We had made reservations for 5 p.m. and we were the only ones till about 5:30 p.m. There is a big advantage of going early. Some people like to go to dinner late to be part of the "happening". They like to see and be seen. I don't care to see or be seen.....correction, I might get a bit excited if I see Richard Gere. I go to a restaurant to enjoy the company and the food.
Our server, Henry was the best. He explained that the new chef was into Molecular Gastronomy which always guarantees excitement and surprise. We opted for the 6 course menu for $65. Henry explained the Shooters to us: The Insalata Caprese, Sopa de Gazpacho and Strawberry Shortcake. These regular things turned into something totally different. I could not contain my excitement. Chef Evaldo sent us all 3 shooters to sample. The first one was the Sopa de Gazpacho served in a shot glass. This was a tomato that was liquefied in a centrifuge topped with an avocado puree. I couldn't get over how the tomato turned white. One had to suck it all in. It was not easy since the avocado was thick but after a few tries, the whole thing landed in my mouth. The second one was the Strawberry shooter to cleanse the palate, It had a piece of shortcake on top which we were supposed to eat first. It was hard not to get whipped cream on your nose but who cares; a little whipped cream on one's nose never hurt anyone before. The third one was my favorite and most impressive Insalata Caprese. I am sure you haven't had a caprese served this way before. The green jello is the basil, the red is the tomato and the white stuff is the mozzarella cheese. The shiny balls were the balsamic vinegar that burst in your mouth when you sucked it all in. This blew my mind! These shooters require a lot of sucking but you'll be happy with the end result.
The Garlic Laffa Bread (house baked) that was served was very good but the balsamic vinegar on the olive oil was unlike any other I have had. It was a bit sweet. I was ready to buy bottles of whatever it was but unfortunately it was not for sale. The chef made his own. The next dish was a Scallop that was pan seared on a bed of butternut squash puree. This was followed by a Carpaccio with homemade cheese crisp and mustard. It was absolutely delicious. I loved it!
The Branzino Filet came next. This was pan seared and was served with asparagus, baby zucchini, parsnip puree and braised vine tomatoes. The ever so tender meat just fell apart and crispy skin was quite tasty. The last course before dessert was the Chargrilled Filet Steak served with roasted fingerling potatoes, wild mushrooms, asparagus in an onion glaze. That was a most tender filet and the onion glaze complemented it very well.
We sampled 2 different desserts. One looked like an ordinary parfait of mango, raspberry and cream topped with blueberries and strawberries. It was far from ordinary. It was crisp and refreshing; not too tart and not too sweet. It was just perfect. The other one was a chocolate chip cookie. I guarantee you once more that you have never had anything like it. It was warm, soft and I can only think of one word to describe it; UNBELIEVABLE. Together with the ice cream, it's like you died and went to heaven.
Chef Evaldo came out periodically to check up on us. At the end of our meal he came to chat with us. This man is so humble which makes him even more charming. He is from Puerto Rico and went to N.Y. to study classical music but was also interested in comedy so he came to L.A. and spent some time running the comedy circuits. His real passion was cooking. He watched his mom cook ever since he was little. His friends talked him into being a chef and after working at Melisse, Bouchon, to name a few, he decided to fly solo.
This Scratch Bar is located at 111 N. La Cienega in Beverly Hills California. It is right across Lawry's and right beside Matsuhisa. Chef Evaldo told us he realizes he has big shoes to fill. Though the former Scratch Bar was very good and impressive as well. The present Scratch Bar is just as good if not better. It did not disappoint.
Addendum: Please see corrections on comments below.
A few correction from the Chef:
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, thank you for the kind words. It was an absolute pleasure cooking for you and your guest.
Just wanted to point out a few things, since I do not want your fans to be mislead in any way.
I was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and came to Connecticut in 1994. I am self taught on everything I do. (music, graphic arts, poetry, cooking, etc).
My time at Melisse was a stage. A stage like an internship. You do not get paid for it. I did it for the experience. It was well worth it.
The balsamic reduction is easy to make. Balsamic vinegar, however, is very complex and takes up to years of fermentation. I did not make the balsamic. I just reduced it to a syrup consistency. Gave it some flavor with herbs.
I would not want to take credit for anything wrongfully, or have your readers misled.
I am very glad that you enjoyed your meal, and can assure you that I will continue to work my butt off to make sure that every plate that comes out of my kitchen has love and attention to detail.