Providence

Providence - Kitchen Table/Chef's Tasting:

Full review with pictures in blog, text as below:

http://endoedibles.com/?p=1423

While I certainly wasn’t raised with a silver spoon in my mouth I was blessed with a good head on my shoulders and a strong worth ethic that has afforded me some great opportunities, not the least of which has been the opportunity to travel to some great places,...+READ Providence - Kitchen Table/Chef's Tasting:

Full review with pictures in blog, text as below:

http://endoedibles.com/?p=1423

While I certainly wasn’t raised with a silver spoon in my mouth I was blessed with a good head on my shoulders and a strong worth ethic that has afforded me some great opportunities, not the least of which has been the opportunity to travel to some great places, meet some great people, and dine at some great restaurants. Admitting here that in some ways I certainly do lead a fortunate life I also have to confess that recently a lot of the experiences have started to blend together, a bourgeois tragedy no doubt but just the same a situation that has rendered Michelin ** and *** star meals at times limp, disappointing, and simply “been-there-done-that” at all too high a price. Having started to correct this trend by seeking out some more eclectic and even ethnic cuisine another part of my problem seemed to be that I always went out looking for something bigger and better rather than occasionally revisiting a spot that was tried, true, and fantastic the first time and it was this in mind that I decided to check back in with the folks at Providence, the site of one of the ten best meals of my life, during this recent trip to Los Angeles.

Having visited Michael Cimarusti’s well regarded Michelin ** establishment first in March of 2009 and with the restaurant having since installed a Chef’s table that does not exactly sit “in” the kitchen but rather adjacent to it with a limited view of the action I had contacted the restaurant in advance to inquire about this seat and after being informed that the seat was generally not allowed to a solo diner unless previously unbooked I was fortunate to find two others who wished to enjoy the Chef’s tasting at the Chef’s table before my arrival and with that the table was booked. Informed that unfortunately Chef Cimarusti would not be in that evening but reassured that the kitchen would be “firing on all cylinders” neither of my dining partners seemed to mind this detail and with arrival times confirmed it was decided we would find each other at the bar just prior to our 7:00pm seating.

Having now visited Los Angeles enough to plan an extra thirty minutes into all trips in order to account for traffic and (as expected) getting hung up by some event at The Grove en route I again managed to find free parking just up the street from Providence and entering the low lit foyer I was greeted by the hostess who informed me that one of my dining partners was already at the bar and within moments of joining him we would have our trio all present and accounted for just shy of 7:00. Having met with Steven, my server from the last visit, as I arrived I motioned to him that we were ready and with that we were led through a small door adjacent to the hostess stand to our table – a rounded alcove big enough for six, bathed in fluorescent light from the kitchen, and although limited in its vantage a great spot isolated from the rest of the restaurant (a pro and a con as it was good for talking but limited me from enjoying the great soundtrack from prior.)

With the Chef’s Tasting Menu the only option at the Chef’s table and any likes, dislikes, requests, or allergies discussed it was here that the strangest part of the evening would occur as Steven informed us that “the menu generally lasts 3-4 hours and the chef’s would like to get started right away” as if putting us on the clock and with that he slipped away only to be replaced by our primary server for the evening, Hoang, a pleasant fellow who along with the rest of the service team would make sure bread and water remained plentiful throughout the evening while plate descriptions were quite thorough. Having noted Steven’s comment I will say here that although nothing felt “rushed” per se, there was a definite timeline on our three hour meal and the flow was slightly more expedited than I’d have preferred especially as the meal went on and the chefs began to clean.

With cocktails and wine ordered, for myself a stiff Asian Pear Martini with Stoli vanilla, sake, passion fruit, licor 43, and pear juice the evening would begin just as my previous visit at Providence – first with their impressive warm bread lineup of Seaweed Focaccia, Bacon Brioche, and Sourdough along with locally sourced butter and sea salt and then with a pair of amuses (it used to be a trio) in the form of a mojito gelee and a Screwdriver ‘ravioli.’ With the bread continuing to impress while the cocktails – both in a glass and on the slate – were tasty but certainly not transcendent it was good to be in the company of friends as our conversation flowed and the kitchen worked quietly in the background.

For the second course of the night a trio of flavors arrived – a trio that would have seemed much more interesting had I not had almost exactly the same thing performed to much better effect eight days prior at the best restaurant in North America. Titled “Salt Pond Oyster with Jalapeno, Cilantro, Lime/Oyster Plant/Cucumber, Horseradish, Lime” this troika arrived as just that – on a bed of ice with half the divided bivalve still harboring its briny oyster tinged with a bit of heat and a bit more sour while the other half contained a refreshing shot quite similar but lacking the mollusk. To finish the trio – a harvested Oyster Leaf full of brine and the essence of the sea, an interesting trick of nature to be sure, but not nearly as intense as that at Alinea.

For our final amuses six “lollipops” would arrive standing in a pseudo-sand sculpture of kitchen ingredients – two each with one featuring poached Abalone with white miso glaze and the other Sword Squid and Chorizo, again both tasty and particularly the squid/pig combo a delightful balance of sea and earth that I would have enjoyed a whole lot more of.

Beginning the menu proper our first taste of team Chef Cimarusti’s seasonal tasting as executed by his sous chefs would be “Japanese Kanpachi, Compressed Cucumber, Black Sesame, Shallot, Lemon Vinaigrette,” a tasty and light opening volley with the sashimi quality fish bright and snappy resting atop cool cucumber and umami-laden black sesame paste. Topping the dish with the aforementioned crispy scallions, plus shaved radish and toasted white sesame plus a light touch on lemon this three bite course would prove right off the bat that the chef’s team could execute a very delicate fish in his absence and reassured me that we were in capable hands (even if it wasn’t quite as astounding as course #1, also Kanpachi, during my first meal at Providence.)

Moving next to a Providence signature that I experienced on my previous visit “Uni in a farm fresh egg, Santa Barbara Sea Urchin, Herbes Fines, Brioche” would prove every bit as luxurious as its ingredients would indicate and finished with champagne beurre blanc and American caviar we were instructed to spoon deep in order to experience all the layers together and doing as we were told I can now say that of all the cut egg dishes I’ve experienced – from L’Arpege and Manresa to The French Laundry and Le Bernardin – Providence’s remains my favorite if for no other reason than the beurre blanc/uni/yolk amalgram; a taste too decadent to describe and perfectly offset by the brine of the caviar.

Having specifically requested a foie gras course (a course that replaced the live spot prawn preparation as it turns out) the third plate of the evening would deliver a house made terrine of Rougie foie gras glazed with white wine and served with candied walnuts, roasted grapes, port gelee, and hearts of palm plus a side dish of grilled brioche. Dense and well made with the liver’s characteristic sapor nicely balanced by the sweetened wine glaze I particularly liked the rustic aspects of this preparation with the yellow rim of fat still attached and although the accoutrements were relatively standard the flavors were all on point with the grapes particularly wowing and the brioche every bit on par with the rest of the restaurant’s top notch breads.

Course four would be presented in an interesting manner by one of the female captains stating that it “might take a little work” and as it had just been alive mere moments before and still remained adherent to its shell “Live Scallop, Nori Butter, Lemon, bread crumbs” would indeed take a little work for two of us and substantially more for the other whose scallop still seemed to be holding on for dear life. Getting past the presentation and moving onto the preparation this dish was perhaps the most simple of the night as the scallop had merely been shelled, seared, and then topped with urchin tinged butter and breadcrumbs before a brief visit to salamander but what it lacked in complexity it more than made up for in quality as the mollusk itself featured a caramelized top and slightly cool interior that functioned beautifully with the sparse accoutrements to highlight its natural sweetness.

Having needed more bread to sop up the uni butter from the scallop I was pleased to see that my taking an extra slice would not go unused in the same manner as the next plate arrived, a dish described as “Black sea bass, matsutake, rosemary” featuring a flawless slice of the tender and flaky fish with impressively crisp skin as its focal point but much more on closer inspection as the matsutakes revealed themselves in four forms; butter poached, shaved raw, dissolved into clarified butter, and finally as an effervescent foam. While a fan of Sea Bass in general and having admittedly been wowed by it at ink only two days prior I personally felt that this was one of the two best courses of the evening and even now it is a dish whose exemplary taste brings back fond memories of what high quality fish in the hands of a skilled chef can and should taste like.

Not to be outdone by the dish prior, “Wild King Salmon Belly, eggplant puree, braised fennel, roasted grapes” would arrive similarly plated to the Sea Bass but instead of using the light umami of mushrooms to perfume a mild fish this dish utilized some rather potent flavors to temper some of the most flavorful and texturally smooth salmon I have ever tasted. With my thoughts on salmon (yawn) well documented I have to admit that even beyond the quality and the texture I really enjoyed this dish due to the accoutrements – each highlighting a different aspect of the fatty fish with the smoky eggplant puree and roasted grapes in particular adding some unexpected levity.

Continuing the hit parade the other contender for best dish of the night would arrive as our seventh course – “Unagi, celery root puree, bone marrow, smoked sesame.” Starting first with the eel – fatty, slightly briny, and just a bit sweet even without the all-too-common BBQ treatment – this was without a doubt the finest quality unagi I have ever tasted and obviously knowing the quality of the fish the kitchen opted to pair it with a number of complimentary ingredients that not only helped to enhance the fish, but also that shined on their own – particularly the smoked sesame foam which served a stark contrast to the hefty marrow and slightly bitter celery root puree.

Having declined the beef on my preference our “main course” for the night would be my personal favorite, duck, arriving as a ruby-red 2oz slice with golden lacquered skin as part of a plate described as “Liberty Farms duck, cauliflower, braised rhubarb, Brussels sprouts.” With the breast expectedly tasty and succulent while each accoutrement was equally well prepared and drizzled with foie gras gastrique as an added bonus what really put this dish over the top was a tiny sphere, approximately the size of a golf ball, deep fried and stuffed with duck confit – a particularly nice flavor when matched with the unctuous sprouts.

With the cheese cart at Providence being perhaps the first time I was ever truly “wowed” by a selection of fromage I found myself quite giddy when Hoang wheeled the well culled selection of twenty-one into the room and although now much more experienced in my cheese tasting the selection did not fail to impress yet again. With choices from cow, sheep, goat, and even buffalo divided into sections Hoang took his time in describing each that caught our eye and with my friends deferring to my selection our eventual order would consist of six ~1.5-2oz cuts including the Water Buffalo sourced Casatica, Cow’s Milk Cave Aged Pyrenees Brebis and Italian Sottocenere, “Washed Rind” goat’s cheese from Capriole, Spanish sheep’s milk Malvarosa, and finally Rogue River Reserve Blue.
Presented as a single plate from which we were left to pick, choose, and explore along with figs, walnuts, Muscat grape and fig marmalade, apricot vanilla compote, and finally delicious walnut raisin bread nearly all of these cheeses were entirely novel to me and while each was quite impressive and nicely aged I personally found myself drawn to the Sottocenere with its notes of truffle and ash, the Manchego-esque Malvarosa, and surprisingly the pungent Rogue River Reserve Blue from Oregon with a pronounced ripe flavor yet subtle boozy fruit notes on the finish.

Having been entirely wowed by Adrian Vasquez’s desserts during my 2009 visit but hearing rumors that he’d since left I was surprised to see his name both on the website and the menu when I booked the reservation but with that surprise came a whole lot of expectations for the sweets, the first a mild palate cleanser described as “Cucumber Mint Frozen Yogurt with Yogurt Foam and Melon” that tasted precisely as the ingredients would have you envision. Pleasant in its icy meets smooth and crisp meets sweet and tangy approach I’ll admit this is something I certainly would not have ordered but all in all it served its job admirably, especially after that Rogue River Blue.

Moving next to the most attractive and interesting of the three sweets “Miso Cheesecake, sesame, plum, blueberries” would prove to be another surprisingly light dessert as the cheesecake itself was nearly as smooth as a pana cotta but with just enough grit and savoriness to make you aware that it was not. Complementing the cheesecake with the fruits noted above in the form of a blueberry gelee atop the cake and macerated blueberries strewn alongside with the juices trailing behind plus tart plum sorbet the flavors were all brought to a sharp point through the use of black sesame sauce and a soil of ground white and black sesame seeds. An intense dessert with both sweet and savory served up in balance this was precisely the sort of dessert I expected from Vasquez yet unfortunately what would follow would not be nearly as impressive.

Announced as our final dessert (something I’m sure my dining partner would have appreciated when the final savory arrived as he opted to order another glass of wine at that time since our server told him there would be more proteins to come,) “Ganache, raspberry, ginger ice cream” would arrive as just that – an admittedly impressive dark chocolate clearly made from superior cocoa paired with raspberries whole and pureed plus mild ginger ice cream, marshmallows, and crumbled gingerbread cookie. A decent dessert, sure, but a shockingly underwhelming one given the four that the man in the kitchen made on my last visit and more so when compared to those at ink and Red Medicine the nights prior.

Admittedly a bit disappointed given my well known sweet tooth and high expectations it was just after 10:00pm when our mignardises arrived – an interesting Jasmine gelee, a chewy sesame seed macaron, and a spicy cinnamon marshmallow – and with the savories portion of the kitchen now dark and the action on the sweets end also beginning to taper down Steven would again return with Hoang to ask us how everything had gone and to deliver the bill; a relative bargain considering the quality of the fish but seemingly not as much so as on my previous visit just the same. With the bill divided three ways largely to avoid the hassle of calculating who drank what and a copy of the menu requested (a stock copy without the substituted foie gras or duck unlike last time when a customized menu was printed on the spot) we next made our way to the street where we bid our farewells, exchanged information for future dining adventures, and went our separate ways.

So in the end it turned out that Providence was a good meal – at some points even a great meal – yet at the end of the day I still came away a little bit disappointed; the service outside of Hoang certainly not befitting a ** Michelin establishment, the pastries substantially dumbed down from prior, the kitchen table a far stretch from that at Saison or L’Espalier, and although my dining partners were great the overall mood rather mundane leaving me once again wondering if perhaps I’ve simply just experienced too many white tablecloths in recent months. Sure there was outstanding seafood – both the sea bass and the unagi amongst the best I’ve had – while the “egg,” bread service, and cheese cart continued to shine but when it was all said and done I felt partially vindicated by my stance on returning to the same restaurant over and over but at the same time a bit let down that while Providence has not really changed in the last two and a half years perhaps my expectations have – and perhaps to an unrealistic level.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (60 Replies) (by uhockey, created December 5, 2011)

Just before I saw this thread (and the LAWeekly article) we had committed to a dinner at Providence including our 9-year-old, along with my mother-in-law. This thread produced a bit of trepidation, but we went ahead with the dinner and all was fine.

We went early, our son was on his best behavior, and we ordered from the menu, which probably sped things up a bit--and (after a puzzlingly slow...+READ Just before I saw this thread (and the LAWeekly article) we had committed to a dinner at Providence including our 9-year-old, along with my mother-in-law. This thread produced a bit of trepidation, but we went ahead with the dinner and all was fine.

We went early, our son was on his best behavior, and we ordered from the menu, which probably sped things up a bit--and (after a puzzlingly slow start to the evening, in which it took them 20+ minutes to get drinks to the table) the meal was outstanding, perhaps even more satisfying than the last time Mrs PoP and I went there together and ordered the tasting menu! (The kitchen still sent out several amuses so the evening retained some of the "surprise" of a tasting menu, without overwhelming the smallish appetites of our son and my MIL). Nor, at least on this Sunday evening, was the restaurant particularly quiet (as the LAWeekly article suggested); in fact, the background music was a bit on the loud side!

I would not go far as to call Providence "kid-friendly" or suggest that anyone start throwing juvenile birthday parties there, but they were very nice to our son. The bartender even concocted a couple of tasty non-alcoholic drinks for him, the second of which was so unusual and tasty that several of our adults tasted it and then ordered their own, and PoP Jr. came up with a name for the drink. It also helps that PoPJr. loves seafood and is as adventurous an eater as most adults. And we were not even the only family group that evening. For the right kind of kid, and assuming one is willing to spend what it takes (for us, $115/pp, with only minimal alcohol), it need not be off-limits.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (17 Replies) (by PayOrPlay, created August 9, 2011)

(by wienermobile, created November 13, 2011)