Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Scarpetta (Beverly Hills, CA)

Scott Conant's Scarpetta was one of the hot restaurant openings last year, and his famous spaghetti became one of the must-try items in town.

Scarpetta's Spaghetti, Tomato, Basil
Spaghetti, tomato, basil ($24)
On a nice day, sit on the patio, overlooking the courtyard and fountain of the Montage. The dining room is equally pleasant. Spacious with its high ceilings, and quiet.
IMG_0179
Dive in early into your bread basket to find the bread wrapped around salami and cheese.
Scarpetta 005

The pastas are done well, although they are definitely priced higher than most places. The famous spaghetti was al dente and chewy, with a light and chunky tomato sauce, unlike others I've had. I'm happy I tried but at $24 it will not be my weekly meal. Others are equally good. I enjoyed the Farfalle with roasted garlic, mushrooms, and escarole ($25).
Scarpetta 014
The menu was fairly small but should make everyone content, though some may balk at the price. Prices aside, the food here was indeed good. The proteins were cooked perfectly and elegantly plated.
The Roasted Sea Scallops with cauliflower and toasted almonds ($17) were pillowy with nicely charred edges.
Roasted Sea Scallops

The John Dory with artichoke puree and belgian endive vinaigrette ($30) was moist and flaky.
Scarpetta 020

I loved the Ash-spiced Venison loin with braised radicchio, smoked polenta dumplings, dried cherry reduction ($35).
Ash-spiced Venison Loin
The meat was tender, juicy, and gamey (just the way I like it). I enjoyed the crisped polenta dumplings, but my favorite part was the sweet cherry reduction, adding another layer of texture and flavor to the meat.

We were also happy with the suggestions the waitress made, including this side dish of Creamy polenta, fricassee of truffled mushrooms ($16). The earthy mushrooms and the aroma of truffles enveloped in the creamy and cheesy polenta.
Polenta, Mushrooms

Among the desserts, one really stood out: The Coconut panna cotta with guava soup, caramelized pineapples.
Scarpetta Coconut Panna Cotta
This may very well make its way to my list of top desserts in LA. The combination of the fruit flavors and the different textures worked amazingly well - a wonderful tropical treat in your mouth. From the creamy panna cotta to the cold sorbet, the little bits of pineapples. There's the sweetness of the guava soup, the tangy pineapples. Whenever I order dessert here, this would be the one I order.

I have been pleased with my visits to Scarpetta. The prices were high but I never ended up spending a ridiculous amount to be full (around $75, pre-tip). The food was quite good, but on the other hand, one can have equally good Italian food in town for less money. Having the sweet tooth I do, though, I cannot wait to come back for the coconut panna cotta.

Scarpetta (at The Montage Beverly Hills)
225 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 860-7800
http://www.montagebeverlyhills.com/beverly-hills-restaurants.php
Scarpetta (Montage Beverly Hills) on Urbanspoon

3 comments:

pleasurepalate

That coconut panna cotta with guava soup was one of my favorite desserts also, both at Scarpetta, and also in general. :)

Madison

That Farfalle dish looks absolutely mouth-watering! The pasta dishes here are pretty expensive but I'm sure it is because they use the finest ingredients but still.

Kung Food Panda

The polenta does look pretty damn good. $24 to me is still quite steep for a plate (not a huge one) of spaghetti..

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