Goat Schnitzel at Tasting Kitchen

With the explosion in German beer themed restaurants, think Wirtshaus, Biergarten, Steingarten, Wurstkuche (both branches), there has been a corresponding rise in the availability of dishes like shnitzel.  Alligator schnitzel was even on the menu at Vinny & Jon of Animal's second restaurant, Son of A Gun, and downtown saw the launch of a kosher schnitzel truck.

Recently even The Tasting Kitchen in Venice got in on the act, with Chef Casey Lane adding a special of Goat Schnitzel with pickled onion and brown butter to the menu.

I had already eaten dinner elsewhere and had just stopped in to The Tasting Kitchen for a cocktail but the words goat schnitzel caught my eye and I couldn't help ordering the dish "to save for tomorrow."  Needless to say that this schnitzel was not saved until the next day; I don't think a single bite made it out of the restaurant.  The bartender told me that Lane had ordered an entire goat and had been experimenting with different dishes all week.  The goat schnitzel was crispy not greasy, and the breading was not too thick.  The meat had a slightly gamey taste as this was certainly goat and not veal.  An excellent dish in the goat pantheon.

Dish of the Month: Branzino at The Tasting Kitchen

Of all the dishes I ate in March, none stood out for me as much as the Branzino at The Tasting Kitchen in Venice.  The whole fish was prepared with meyer lemon, picholine olives and pine nuts.  The fish was flavorful and delicate.  The sauce was absorbed by the fish so that each bite was juicy and packed with wow.

This fish was a dish that I spent time to get every last scrap of meat off of the fish bones as it was that excellent.  At $30, it isn't inexpensive, but it is well worth it.  If you see the branzino on the menu at The Tasting Kitchen, order it.  You will not regret it.  Chef Casey Lane has a way with fish and the combination of the olives and lemon is deceptively simple.  No pressure cooker was required to make this dish...

The Tasting Kitchen: 1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice.  Phone: (310) 392-6644.  Website: http://thetastingkitchen.com/