Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Bombo (Los Angeles, CA)

Bombo at Grand Central Market
317 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013
www.bombofoods.com
Tue 03/31/2015, 11:30a-01:50p




Bombo

The last time we saw Mark Peel, it was October 2012 and he was shutting down his longstanding eatery Campanile (now Republique). Following the closure, the Chef continued on with his consulting business, Orange and Blue, and cooked a number of pop-up dinners, starting with a stint at Square One (the "This Is Not a Pop-Up" series) in February 2013, which led to grilled cheese nights at 3Twenty Wine Lounge in March. October 2013 saw Peel bow out of the Campanile project at LAX, a joint venture with HMS Host that was announced all the way back in 2011. Interestingly, ex-wife Nancy Silverton reportedly replaced him on the project, which ended up debuting in December to middling reviews. In February 2014, he cooked four nights at Il Grano with friend Sal Marino, and later competed against Marino on Ilan Hall's Knife Fight, working with English peas, venison, and sea snails.

This brings us to Bombo, which was announced last September and teased at a couple of pop-up previews at Rascal in January. The restaurant opened on March 26th in the stall formerly occupied by Lupita's, and is a casual, "broth-based" seafooder-slash-fish market (though the market portion seems to be forthcoming). The conceit here is that most of the dishes are cooked using steam kettles, i.e. those steel-jacketed contraptions that we seemingly all first discovered over at Palace Station's Oyster Bar in Las Vegas.

Bombo Menu
Bombo's menu is straightforwardly classic, mostly single-serving plates and bowls with a few sides and salads thrown in. To drink, beer and wine are reportedly coming, but so far it's non-alcoholic only. Click for a larger version.

2015 Cigar City White Oak Jai Alai
Dining at GCM always means trying out some new beers, and first up to the plate was the 2015 Cigar City White Oak Jai Alai, an IPA aged in American oak. Very floral and quite hoppy on the nose, while on the palate, I got more of that biting bitterness, but with increased depth and softness due to the barrel aging.

Seattle Fish Stew
Seattle Fish Stew [$14.00] | with Clams, Mussels, Shrimp and Cod Steamed in Lobster Broth with Bacon, Potato and Diced Tomato with Oregano and Rouille
We began with one of my favorites, a seemingly bouillabaisse-inspired seafood soup. I really appreciated how each item arrived well-cooked and distinct--the snappy, briny shrimp and cod in particular--and yet cohesive, with everything tied together by the deep ocean-y flavors of that lobster broth.

Housemade Lemonade
Housemade Lemonade [$3.00] | with fresh ginger
Bombo's lemonade was quite good: tangy and sweet, with a zesty finish of ginger that lightened the whole drink.

Fried Chicken
Fried Chicken [$11.00] | Crisp Fried Thighs and Steak Fries with Spicy Vinegar and Persian Cucumber Yogurt Dressing
The fried chicken was a must of course, and came out tender, juicy, and super herby, with a lovely crispness to it thanks to the panko-like outer coating. Solid with a dab of the tart vinegar on the side, and even better when paired with that wonderfully light, cool yogurt condiment.

Potato Salad
Potato Salad [$6.00] | with Hard Cooked Egg, Napa Cabbage, Roasted Onion, Dill and Mustard Vinaigrette
I'm quite the potato salad aficionado, and Bombo's was unlike what I'm used to. The potato provided a base of heft and savoriness, countered by the crispness of the cabbage, all while the egg added a certain amount of lushness to the mix. Good overarching tanginess from the mustard to boot.

2014 Wicked Weed Malice Wild Ale
Next to drink was a sour, the 2014 Wicked Weed Malice Wild Ale, a 100% Brettanomyces beer brewed with blood orange and tamarind then aged five months in wine barrels. This smell super funky, almost sewer-ish in fact, while its taste was more subdued, tart and citrusy and barnyard-ish, with a light hit of tamarind toward the rear.

Steamed Mussels
Steamed Mussels [$11.00] | with Curried Shrimp Cream, Garlic, Tomato, Potato on Egg Pappardelle
Mussels were very nice, all springy and spongy, tasting briny yet clean, the potato adding a great bit of weight to the dish. I appreciated the use of onions here as well, and the texture on the noodles was on point, too.

Crabbie's Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer
And now for something different: Crabbie's Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer. I found this quite sweet at first, with the spice of the ginger coming through toward the midpalate. Very little alcoholic presence here, so this could be dangerous.

Seared Tofu
Seared Tofu [$9.00] | with Spicy Vegan Ragout of Napa Cabbage, Dried Mushrooms, Kombu, Pickled Garlic, Radishes and Scallion Oil
Tofu had a fine sear on it, and just enough character to keep it interesting. The other components here were key though, adding enough brightness and umami to make for a pretty satisfying dish overall.

Chef Mark Peel
Chef Peel was in the kitchen the entire time, busy working those steam kettles the whole duration.

Braised Beef Short Rib
Braised Beef Short Rib [$13.00] | with Dried Mushrooms, Mustard Greens, Oyster Sauce and Roasted Onion on Egg Pappardelle
The short rib was another highlight for me. The beef arrived tender, yet with a bit of bite, and loaded with all the deep, bovine flavors that you'd expect. Mustard greens offered up a tempering, earthy astringency, and the zip of the onions made sense too.

2014 Block 15 Figgy Pudding
The 2014 Block 15 Figgy Pudding was a holiday beer brewed with white figs, black figs, black strap molasses, then aged in brandy barrels and spiced with Ceylon cinnamon and nutmeg. In terms of nose, I got surprisingly little, with just a trace of light, sweet spice. On the palate, think loads of dark fruit, joined by more sweet, warming spice, citrus, and the weight of the brandy underpinning it all.

Chopped Salad
Chopped Salad [$8.00] | with Iceberg Lettuce, Red Cabbage, Marinated Tofu, Broccoli, Napa Cabbage, Chickpeas, Pickled Carrot and Red Onion and Oregano Vinaigrette
A chopped salad was light and bright, with some crunchy textures and a smart use of tofu, the whole thing brought together by the zestiness of the vinaigrette.

2015 Noble Ale Works Tongue Tickles
DIPA duties were handled by the 2015 Noble Ale Works Tongue Tickles, a good effort from the brewery that was bracingly bitter and slightly tropical in terms of aroma, while taste-wise, I got more of those hops, along with a juicy grapefruit quality.

Steamed Fish of the Day
Steamed Fish of the Day [$12.00] | on Kombu and Dried Mushroom Broth with Napa Cabbage on Steamed Rice with Flax Seed and Pickled Onion
The fish of the day was yellowtail, firm and flaky to the bite, yet juicy. It seemed light on seasoning though, so the rest of the ingredients here were absolutely crucial in making the dish work.

Chicken Salad
Chicken Salad [$9.00] | with Eggplant, Dried Apricot, Pecans, Kabocha Squash, Roasted Onion, Potato, Arugula and Oregano Vinaigrette
Chicken salad had a nice interplay between the savoriness of the bird, the potato, and the bitter spiciness of arugula. I could've used less apricot, less pecan though.

2015 Knee Deep Brewing Lupulin River
The 2015 Knee Deep Brewing Lupulin River was another Double IPA, this one coming in juicy and tropical on the nose, but also quite dank. Meanwhile, it tasted of citrus and pine-y bitterness, but with a stronger, more noticeable undercurrent of malt.

Steamed Clams & Pork Sausage
Steamed Clams & Pork Sausage [$11.00] | with Roasted Onion, Chick Peas, Lobster Broth on Egg Pappardelle
I was a big fan of the savory, herby sausage here, and the clams themselves were pretty much spot on too. There was a sort of enveloping heat that I liked, and the chickpeas lent a fitting gravity to things as well.

2014 The Alchemist Heady Topper
The final DIPA was the 2014 The Alchemist Heady Topper, which came from the same batch I had a Brilliantshine. Yes, so this was Heady that I'd intentionally aged for six months, just to see what would happen. The difference was that the tropical aroma of the beer, that juicy grapefruit, was subdued, with the piney nature of the hops showing through more. On the palate, there was also less citrus and more of a sharp, bright bitterness, and the malt backbone of the beer was also more apparent, making for a "stickier" experience overall.

Curried Shrimp
Curried Shrimp [$12.00] | with Crushed Peanuts, Chili Paste, Roasted Onion, Kabocha Squash and Potato on Steamed Rice with Flax Seed
The kitchen didn't hold back on the curry, with the dish's plethora of spicy, aromatic notes melding reasonably well with the still-snappy shrimp.

Tomato Salad
Tomato Salad [$7.00] | with Feta, Cucumber and Black Olives
Last up was a sort of Greek salad, a commixture of light, bright, juicy, and piquant nuances set against the creamy, tangy feta.

2015 Almanac Farmer's Reserve Strawberry
Our final beer was the newly-released 2015 Almanac Farmer's Reserve Strawberry. I found it expectedly tart, with good amounts of earthy funk, barnyard, and vinegar coming through, though not enough actual strawberry.

Valerie Cookies Valerie Cake
Bombo doesn't seem to offer any sort of dessert options, so some items from the nearby Valerie had to suffice.

Mark Peel
Peel seemed harried, but happy.

After a two-and-a-half year hiatus from LA's dining scene, it was nice to see Peel back in action at Bombo. The food worked apart from a few exceptions, and was a welcomed change of pace from what you typically find at Grand Central, harkening back, just a bit, to the Chef's times at Campanile.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Love & Salt (Manhattan Beach, CA)

Love and Salt Restaurant
317 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
310.545.5252
www.loveandsaltla.com
Wed 03/25/2015, 8:15p-11:10p




Love & Salt Exterior

Certainly, one of the longer-standing eateries in Manhattan Beach has to be Cafe Pierre, which opened in May 1977 and spent its first two years as a crêperie before transforming in a casual Cal-French spot. The work of father-daughter team Guy and Sylvie Gabriele, the place closed its doors on April 14th last year after nearly 37 years in business. In its stead, the Gabrieles have brought us Love & Salt, an Italian-inspired Californian concept created with former Terranea toque Michael Fiorelli, who's on board as both Executive Chef and Partner.

About the Chef: Born to an Italian-American family, Fiorelli was raised on Long Island, and supposedly got interested in food after reading through many a cookbook growing up. He never went to culinary school, but instead learned on the job, starting his career as a line cook at Asian fusion eatery Susanna Foo in Philadelphia. His next stop was the Tavern Room at Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, where he cooked for three years under Chef Peter Timmons. During this time period, Fiorelli also worked stints at the Little Nell resort in Aspen on the off-season. He then moved to Patrick O'Connell's Inn at Little Washington, and then to South Florida, where he became Executive Chef at Mark Militello's Mark's at the Park in Boca Raton.

Following, Fiorelli went the corporate route in 2003, landing a job at Darden Restaurants developing Seasons 52 in Orlando. The Chef then moved out west to Los Angeles, becoming CdC at Kerry Simon's Simon LA at the Sofitel in 2006. In 2008, Fiorelli left to serve as Chef de Cuisine at Terranea Resort's mar'sel, and in May 2009, took on an additional role as Executive Sous Chef of the entire property. He stayed at Terranea until September 2013, and soon teamed up with the Gabrieles to launch Love & Salt, which debuted last November.

Second in command here is Rebecca Merhej, who functions as both CdC and Pastry Chef. She first worked with Fiorelli at Simon LA, and joined him at mar'sel in 2009 as sous before taking over as Chef de Cuisine in 2012 following his promotion (she herself was succeeded by Charles Olalia from Patina). Rounding out the team at L&S are General Manager Stephane le Garrec (the previous manager at Café Pierre) and AGM Melissa Gabrielle, Guy's other daughter.

Love & Salt Interior
Inside, the old Cafe Pierre space has been stripped and rejiggered by Ana Henton of MASS Architecture (Aestus, Lukshon) to a more casual, Californian, beachy, gray-on-wood affair. Spanning 2,600 square-feet and seating 100, the room features a kitchen counter in the back, a granite-topped bar to the side, and an impressively long communal table in the middle.

Love & Salt Menu Love & Salt Beverage List Love & Salt Wine List Love & Salt Wine List
The Love & Salt menu features Fiorelli's Cal-Italian stylings in the familiar cadence of small plates-pizza-pasta-large format. To imbibe, Guy Gabriele's put together a respectable, reasonably-priced, Italian-leaning wine list (apparently, there also exists a much larger, much pricier "reserve" list), and you'll also find a handful of beers as well as cocktails designed by Copa D'Oro's Vincenzo Marianella. Click for larger versions.

The OG
The OG [$13.00] | mezcal, maraschino liqueur, limoncello, lime juice, Jerry Thomas bitters, salt & sugar rim
I had to commence with my mezcal cocktail of course. This particular one was super smoky, really showing off the spirit, though it did have subtle notes of sweetness and citrus to even things out. I wasn't terribly fond of the rim here though, finding it overwhelmingly salty.

Burrata & Leek Toast
Burrata & Leek Toast [$13.00] | pickled fresno chiles, california olive oil
A Cal-Italian meal wouldn't be complete sans a bruschetta-like dish, so this burrata-topped version sufficed, the cool, creamy cheese meshing well with the zesty leeks and tangy fresnos, all while the bread contributed crunch and char to the mix.

Lady in the Ballroom...
Lady in the Ballroom... [$13.00] | grapefruit vodka, st germain, red bell pepper, mint, lemon juice
I loved the sweet, bright, super peppery nose on this cocktail, which led to more delicate pepper on the palate, along with a light, tingling spice backed by a touch of sweet-n-sour.

Mortadella 'Hot Dog'
Mortadella "Hot Dog" [$10.00] | pickled vegetable relish, house mustard
A miniature hot dog was delightful, showing off the mortadella against the acidity and crunch of the relish-mustard combo. Great crispness on the bun, too.

The Grape White Hope
The Grape White Hope [$8.00] | sage, seedless white grapes, elderflower syrup, pear juice, soda water
The lone non-alcoholic cocktail of the night conveyed the essence of grape in a candied, almost Asian-y manner that I rather enjoyed.

Corned Lamb Tongue Panini
Corned Lamb Tongue Panini [$13.00] | fontina, tomato aioli, pickled peppers, rye
Lamb tongue was done justice here, its earthy, deeply ovine qualities melding with the Fontina commendably, the aioli and peppers adding an offsetting element to the dish. Nice creeping spice here to boot.

Crispy Pig Ears
Crispy Pig Ears [$9.00] | pickles, radish, spicy buttermilk aioli
Pig ears came out chewy yet crisp, their porky flavors highlighted by that tangy aioli on the side. Not a bad attempt, but I would've liked the ears crunchier, meatier.

Buffalo Soldier
Buffalo Soldier [$13.00] | bourbon, strawberry syrup, egg whites, lemon juice
I like me a cocktail with egg white, and this fit the bill, a frothy, bittersweet drink that gave up the sweetness of strawberry in a finessed manner, tempered by notes of citrus and spice.

Sauteed Cauliflower Leaves
Sauteed Cauliflower Leaves [$12.00] | olive oil, parmesan, soft mascarpone polenta
You don't see cauliflower leaves too often on menus, which is a damn shame, as they were superb here. Bitter and oh-so crunchy, they paired perfectly with the creamy, cheesy polenta.

Bootsy Collins
Bootsy Collins [$13.00] | citron vodka, crème de mure, mint, blackberries, lemon juice, ginger beer
I got loads sweet, tart berry on the nose here, which I loved. Taste-wise, the fruit was more subdued, and the drink instead showed off strong notes of ginger and citrus, with the vodka adding a boozy base to the cocktail.

Roasted Baby Cauliflower
Roasted Baby Cauliflower [$14.00] | salsa verde, preserved lemon, parmesan breadcrumbs
The actual cauliflower was a winner as well, coming out crisp to the bite, well-charred, and smartly paired with the combo of lemon and salsa verde. Great textural element from the breadcrumbs, too.

Succo Bevanda
Succo Bevanda [$13.00] | gin, st germain, prosecco, lime juice, basil cucumber-celery juice
The lone gin cocktail of the night, this smelled of bright, cool cucumber, while on the palate, I got more of that, along with light notes of citrus, spice, and even a bit of savoriness.

Grilled Flat Iron Steak
Grilled Flat Iron Steak [$24.00] | barley risotto, soft cooked egg, dandelion greens, black truffle butter
Love & Salt's best-selling item, the flat iron came out a bit tough (unsurprising given the cut), but with a strong, delectable char to it that went swimmingly with the steak's deeply beefy flavors. I was definitely a fan of the risotto on the side, a creamy, eggy preparation loaded with nuances of truffle and well-matched to the astringency of those dandelion greens.

Duck Egg
Duck Egg [$18.00] | pancetta, panna, potato, rosemary, mozzarella, parmesan
We had to try a pizza, natch, and went with the restaurant's most popular, a gratifying combination of salty pancetta, cheese, and runny egg, all overarched by the aromatics of that rosemary.

Agnolotti
Agnolotti [$18.00] | wilted escarole, parmesan brodo, little rabbit meatballs
Getting into the pastas now, the agnolotti was a favorite, with the wonderfully savory meatballs a great pair to the cheesiness of the pasta, all while the escarole offered up well-placed hits of bitterness.

No Ginger No Cry
No Ginger No Cry [$13.00] | appleton 12yrs dark rum, booker's bourbon, lemon, honey ginger syrup, orange juice
Ginger was the star here, its zestiness lingering long and strong, joined by a distinct honeyed sweetness and an apparent underpinning of booze.

Cavatappi: Naked
Cavatappi: Sprinkling
Cavatappi: Scraping Marrow Cavatappi: All Dressed
Cavatappi [$16.00] | roasted garlic, bone marrow, parsley, parmesan, cracked black pepper
Given the presence of bone marrow, the cavatappi was a must. You could almost think of it as a jacked up mac 'n' cheese, a super herby, peppery preparation taken up a notch by the luxuriousness of that marrow. Great texture from the breadcrumbs as well, and I liked the tableside presentation (i.e. the sprinkling of parsley-Parm-crumbs and scraping of the marrow).

Dirty Blvd
Dirty Blvd [$13.00] | rye whisky, galliano autentico, aperol, rhubarb bitters & celery bitters
This was the stiffest cocktail of the evening, and quite delicious at that, smelling of sweet citrus and conveying a spicy, boozy bittersweetness in a viscous body.

Rigatoni
Rigatoni [$18.00] | olive oil poached tuna, fried capers, taggiasca olives, stewed tomatoes
The rigatoni was the least successful of the pastas. I quite enjoyed the actual fish, though the duo of olive and capers tended to overpower a lot of the other elements here.

Jimmy Conway
Jimmy Conway [$13.00] | rye whiskey, rabarbaro zucca, amaro nonino, walnut bitters
The last of Love & Salt's original creations, this cocktail was also one of my favs. I found it sugary and spicy from the rye, with a pleasant bitterness and an intriguing component in the form of the walnut bitters. Very well put together.

Potato Gnocchi
Potato Gnocchi [$16.00] | prosciutto, mushrooms, wild arugula, parmesan
Our final pasta, the gnocchi arrived soft and supple, with a cheesy goodness to it that made reasonable sense with the salty ham and zesty arugula present. A bit awkward to eat though.

Hemingway Daiquiri
Hemingway Daiquiri [$13.00] | rum, maraschino liqueur, lime juice, grapefruit juice
The restaurant's take on the traditional Hemingway daiquiri went well enough, with the citrus notes here doing an admirable job counteracting the more potent flavors of the maraschino and rum.

Roasted Glazed Pig Head
Roasted Glazed Pig Head [$45.00] | maple, vinegar, pale ale, condiments, toast
The pig's head made for an impressive spectacle, coming out all glazed and shiny. The best part was the tender, toothsome, unabashedly piggy jowl meat, as well as the sweet, fatty, crunchy skin. Given how full we were by this point, we barely made a dent in the specimen, and ended up scraping all the meat off and taking it home.

Pig Head Aftermath
And here we see the rather scary aftermath...

Vieux Carre
Vieux Carre [$13.00] | rye whisky, cognac, sweet vermouth, benedictine, angostura & peychaud's bitters
Our final cocktail was an undeniable classic, a worthwhile rendition of the New Orleans staple that balanced all the elements at play, making for a bittersweet, boozy concoction that hit all the right notes.

Love & Salt Dessert Menu
For dessert, you get the expected array of Italianate sweets from Merhej. Click for a larger version.

Honey Buttermilk Panna Cotta
Honey Buttermilk Panna Cotta [$9.00] | brown sugar streusel, grapefruit
The panna cotta came out super light, perhaps too light, with a subtly lactic quality to it that really called for the juiciness of the grapefruit and that sweet, nutty streusel on top.

Meyer Lemon Tart
Meyer Lemon Tart [$9.00] | burnt meringue
The tart, meanwhile, was exactly what you'd expect: sour, but not too sour, with a sugary backbone to it and a delightfully buttery crust. Nice moderating sweetness from the meringue, too.

'Not Another Budino'
"Not Another Budino" [$10.00] | hazelnut, milk chocolate, sea salt
Love & Salt strays away from the ubiquitous budinos made popular by the likes of Mozza. Instead, the restaurant turns the dessert into a tart of sorts, a rather tasty one that married hazelnut and chocolate flavors in one crispy, appealing package.

Birthday Cookies
In place of the traditional cake came complementary birthday cookies.

I'd been wanting to try Love & Salt for a few months now, and I'm glad I made it out. The cooking was comforting at its core, yet managed to remain fresh enough and interesting enough at the same time. It's got a mix of Italian tradition and Californian sensibility going on, the result of which was some fine eating, and the cocktails were nothing to sneeze at either. Another score for the rising South Bay scene.