"Studio" at The Montage Resort

Although it has been since January 27th that I last dined at “Studio” at the luxurious Montage Resort in Laguna Beach, it seems as if it was just yesterday that I was able to experience the wonderful flavors I savored that special evening. I must tell you, the fact that I shared the evening’s culinary treats with my daughter Monica, herself a classically French trained chef, made it an even more spectacular food adventure…we both felt like kids in a candy store waiting for the next awesome bite of yummy goodness!

Welcome to lovely Laguna Beach Chef Craig Strong! Formerly of the Ritz Carlton in Pasadena, Chef Strong has been serving gastronomic delights at Studio since May of 2009. Laguna Beach is also fortunate to have Chef Craig and his lovely wife reside in town. Guys, that way we have him in very close proximity to the restaurant to oversee quality control and maintain consistency in his kitchen! You may even “run” into him sometime since he takes advantage of this town’s numerous beautiful hiking and biking trails (note to self…that’s probably why he appears so lean and fit under his chef’s coat!).

Our evening included a six course tasting menu which Monica and I thoughtfully customized. Where most restaurants are sticklers to their printed menu and what is to be served that evening, Studio is very accommodating when it comes to satisfying their dining guests allowing you to mix and match their menu. There is NO SPLIT CHARGE and complimentary Sole Sparkling and Figi bottled waters (oh..."SNAP" all other restaurants that charge for quality bottled water)! In addition, the freshly baked crusty bread rolls are delicious and served with organic, lightly-salted butter. Heck, I could eat crusty bread rolls all day long (with a lovely dry Chardonnay, of course).

Although the amuse bouche of grilled asparagus, Serrano ham and red pepper couli was wonderful, I won’t describe it in detail. Our first course was “Chilled Kusshi Oysters” from British Columbia which were lusciously plump, moist and I could taste the fresh ocean in each bite. Chef Craig floats the oysters in a tomato consommé and serves them with a quenelle of Bloody Mary Sorbet. Utterly delightful!

The “Roasted Beet Salad” was served two ways and it was unlike any other beet salad I have ever tasted. First and foremost, the visual presentation was almost too pretty to eat with ultra thin slices of fresh red beet wholesome, goodness which were then shaped into gentle flower raviolis and filled with cauliflower cream then topped with gracious amounts of caviar which was spooned onto a bed of horseradish dressing. Oh Lord, please have mercy on my gluttonous soul! The thicker yellow beet slices each had a trout fillet which were perfectly seasoned with salt and blended well with the sweet fresh root slices.

I could go on and on about how fabulous the remainder of my meal was but decided the four other “tastings” were all pretty spectacular in and of themselves. That being said, the dishes were: “Pan Seared Monterey Calamari”, “Dungeness Crab Leg Risotto”, “Sautéed Hudson Valley Farms Duck Breast”, and a “Toasted Meringue (which had the appearance of a fat, luscious, toasted, marshmallow) with Passion Fruit Crème, Banana Fritter and Passion Fruit Banana Sorbet”.

In all fairness to all you serious foodies in blog land you deserve to know every detail about the mouth watering Crab Leg Risotto I experienced! For those that love and appreciate risotto, Chef Craig makes a killer version. First of all, this particular dish is very difficult to perfect…there is a lot of stirring involved and attention to detail in making it and the grain (Arborio rice) needs to be served al dente. Chef, job well done! Your risotto was perfectly creamy and ‘al dente’ at the same time with mega chunks of sweet Dungeness crab legs, essence of preserved lemon, vanilla bean and mascarpone cream. In addition to the fabulous flavors, this dish is served with teeny tiny eatable baby orchids (from the vanilla bean family). If you click on the accompanying photo you will see the beautiful teeny orchid flowers. Heck, go to Studio for this dish alone…worth the trip!

I have only one complaint…my preference would have been to have a tad bit more “acid” flavor in my naturally spicy arugula salad which accompanied my stuffed calamari dish since the garlic aioli was a little too creamy for my palate (I prefer a more tangy aioli...a personal preference). A dash of lemon juice would perfect an otherwise wonderfully emulsified salad dressing andother than that, I am back to Studio as soon as I drop a couple of fatties. This whole blog thing is conflicting with my fitness goals. Oh well, a gal has to prioritize…right?!?!

In a nut shell, the service was great (alas, I do expect great service at a high end resort such as The Montage), the food very well prepared, visually intriguing and wonderfully delicious.

Cheers!


Closed: Monday and Tuesday.
Hours: 6:00-10:00 p.m.
Reservations Required and Upscale, Elegant Attire.

Bistro Le Crillon

How is it that some of the quaintest little restaurants are hidden away in measly little strip shopping centers? Tucked away in the Eastbluff Shopping Center in Newport Beach is a diamond in the rough, the charming French bistro, “Bistro Le Crillon”. Owned and operated by the husband and wife team of Chantal Berton de Crillon as chef and Diego Ostroski as Wine Director, Bistro Le Crillon has been at this location since 1989. Chantal, originally from the south of France, can proudly say she is a descendent of the famous Hotel de Crillon family in Paris whose grand hotel, impeccable service and extraordinary haute cuisine date back to the 1700s. Chantal also happens to be the Executive Chef and a “seasoned” one at that!

To get into the bistro you must first walk through a semi-enclosed courtyard that has a warm fireplace and plenty of comfortable seating. Should you decide to order a drink from their full bar prior to your dining experience, the outdoor patio with classic French songs playing in the background is a lovely place to enjoy a cocktail (guys, for the record… Diego mixes up a perfect vodka martini) or glass of wine before you head into dinner. Although hubby tapped into to his personal wine cellar and brought along a 1989 Vieux Telegraphe Chateau Neuf-du-Pape (ONE of my favorite varietals!), next time I dine at Bistro I may just have to try a bottle from their extensive wine collection – a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.

We ventured out to Bistro Le Crillon on a weekend and although our reservation was for 7:30 p.m. the restaurant had only one patron who was sitting at the bar chatting with Chantal. The fact that business was extremely slow did not keep Chantal from greeting us graciously and serving up some wonderfully tasty Provencal bistro fare.

For our first course we ordered the “Terrine of Wild Duck with Pistachios and Cornichons.” Guys, a cornichon is a baby gherkin pickle which is small, very crunchy and sweet. The terrine was a tad bit on the dry side and I did expect a creamier texture but the flavor was very good. My spousal unit started with “French Tomato Soup” that Chantal makes with low-fat sour cream, croutons and parsley. It was velvety and delicious, we almost licked the bowl (ok…”I” almost liked the bowl)! How in the world can a “low-fat” soup be so darn tasty?

My second course was the “Medallions of Venison” with a scoop of pureed chestnuts, polenta, lingonberry sauce and green apple and celery puree. Chantal suggested I cut a small piece of venison then dip the piece into each separate sauce so I would be able to experience the various flavors that accompanied my meat. Great idea since each sauce and the puree had such distinctive flavors each one working very well with the gamey venison. My chestnut puree had a nice “earthy” flavor and my only “beef” is that it was slightly dry but the green apple and celery puree made up for it since those sauces were so delicious. The mixed puree reminded me of pommes mousseline (classic French mashed potatoes) with its rich taste and perfect consistency. I could have done without the polenta since it was a little on the torrid side. Chantal also makes a spectacular lingonberry sauce which is a slow reduction of mixed berries. My sauce was splendid and had a beautiful, vibrant burgundy color!

For hubby’s second course he chose the “Wild Boar Papparedelle” which marinates in “secret” ingredients for hours then is slow cooked in its own juices and served aux jus. The intense aroma and smooth texture of the Wild Boar stew tantalized my taste buds and had me humming La Vie en Rose…it was a lovely dish. I have dined at Bistro Le Crillon in the past and have had the “Lapin Aux Prunes” (rabbit stew braised with prunes) and tasted the “Navarin of Lamb Tenderloin” with turnips, carrots and potatoes. Both dishes were spectacular and I have yet to experience a bad meal at Bistro Le Crillon! I must confess Chantal works wonders with wild game.

The piece de resistance for the evening was the “French Valrhona Dark Chocolate Soufflé” which has to be ordered in advance. There are two words that come to mind when I think about that dessert…”deliciously decadent”! The perfect accoutrement to the soufflé would have been a lovely sweet dessert wine such as a golden Chateau Eyquem Sauterne. Alas, maybe next time I will enjoy a glass of sauterne with my dessert from their award wining wine collection.

During these cold, blistery nights should you feel the need for some Provencal comfort food take a ride over to Bistro Le Crillon and allow Chantal and Diego to make you feel warm and fuzzy all over by satiating your palate with their delightful taste treats.

Cheers!


Lunch and Dinner Served
Reasonable Price Point (wild game dishes is more expensive)

Church & State

In my last email restaurant review, I noted that I would 'not bore' you with the details of my upcoming multi-course meal at Church & State restaurant. Well, boys and girls, I must retract that comment! Not sharing my out-of-this-world dining experience with you would be just plain selfish. Besides, many of you have asked for a review of this particular restaurant and requested that I "keep 'em coming". Holy goodness...where do I start?!? I guess I will begin by telling you that at 4:30 a.m. this morning I had a food hangover and major gastric distress (yep, expected it and worth every gut pain). Yikes!!!

Church & State is located in the old Nabisco Biscuit Company building in an industrial section of Los Angeles and specializes in French bistro food. The restaurant is designed as a very rustic, industrial style eatery with an open kitchen and Chef Walter Manzke at the helm as Executive Chef. To appreciate my review of this amazing restaurant, you must first understand who the executive chef is. For those how have no knowledge of Chef Walter Manzke he is an excellent chef who has mastered the art of French cuisine. Chef Walter was one of only two Americans "allowed" to study and hone his culinary skills working at the world renown Louis XV ("Louis Cannes", as referred to by those in the know) restaurant in the Hotel de Paris in Monaco (I was fortuante to have dined there!). Folks, please understand Louis XV chooses only 2 Americans a year to enter into their world of gastronomic greatness.

Orange County and Los Angeles, welcome Chef Walter, formerly executive chef at Patina (LA), Bastide (LA), Bouche (Carmel), Auberge de Carmel (Carmel) and Cantinetta Luca (Carmel). I am proud to say he is a dear friend and mentor to my daughter Monica and each and everytime he cooks for us he treats us like royalty creating special dishes not on the regular menu...and, last night was no exception. The 6 diners in my party arrived at 8:00 and were seated immediately.

Please be aware that bistro style eateries are normally extremely casual, loud and can be crowded so go prepared to sit amongst loud diners family style. No intimate booths at this restaurant. Chef Walter greeted us immediately and his sweet wife, Margarita (also a fabulous pastry chef), waited on us throughout the evening. Guys, we had 15 tasting courses plus dessert (decadent to say the least)! Oy vey...the fat and calories. Weight Watcher's take me away!! I won't go into detail about everything we tasted but I will share with you my favorites and the most interesting items on the menu. Out tasting menu:

Kumomoto Oysters - Diced shallots, red wine vinegar and cracked pepper
Tartine au Crabe - Crustini, Dungeness crab, mushroom duxelle (puree), celery remoulade (celery root chiffonade)
Tartine au Oursin - Crustini, fresh sea urchin and Castelas olive oil
Gambas a la Grenobloise - Live Santa Barbara spot prawns, white wine garlic butter sauce
Hamachi Cru - Yellowtail sashimi, blood orange, piment d'Espelette (red chili pepper from the Basque region), fleur de sel, lime rind
Coureau - Fresh razor clams, escargot butter, herbs
Assiette de Charcuterie - Selection of artisan and house made pates, terrines and saucisson sec

Tarte de Brie - Oven-dried red flamed grapes, bacon, brie cheese
Escargots de Bourgogne - Grain feed snails baked with a puff pastry topping and garlic butter parsley

Oreilles de Cochon - Crispy pig's ears, sauce bearnaise
Salad Frisee aux Lardons - Soft poached egg, warm bacon vinegarette w/pigs feet terrine breaded in panko
Turnedo Rossini - Prime beef filet, foie gras, black truffle
Cassoulet du Toulouse - Duck confit, pork belly, sausage, white beans
Gratin de Macaronis et Fromage - Mac N Cheese
Pommes au Lard - Pomme frites, aioli

Profiteroles - Banana ice cream, chocolate-hazelnut sauce
Pot de Creme au Chocolat - Chocolate, hazelnuts, caramel
Creme Brulee - Caramelized vanilla custard
Croustade aux Pommes - Warm apple crisp, vanilla ice cream

So, there you have it...our grand tasting menu. That did not include the cocktails and 4 bottles of wine we all shared (ah wine, nectar of the gods...another blog altogether). They have a full bar and my tradtional pre-dinner Vodka Martini was ice cold shaken to perfection...yummy!

I will comment on my favorites and what I believed to be the most interesting:

The Tartine du Oursin was wonderful. Crustini toast rounds were topped with fresh sea urchin and a velvety Castelas olive oil drizzle. The sea urchin was so fresh and sweet you could taste the ocean in every bite. Just splendid! I am sure the Gambas a la Grenobloise had Long John Silver flipping over in his grave. These shrimp were amazing and it was my favorite dish of the evening. The gambas were split half length-wise then topped with a delicious white wine and garlic butter sauce. Gambas a la Grenobloise was the best shrimp I have ever tasted...seriously! An item one does not see very often in restaurants is razor clams. The clams were extremely fresh and served whole on your plate with the shells split then drizzled with escargot butter and fresh herbs. They were a little sweet so the escargot butter was a great balance of sweet and savory. The Crispy Pig's Ears are not for the faint of heart nor advised for diners with a sensitive palette! Although they were served with a side of béarnaise sauce, one of my dining partners said she thought them to be rather pungent, smelling of a pig sty having the consistency of gelatinous goo. As you can imagine, she did not care for them. In spite of, my other dining partner could not eat enough of them as he dipped his crispy ears in the accompanying velvet mixture of bearnaise sauce. To each his own, right?? The Gratin de Macaronis et Fromage (mac-n-cheese) was not as creamy as I would have liked and had a thinner consistency than the traditional American mac-n-cheese (well, after all, it is a French bistro). The Pommes Frites were cooked in duck fat and had an outstanding flavor. I highly recommend them.

Of the desserts, the Pot de Crème au Chocolat had to have been the most delicious and the richest in flavor of all the desserts. This divine pot of sweetness consisted of a rich chocolate pudding layered with salty caramel and hazelnuts. All I can say is I tried one small spoon and could taste no more. It was deliciously sumptuous but my tongue begged for a break (personally, I am not a huge fan of very sweet desserts). Alas, I could take no more. For all you gooey chocolate lovers out there...this is your dessert!

In conclusion, Chef Walter and staff have done an outstanding job of bringing bistro style French food to Los Angeles. The food is heavenly!! Kudos to Chef Walter and I hope one day you can experience his culinary greatness.

Church & State
1850 Industrial Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 405-1434
Open 7 days a week (lunch weekdays)
$$$ (great price point)