Thursday, 10/7 for lunch
Lucques
The plan for Lucques was dinner with 5 other friends, but as I checked the menu, I realized lunch was the only DineLA offering. As such, my friends bailed and opted for another restaurant. Just as I was about to cancel our reservation, I noticed that my sister posted on her facebook profile how much she loved their lunch and that the trout was a MUST. My curiosity was piqued.
Reservation for 1.
Here is the menu:
Lunch $28*
*Price excludes alcohol, tax and gratuity.
Choice of Appetizers
corn soup with poblanos and pepitas
market lettuces with green goddess dressing, radish and cucumber
fall fruit salad with prosciutto, almonds and saba
Choice of Entrees
polenta with summer squash, pecorino, salsa verde and breadcrumbs
mustard chicken salad with spinach, bacon and soft egg
grape leaf wrapped trout with green rice, nasturtiums and dill yogurt
Choice of Desserts
date and brown butter bar with crème fraîche and orange sherbet
vanilla semifreddo with gaviota strawberries and almond croustine
bittersweet chocolate tart with crushed honeycomb and coffee ice cream
I opted for the corn soup... which was disappointing. I will almost always order soup when it's on a menu, but I regretted it this time around. It's not that it was bad, but it was boring. To some degree the green beans in the soup tasted canned.
Of course, I got the trout. Highlight of the meal.
The green rice on its own is bland, but the trout was magnificent. I think it's all about the grape leaf. The trout was served boneless and in place of a skeleton was the perfect amount of lemon juice. It was the perfect level of citrus to keep my mouth interested.
I ended with the bittersweet chocolate tart, which was good, but mostly because I LOVE honeycomb!!!!
The manager offered to sit with me, but I said no. Wasn't sure if that was a wee bit awkward. ;)
Thursday, 10/7 for dinner
Angeli Caffe
So Lucques was replaced with Angeli Caffe for the evening. Here's the menu:
Dinner $26*
*Price excludes alcohol, tax and gratuity.
Choice of Appetizers
Mixed Antipasti Plate (Roasted Pepper Salad w Goat Cheese, Olives and Croutons
Sweet and Sour Eggplant Caponata)
Ricotta tart with Roasted Heirloom Sauce
Insalata Forte
Scamorza alla Griglia (broiled smoked mozzarella topped with chopped tomatoes and oregano)
Choice of Entrees
Butternut Squash-Fontina Lasagne topped with Seared Mixed Mushrooms
Ricotta Gnocchi served with Melted Butter and Parmesan or Heirloom Tomato Sauce
Pollo Arrosto (Our famous succulent half chicken, marinated w/garlic, fresh rosemary and lemon, then roasted)
Choice of Desserts
Almond Olive Oil Cake with Seasonal Fruit Compote
Tirami Su
Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding
I got the smoked mozzarella which was basically a plate of melted cheese and tomatoes. It wasn't very interesting and definitely needed a texture contrast. Maybe some toasted bread!
I also opted for the chicken, which was quite the hearty portion, but not very tasty. It needed to be seasoned better, but the roasted vegetables were good.... granted they were swimming in chicken juice.
Then I got the chocolate bread pudding which basically made my meal. SOOOO good. It wasn't too chocolatey or sweet. It was perfect. I would return solely for that.
At an adjacent table sat Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. I kid you not. One of the gals I was having dinner with went up to speak to them about a documentary she produced on sex trafficking. They were sweet and even more attractive in person. Demi is basically the size of my thigh. I had no idea that was the place for potential celebrity encounters.
Although I'm not eager to rush back, I did hear the pizza is good, but it wasn't offered on the DineLA menu. Not sure that Angeli is worth the hype.
Friday, 10/8 for dinner
The London in West Hollywood
This place looks like a bordello in the late 1700s. I wasn't sure if I should be eating or looking away from the wayward glances of others. It just seemed confused in terms of ambiance.
But we're here for the food.
Dinner $44*
*Price excludes alcohol, tax and gratuity.
Choice of Appetizers
Apple & Goat Cheese Salad with Cider Vinaigrette
Risotto- Rock Shrimp with Mascarpone Cheese
Veal Sweetbreads, Wild Mushrooms & Mustard
Choice of Entrees
Baked Halibut with Chorizo, White Beans & Pasta
Pan-Roasted Chicken, Yukon Potato with a Lemon Sauce
Braised Prime Beef Short Rib, Potato Mousseline & Caramelized Onions
Choice of Desserts
Pumpkin Cheesecake - Nutmeg & Graham Cracker
Valrhona Dark Chocolate Crunch - Praline Crunch, Caramelized Banana & Yuzu Sorbet
Baked Apple with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream & Crisp Tuile
I got the risotto, which was a one note. And that was one mushy cheesy note.
The braised short rib was really good, but it was also VERY fatty. The potato mouselline actually tasted like instant potatoes, too. Outside if the fattiness, though, I did enjoy every bite of my meat.
As for dessert I chose the Valrhona Dark Chocolate Crunch. It was pretty much a wafer cookie with nutella on it. BUT the yuzu sorbet made it worthwhile. I'm still craving the yuzu!
They also made me a mocha, though it wasn't on the menu. It was pretty good. Definitely potent. I was up until 4am that night!
Sunday, 10/10 for lunch
Comme Ca
Lunch $28*
*Price excludes alcohol, tax and gratuity.
Choice of Appetizers
SALADE FRISEE AUX LARDONS - Warm bacon vinaigrette, poached egg.
BUTTER LETTUCE SALAD - Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette, shaved carrots, baby tomatoes, herb croutons.
SOUPE A L'OIGNON GRATINEE - Melted Gruyere, crostini, chives
Choice of Entrees
The Comme Ca Burger - Certified Angus beef, cheddar, lettuce, onion, dressing.
Bruno's Quiche - Savory Egg tart, filled with gruyere and shallots.
Scottish Salmon - Artisanal polenta, oyster mushrooms, sauce maltaise.
Choice of Desserts
Lemon Tart - Lemon curd filling, meringue, blueberries, basil ice cream.
Brioche Chocolate Pudding - Valrhona bittersweet chocolate, creme anglaise, vanilla bean ice cream.
Profiteroles - Creme Chantilly, chocolate sauce, vanilla bean ice cream.
Appetizer: Glass of Wine - We will be including a glass white or red wine with lunch ONLY.
So I am taking longer than anticipated... if you can't tell my comments are getting shorter.
I got the soup, burger, and lemon tart...and a glass of rose.
First of all, it took about 35 minutes or so after we ordered to get our appetizers. It definitely felt like a lesson in waiting. The soup was actually pretty good... but it could have been because it was 50% cheese, 30% onions and crostini, and 20% soup. Oh how I love cheese.
By the time the burger came around, I was stuffed. I only ate half of it, but I did think it was pretty good. I LOVED the fries though.
The tart was all kinds of awful. It was too sweet, the crust was too thick, and it didn't really go well with the basil ice cream. So I just ate half of it and all the ice cream. The ice cream was actually really good.
Overall, I wouldn't necessarily go again, except for maybe brunch. The morning cocktails looked amazing! I was so tempted to get the hot pepper smash, but I opted against it. I would so go back just to try it.
There you have it... although I think I took 40 minutes. :-/
Lucques
3.5 star rating
Category: American (New)
WHY GO: The service and ambiance is great and Suzanne Goin rocks!
8474 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
(323) 655-6277
www.lucques.com
Angeli Caffé
3 star rating
WHY GO: Celebrity sitings and because it's an LA classic...just go once.
Categories: Pizza, Italian
7274 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Neighborhoods: Mid-City West, West Hollywood
(323) 936-9086
www.angelicaffe.com/
The London West Hollywood
3 star rating
WHY GO: Braised short rib
Category: Hotels
1020 N San Vicente Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
(866) 282-4560
TheLondonWestHollywood.com
Comme Ca
3.5 star rating
WHY GO: French fries with garlic aioli and the alcohol
Categories: French, Brasseries
8479 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Neighborhood: West Hollywood
(323) 782-1104
www.commecarestaurant.com
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