Still thinking about the Foie @ Mezze

Micah Wexler has a way with foie.  My last bite of foie before the ban began was the Foie Gras Terrine at Mezze, the Mediterranean restaurant on La Cienega where Chef Wexler .  Crushed pistachios, grapefruit wedges and flowers all provided for both a visual and flavorful oomph of harmony.  The texture was creamy and perfect.  Rich but not maddeningly so.  This is the first foie dish I will look forward to when foie becomes legal again.

Umamicatessen: A Tale of Two Sandwiches

Umamicatessen is the latest and largest property in Adam Fleischman's rapidly expanding restaurant empire. The DTLA spot is on Broadway just off of 9th Street and is several restaurants in one: the Umami Burger concept, The Cure, a Kosher-style Jewish deli offering which Mezze Chef Micah Wexler collaborated on the bagels, smoked fish and matzoh ball soup, Pigg, a love letter to all things pork done in collaboration with noted San Francisco nose-to-tail chef Chris Cosentino of Incanto, and donuts from & a [donut], along with a cocktail program designed by Aidrian Biggs of La Descarga and Pour Vous.

You can order from all the concepts wherever you sit in the restaurant.  On this visit I explored the Cure section of the menu.  The Matzoh Ball Soup ($7)  is rich, the broth is darker than typical and contains chicken cracklings, pieces of chicken as well as celery.  The matzoh ball itself was light and fluffy.  This may be the meatiest matzoh ball soup in town and is recommended for Passover and beyond.

The pastrami sandwich ($12) is referred to as Pastrami, Rye, Mustard on the menu and it is a simple sandwich that just contains those three ingredients.  The meat is thickly sliced and while not piled high Carnegie Deli style, is more than ample for a meal if you have some soup.  The thick slices of the meat, the spicy kick of the mustard overwhelm the thinly sliced rye bread.  Wexler and team have cured an excellent pastrami, and when Langer's isn't open (which is dinner any night, plus all day on Sunday) this may be the best spot in town to get a pastrami sandwich.

Alas the corned beef, listed on the menu as Corned Beef, Rye, Mustard ($12) was not nearly as good.  In fact it was not delicious at all: the corned beef was chewy and had an unpleasant texture.  It also lacked the flavor of a great corned beef sandwich from Langer's, Brent's or even Nate and Al's.  The pickle was nicely sharp though.  What may be the best deal on the menu is the pickle plate (unpictured), which though on the Umami Burger section of the menu dovetails nicely with the Cure section and at $5 is a generous portion.

After the highs and lows of the sandwiches, the & a [donut] menu beckoned.  The Tres Leches donut ($4) was irresistible, especially as Nguyen Tran of Starry Kitchen had recommended it.  The donuts are fried to order and the menu states that customers need to wait five minutes for the sauces to soak into the donut.  The Tres Leches, Cajeta, Ceylon Cinnamon (cake) was delicious and is sized for two people to share, although one hungry person could certainly inhale it, as I did.  It was unclear to me if the menu was stating that the diner needed to wait five minutes once the donut was presented at the table to eat it, but the waitress clarified that the sauce had soaked in for five minutes in the kitchen and that once it arrived at the table it was ready to eat.

A mild annoyance was that though I arrived during weekend brunch hours and the restaurant was mostly empty, the hostess was very reluctant to seat me at a table as I was alone.  She listed every possible counter seating locale but finally relented and seated me at a table as I had asked.  Not a fun way to begin any meal.

I will not be trying the Pigg menu but look forward to trying more of the other items, especially the Foie donuts and Adrian Bigg's cocktails, on future visits.  In short, get the matzoh ball soup, the pastrami sandwich and the tres leches donut, skip the corned beef.

Umamicatessen: 852 S. Broadway, DTLA. | 213.413.8626 | http://www.umami.com/umamicatessen/

Jewish Deli Night @ Mezze

Mezze, Micah Wexler's Mediterranean restaurant on La Cienega, recently launched a Sunday night only special menu of matzo ball soup and pastrami sandwich.  The regular menu is also available on Sunday evenings, but these two Jewish deli classics are hard to resist.  Fortunately for Dine LA fans, they are both on the Mezze Restaurant Week menu if you eat at Mezze on a Sunday.

The Matzo Ball soup ($10) was excellent.  The matzo ball was light and fluffy and the broth was intense and rich and sprinkled with chicken cracklings.  Large chunks of chicken meat, carrots, celery and onions all lurk beneath the surface of the broth.  This is not a dish you are going to want to share.

The Pastrami Sandwich ($15) was also quite good, although the bread was too soft for my taste.  The pastrami meat was well seasoned but mild if eaten alone.  It is the house-made mustard that truly gives the sandwich a kick.  The combination of the sliced pastrami, the mustard and the bread does form a wonderful sandwich.  If they had bread from Langer's, it would be a true home run.  The meat is thickly sliced and the portion is filling without being huge.  Good stuff.  Perhaps Chef Wexler should consider opening up a deli as a spinoff and give Canter's a run for its money in the neighborhood.  With Langer's not open for business in the evening, the matzoh ball soup and sandwich is the best Jewish deli for miles around, if only for one night a week.

Mezze: 401 N. La Cienega Blvd, Mid City. | 310.657.4103 | mezzela.com

Mezze's New Bar Menu

Chef Micah Wexler's Meditteranean restaurant Mezze opened to strong reviews this March in the former Sona location on La Cienega.  Mezze has a striking interior and opened up the space with a large open kitchen.  The glass provides an expensive view into the gleaming white kitchen where Wexler and his team prepare the small plates the restaurant is known for.

Earlier this month Mezze launched a new Bar Menu, providing the opportunity to try Wexler's cuisine in sharable small portions, suitiable for munching along with one of the signature cocktails.

A highlight of the cocktail list is the Baharat Milk ($10), below, is made with Barbancourt 8 Year, Remy VS, Baharat Milk and grated pistachios.  The frothy milk blends well with the rich Haitian rum and the Cognac and the grated pistachios add both an attractive dash of color as well as a sweet nutty finish.

The cocktail list, along with the beers and wines are half price during the twice nightly "happy hour" at the bar from 6 - 7:30 pm and again from 11 pm - 1 am.  The new bar menu is available all night, although not at half price.

The rest of the cocktails on the list are:

Grapefruit Sergio: St. Germain, Vodka, lemon juice, grapefruit juice ($10)
Sumac 75: Sparkling Wine, Cocchi Americano, Sumac Syrup ($11)
Angeleno: Gin, Aperol, orange juice, lemon juice, bitter lemon soda ($12)
George Dickel Pickle: Whiskey, mustard seed, lemon, celery, serrano pepper ($11)
Mongo: Don Julio Anejo Tequila, Peychaud and Angostura Bitters, Lemon Juice ($16)

The new bar menu includes:

Zatar Bread and Olive Oil ($4)
Warm Pita with Honey and Butter ($4)
Grandma’s Chopped Chicken Livers with Grape Mostarda and Mini-Challah ($10)
Eggplant Hushpuppies with Onion Fondue ($6)
Potato Knish with House Mustard ($7)
Merguez Sausage Flatbread with Tomato Jam and Aleppo Pepper ($14)
Egyptian Rebel Fries with Heirloom Beans, Brisket, and Syrian Cheese ($10)
Braised Moroccan Chicken Wings with Picholine Olives and Golden Raisins ($9)
Brisket Shawarma or Falafel Sandwich with Amba and House Pickles ($8)
The Kleinfeld Sandwich: Chicken Shawarma with Amba and House Pickles on a Sesame Baguette ($10)
 Brussels Sprouts with Soft Boiled Egg and Soujouk ($8)

Mezze: 401 N. La Cienega Blvd, Mid City.  Phone: 310.657.4103 | Website: mezzela.com