Seasons 52 in Costa Mesa Opens Monday. A Preview Lunch.

The fresh, seasonal, healthy dining is not a new concept in California. Interestingly enough, the Senior Culinary Director of Seasons 52 had his roots in Berkeley during the heydays of Chez Panisse, but the chain started in Orlando in 2003 and has now finally found a California home in its twelfth location in Costa Mesa.
At this 300-seat restaurant they're taking the healthy up a notch, though. Everything on the menu is under 475 calories. They don't use oil or butter and nothing is fried. Remember the scene in Food Revolution where Jamie Oliver made this family bury their deep fryer? Yeah, that.

There's a piano man behind the bar providing nightly live entertainment.
There's a Chef's Table that holds 12 (but you can reserve with a minimum of 8 people) where you can partake in a tasting menu similar to what I'm about to show you below.
The restaurant opens August 30, but I attended a media preview lunch last weekend.

The wine list, which offers 100 wines and 60 by the glass, at all the locations and all the pairings we had today are prepared by their beverage director George Miliotes, a Master Sommelier.

We started with some champagne (Chartogne-Taillet Cuvee Sainte Anne) and some passed flatbreads on the patio (which overlooks the South Coast Plaza parking lot, but the weather's beautiful all the same).
Chipotle shrimp with roasted poblanos, grilled pineapple and feta cheese.
All the flatbreads are made with their brick oven.

Black Mission Fig with chevre, Nueke's bacon, mint, arugula.
The sweet figs and the goat cheese were great on top of the crispy crust.

Our lunch started with an amuse bouche:
Lump Crab and Haas avocado with pico de gallo
This was paired with a Lioco Indica Rose, Mendocino 2009 which had a surprisingly dark and deep color for a rose.

Wild Pacific salmon and sea scallop roasted on a cedar plank.
(Paired with Mer Soleil Chardonnay, Central Coast 2008)
The scallop was skewered with a stalk of lemongrass. Instead of oil or butter, they use vegetable glaze to get the moisture and the mouthfeel. Both the salmon and the scallop are very moist, though a couple of the other bloggers said their salmon was a little overcooked.
The chardonnay was clean and crisp with a little acidity and proved to be a good pairing with the seafood.

Earthbound Farm organic greens with Oak-grilled mushrooms and truffle dressing
(Paired with Sinskey Pinot Noir, Carneros 2007)
Chef Pleau shared his recipe for the truffle dressing:

2 oz miso, 2 oz lemon juice (from Meyer lemon), 2 oz olive oil (or garlic oil), 2 oz tamari/soy, 2 oz truffle oil.

The dressing had a great aroma and a nutty flavor due to the miso. Nonfat sour cream is drizzled around the side for more body.

This Costa Mesa location will have a list of biodynamic California wines that their other stores do not have, thanks to its proximity to the wine country (biodynamic wines don't travel as well).

Sonoma goat cheese ravioli with roasted garlic, basil, and light tomato broth.
(Paired with Retromarcia, Chianti Classico 2008)
This was another good pairing as the wine cuts the salt and richness that came from the goat cheese.

Mesquite-grilled lamb rack and Manchester Farms quail breast, mashed sweet potato, San Miguel farm bok choy.
(Paired with Markham Petite Sirah, Napa 2004 for the quail and De Toren Fusion V, Stellenbosch 2007 for the lamb)
Both the lamb and quail were tender and flavorful. The bok choy came from a small farm in the south part of Oxnard and was more tender than its grocery store counterparts. The South African Stellenbosch was full bodied, more subtle fruit, and was a good palate cleanser in between the two proteins.

The desserts, alas, aren't really "low calorie" but they are still under 475 calories. How? Well, smaller portions! You can eat your cheesecake and your pecan pies and rocky road cake, but the size of the shot glasses keeps your calorie intake in check.
For the dessert wine they served Selbach-Oster Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Auslese, Mosel 2006. Interestingly enough, the next Monday I had a 2007 Mosel Kabinett Riesling at Melisse.

One of my favorites: Pecan "Pie"

The take-home message? Seasonal fare using local, small farms. No oil, no butter, no gas, no frying and yes, even if you don't worry about whether or not they're under 475 calories, the food tastes good. You won't miss the oil, that I promise.

Seasons 52
3333 Bristol Avenue
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 437-5252
http://www.seasons52.com/locations/costa_mesa.asp

Angeleno Magazine's Chef's Night Out 2010: The Recap

Angeleno Magazine celebrated their annual restaurant awards with Chef's Night Out, a tasting extravaganza. This year's event was held at The Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, hosted by their restaurant, FIG.

The night started with a VIP reception, where they presented the awards to the winning chefs for photo ops accompanied by small bites from FIG and cocktails courtesy of Oxley gin.

Here's a rundown of the winners, selected by Brad Johnson:

Chef of the Year: Michael Cimarusti (Providence)
Runner Up Chef of the Year: Ludovic Lefebvre (Ludobites).
Best New Chef: Michael Voltaggio
Restaurant of the Year: Hatfield's
Best New Restaurant: Lazy Ox Canteen
Pastry Chef of the Year: Zoe Nathan (Huckleberry)
Outstanding Wine & Spirit Awards: SAAM at The Bazaar
Outstanding Service: The Grill on The Alley
Vanguard Award: Water Grill

Compared to other food/charity events LA had seen, Chef's Night Out turned out to be a smaller yet one of the best. Quality over quantity is the name of the game.

This event brought forth big name chefs like Josiah Citrin from Melisse, who was personally on hand preparing this loup de mer.

More indulgent bites:
Cauliflower panna cotta with Transmontanous caviar from Chef Ben Bailly Petrossian.

Fried chicken and Indian spiced waffle from Nine Thirty at The W. The fried chicken failed to stand out but the waffle was not only unique and creative but also delicious.
Capesante day boat scallops with farro, summer corn, heirloom tomatoes by Chef Victor Casanova of Culina.

I made sure to try the tequila/chocolate pairing from 123 Tequila since Caroline on Crack highly recommended it.

Speaking of chocolates, Bistro LQ served up some intense (and deliciously dark) absinthe chocolates!

And even more:

For those who had valet-ed their cars, they also got a little present from FIG: a tee featuring the FIG Dog and a frisbee.

A Feast of Pre-Hispanic Mexico at La Huasteca

Apparently it has been a long time dream of Chef Rocio Camacho to bring to life alta cocina, fine Pre-Hispanic Mexican cuisine to Los Angeles, and her current position at La Huasteca has allowed her to do just that.

Recently she and her team at La Huasteca invited a few people (or rather, asked The Glutster to invite a few people) to taste her new pre-hispanic menu. Keep in mind, this tasting was not just for marketing, but also for her to receive feedback about her new menu. We suggested some things she could improve on and most likely by now these dishes would be even better (I won't be going through all of them here, but most).

This was my first time at Plaza Mexico in Lynwood and I must admit I was very impressed. It felt as if I was really in an old plaza in Mexico. This old style building even had two caged parrots up on those balconies!

The interior of La Huasteca did not disappoint.

There was even a mariachi band making its round in the restaurant towards the middle of the night.

There were three aguas frescas already waiting for us on our table: nopal con pina "Xochilt" (cactus, pineapple), Agua Preciosa "Atlaquetzalli" (honey, unsweetened cacao, aciote), Jamaica con Fresa "Chabela" (hibiscus, strawberries).
The jamaica con fresa is the one most familiar to the tongue and most drinkable, but the nopal con pina was probably my favorite. It's refreshing with a bit of a grassy note, bitterness and spice from the nopal/cactus. The agua preciosa reminds me of a cross between Milo and a horchata.

We were served two different salsas with our tortilla chips:
Salsa Maya (pina, cilantro, jalapeno, serrano, tomato)
This was a good combination of flavors and a nice balance between spiciness and tartness.

Salsa Especial "Molcajete" (tomatillo, cilantro, jalapeno)
The molcajete refers to the stone mortar that it is served in. This smoky salsa had a full bodied mouthfeel.

Empanada de Flor de Calabaza (squashblossom)
Chef Camacho has a way with her masa (corn flour) and I don't know what it is but the texture of her empanada was simply amazing. It has a crispy coating yet still manages to be moist and fluffy, definitely more so than others I've had before.

Tamalito Michoacana "Corunda" (sweet corn tamal)
Sweet corn tamal filled with spicy cotija cheese. It was firm, moist (a little oily even).

Aguacate relleno de ceviche "Estilo Huasteca" (shrimp and fish ceviche, lime, jalapeno, cilantro)
A ceviche mixto with shrimp, fish, dressed simply with lime, jalapeno, and cilantro. The creaminess of the avocado really cuts the acidity of the ceviche wonderfully.

Our three appetizers were followed by three soups:
Puchero Vaquero (sweet potato, tomato, chaya - Yucatan greens, carne seca)
This was apparently a traditional Zacatecan stew.

Huatape de Camaron (shrimp, tomatillo, serrano)
The broth was thickened with masa and gave it a chowder-like consistency, though the mouthfeel reminded me more of yucca cream. The shrimp are a little overcooked but the flavors were otherwise amazing.

Caldo de Piedra (made with hot rock. Shrimp, vegetable, scallop, octopus)
Deep, complex flavor and aftertaste. Everything from octopus to carrots were cooked until very tender.

Ensalada de Nopales con Chapulines y Tuna Vinagreta (cactus salad with grasshoppers and cactus fruit vinaigrette)
The cactus has a nice pickled flavor and the grasshoppers/chapulines added a great smokiness and spiciness.

"Tikin-Xik" Pescado estilo Yucateco
"Basa" (Vietnamese fish) cooked in banana leaf. The sauce was made with habanero and achiote. A nice balance of tart, spice, sweet, and smoke. Very good.

Camarones Isla Mujeres (shrimp, mashed beets and potatoes, plantain, sesame seeds)
The shrimp in this dish was cooked perfectly. I found the shrimp better with just the plantain as the beet/potato mash tobe a little dry and worked with the sauce but not the shrimp.

Camarones al Café (sauteed shrimp served with coffee mole)
It probably would've been better on a different protein but the coffee mole is a great sauce: rich and complex with a slight bitterness but enough sweetness.

Barbacoa "Platillo del Jefe" (lamb braised in mezcal, served in an amazing gordita)
The lamb has been marinated in mezcal, cooked in its juice, and served in another of Chef Camacho's amazing, fluffy masa - this time a gordita.. Served with a side of consomme with garbanzo beans

Frida Kahlo (chicken, pumpkin seed pipian mole, peanut pipian mole)
Pipian is a type of mole which has some sort of nut/seed as its main ingredient and usually served over chicken, as is the case here. The two sauces here serve as a good representation of pipian (be warned, the green pipian has more heat).

"Poc-Chuc" Filete de Puerco estilo Yucateco (pork, bean, grilled onions)
Despite looking like a jerky, the pork was quite tender and the glaze has a great smokiness, reminiscent of chorizo.

Mole de Los Dioses (Portobello mushroom, huitlacoche mole)
This, my friends, was a huitlacoche (corn fungus) mole. I loved the deep earthy flavor of the mole, though I would've preferred it on some type of protein instead of the mushroom (it is actually served with filet mignon on the regular menu, so worry not!)


Desserts here deserve a try as well.
Beso de Angel ("Angel's kiss". Pecan, coconut, almond, cherry, vanilla)
A simple looking dessert that actually contained quite the list of ingredients. Fragrant, sweet, refreshing.

Guayabas con Rompope
I do believe this was everyone's favorite dessert and deservedly so.
These sweet, tender and juicy guavas are soaked in the rich creaminess of eggnog. Amazing.

Crepas de La Casa and Platanos al Tequila.
They had crepes in pre-hispanic Mexico? Who knew? OK, I don't really know if they did or not but either way the crepe was a nice, lighter dessert filled with fresh, sweet blueberries. I found the plantains a little dry (but perhaps only because I am used to bananas as desserts).

This was my first time both dining at La Huasteca and trying Chef Camacho's creations (other than at fundraising tasting events). I have to say I was quite impressed. This type of fine Pre-hispanic cooking is still a rare find in Los Angeles and Chef Camacho has done a great job bringing this exciting cuisine to life here. While the proteins are occasionally overcooked, there's no doubt that Chef Camacho has mastered her sauces.

Chef Rocio Camacho

La Huasteca
3150 E Imperial Hwy
Lynwood, CA 90262
(310) 537-8800

Deep Dishing at Giordano's (Chicago)

There can be no trip to Chicago without a deep dish pizza, even with Alinea and other great meals on the planner. Granted I put off the deep dish until the very last day, but for lunch before flying out I walked to a spot that is supposed to be classic deep dish pizza: Giordano's.

Decor? Kitschy Italian.

For lunch they have an individual sized pizza so we decided to share two different stuffings.
I have only had deep dish pizza at Little Star in San Francisco before and Giordano's is definitely "deeper". I've never had pizza so thick but this is certainly more fit to be called a pizza "pie" than any other.

The spinach pizza:
As you can see, it's not a topping, it's a stuffing, enclosed in more crust, then topped with tomato sauce. Good thing the buttery, slightly flaky crust is more like a pie crust.

I personally preferred the sausage pizza. I'm a meat eater down to the core.
There are so many ways to play this deep dish pizza, depending on your taste preference. More crust? More sauce? More cheese? More sausage? Depending on what camp you're in, you probably have your own favorite pizza spot. I, on the other hand, still have a lot more exploring to do. Next time ...

You can take a whole pie home with you, frozen. Wrap it up well in a plastic bag and stuff it in your suitcase. They'll never know.


Giordano's Pizza
730 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 951-0747
www.giordanos.com

Clam Bellies and Lobster Roll at Summer Shack (Boston)

A recent work-related meeting brought me to Boston, but alas I was stuck pretty much next to the Prudential most of the time where I can either spend $100 on lunch or eat mall food. Luckily, there is a Summer Shack right across the street. It's time for Ipswich clam bellies and lobster roll!

Food still isn't cheap here, but since I'm in Boston I might as well try them.

The dinner portion for the Ipswich belly clams come with fries and cole slaw and runs for $23.
The difference between this style of fried clams is that the whole belly, i.e. the whole gastrointestinal tract, of the clam is left intact. This gave a deeper, much earthier flavor to these fried clams. Since I've never had them before I can't tell you how good these are compared to other Ipswich belly clams in Boston, but it is clear that for Bostonians, having fried clams without the belly on will not even be close to the real thing.

The Summer Shack Lobster Roll is made from meat of a 1lb lobster and costs $20.
The bun was the weakest point in this roll but the chunky fresh lobster meat was pretty satisfying. Having tried some lobster rolls in LA with LAist's Sam Kim for his "Roll Call" I'd like to claim I know a little bit more about them than I do about belly clams. Here the mayo wasn't too thick and I enjoyed the chunks of cucumbers in the roll as well, but with that bun I can only consider them comparable to LA's lobster rolls.


Summer Shack
50 Dalton St
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 867-9955
www.summershackrestaurant.com

2nd Mutineer Magazine Red Carpet Tasting

I can easily remember Mutineer Magazine's 2nd Red Carpet Tasting because that was when I took a picture with The Most Interesting Man in the World (y'know the Dos Equis guy, Jonathan Goldsmith). It's also the night I went to talk to the people from Obsello absinthe and they went "oh you're that girl who cut her hand!"

The 2nd annual Red Carpet Tasting also celebrated the 2nd year of the national distribution of Mutineer Magazine, a magazine dedicated to all things (fine) beverage started by sommelier Alan Kropf and JJ Bagley.

Held at The Falcon Hollywood, the party benefited Global Water Relief. We were treated to tastes of various wines including a California-grown Tempranillo, cheese from Barrie Lynn the Cheese Impresario, margarita from Ortega 120, San Diego beers, and Combier "Roi Rene Rouge" Cherry Liqueur that actually tasted like cherries instead of its cloyingly sweet mass-produced counterpart. They also debuted the ARKEG - a video game arcade machine with a built-in keg (I'm 100% serious here!). Caltech needs one for their rec room!

Well, rather than have me go on and on, here's a slideshow for you!