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/

Fried Chicken & Waffles @ The Tasting Kitchen

Earlier this month Chef Casey Lane launched a brunch menu at his Venice restaurant, The Tasting Kitchen.  The highlight of the menu is his signature chicken and waffles ($18).  The dish is served with one large waffle, two pieces of chicken, some greens and pitchers of syrup and gravy.  This dish is spendy but is one of the top three fried chicken meals I can currently recommend in Los Angeles, along with The Lazy Ox Canteen and Flossie's.  (Alas as Joseph Mahon is no longer at Bastide or cooking someplace full time, his amazing fried chicken has been removed from my recommended options.)

The waffle is thicker (less fluffy) than a Belgian waffle, but softer than a traditional small waffle.  Kind of medium dense.  With some of the maple syrup, it did not last long on my plate despite its large size.  The chicken I had was a leg and a boneless piece.  They were hot and crispy with a nice ratio of skin/coating to bird.  The chicken meat itself was nice and juicy.

The brunch environment at The Tasting Kitchen is so relaxed and comfortable and the food so good, if it were a little less expensive I would be there every Saturday and every Sunday.  I can also vouch for the ricotta muffin ($5) which was a nice sweet and savory way to begin the brunch.  Brunch cocktails, whether mimosas, bloody marys or signature creations such as the Eye Opener, are the equal in quality and deliciousness to Casey's food.  So far weekend brunch is quiet, especially compared to the popularity of the restaurant at dinner.  Enjoy the calm while you can; its not likely to last.

The Tasting Kitchen: 1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice. Phone: (310) 392-6644.  Website: thetastingkitchen.com
Brunch hours: Saturday & Sunday 10:30 am - 2:00 pm

Off the Menu: Burger at The Tasting Kitchen

Hidden entrances, one night pop-ups, off menu items, secret burgers: these are all catnip to the sometimes jaded foodie community looking for the next new thing. So when I sat down at the bar at The Tasting Kitchen on Abbot Kinney one night recently and saw another patron at the bar eating a burger, I looked at the menu again. No burger in sight on the menu. I asked the bartender, and he said it was a special bar item that night and the chef had prepared only six burgers. They were served with fries for $15. I'll have one I immediately replied, even though I hadn't planned on eating more food.



The burger arrived a short while later, with horseradish sauce on it and a generous helping of fries alongside. The burger was cooked medium rare as ordered and had a nice beefy taste. Is it the best burger in the city, no, but it was still very good.

Whether the burgers will continue to be a special or whether they will make their way onto the menu or whether they were a one-off only chef Casey Lane knows. But should you find yourself on Abbot Kinney and in the mood for a delicious burger and standout french fries, the Tasting Kitchen may beckon.