Patina Alumni Reunion Dinner and Party

On Wednesday November 2nd, Patina Restaurant is having an all-star alumni dinner in which several of the most prominent alumni of Joachim Splichal's flagship restaurant come back for one night to cook a multi course feast.  Walter Manzke, Eric Greenspan, Octavio Becerra, Michael Otsuka, Theo Schoenegger, and David Feau will all be back in their old stomping grounds in their chef's whites.  Current Patina chefs Tony Esnault and Sarah Koechling as well as Splichal himself, will all be whipping up signature dishes.  The dinner is $150, all inclusive.  Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant.

A more affordable way to join in the celebration is the after-party at Kendall's Brasserie, for which tickets are only $30.  Oysters, pinot and pork products are all on the menu, along with some quality time with the talented crew of toques.  If you have spend much time with chefs, you know they can likely drink you under the table, so come and relax and share some wine.  You might even challenge Chef Manzke to a oyster eating contest?  Why not?  Life is good.

Reservations: (213) 972-3331.

Le Saint Amour: Walter Manzke does Fried Chicken

Le Saint Amour, the French brasserie in Culver City, recently hired former Bastide and Church & State chef Walter Manzke as a consulting chef to help them with their menu.  As part of the changes, a new Sunday night fried chicken served family style special has been added to the menu.

The chicken with sides and a dessert is $29 per person and included slaw and french fries on the evening I visited.  The meal is described as "A Volonte", which means as much as you would like, which is a more polite way of saying that the family style meal includes second helpings.  The waitress told me that "if my stomach told me it wanted more then I could tell her I wanted more and she would bring it."  Very cute.

The chicken itself had good flavor and was more moist than the version I had tried the week before at Vertical.  However, it was largely served off of the bone, which is a big drawback to making excellent fried chicken.  Despite this drawback I felt the chicken was better at Saint Amour than Vertical, though Vertical's side dishes were superior and overall offering felt more bountiful.  All in all, it was a draw, and I'd recommend either, if you are in the area, though neither is worthy of a long detour.

The slaw was light and I enjoyed it so much I had seconds of it.  The french fries were nice and crisp.  If the chicken had been on the bone, I would have been thrilled.  Although the menu emailed to me and on the chalkboard advertised dessert inclusive with the meal at $29, perhaps because I was alone it was not offered to me on this basis.

The brasserie itself has the genuine feel of a casual and lively brasserie in Paris.  If you have seen the film Avenue Montaigne, Le Saint Amour is reminiscent of the cafe at the center of the movie.  I would happily return but cannot place the fried chicken there in the top echelon in the city, as it does not compare to what Josef Centeno is making at The Lazy Ox Canteen or to Flossie's in the South Bay.  The hunt for the best fried chicken continues.

Le Saint Amour: 9725 Culver Blvd, Culver City.  Phone: (310) 842-8155.  Website: http://www.lesaintamour.com/

Taste of the Nation - Preview Fundraiser @ Synder Diamond

Last Monday Taste of the Nation Los Angeles held a preview fundraiser at Snyder Diamond in Santa Monica featuring cooking demonstrations by Laurent Quenioux of Bistro LQ, Walter Manzke (ex Church & State) and Quinn Hatfield of Hatfields restaurant. A crowd of 100 foodies came to see the cooks each demonstrate and serve a dish and support the cause of ending childhood hunger in America, which is the mission of Share Our Strength. Quenioux and Hatfield are pictured above and Manzke is pictured below.

This event sponsored by the host Snyder Diamond and by Angeleno Magazine, was one of several preview events designed to raise money as well as awareness about the main event in Culver City on June 6. You can buy tickets here.



Before the cooking demonstrations began, attendees mingled, drinking wine and sampling cheese from the Cheese Impresario. The featured cheeses were all from Wisconsin and generous portions were served. A highlight for me was the 10 yr aged Hook's Cheddar, from the same cheesemakers who created the 15 yr I wrote about previously. It was great to speak with someone so knowledgeable and enthusiastic about cheese.

The first cooking demo featured Chef Quenioux's Wild Mushroom Tapioca, Mirabelle Plum Coulis, Tonka Bean Chantilly, which had an interesting texture and was served in small cups which showed off the multiple layers of the dish. This was followed up by Chef Manzke's Alsatian Tarte Flambee, which he demonstrated in front of and then cooked in an amazing oven. It is a savory flatbread with bacon, onions and cheese. I did not sample it due to the bacon but those around me were looking for second helpings.



The last demonstration was Chef Hatfield making a signature item, his Croque Madame with Hamachi, Proscuitto, Quail Egg. He described it as "a simple dish that relies on product." He originated this dish when he worked at Rocco DiSpirito's Union Pacific, in the Flatiron District in New York City. Due to its labor intensiveness he could not produce it on short notice for Rocco, so he was able to keep this signature dish for himself. He said that the "ham plays like soy sauce but the fish plays like cheese in a ham and cheese." I did not try this dish either but it looked beautiful with the tiny quail eggs atop the little sandwiches. A feast for the eyes as well as the stomach.

In addition to the three chefs, Devin Pedde and Chris Owens (pictured below), from Intelligentsia Coffee in Silverlake and Venice, respectively, were on hand to provide samples and discuss coffee. Their third Southern California location will be opening later in Pasadena, but no opening date has been announced publicly yet. Intelligentsia was one of the sponsors of the event.



Check the Taste of the Nation website for more information about upcoming events, including the 2010 Taste of the Nation Los Angeles in Culver City on June 6th.

Bistro LQ: 8009 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA. Phone: (323) 951-1088‎
Hatfields Restaurant: 6703 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles. Phone: (323) 935-2977‎
Snyder Diamond: 1399 Olympic Blvd, Santa Monica, CA. Phone: (310) 450-1000