First Impression: SmithHouse

SmithHouse Tap & Grill opened last week in Century City on the ground floor of an office building on Santa Monica off of Beverly Glen that has seen several restaurants fail in the space.  This time the curse appears to have been vanquished as the restaurant has been packed with neighborhood office workers and residents excited for a casual restaurant with over one hundred beers on tap.  It wouldn't be an opening these days without a celebrity chef's involvement, so at SmithHouse the food menu was created by Angelo Sosa of Top Chef fame.

Not content to only bring on a celebrity chef, the SmithHouse team also brought in an A-List mixology team to create the cocktail menu.  Jason Bran and Damian Windsor of the Roger Room on La Cienega and Simon Ford, the London-based global brand ambassador for Pernod-Ricard collaborated on the list of eight signature cocktails and six classics.  Full cocktail list at the bottom of this post.

The Bitter Lady (above) is a take on the White Lady (a gin Sidecar) but with Campari instead of Cointreau.  This gives this lady her bitter monicker.  The Plymouth Gin, Campari, lemon juice, honey and egg white are shaken vigourously and then poured into a martini glass and garnished with a lemon peel.  The sour cocktail was delicious and has some bite; an excellent way to begin a visit to SmithHouse.

The menu is bar food with some Asian influences, befitting Sosa's Asian accented style of cuisine.  The menu is casual and is divided into appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, entrees and sides.  I tried the Let's Wing-ette, Sosa's take on chicken wings with a "Red-hot glaze" that are served with celery and are "cooled with Asian ranch" dressing streaked on the bowl.  The wings ($9) were substantial but not especially spicy.  Tasty and a good introduction to the menu.

The signature element of SmithHouse is the extensive beer on tap selection, approximately 120, which are kept in six temperature controlled zones and served in appropriate glassware.  The beer program also includes five beer flights.  Each flight is $10 and contains a selection of five different beers.  The flights are The Fruit Basket, Belgian Flight, California Flight, Eastside Flight, and the European Flight.  I sampled the Belgian Flight, pictured above, which consisted of Timmerman’s Strawberry Lambic, Blanche De Bruxelles, Unibroue Maudite, Allagash Curieux and St. Bernardus Apt. 12.  The pours are generous and it is a fun way to get to sample a variety of beers at a fair price.

The beer list runs the gamut, because with 120 beers, they are not going to all be beer-geek obscurities.  The list contains mass market crowd-pleasers such as Pabst, Pacifico and Stella, major US microbrews such as Sam Adams and Sierra Nevada, as well as a wide selection of craft imports such as Delirium Tremens from Belgium and American craft beers like Ommegang's Hennepin Saison, Racer 5 and Stone Sublimely Self Righteous Ale.

The SmithHouse Burger (above) is made with Vintage Blend beef and a bone marrow and parmesan crust.  The burger ($14) was prepared medium rare, as asked, and was served with pickles on the side and a large bag of herb and parmesan dusted french fries (below).  The burger came with lettuce and a healthy amount of dressing, so much so that when I took a bite a lot of liquid landed on my plate.  This is a burger that certainly requires a napkin.

The beer list is extensive enough to find something appealing for a wide spectrum of beer lovers or novices.  There are even five custom booths (like at City Tavern in Culver City) that have a selection of beer on tap right at the table.  That is a fun innovation that is great for groups.

SmithHouse is basically upscale bar food in a comfortable environment with a way better beer and cocktail selection than you would ever expect in a place with a dozen flat screen TVs showing sports.  It's less of a culinary destination than a cheerful and easygoing spot to relax and enjoy a drink with friends.  If you are looking to see Sosa's culinary wizardry, than neither this nor the Malibu Inn (Sosa's other local consulting gig) will give you that experience.  The prices are fair, the beer selection is unlike anything else on the Westside, and its convenient location is likely to keep it busy.  If Verdugo Bar and Houston's had a love child and hired Space Craft to design a home, this might be it.

On the evening I visited the cocktail I ordered was the first one my bartender had made all night, which isn't surprising considering the beer focus of the establishment.  The cocktail program has been designed by some of the best in the business, so it is worth exploring.

Signature Cocktails by Jason Bran, Damian Windsor & Simon Ford:

Pimm's-A-Peel
pimm's no.1, citrus tea, lemon grass

Mayan Mistress
zacapa rum, lemon, orange, vanilla, passion fruit

Copa Enrique
don julio blanco, jalapeño sauce, cucumber, lime, salt

Officer's Ration
tanqueray gin, lime, grapefruit, honey, soda

Black N' Bulleit
bulleit bourbon, cassis, blackberries, orange

Smitty's Cider
absolut orient apple vodka, apple juice, lime, cinnamon

The Bitter Lady
plymouth gin, campari, lemon, honey, egg white

Cantaloupe Caipiroska
absolut wild tea vodka, cantaloupe, lime

Classic Cocktails:

Aviation
bombay dry gin, maraschino, crème yvette, lemon

French 75
plymouth gin, champagne, lemon

Sidecar
hennessy vs cognac, cointreau, lemon

Moscow Mule
absolut vodka, ginger beer, lime juice

Manhattan
bulleit rye, carpano antica, angostura bitters

Old Fashioned
bulleit bourbon, angostura bitters

SmithHouse: 10351 Santa Monica Blvd. at Beverly Glen, Century City, Phone: (310) 432-4360  Website: www.smithhousela.com

Greenleaf Gourmet Chop Shop: Century City Healthy Eats

I was recently invited to a meal at Greenleaf Gourmet Chopshop in Century City on the occasion of the launch of their new beer and wine program. Previously, their Beverly Hills location had an alcohol license while the Century City location was dry. Now Century City workers can join their 90210 brethren in enjoying a glass of beer or wine while they eat their midday repasts.

The food at Greenleaf is all organic and uses no hormones and all the dressings are house-made. The goal is to provide substance without the guilt. Chef/owner Jonathan Rollo and Chef Kristi Ritchey are both focused on living healthy lifestyles and serving the kind of food they want to eat to their customers. Chef Ritchey lost over 100 pounds by exercising and eating healthier and she is excited to be able to serve food that tastes good without being calorie laden.

I had the opportunity to try several of their specialty salads as well as some of the veggie sides. Lemongrass Chicken ($10) includes mixed baby greens, grilled chicken breast, mango, grilled pineapple, jicama, toasted coconut, agave-roasted cashews, Thai chili and basil, tossed with a lemongrass lychee vinaigrette dressing.

The unfortunately names Mexplosion is much better than its moniker would lead you to expect. This salad is a take on a veggie taco salad and includes baby greens, grilled corn and black bean salsa with cilantro, tomatoes, shaved red onion, avocado, sunflower seeds, whole wheat tortilla crunchies (how can you resist a dish with an ingredient referred to as crunchies?), and jalapeño jack cheese, served on a low-carb high protein whole wheat tortilla and tossed with a citrus basil vinaigrette and a spicy chipotle orange barbeque sauce. The tortillas are made by La Reina and the whole dish only has about 600 calories. I had not tried a whole wheat tortilla before and it was pretty good. It didn’t feel like I was eating a healthy dish, just a dish that happened to be good for me.

The Zorba the Great salad is a take on a traditional Greek salad and is named after Chef Rollo’s dog Zorba. It comes on a bed of humus and house-made pita chips are sprinkled on top. The dressing is a garlic herb vinaigrette that Rollo described as “a combination of aromatic herbs and roasted sweetness.”

The heartiest of the side salads I sampled was the Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad ($3), which is a very substantial dish packed with flavor. The Tuscan Kale salad ($4) is served with lemon juice and olive oil and was less interesting to me, though likely especially good for you. The Warm Lentil salad ($4) was also a favorite of mine.

Overall the food was good and it is a bonus that it is healthy and low calorie. The restaurant delivers meals at lunchtime within Century City via bicycle, which is another “green” touch to their business.

Now they have a dozen white wines by the glass, three red wines by the glass and three beers on tap.  The "liquid enhancements" cost between $3 and $12 per glass.

Greenleaf Century City serves breakfast and lunch Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm.  They offer 20 minutes free parking (best for to-go orders) or $5 for 90 minutes or parking.  I recommend phoning in your order ahead of time if you plan to get take-out; it will be much faster.

Greenleaf Gourmet Chop Chop: 1888 Century Park East, Century City.  Phone: (424) 239-8700.  Website: http://www.greenleafchopshop.com/ 

Breeze: Vegan Eats in Century City

Breeze, the restaurant in the Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel, recently launched a series of vegan options to their menu. I was recently invited to check out the new meat, dairy and egg free dishes to see what Executive Chef Manfred Lassahn had been working on. The hotel had been getting an increasing number of requests for vegan food offerings and the Humane Society's Genesis Awards this Spring was the impetus for the R&D that led to the dishes and the launching of them on the lunch and dinner menus.

I am not a vegan or vegetarian, so I was curious to see how delicious and satisfying these vegan dishes would be.  It is unusual for a hotel to create specific vegan dishes, so it is commendable that the Century Plaza has launched this program.  However, I do not grade on a curve as you are eating food, not intentions.

Our meal began with several shared appetizers: Beet Carpaccio, Macadamia Caprese, and Wild Field Green Salad.  The Beet Carpaccio (above) uses beets as the "bread" in the sandwich of edamame hummus and mango emulsion with basil oil.

The Macadamia Caprese is made with house-made macadamia nut cheese, semi-dried tomatoes, baby mizuna and green olive oil was my favorite of the appetizers.  The "cheese" is rolled in tarragon and chives and a basil vinaigrette with a balsamic reduction was sprinkled on top.  The semi-dried tomatoes were new to me; their texture went well with the macadamia nut cheese; fresh tomatoes would have been too wet.

The third appetizer, Wild Field Greens, is a salad of market stand greens, dried cherries and blueberries, sunflower seeds, house made tofu-ricotta, Harry's Berries strawberries and a warm vinaigrette.  The berries were delicious but this dish could have been tasty and vegan without the faux-cheese.

The meal continued with several main courses, some of which included Gardein, a plant-based protein designed to mimic chicken.  The main courses were Gardein Chicken, Gardein Chicken Scaloppini, and Red Beet Quinoa and Zucchini Noodle.  The Gardein Chicken, below, was my favorite of the entrees.  It was served with a green bean and fingerling potato salad, baby arugula and white wine and cashew cream sauce.  The "chicken" had been spiced very well and had a pleasant texture.  It almost passed for chicken and tasted very good.   The green bean and baby potato salad was also a good and well executed foil to the "chicken."

The Gardein Chicken Scaloppini was dusted with spiced flour and was served with garlic pea shoots and asparagus-meyer lemon risotto.  I did not care for the texture of the risotto, although the "chicken" and pea shoots were good.

The Red Beet Quinoa and Zucchini Noodle with toasted almond, golden raisin, micro greens, yellow beet chips, avocado-basil pesto and aged balsamic vinegar.  The quinoa was served in a disc shape, much as tuna tartare often is.

To conclude the meal, the chef prepared a special dessert of Tiramisu made with egg-free lady fingers, tofu marscapone, Kahlua and cocoa.  This dessert is available by special advance request, although there is not a currently a vegan option on the dessert menu beyond fresh fruit.  This was a satisfying end to the meal, although I must confess I would have preferred a bowl of berries from the farmer's market.  Sometimes simple is best and there is no need to mess with the bounty of produce available to us here in Los Angeles.

Overall I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and thought put into the vegan options and by how much I enjoyed the Gardein chicken.  Breeze is evidently putting a lot of effort into expanding their offerings to guests who are often offered uninteresting options like a grilled vegetable plate.  I think that they should also work to design dishes that are vegan but don't rely on mock meat or cheese.  There are plenty of flavorful salads that are already vegetarian/vegan and I can't help but think of Tender Greens and the amazing salads and cooked vegetable dishes that they offer.  The faux product should really only be used to supplement the natural abundance of fruits, vegetables and grains available to us, and need not be the focal point of vegan dishes.  Chef Lassahn already shops at the various farmers' markets as evidenced by the Harry's Berries strawberries and the red, peruvian and fingerling potatoes in the Gardein Chicken entree, so he is well aware of the product available to him.

Breeze is a comfortable restaurant and the vegan options make this jump to the shortlist of places I would go to with a vegan dining companion on the westside, especially near Century City.  The menu, because it offers healthy and vegan options in addition to its regular menu, makes it easy to find something for both the meat and vegan eaters in the crowd.  It is also more upscale and has a less preachy/crunchy menu than most vegan spots.  Whether it is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free etc, it is great to see more general restaurants offer options that meet the needs of diners with dietary restrictions, without everyone having to go to a specialized restaurant.

Breeze: 2025 Avenue of the Stars in the Century Plaza Hotel, Century City.  (310) 551-3334.  Website: http://www.centuryplaza.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/entertainment/restaurants/

Dinner with Tom Colicchio on Monday November 1st

Attention all Top Chef fans, Craft Chef/Owner Tom Colicchio will be in town on Monday November 1st and you are invited to join him for dinner at the LA branch of Craft. Colicchio recently returned from a trip to South Australia and apparently the voyage inspired him as he will create a five course tasting menu for the evening featuring local Australian delicacies, including rock lobster tails. No word yet on whether the menu will include kangaroo or emu.

The dinner will focus on some of the great wine producers of South Australia and each course will be paired with a wine from the region. Colicchio will also be dishing about his vacation including swimming with bluefin tuna and exploring Kangaroo Island. Expect some tales about his Top Chef television experiences and the challenges and adventures of running a growing restaurant empire.

This intimate dinner is $250 per person all inclusive. The reception begins at 6:30 pm and the dinner at 7 pm. Reservations can be made by emailing Anna Morini at amorini@craftlosangeles.com

You should have had plenty of time to recover from your Halloween merriment by Monday evening, so be there or be square. And no, I won't save any kangaroo jerky for you if you can't make it.

Craft Los Angeles: 10100 Constellation Blvd, Century City. (310) 279-4180.

Julian Cox Hatchi Mix: Tequila in 3 Magical Acts

On July 1, Julian Cox brought his considerable bartending talents to BreadBar in Century City, as the host/chef of Tequila in 3 Magical Acts, the latest edition of the continuing Hatchi Mix, a monthly event bringing different guest bartenders each month to create a menu of eight innovative cocktails offered for $8 each. Cox was the third bartender following Devin Espinosa, who curates the series, and Joel Black, formerly of Cana.

Cox, the head bartender at Rivera and the force behind the launch list of cocktails at mezcal mecca Las Perlas and the upcoming R26, developed a menu of eight drinks divided into three acts, representing appetizers, entrees and desserts. The menu which included items such as Roasted New Potatoes with Brown Butter, Crispy Sage and Truffle Oil, initially confused some patrons who thought they were looking at a food menu, not a cocktail menu.

The Vote for Pedro, with Pedro Ximenez Sherry, Rye and Aperol was my favorite of the evening, a nicely balanced aromatic cocktail. The truffle oil in the Roasted New Potatoes drink made it hard for me to drink, although eStarLA commented that she enjoyed the savoryness of it.

Overall the evening went smoothly and Cox and his fiancée Kristina Howald tended to stay behind the bar and mixed drinks quickly, getting them out to thirsty punters who were excited to try the unusual flavor combinations. Another personal favorite was the Assortment of Green Chiles with Mint and Tequila, while the Jamon Iberico Old Fashioned (which I did not sample) was a hit with pork lovers including FoodGPS.

Grilled Cheese Month @ Clementine

April brings thoughts of spring, the farmers market produce you have been waiting for all winter, the first beach day of the season, and of course Grilled Cheese Month. Many of you no doubt are excited about the Grilled Cheese Invitational on April 24th , the Tillamook Loaf Tour, and the potential grilled cheese pop-up night from Chef Eric Greenspan of the Foundry on Melrose. Clementine on Ensley Avenue in the Century City/Westwood border is celebrating Grilled Cheese Month with 5 weeks of signature grilled cheese sandwiches.

Click on the picture of the menu above for the full menu, or click here for a pdf.

I am particularly looking forward to next week's Ensley Avenue Cheese Steak with annie's cheesy meatloaf grilled with peppers, onions, sonoma hot pepper jack and 10,000 lakes dressing on a toasted french roll. The Turkey Meatball Melt the following week with provolone, arrabiata sauce and turkey meatballs, also sounds particularly tasty. The basic grilled cheese with grilled white tillamok cheddar on country white bread is available every day of the month.

There is no need to run across town to catch the Grilled Cheese Truck this month when you can head over to Santa Monica Blvd and Ensley (next to Johnny's Pizzeria) and enjoy Chef Annie Miller's hospitality all day all month long.

Clementine is located at 1751 Ensley Avenue (immediately North of Santa Monica Blvd). Parking can be difficult. Phone: (310) 552-1080. Website: http://www.clementineonline.com

Hatchi - Burning Sensation - Kuniko Yagi @ Breadbar

Breadbar Century City hosted the latest edition of its Hatchi series of guest chef pop-up dinners last Thursday night with Kuniko Yagi, the chef de cuisine at Sona, David Myers acclaimed flagship restaurant (which is due to close soon), for a dinner themed and titled as Burning Sensation.

The meal offered 6 savory courses and 2 dessert courses (by Sona pastry chef Ramon Perez) for $8 each. Guests were required to purchase a minimum of 4 courses or 3 courses + a drink, per person. The idea behind the Hatchi series is laudable - offer a chef the opportunity to cook whatever they want, and at the same time provide a wider public access to these chef's cuisine, at an approachable price point. The "one night only" nature of the events have frequently led to full houses and chefs being more experimental.

My dining companion and I tried all the dishes, with the exception of #4, as we do not eat clam.

The menu was:

1. New Zealand Spinach Creme, Almost Burnt Caramel, Cauliflower

2. Yellowfin Tuna, Smoked Eggplant Puree, Mitsuba Sauce

3. Yogurt Marinated Chicken, Burnt Shishito Puree, Maitake Mushroom

4. Geoduck Clam and Charred Veggie Salad, 3 Kinds of Grains

5. Harissa Marinated Cod, Sunchoke Puree, Crispy Pigs Feet

6. Miso Marinated Hangar Steak, Miso Marinated Soubise, Chino Radish

7. Burnt Orange Consomme, Meyer Lemon Creme, Sushi Rice Sorbet

8. Soft Chocolate, Charred Pineapple, Alpine Strawberry, Burnt Milk Ice cream

Favorites:

The first dish was a disc of new zealand spinach, much less aggressively flavored than the usual variety formed into a dish with a creme brulee like consistency, only slightly more solid. Not so jiggly. The dish was garnished with flowers and hazelnuts. Beautiful presentation, a hallmark of the evening and of Sona's dishes in general.

The harissa marinated cod had a hint of spice/heat. The waitress had warned us that it was the spiciest dish. No need to worry, Jitlada this was not. We had this dish without the pigs trotters. The sauce had penetrated the chicken and it was flavorful. This was also the most sizeable dish. Most were tasting menu portioned if that - delicate morsels.

Least favorite:

The yellowfin tuna dish was bland. The sushi quality tuna was served seared but did not have much flavor. Presented attractively.

Overall the meal was enjoyable but as a calling card did not compel me to make a reservation at Sona for a return visit. My last visit to the restaurant was nearly 3 years ago. The Sona style has a large degree of emphasis on presentation, almost like in a Japanese kaiseki meal. Much of the meal felt very ephemeral in nature, like it could float away.

Chef Yagi is charming and she is off to Japan and then to Europe once Sona shutters in the next couple of months. I look forward to trying the next iteration of her cooking.

Photos (in descending order) are of: Breadbar, Chef Yagi, Spinach Brulee, Tuna, Chocolate Dessert