panels enclose the perimeter like walls. Plentiful heaters efficiently ward off the cold. On the way to the restaurant in the failing twilight on the canopied walkway looking down, you can see white swans on the pond floating languidly.
Christian is a great waiter who knows his craft well. He knows what will make his guests happy. His uncanny ability to adapt his style of service according to the moods he picks up from customers makes him an asset.
0) Amuse Gueule: Thin, round slice of salt pickled mildly sweet kohlrabi root shaped into a taco stuffed w/ avocado tartare better known as guacamole.
Bread Service:
a. Mini Baguette firm crust, drier, soft yeasty interior.
b. Pretzel bread dense chewy, bagel like finished w/ an egg wash to add a warm brown sheen. Sprinkled w/ fine black poppy seed. white tear drop shaped sesame, distinctive earthy licorice caraway.
c. Dark brown sugar-treacle moist dense bread w/ woody, faint bitter walnuts & sugar confit of Sauerkirsche/sour cherries.
Échiré Doux Beurre de Baratte, Charentes-Poitou, north of Bordeaux & east of Bretagne, is created in old style wooden churns. Supposedly creamy sweet which I sensed, but also supposed to have a touch of nuttiness which I couldn't ascertain.
1) House Extruded Penne Cacio e Pepe which is shaped like Mostaccioli but w/ length-wise multiple fine grooves. Smooth firm exterior, chewy al dente but creamy as one continues to bite on.
Beurre Blanc, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, oniony chives, seafood brothiness perhaps from boiled Maryland crab shells since the sweet, moist crab meat was used along w/ smoky, slow burning, woody, piquant fragrance of Sarawak Black Pepper from the island of Borneo.
Very rich oily, fattiness, natural sweetness cut by the aromatic black pepper. Prying the crab meat from the shell is no easy task w/ some shell making its way into a prepared dish. I only caught one minuscle piece of shell the size of half a grain of rice. Bravo.
2) Campbell Ranch Sonoma Lamb Chops: The 3 chops seem marinated in a bit of Aceto Balsamico w/ possible touch of thyme to impart a soupçon of fruity acidity as well as keeping the grilled medium rare meat a soft, moist, meaty lushness. Light smokiness beIng bbq'ed over Binchō/Japanese hard wood charcoal.
Purée of saffron poire pochée au vin blanc/peach poached in white wine. Braised leeks & black trumpet mushroom bbq'ed over Binchō, Marcona almond purée. Underlay of a brown Sauce Bordelaise.
Pommes frites: Ginormous bowl of hand cut, salt brined french fries. I asked for extra crispy. Crispy, grainy exterior, soft interior. Faint earthy potato flavour. I've had better such as at Benji's Basque where it is brined & twice fried Belgian style w/ a pronounced potato flavour, but that is over a hundred miles away in Bakersfield.
By now, I'm getting full so I take 2 of the chops home so I can indulge in a bit of dessert.
3) Berries & Crème Fraîche: Naturally sweet, ultra heavy, triple cream. Big saucer containing a medley of high quality blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry that is sweet, not overly sour, surprisingly flavourful in middle of winter.
Mignardise: I was totally thrown off by a substantial offering of unannounced complimentary sweets.
Allspice Chocolate Tartlette
Raspberry Chocolate Tartlette
Biscotti dried cherry, dipped in white chocolate
Chocolate covered fresh strawberries
Macaron
At the end of the meal Christian presented me w/ a souvenir Wolfgang Puck Chef's Toque which seems to be sized for the under 10 y.o. guests. Hah, Hah, I love his wry sense of humour.
However, I appreciate his detailed knowledge of the food that was served which is a sign of a very competent waiter as well as presenting me w/ a copy of the menu when he saw me photographing a menu.
The food at Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel Air is not leading edge cuisine. It's not meant to be since it is, after all, a hotel restaurant that must cater to many although I appreciate the big portions.
The food here is rock solid, using high end ingredients & premium food products that show through. Christian's excellent service ups it to 4+ stars.