Sunday, April 17, 2011

Scarpetta (Beverly Hills, CA) [2]

Scarpetta Brunch
225 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
310.860.7970
www.scottconant.com/restaurants/scarpetta/beverly-hills
Sun 04/17/2011, 12:30p-03:00p




Scarpetta Exterior

As regular readers will attest to, I'm not much of a brunch person. In fact, the only brunches that I've posted about have been concerning the disaster that is Club 33. However, I couldn't pass up an invitation to try out the new $68pp Sunday brunch at Scarpetta. Not only was it a chance to sample some tasty grub, it was an opportunity to speak with the Scarpetta crew about their possible participation in this year's Plate by Plate tasting benefit, which will be held on August 6th at the Vibiana in Downtown (the future home of Neal Fraser's Grace).

Scarpetta Indoor Seating
Seating is, of course, available in the main dining room...

Scarpetta Outdoor Seating
...But I recommend that you take a seat outside on the terrace, where you can enjoy views of the adjacent Beverly Canon Gardens and feel even more uppity.

Scarpetta Kitchen
Scarpetta Kitchen
Unlike at most buffets, the bulk of the food is actually served in the kitchen, which is a nice touch.

Cold Water Oysters + Shrimp Cocktail + Stone Crab Claws
Cold Water Oysters + Shrimp Cocktail + Stone Crab Claws
Yellowtail
Yellowtail | olio de zenzero & pickled red onion
Citrus Cured Salmon
Citrus Cured Salmon
Ahi Tuna
Ahi Tuna | lemon zest
Vegetable Frittata
Vegetable Frittata
Nutella French Toast + Ricotta Lemon Pancakes + Waffles
Nutella French Toast + Ricotta Lemon Pancakes + Waffles
Ricotta Raviolini
Ricotta Raviolini | baby stewed tomatoes
Spaghetti
Spaghetti | tomato & basil


Matt MacDonald Sophie Gayot
The pasta station was manned by none other than Montage Sous Chef Matt MacDonald. And yes, the illustrious, infamous, hot pink-attired Sophie Gayot was also in our midst.

Diana Takes a Bite, Freddy Vargas Freddy Vargas
Meanwhile, Scarpetta Chef de Cuisine Freddy Vargas made quick work of the lamb. He's pictured here slangin' his meat to fellow blogger Diana Takes a Bite.

Roasted Branzino
Roasted Branzino | spring garlic vinaigrette
Sirloin
Sirloin | barolo reduction & horseradish
Leg of Lamb
Leg of Lamb | minted salsa verde
Bacon + Sausage
Bacon + Sausage
Scrambled Eggs
Scrambled Eggs
Roasted Potatoes
Roasted Potatoes
Romaine Salad
Romaine Salad | anchovy, cured egg & parmigiano
Pickled Mushrooms
Pickled Mushrooms | thyme & toasted fennel seed
Caramelized Cauliflower
Caramelized Cauliflower | minted bread crumbs
Mixed Green Salad
Mixed Green Salad | herbs & oregano vinaigrette
Grilled Asparagus
Grilled Asparagus | tomato vinaigrette
Roasted Beets
Roasted Beets
Slow Roasted Tomato & Mozzarella Salad
Slow Roasted Tomato & Mozzarella Salad | micro basil & evoo
Tuscan Bean Salad
Tuscan Bean Salad | red onion, tomato, vinegar & evoo
Fruit Station
Fruit Station
Mortadella, Sopressata, Prosciutto
Mortadella, Sopressata, Prosciutto
Sliders
Sliders
Chicken Tenders
Chicken Tenders
French Fries
French Fries
Rigatoni
Rigatoni


Bread Spread
Quite possibly the best bread spread since the excess that is Joel Robuchon.

The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills
Cheese was the charge of famed fromagerie The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills. That's owner Norbert Wabnig (whom you may recognize from his recent appearance on Top Chef Masters), along with assistant Marsha(?).

Steampunk Wedding Cake + Tiramisu + Salted Caramel Budino + Fresh Berries & Zabaglione
Steampunk Wedding Cake + Tiramisu + Salted Caramel Budino + Fresh Berries & Zabaglione
Yuzu Meringue Tarts
Yuzu Meringue Tarts
Raspberry Cream Tarts
Raspberry Cream Tarts
Coconut Panna Cotta
Coconut Panna Cotta
Fresh Fruit Tarts
Fresh Fruit Tarts
Ligurian Lemon Cake
Ligurian Lemon Cake
Biscotti
Biscotti
Chocolate Tarts
Chocolate Tarts
Financiers + Ligurian Lemon Cake
Financiers + Ligurian Lemon Cake
Financiers + Raspberry Cream Tarts
Financiers + Raspberry Cream Tarts
Vanilla Cream Beignets
Vanilla Cream Beignets
Cody Cake
Cody Cake | chocolate, pecans & caramel
Strawberries
Strawberries
Macarons
Macarons
Berry Crumble
Berry Crumble
Chocolate Tarts
Chocolate Tarts


Mimosa Bellini
To drink: mimosas and bellinis natch, the only allowable libations to quench your thirst at a proper Sunday brunch.

Scarpetta Brunch Plate - Seafood Scarpetta Brunch Plate - Meat & Pasta
I recommend you do as I did and visit the shellfish and crudo stations first. I was especially impressed by the cocktail shrimp and the quality of the sashimi, and I even hear that king crab legs are going to be added at some point. Be sure to try everything from the carving station, and of course, you'd be remiss if you didn't try at least a taste of the spaghetti.

Scarpetta Brunch Plate - Frittata
At this point, I went back for some of the lighter, vegetable-focused fare (though I seem to have forgotten to take a photo of plate #3), and hit up the egg station for a lovely pancetta-cheddar-mushroom-tomato frittata.

Scarpetta Brunch Plate - Cheese Scarpetta Brunch Plate - Dessert
Time for some fromage (Epoisses, Cabrales, Brebis d'Argental, Pyramide, and Abbaye de Belloc, among others) and dessert from Montage Executive Pastry Chef Richard Ruskell (whom you may also know from the Food Network). Particularly noteworthy was Ruskell's Salted Caramel Budino, which was simply the best preparation of the dessert I've tasted, easily beating out the version at Mozza.

I do not hesitate in calling this the best brunch experience that I've ever had. The food was seriously on-point all 'round, and it was almost an embarrassment of riches in truth--I was cursing the fact that I don't have much of an appetite early in the day. Now if they could only do brunch at night...

19 Comments:

Anonymous Darin said...

Impressive selection...but where are the truffles this time?

Monday, May 30, 2011 2:47:00 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lol at $68 pp it BETTER be the best brunch experience you've ever had Kevin. ;)


Although there's tons of great brunch buffets of comparable quality all around the city, without such an agregious asking price. Alot of what you're paying for here is the restaurant's real estate.

Monday, May 30, 2011 1:48:00 PM  
Blogger Jennifer @ WanderingSeoul said...

Wow, beautiful photos! I love the picture layout and the outdoor lighting. :)

Monday, May 30, 2011 3:34:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

While all of the buffet selections look impressive i feel that the $68 pp does certainly sting a little bit.
Especially since the meal is for brunch, that early in the morning i am just looking for something to wake me up, not to taste the subtle flavours of spanish mackeral etc.

Monday, May 30, 2011 5:15:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Love your blog, saludos from a chef in the tip of the Baja.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011 3:42:00 AM  
Anonymous Ann "menutaster" said...

Kevin - Wow, you photographed every dish. I agree the budino here was really good, which is better Scarpetta's or Wood & Vine?

The only other brunch (I know of) in a similar league is the Motif at the St. Regis Monarch. Brunch there is $69 w/o champagne and $79 w/unlimited champagne. And you have an ocean view.

All - Brunch at Scarpetta is from 11am to 3pm. It's pricey, but it's all you can eat and great for those with a large appetite. You'll certainly be full and it'll be less pricey than dinner.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011 1:53:00 PM  
Blogger kevinEats said...

Darin: Not for $68 man, given how much we spent last time. ;)

Anon: Oh I'm sure. Where are some of the other places that have a comparable spread?

Jennifer: Yeah it's nice to be able to shoot with natural light for a change!

Simon: I hear ya. As I mentioned, I would've enjoyed this even more had it been at dinner time.

Anon: Thanks chef! How did you hear about this blog all the way down there?

Ann: Good question. I need to have them back-to-back. W&V's was somewhat of a different style though, with the ice cream and everything.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011 5:50:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Been a fan for years, i am originally from Tijuana and your blog is my way of keeping in touch with whats going up in the world. I am glad Baja chefs have been getting their due attention up north, keep up the good work. Have you ever considered visiting the Cabo-La Paz area?

Wednesday, June 01, 2011 2:57:00 AM  
Anonymous Marian the Foodie said...

OMG these pictures are amazing!!!!! I absolutely LOVE brunch, especially outdoors on a gorgeous day

Wednesday, June 01, 2011 5:13:00 PM  
Anonymous Cinderella said...

Fabulous post Kevin! Your photos were fantastic, and it is obvious that you did a tremendous amount of work in putting this all together for us to see - thank you!

Thursday, June 02, 2011 10:09:00 AM  
Blogger kevinEats said...

Anon: Ahh, got it. You must've heard about the dinners that Javier Plascencia and company did up here last year then. No idea when I can make it down to Baja unfortunately.

Marian: I'm not so much of a fan, but I can see its appeal.

Cinderella: Indeed. I don't think I've ever photographed so many dishes in one sitting before.

Sunday, June 05, 2011 2:11:00 AM  
Blogger Pandalicious said...

OMG, i was just here yesterday and it was awesome. you do the place justice with your pix. i wish they didn't run out of oysters tho. :(

Monday, June 06, 2011 8:24:00 PM  
Blogger kevinEats said...

Ahh, too bad about the oysters. So did they have the king crab?

Thursday, June 09, 2011 3:44:00 PM  
Anonymous Ore said...

Kevin - can you recommend any other Sunday Brunch restaurants? Preferably with a Bloody Mary bar?!? I hear that Asia de Cuba has one for $40...

Friday, June 10, 2011 12:38:00 PM  
Blogger kevinEats said...

Hey Ore, unfortunately I really can't. I normally don't do brunch.

Saturday, June 11, 2011 4:51:00 PM  
Blogger Annie said...

Wow, great post! You put so much effort into your reviews. Love it! Scarpetta's brunch sounds amazing! I DEFINITELY want to check it out. :)

Sunday, July 10, 2011 9:22:00 PM  
Blogger kevinEats said...

Yeah I'm a little OCD like that. ;) We'll see if we can make this work for PbP.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011 12:10:00 AM  
Anonymous Cinderella said...

Am going tomorrow Kevin - can't wait:)

I also want to see how it compares with the Sunday Brunch at the St. Regis Monarch Beach!

http://cinderella11pm.com/2011/07/motif-at-the-st-regis-hotel/

Saturday, August 06, 2011 11:37:00 PM  
Blogger kevinEats said...

So how was it? Looking at your post, the one here at Scarpetta seems a bit more unique.

Tuesday, August 09, 2011 4:34:00 PM  

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