Giselle Wellman shines at Petrossian

Giselle Wellman could have been intimidated when she took over as Executive Chef at Petrossian West Hollywood from Ben Bailly in December.  If she was, she didn't show it, launching a new menu in less than two weeks.  Bailly made quite an impact during his tenure and when he left to become executive chef at Fraiche in Culver City Petrossian hired Wellman, who was on the opening team at Bouchon Beverly Hills.  There were some big clogs to fill and she has filled them admirably, continuing to evolve the menu, while keeping some of the Petrossian classics.

I was invited to try her new dishes and Gourmet Pigs and I sampled many of Chef Wellman's new items on the menu during a recent dinner. The elusive duck confit salad remains untried, something to look forward to on my next visit.  The meal began with the classic Caviar and Blini.  The assortment included trout, salmon and Transmontanus roe on a bed of creme fraiche and blini.  The roe had a wonderful pop, that was accentuated by the bubbles in the prosecco.

In addition to the dishes we ordered, Chef Wellman sent out the Egg Royal, made with Scrambled Egg, Vodka Whipped Cream and more of the excellent Transmontanus roe.  I am a sucker for egg dishes and this one delivered.  While not as extraordinary as a similar dish by Chef Adam Horton at Saddle Peak Lodge that I had last month, this was a fun way to begin the meal.  The presentation in the egg shell was also reminiscent of a dish I have had at Jean Georges in New York, one of the many top notch restaurants that Chef Wellman has worked the kitchen of.  The whipped cream melded with the eggs and the roe on top added a salty pop to each spoonful.

We continued with Smoked Sturgeon Risotto with Pressed Caviar, Chive and Crème Fraîche.  This was a surprise hit.  Smoked sturgeon is not something that I can recall in any other composed dish I have tried.  I like that Wellman looked beyond caviar to the other quality ingredients, such as smoked fish, that Petrossian is known for, and used it in a novel way.  This was one of those dishes that was delicious, not just "interesting."  The crunch of the apples, the salty pop of the caviar, the smokiness of the sturgeon and the soft creaminess of the risotto all melded into a whole that was greater than the sum of its parts.

Our first main (shared as were all dished) was Striped Bass with Yukon Gold Potato Noodles, Vodka Crème Fraîche, Chive, Caviar.  The bass was well prepared with a crispy and flavorful skin but the noodles were a rare failure.  They were made in-house, which I respect, but were not tasty.

After the previous low note of house-made pasta, Wellman redeemed herself and then some with a stunner of a dish: Truffle Fontina Agnolotti with Asparagus, Mushrooms, Parmesan, and Prosciutto.  (Note that the dish below lacks the ribbons of prosciutto found on Gourmet Pig's writeup as they did a non-pork version of this dish for me.)  This was also my favorite dish as the packets of ravioli were cooked al dente, the cheese inside had a great flavor and texture and the vegetables on top were seasonal and provided the "meat" component of the dish.  You can't go wrong ordering this dish and they are happy to leave off the proscuitto or bring it on the side if there are pork-less members of your party.

The other main dish we tried was Roasted Jidori Chicken with Butternet Squash Ravioli, Lemon Confit, Truffle Crème Fraîche, Arugula.  The chicken was nicely seasoned but did not pack the wow of the Agnolotti.

My favorite of the desserts and the only one I had more than a bite of was the Lemon Tart.  This dish did not shy away from the tart and sour side of lemons and consequently was of more interest to me.  The tart is a great way to end a rich meal by having a light and citrus flavor in your mouth as you end the meal.  Sorbets were enjoyed by my dining companions but I stuck to the tart.

Overall the transition to the new chef has gone seamlessly.  The menu maintains the favorite "old friends" while inviting new friends to the party who will likely join their fellow revelers as classics at Petrossian.  The front of the house could be a bit smoother.  At this level of cuisine and price, Chef Wellman's cooking deserves service to match.  I am glad to be able to report that Petrossian continues to deliver ambitious and delicious food and look forward to trying more of the menu as it evolves.  Los Angeles is lucky to have both Wellman and Bailly running kitchens right now.

Relating to service: A note to all restaurants participating in Dine LA Restaurant Week - please provide both the regular and Dine LA menus to all tables without prompting.  You do not need to ask people which menu they want.  You will figure it out when they tell you what they are ordering.  Doing otherwise is simply not gracious.

Petrossian: 321 N. Robertson (1 block North of Beverly Blvd), West Hollywood. Phone: (310) 271-0576.  Website: http://www.petrossian.com/index.php?file=restaurant/restaurant_detail&irest_id=7

Note: We were hosted by the restaurant; the meal was provided at no charge.

Holiday Gifts: Duck Saucisson & Duck Foie Gras Mousse

As holiday season kicks into full gear, many gourmands wonder what to get for themselves or for their fellow compatriots who appreciate quality over quantity when it comes to fine foods and drinks. I was recently invited to sample several of the items from Petrossian's holiday catalog and I left quacking about two duck products in particular: Duck Saucisson and Duck Foie Gras Mousse.

Duck Salami Saucisson (left). Photo courtesy of Petrossian 

The Duck Salami, known as Saucisson, is pictured on the left in the above photo and is a hearty and spicy charcuterie.  The meat has a smokiness to it, with a nice salty cure that will make a regular salami pale in comparison.  It comes in a package of two thin salamis, with a total weight of one pound.  It's not inexpensive ($59), but a small amount can contribute a lot of flavor and it is perfect for a meat and cheese board on a cold winter's night.

Pâtés galore: Mousse of Duck Foie Gras (top left)

Among the variety of pâtés on offer at Petrossian, for me the Mousse of Duck Foie Gras stood out.  The mousse comes in a seven ounce tin ($32) and is rich and silky.  The mousse is excellent on toast points or just a nice hunk of baguette.  Whether you raise a glass of prosecco or a seasonal winter ale with it, the Duck Foie Gras Mousse adds a touch of luxury that can make any occasion a bit more festive and delicious.

You can always have a duck feast and serve both, along with a roast or Peking duck to go all out or just make the tin or sausage last you for days as you savor a small serving in your lunch or upon your return home from work.  Petrossian is best known for its caviar, but for me their duck products are an oft-overlooked specialty.  If you were wondering what to get me for Hannukkah, now you know.

These treats are available at the Petrossian Boutique: 321 North Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood.  (1 block North of Beverly Blvd) and at their website: www.petrossian.com

Petrossian: Champagne Wishes and Caviar Dreams

I had a celebratory dinner this weekend at Petrossian with some friends who had recently gotten married. Caviar seemed an appropriate way to fête the newlyweds and Petrossian served us a dinner of their greatest hits, for the happy occasion.

The meal began with caviar blini with salmon roe, trout roe and Transmontanus roe. The salmon roe were large and had a nice briny salty flavor to them with a nice pop, the trout roe was smaller and nicely firm. The sturgeon roe was best of all, tiny black grey eggs that had a nice pop to them as well. The quality of the blinis was also top notch and the combination of the blini, creme fraiche and roe made it obvious why this was a classic and it paired wonderfully with the champagne that we had BYO'd.

Next was cold borsht soup in a shot glass with a small dollop of caviar on top. I had never had this traditional beet soup before but the texture was very smooth with no chunks and the salty roe on top gave it an extra kick. A peasant dish elevated.

Third came the justifiably famous Cauliflower Panna Cotta, served in a caviar tin and with a generous amount of caviar on top. The presentation of this dish is something special, very elegant and surprising. The flower alongside the caviar was another nice touch. The panna cotta was silky smooth and the caviar was decadent. I could have eaten this all evening and been happy.

Salmon tartare and Napoléon tartare arrived together, with a large plate of toast. The salmon tartare includes lime and yuzu and had avocado slices on top, along with another flower. The taste of the fish shone through clearly and this was a nice light dish.

The Napoléon was more special. It was served as a round serving of steak tartare with a layer of caviar on top, topped by a quail egg. I am a big fan of steak tartare and the meat was excellent and the addition of the salty caviar and the egg kicked it up a notch. Again the presentation was impeccable. On a prior visit, I have had a version of this dish, presented as a square with the layer of caviar in the middle, instead of on top, but this presentation is more visually appealing.

Truffle "Mac 'n' Cheese" with Comte & Parmesan (minus the ham). This dish usually includes ham but they were able to make it pork-free for me. It was the only so-so dish of the night, perhaps because it needed the bacon/ham to make all the flavors work together. This dish tasted of cheesy truffle oil and was the one item I wouldn't recommend.

Caviar Pizza: Crème Fraîche, Chives, Red Onion, Capers, Chopped Egg. This was a decadent end to the savory portion of the meal. The "pizza" has all the accouterments you might get with caviar or smoked salmon all on a nice crisp dough. The caviar was added at the end so it didn't get compromised by cooking. We were getting full at this point but ate every slice with relish. The components could be tasted individually but came together nicely in each bite. If only my local pizza joint could deliver a pie like this!

We finished the meal with a dessert sampler of Pistachio Creme Brulee, Gianduja Parfait and Vanilla Panna Cotta with Mango, Passion Fruit and Pop Rocks. The parfait was my favorite of the three, it was just the right amount of sweetness to end the meal. The pop rocks in the panna cotta felt gimmcky to us and while providing an interesting textural and sound contrast, was not something we'd order next time. The brulee was solid.

What I found most impressive about the evening was that Chef Ben Bailly was off on the Saturday night and the kitchen executed his dishes flawlessly. It is rare at small restaurants with high ambition that the execution would be comparable whether the chef is away or not and be seemless for the diners in the dining room, but Bailly has achieved that at Petrossian.

The service was excellent and water and champagne glasses were refilled promptly. Despite his recognition by Star Chefs and the LA Times, Bailly is still flying under the radar. If you like caviar, or just good food, then go. For the quality of the ingredients and execution, Petrossian is much less expensive than you would think.

Petrossian: 321 North Robertson, West Hollywood. Telephone: (310) 271-6300. Website: www.petrossian.com

Roe Roe Roe Your Yacht: Petrossian

Petrossian has long been known as a purveyor of caviar, roe and smoked salmon. Last year the West Hollywood boutique and restaurant reopened and brought on Benjamin Bailly, the former sous chef at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas, to create a menu that highlighted their signature offerings.

Bailly was nominated for a James Beard Rising Star Chef in February of this year and participated in the Star Chefs event at the Miramar hotel in Santa Monica in March, both of which raised his profile among the foodie and blogger set significantly. I had been meaning to try his food for a long time and when I realized that my Black Board Eats offer for 30% of a meal at Petrossian was going to expire, I took the plunge and stopped in for an impromptu feast.

My first course was the "Crispy Egg" with cipolini onion soubise (a bechamel sauce with pureed onion), smoked salmon, caviar. It is shown above with the soft boiled egg, which had been coated with panko (Japanese bread crumbs), cut open. I enjoyed the somewhat runny egg, although I would have preferred it slightly less cooked so that the yolk would run over the plate more. The crispy panko, the runny egg, the soft puree and the salty roe and smoked salmon made for a complex but satisfying dish.

My second course was the Napoleon Tartare: hand sliced steak tartare with a layer of caviar in the center and a dollop of caviar on top. This was served with crispy toasts and some greens. The caviar added a nice textural element to the classic steak tartare, by providing the "pop" of the roe in addition to the soft meat and the crunchy cracker. It was a different kind of dish than the more traditional version found at Comme Ca etc. While playful, most times I think I would prefer a well executed traditional tartare.

Last but not least was the Smoked Salmon Pizzette, with creme fraiche, red onions, capers, and generous dollops of caviar. The creme fraiche played the role that tomato sauce would play in a traditional pizza, with the salmon standing in for the cheese. The dish is a take on the Wolfgang Puck classic smoked salmon pizza from Spago, which has been one of Puck's signature dishes since the early 1980s. The salmon was very high quality and the pizzette crust was very thin, like a cracker. The size of the pizzette is large; this dish is meant for sharing. As with the other dishes, it was beautifully presented.

I was pleased to see that the restaurant was full; one can usually walk in as the packed restaurant was unfortunately not the norm. The manager Chris provided excellent service throughout the meal. The space is quite modern and was completely redone last year. Bailly is quite talented and I look forward to trying more of his dishes, particularly if his menu continues to evolve. This cafe is much more than a spot to buy caviar and while it is possible to spend as much on a meal as on a mortgage payment, there are delicious options for sailboat as well as yacht class budgets.

Petrossian: 321 North Robertson, West Hollywood. Telephone: (310) 271-6300. Website: www.petrossian.com