Los Angeles Dining December 2007

Cuisine=*(0-20) Ambiance=!(0-5) Price=$(Simple-Full)
Approximate Price per person excluding tax, beverage + tip=$. Simple=appetizer + main course; full= best available multi-course meal.

As We Like It has been serving the gastronomically enlightened community since 1989.

    Nate’n Al  *(16.5) !(1) $(12-28) Tel.=310-274-0101 Fax=310-274-0485 www.natenal.com.  414 N. Beverly Dr. at Brighton Way, Beverly Hills, 7:00 A.M.-9:00 P.M. daily except for Jewish Holidays.
    We wish that a Jewish style deli of comparable quality would open in the San Francisco Bay Area. Even our last few trips to New York City have not yielded food as good, though NY still has the right atmosphere. The chicken noodle soup with matzoh balls and noodles is “to die for”. Favorite sandwiches include corned beef, pastrami, chopped liver and turkey, each accompanied by their great pickles and cole slaw or potato salad. If you eat at a popular time, prepare for a long wait. Reservations are only taken for parties of 6 or more. Make sure to get your name on the list at the cashier’s desk as soon as you arrive. Validated parking is available a few doors away. Consider their take-out counter, where you can order the same food and drive away for a lovely picnic. Also note that nationwide shipping is available, for when you can't get to Beverly Hills.
        
    Il Grano*(18.5) !(4.0) $(40-90) 310-477-7886 Fax=310-477-7775. www.ilgrano.com.  11359 Santa Monica Blvd. West Los Angeles, Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner=Mon.-Sat.
    We found it refreshing to find an Italian chef in Los Angeles who knows how to respect the integrity of his fine ingredients and not mess things up with fussy sauces, etc. White table linens, excellent service and lots of room between tables make for a pleasant sharing with your dinner companions. We were happy to come at the right season to have white truffles with a delicious tagliolini in a cream and butter sauce. Carnaroli risotto with diced day boat scallops, winter spinach and asparagus made for a delectable appetizer, as did the daily crudo (sashimi style raw fish) assortment. The surprise crown jewel of the dinner was a salt-crusted, oven-baked Mediterranean striped bass that allowed the fabulous natural flavors to come through; this was accompanied by organic autumn vegetables, each a jewel in its own right, of purple and regular fingerling potatoes, baby asparagus, French string beans and romanesco. It reminded us of the fabulous course we frequently enjoyed at the Port d’Alma Restaurant in Paris. The Alaskan black cod was also enjoyable. Desserts were all quite good: Bacco Tabacco = mocha Bavarian, tobacco infusion, rum gelee and syrup in a chocolate basket; Budino di Cioccolato = warm chocolate cake, crema di caffe gelato and espresso tuile; and our very favorite, a Pannettone soufflé with amaretto creme anglais and glazed berries. A fine wine selection is available, and corkage is $30.00/bottle if you bring your own, which we did. A bottle of 1997 Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Clavoillon and a 1999 George de la Tour BV Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon were the perfect complement to this meal. We should also add that a 5-course vegetarian menu is available at $49.00. Street parking is easily available.

   
    Lucques *(15.5) !(4) $(40-82) 323-655-6277. 8474 Melrose Ave. 1/2 block East of La Cienega, Los Angeles, Lunch Tues.-Sat. 12:00-2:30, Dinner Mon.-Sat. 6:00-10:00, Sun. supper 5:00-10:00
    Glowing reviews in other dining guides encouraged us to call for a hard-to-get reservation, but their cuisine is a prime example of course preparation, where poor saucing can spoil fine ingredients.  The decor is upscale contemporary with a covered, rear garden room that we enjoyed. The service was outstanding, knowledgeable and able to handle all details with ease. Some courses were splendid, like the sautéed veal sweetbreads with sun chokes, potato, dates and honey vinegar, as well as the market fish crudo with green harissa, avocado, watercress, chili and lime. An appetizer of roasted beets and young carrots with black olives, gremolata and crumbled feta was just passable. Decent CK lamb loin chops were  drowned in a butter soaked salsa verde and tapenade; when will people learn to put stuff like this on the side for customers to season to taste. A grilled club steak for two with potatoes “parisienne” (mashed with lots of butter and cream) and a nice accent of arugula salad was marred by unannounced onion  marinated topping. Hand cut noodles with rabbit sausage, chanterelles, mustard greens and toasted bread crumbs were tasty, but we needed to request lots of extra noodles for proper  balance. The black cod with chocolate persimmons, fennel, radish and pomegranate salsa was underwhelming; lots of fuss that didn’t contribute anything. Desserts included very toothsome vanilla crepes, disappointing chocolate donuts and an excellent Valrhona hot chocolate drink. The wine list was appropriate but highly priced; the corkage fee was $20.00. We enjoyed our own 1995 Pol Roger Champagne to start followed by a 1998 Bonneau de Martray Corton Charlemagne; 1995 Laurent Echezeaux highlighted the entrees.