Spring at Sadie: New Chef, New Menu, New Cocktails (Hollywood)

I had pretty recently blogged about Sadie, which opened in the former Les Deux space, but after that visit the then-executive-chef had left and Mark Gold from Eva Restaurant had taken over as a consulting chef. That means a repeat visit was in order and Chef Gold's new spring menu was the perfect reason for it.

While waiting for others to arrive for a media tasting, we explored the new cocktails from bartender Giovanni Martinez. Some of the cocktails remain the same but there were plenty of new ones.
If you like frothy cocktails with egg whites you will love the Pantera Rosa ($12) with Aperol, Beefeater 24 Gin, homemade vanilla syrup, lemon juice and egg whites.

After we were seated, we started the dinner with another cocktail, the Temperado: cachaca, Avion Silver tequila, lime juice, cilantro, and jalapeno. If you are one of those who are averse to cilantro, you may think this drink "tastes like a spa", but the little hint of cilantro with the spicy jalapeno made this cocktail just a tad savory, enough to open the way to our dinner.

Our courses were paired with either cocktail or beer, and all of the pairings were done by Gio.

To start our meal, a small portion of the Little Gem salad with a wonderfully creamy green garlic dressing topped with a piece of crispy ham

Then, an Organic (duck) Egg, representing "spring"

You may think it's strange that I'm raving about an egg but this was unbelievably good. It had such a strong flavor that the stalk of spring onion helped restrain. This egg is on the menu for $6 and I would be perfectly happy to sit at the bar and eat this with a cocktail any day. Maybe even today!

Read more »

Ra Pour, Take Two: Brunch (Rancho Cucamonga)

After our dinner at Ra Pour, we stayed at a nearby hotel and came back for brunch.

Since seeing it on the menu the night before, I had been eyeing the Chicken and Waffles: fried tenders, malted waffle, tabasco reduction, candied jalapeno, maple ($14). This was no doubt everyone's favorite. The chicken, despite being breast meat, was tender and the tabasco reduction gave the dish a nice little kick.

I liked how they did this as an appetizer. I'm always tempted to get chicken and waffles yet still want to try other things. With these small bites, I can happily eat them and still order an entree.

Overall, the prices at brunch are lower, although a couple dishes still seemed expensive, like the Fresh fruit of the season: melons, pineapple, papaya, mango, "local favorites", champagne, mint ($9)

Fresh fruits aren't cheap, they were good and the use of mint gave me ideas, but it still seems steep to be paying $9 for a plate of fruits.

The fruit plate and items like Yogurt Parfait with blueberry compote, fresh mixed berries, yogurt, granola ($7) make up the lighter options.

Entrees included things like eggs benedict and fried chicken, but I went with one of the more interesting options.

Duck Confit Hash: duck confit, beets, potato, bacon, soft herbs, poached eggs ($16)

The waiter described this as "like a confetti" and when it came, I can certainly see where he was coming from, especially with the thinly shredded, crispy beets adorning the top. This was the best out of the entrees I tried with interesting flavor combinations, although there were parts of the duck confit that were a little tough.

Ra Pour
7900 Kew Avenue
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739
(909) 899-7999
rapourrestaurant.com

Ra Pour: Elevating Rancho Cucamonga

I wouldn't normally consider going to Rancho Cucamonga to dine, but the promise of a free hotel stay sounded like a nice getaway and convinced me to go check out this new restaurant headed by Executive Chef Greg Stillman, a French Laundry and Patina alum. On the drive to the restaurant, we saw what other places were in Rancho Cucamonga and it was pretty much restaurant chain capital.

Ra Pour is located inside the Victoria Gardens outdoor mall. The restaurant is large and a divider separates a large table facing the kitchen - a semi-private "chef's table"
The other side of the restaurant was the lounge area - even the lighting was different. Apparently after regular dinner hours the place turns into a club with DJs - not really my kind of scene.

The table started with a glass of sparkling wine, a 2007 Brut Taittinger Domaine Carneros, and shared some appetizers including tempura mushrooms and my favorite: lobster pops with lemongrass coconut sauce

The pops had actual chunks of lobster inside, not shredded and mixed. I tried the tempura mushrooms but didn't realize it had a dipping sauce which didn't make it to my side of the table at the same time, so it was incomplete.

The cocktail list contains five "signature cocktails" at $14 each and five "vintage cocktails" at $12 each. I went with one from the vintage list, the Highlander with Famous Grouse blended scotch whiskey, fresh grapefruit juice, house made grenadine, clover honey, orange bitters. I tried my friends' "signature cocktails" which lean towards the sweeter side.

Read more »