Saturday, November 29, 2014

Barrel & Ashes (Studio City, CA)

Barrel and Ashes
11801 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604
818.623.8883
www.barrelandashes.com
Sat 11/29/2014, 07:00p-10:25p




Barrel & Ashes Exterior

The BBQ scene in Los Angeles has certainly been heating up as of late, and adding fuel to that fire is Barrel & Ashes, which debuted on November 7th after a secretive preview the week earlier (and a pop-up at Short Order). The Texas-influenced joint is another Bill Chait production, and this time he's partnered up with Timothy Hollingsworth (The French Laundry), Rory Herrmann (Bouchon), and Jeff Sladicka, one of the co-owners of the Spark Woodfire Grill location where B&A's housed (he and Chait opened up the place with Danilo Terribili in 1999). Meanwhile, running things at a day-to-day level is Chef de Cuisine Michael Kahikina, a CIA grad and former sous at Bouchon.

Barrel & Ashes Interior
The old Spark space has been revamped to convey a more rustic, more casual sort of aesthetic. There's lots of communal seating of course, and also a small bar and kitchen counter, not to mention picnic tables out front and supposedly something going on in the back, too. I'm curious to find out what they did with the upstairs, which functioned as a private dining room back in the day.

Barrel & Ashes Menu Barrel & Ashes Drink List Barrel & Ashes Spirits List
The Barrel & Ashes menu features the standard selection of meats and sides, but gets a little schmancier with its apps and desserts. Drinks, meanwhile, are the charge of Julian Cox. He's done a nice job here with his fun, barbeque-friendly cocktails, which are joined by craft beers, a couple of wines, and a pretty wide array of whiskey. Corkage is $20, but was waived this evening after we politely asked. Click for larger versions.

Free Bird
Free Bird [$12.00] | Rye Whiskey, Pomegranate, Dry Vermouth, Seltzer
Naturally, given who's behind the program here, we gave the cocktails a whirl. Our first did a commendable job integrating the pomegranate with the bittersweet, almost medicinal notes in the drink, and the contrast between the booziness of the rye and the effervescent seltzer worked well enough.

Bee's Nuts
Bee's Nuts [$13.00] | Elijah Craig Bourbon, Walnut, Lemon, Acacia Honey, Cismontane Imperial Stout
For me, this was the most intriguing concoction of the night: citrusy and bright initially, with the weight of the bourbon coming in later, then finally finishing long with the roasty qualities of the stout. A very neat evolution of flavors.

Oaxacan in Memphis
Oaxacan in Memphis [$13.00] | Tequila Blanco, Campari, Pamplemousse, Lime, Saison Dupont
The last cocktail of this round was also a favorite of mine. I loved the bright, fragrant aroma of pomelo here, and the juiciness of the fruit melded beautifully with the smoky spice of its accompanying elements, too. Nice!

Spicy Pork Rinds
Spicy Pork Rinds [$4.00] | Malt Vinegar Mayonnaise
We had to start with the pork rinds, and they were indeed some of the best I've had, all porky and crispy and airy, tasty alone, but even better with a dab of the tangy mayo.

The Best Damn Chick'n Sandwich Ya Ever Had
The Best Damn Chick'n Sandwich Ya Ever Had [$9.00] | Coleslaw, Jalapeno, Pimento Cheese, Milk Roll
As far as chicken sandwiches go, I've not found anything so far that can unseat Son of a Gun's. That being said, the one here still made a strong showing for itself. The key was the interplay between the slaw and the lushness and heat of the pimento cheese. Even the bread was well-textured and very appropriate, making everything come together deliciously. You might want to order this.

Frito Pie
Frito Pie [$9.00] | Chili, Cheddar, Sour Cream, Green Onion
We couldn't resist the down south snack of Frito Pie, natch. I'd had a gussied up version at Bar Ama before, but this was actually my first time trying a more traditional preparation. It was just what I wanted though, a mish-mash of straightforwardly satisfying flavors over a base of crunchy corn chips. Just the right amount of slutty.

Brisket - Greater Omaha C.A.B.
Brisket - Greater Omaha C.A.B. [$19.00] | ½ Lb
Given that B&A's supposedly a Texas-influenced joint, we had to start with the brisket. It was some of the juiciest I've had, all tender and flaky and with a nice ratio of lean to fat. Very tasty, though I wanted a touch more smokiness if I had to nitpick. If you only get one meat, make it this.

Spare Ribs - Salmon Creek Farms
Spare Ribs - Salmon Creek Farms [$18.00] | Half Rack
Spare ribs were also laudable, coming out sticky-sweet and just tender enough, with a gratifying meatiness to it all.

Shells & Cheese
Shells & Cheese [$7.00]
Barrel & Ashes' rendition of mac & cheese was one of the best I've tasted. Great texture on the pasta, and I loved the sheer creaminess and cheesiness of it all.

Miner's Potatoes
Miner's Potatoes [$5.00]
The potatoes were also a keen pairing, arriving crisp and hearty, accented by the aromatics of sage while the accompanying sauce served as a creamy counterbalance. Can't go wrong with this.

Banana Hammock
Banana Hammock [$13.00] | Banana Infused Jamaican Rum, Lemon, House Banana Cordial, Honey, Caramelized Banana
Round #2 for cocktails brought out this whimsically-titled number, a real celebration of banana-y sweetness, offset by the potency of the rum and just the right amount of lemon-y zest on the close.

Sloe Gin Fizz
Sloe Gin Fizz [$13.00] | Sipsmith Sloe Gin, London Dry Gin, Lemon, Peychauds, Egg White, Seltzer
B&A's take on this classic fizz was to my liking, with its great mix of sweet and tart flavors played against the frothy egg white, the dry gin adding a wonderful hit of botanicals toward the back end.

Horse's Neck
Horse's Neck [$12.00] | Bourbon, Housemade Ginger-Ale, Angostura, Lemon
Our last cocktail was also a take on something old school, and just happens to be the restaurant's most popular drink. It was almost bracing in essence, with a sharp, in-your-face blast of contrasting ginger and lemon notes over a backdrop of bourbon.

Pulled Pork - Salmon Creek Farms
Pulled Pork - Salmon Creek Farms [$15.00] | ½ Lb
The pulled pork was about as tender as you can get, with a mix of porcine and tangy flavors intermingled with a hint of smoke. Particularly good with the accompanying pickles, though I wanted more of those crispier bits thrown in here for some textural variation.

Sausage - Electric City Butchers
Sausage - Electric City Butchers [$9.00 + $9.00] | O.G. + Jalapeno Cheddar
Sausages are sourced from Santa Ana's Electric City Butchers, and were on point. The O.G. had your classics flavors in a delightfully snappy casing, while the Jalapeno Cheddar was even better, their version of Käsekrainer featuring lush, creamy cheese and a great bit of creeping heat. Yum.

Pork n' Beans
Pork n' Beans [$7.00]
Pork 'n' beans looked impressive, and indeed the actual pork was. However, the beans veered overly soft, overly sweet for me. I would've liked them firmer, with more of a peppery/spicy bent.

Hoe Cake
Hoe Cake [$6.00]
Now, the hoecake has sort of become an early favorite when it comes to sides here, and that's for good reason. It's sort of like the best pancake you've ever had, a sweet, fluffy, beautifully caramelized disk with a savory edge. A must try.

BBQ Brussels Sprouts
BBQ Brussels Sprouts [$5.00]
Regular readers will know that I'm a huge fan of Brussels, but these similarly went too sweet; I wanted the bitterness of the veggie to shine more.

2014 Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout - 13.8% 2014 Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout - 14.4%
For dessert, I brought out two bottles of 2014 Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout that were just purchased the previous day (during the Black Friday release), one from the 13.8% ABV batch and one from the 14.4% ABV batch (from different blends of bourbon barrels I take it). We began with the lower strength bottling, and found it all sorts of wonderful, with a nose redolent of delicious dark fruit, toffee, molasses, vanilla, and subtle smoke. In terms of taste, there was more of that, plus a distinct chocolate character and a good amount of malt and bourbon, with surprisingly little alcoholic heat. The 14.4% version, when drank side-by-side, wasn't quite as good (though it was still very good). I got a noticeably weaker nose, with a bit more oakiness, while on the palate, I tasted less chocolate and more roasty malt.

Peanut Butter & Banana Ice Cream
Peanut Butter & Banana Ice Cream
Time for dessert. As you probably know, I'm not a fan of peanut butter, so I wasn't particularly looking forward to this ice cream. Given that, this wasn't too bad, as the actual peanut butter was fairly restrained, offset by the sweetness of banana.

Banana Pudding
Banana Pudding [$7.00] | Toasted Meringue and 'Nilla Wafers
Banana was also used very successfully here, the creamy, rich, sweet pudding satisfying in a simple sort of way.

Arnold Palmer Sorbet
Arnold Palmer Sorbet
The Arnold Palmer sorbet stayed true to its namesake, delivering an invigorating mix of sweet-n-sour.

Turtle Ice Cream Cake
Turtle Ice Cream Cake [$9.00] | Pecans, Salted Caramel, Chocolate
My favorite dessert was clearly the turtle candy-inspired ice cream cake. The balance of nutty, caramel, and salty flavors was spot on, and worked perfectly with the ice cream. Fantastic crunch here too from the pecans and "crust" of the cake. Damn.

2014 Cigar City Hunahpu's Imperial Stout Tim Hollingsworth
My last bottle was the much-hyped 2014 Cigar City Hunahpu's Imperial Stout, which I'd been wanting to try for a while now. A stout brewed with cacao nibs, ancho and pasilla chiles, cinnamon, and Madagascar vanilla beans, the beer's made once a year and released only at the brewery in Tampa (though not anymore, apparently). It was one of the most multifaceted beers I've had, and managed to live up to high expectations. I found it spicy-sweet, fruity, and chocolate-y, yet somehow restrained on the nose--complex, and obviously special. The liquid made even more of an impact on the palate with gobs of dark fruit at first leading to spicy, sweet, floral vanilla, and bitter cacao nuances and a finish tinged with a tingling amount of chile heat. Lots going on, but very well put together; I could totally see a dessert based on these flavor profiles. As you can see above, we made sure to share some with the kitchen, too.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Pumpkin Bread Pudding [$10.00] | Vanilla Bourbon Ice Cream, Pumpkin Seeds
Around this time, we ran into Ivan Marquez of Short Cake, whom we met at the last Plate by Plate tasting. He was working part-time at B&A and sent out a bread pudding, perfect for the season. Great autumnal flavors here to go along with that fantastically boozy ice cream (I could use a pint of the stuff by itself).

Cookies 'n Cream Ice Cream
Cookies 'n Cream Ice Cream
Along with the bread pudding came three of the most perfectly spherical scoops of ice cream ever. Delectable, and the most cookie-forward cookies 'n cream I've had.

Miyazaki Wagyu Stripsteak
In addition to the beers, I also had in my cooler a fully-cooked, sous vide'd Miyazaki striploin left over from Thanksgiving. We handed it over to Marquez, who in turn gave it to Hollingsworth to finish on the wood-fired grill. The results were pretty marvelous, actually, despite the meat not being "fresh." There was some great char and smoke imbued into the beef, and the way the marbling was presented just worked. The steak stood alone, but the grilled scallion, balsamic dressing, and pico de gallo-esque salsa especially made it even better. We were all impressed at how well the kitchen pulled this off on the fly.

Banana Split
Banana Split
Last up was Marquez's off-menu banana split, just about the most refined version of the childhood favorite that you'll ever find.

We have another worthwhile addition to LA's barbecue lexicon here with B&A. Its cheffier approach is a welcomed change of pace from the homier presentations of the style you usually find, and I especially appreciate what was done with the apps, desserts, and drinks here. Taken all together, you have what I'll call a complete dining experience, which is often not the case when it comes to 'cue. BBQ fiends should definitely check this place out.

Friday, November 28, 2014

A Truffle and Wagyu Thanksgiving

A Truffle and Wagyu Thanksgiving
Fri 11/28/2014, 08:00p-10:30p




White Truffle
You might recall that I went to a truffle dinner at Maude a few weeks back. At the end of that meal, we were each presented with a truffle slicer and a membership to the restaurant's "Truffle Club," which allows members to purchase truffles through the restaurant. One of my dining companions took advantage of that offer, and bought two of the white beauties above for use at a post-Thanksgiving get-together.

Mexican Pizza with Truffles Chili Dog with Truffles
Given the abundance of truffle, it was decided that we should start by pairing the delicacy with the sluttiest foods possible. As such, I brought over a Taco Bell Mexican Pizza, a staple of my sad childhood. I got the headiness of the truffle initially, but that quickly dissipated to the classic, comforting flavors of the faux-pizza. We didn't dare try it with the included Fire Sauce, for fear of overwhelming the truffle. That's exactly what happened with the Wienerschnitzel Chili Dog, though. Any semblance of the fungus was summarily obliterated on this one; it ate just like the middle-of-the-road dog it was.

Alpine Willy Wheat Ale
To drink, we started off with something on the lighter side, the Alpine Willy Wheat Ale. There wasn't much to this one, with its sweet, nutty flavors coming awfully close to something you might get from an American macro. Apropos for the fast food, I suppose.

Deluxe Chili Cheddar Fries with Truffles McRib with Truffles
The Del Taco Deluxe Chili Cheddar Fries showed off the best bouquet, with the truffle really making itself known at first. But again, the potency of the chili quickly took over, leaving little trace of the treat. Perhaps the worst pairing was with the McDonald's McRib. The limited-time offering demonstrated no truffle at all, and all we got was a mish-mash of sweet-tangy notes over a base of restructured "pork rib."

D'Artagnan Japanese Wagyu Striploin Steak D'Artagnan Japanese Wagyu Striploin Steak
My friend also purchased the "Japanese A-5 Wagyu New York Strip Steaks 24 oz. 4-pack" that he'd seen advertised at Costco for a while now. I'm still a bit surprised that Costco's even selling something like this, so I guess we weren't too shocked to discover that the beef was actually sourced Ariane Daguin's longstanding gourmet foods supplier D'Artagnan. As you can see, there was some beautiful marbling going on in the steaks.

DeBragga Miyazaki Wagyu Strip Steak DeBragga Miyazaki Wagyu Strip Steak
As a point of comparison, he also procured four samples of the "Japanese Wagyu Strip Steak - 12oz" from New York butcher DeBragga. Taking a look at the photos, it's clear that the marbling of these Miyazaki-raised specimens was at another, near ridiculous level.

2014 Founders Dirty Bastard
Next up was the 2014 Founders Dirty Bastard, a Scotch style ale that drank pretty true to its style, with plenty of caramel-y malt, roast, and slight bitterness, all in a smooth package.

Sous Vide Bath Sous Vide DeBragga Steak: Sous Vide Complete
The DeBragga was the first steak up to the plate, and we commenced with an example done sous vide. Naturally, the meat came out of the immersion circulator cooked, but rather unattractive looking.

Sous Vide DeBragga Steak: Finishing in Cast Iron Sous Vide DeBragga Steak: Done Cooking
As such, we definitely need to finish it in a cast iron pan, with butter, to give it a nice sear.

Sous Vide DeBragga Steak: Adding Truffles Sous Vide DeBragga Steak: Cut Open
After shaving some white truffle on top, we dug in. Unfortunately, the experience proved to us that there can indeed be too much of a good thing. The steak came out a gelatinous mass that didn't really eat like beef, but more like pure fat (the thinness of the cut probably didn't help, either). We couldn't even finish the entire thing. If anything's deserving of the moniker unctuous, this would be it.

2014 Almanac Heirloom Pumpkin Barleywine
The seasonally-appropriate 2014 Almanac Heirloom Pumpkin Barleywine was next, comprised of 50% barleywine brewed with pumpkins and aged in rye and brandy barrels as well as 50% fresh ale brewed with spices. In terms of aroma, this one had lots of spice, commingled with roasty pumpkin, while on the palate, you got the same, plus more maltiness and barrel character, along with a lingering fruit sweetness.

Cast Iron DeBragga Steak: Seasoned Cast Iron DeBragga Steak: Done Cooking
As with the example above, the second DeBragga steak was seasoned simply with salt and pepper. However, this one we cooked completely on cast iron, again with butter.

Cast Iron DeBragga Steak: Adding Truffles Cast Iron DeBragga Steak: Cut Open
This one turned out quite a bit better, thanks to the far less overwhelming amount of marbling present. There was actually a nice balance here between lean and fat, and texturally the strip was on point as well. Nice earthy accent from the truffle, too

2014 Figueroa Mountain Lizards Mouth Imperial Double IPA
Our lone IPA of the night was the 2014 Figueroa Mountain Lizards Mouth Imperial Double IPA. I found it rather one-note, just super pine-y, super hoppy, without much of the tropical citrus fruit that I like, nor much in terms of a malt counterpoint.

Potatoes Au Gratin Carrots
Another attendee prepared some potatoes gratiné and carrots to provide some semblance of balance to the meal.

2006 Noon Eclipse
A brief detour to wine brought us the 2006 Noon Eclipse, a Grenache blend from South Australia. Super intense nose on this one, bursting with loads of earthiness, jam, and spice. Taste-wise, you got more of that, intermingled with some savory, tart nuances as well, the whole thing finishing long. Pretty tasty.

Cast Iron D'Artagnan Steak: Seasoned Cast Iron D'Artagnan Steak: Cooking in Cast Iron
Moving on to the Costco/D'Artagnan steaks now, we began with a cast iron prep, again seasoned with S&P and cooked in butter.

Cast Iron D'Artagnan Steak: Done Cooking Cast Iron D'Artagnan Steak: Cut Open
We definitely did this one the rare side, verging on Pittsburgh style with its cold center and crispy crust. I found it quite satisfying though--with a hearty, toothsome beefy quality--and surprisingly well-integrated when it came to the copious amounts of marbling present.

2014 Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine Ale
The beer of the night, unsurprisingly, was the 2014 Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Barleywine Ale, which was just picked up earlier in the day during GI's much hyped Black Friday release. Aged in third-use barrels that previously held bourbon and later the brewery's own Bourbon County Stout, this smelled amazing, with boatloads of heady dark fruit goodness joined by notes of the barrel. On the palate, we got wave upon wave of chocolate, molasses, vanilla, and more bourbon character, everything leading to a long-lasting finish brimming with more dark fruit. I actually liked this better than the '13, which was already damn good.

Sous Vide D'Artagnan Steak: Finishing in Cast Iron Sous Vide D'Artagnan Steak: Cut Open
Last up to bat was the Costco stripsteak, this one done sous vide and finished in the pan. It was the winner tonight, with the best, most cohesive presentation of lean and fat, a delicious, delightfully-texture example that wasn't far off from what you'd get at a good steakhouse.

2013 Widmer Brothers Barrel-Aged Old Embalmer
The 2013 Widmer Brothers Barrel-Aged Old Embalmer had a hard time following up the BCBBW, and paled in comparison. Also a barleywine, and aged in pinot noir barrels, it was much thinner, less substantial and less powerful. The nose was light caramel and malt, while there was more to the taste, with the barrel character coming through, alongside an apparent hoppy bitterness.

Chocolate Malted Krunch Chocolate Malted Krunch with Truffles
Dessert also veered toward childhood indulgences and comprised a tub of Rite-Aid/Thrifty Chocolate Malted Krunch, along with white truffle. It was perhaps the best pairing, with the earthiness of the truffle adding a great savory edge to the sweetness of the ice cream. Yum.

2014 Southern Tier Goat Boy
Finishing things off was the 2014 Southern Tier Goat Boy, an imperial weizenbock. This one had the classic aromas of banana, caramel, and spice, while in terms of taste, we noted more banana goodness and spice, along with dark fruit, malt, and a distinct bread-y quality.

Lessons learned from tonight (none too surprising): there is such a thing as too much marbling, and there's a damn good reason why you pair fresh white truffle with simple, more delicately flavored dishes like risotto.