Superba Snack Bar: Jason Neroni Resurfaces

Superba Snack Bar opened on Thursday evening to crowds that have been enthusiastic, packing the small restaurant from opening til close (midnight on weekends).  The new project from Chef Jason Neroni, formerly of Osteria La Buca, is located on Rose Avenue, just East of Main Street at the border of Santa Monica and Venice.  The menu has an Italian focus and is divided into Cold Cuts (cured meats etc), Snacks, From Our Backyards (vegetables) and From Our Hands (house-made pasta).  The dishes are small plates and meant to be shared and while no substitutions are permitted, they do offer gluten-free pasta in a nod to the many celiac and gluten-sensitive folks in their demographic.

Five "cold cuts" are on offer and they are priced $8 for 1, $18 for 3, or $25 for all 5.  The term "cold cuts" brings up images of deli platters and casual sandwich buffets.  These are nothing of the sort, but rather meats and terrines that Neroni has cured or prepared in-house.  Julia's chicken liver mousse is served with balsamic cherries (note they still contain the pits) and is scooped out of a container like a perfect quenelle shaped chocolate ice cream when plated.  This is no ice cream, but silky chicken liver that spreads easily on the provided toast.  Even better is the Duck rillette with tarragon and pickled green strawberries.  The rlilette is served in a jar, is packed with flavor and has a pleasing texture.

The snacks section of the menu includes pan con tomato, olive oil and sea salt (2 pieces for $8) and an ocean trout crudo that looked beautiful and which I would have ordered, but it had chorizo oil in it but with the no modifications rule, this wasn't an option for me.  Fried duck egg, papas bravas, truffle vinaigrette & tuna prosciutto is a savory treat with the runny yolk coating the potatoes below and the duck prosciutto (they were out of tuna proscuitto) adding another textural element as well as richness to the dish.

The vegetables Neroni serves come from farmers who grow the produce for him, or from the farmers market.  The most umami of the veggie options is the Cherry tomatoes, dashi broth, smoked tofu and shiso/basil.  This lovechild of agedashi tofu and a cherry tomato salad is a highlight of the menu.  The dashi broth is better than at most Japanese restaurants and the smoked tofu paired with the ripe cherry tomatoes is an inspired combination.  One would be remiss in not ordering this dish, and in leaving any drops of broth left in the bowl.

Pasta dishes have become Neroni's signature and they have a pride of place on the Superba menu.  The bucatini with carbonara, pancetta, milled black pepper and Aracuna egg and the Gnocchi with burrata and broccoli necks are the most frequently ordered so far.  The Garganelli with lamb bolognese, black garlic, ricotta salata and mint is a hearty dish and a satisfying end the main part of the meal.  The pasta was cooked to a pleasing degree of doneness and the meaty sauce clung to it well and the proportion of sauce to pasta was spot on.

The Dining Room @ Superba Snack Bar

Desserts are available, although I did not sample any on my visit.  The room is comfortable, with a chef's counter, and a mix of indoor and outdoor seating.  There is a large print on one wall with a repeating stylized pattern of holding hands.  The wine program while small is well thought out and includes several unusual bottles, such as a Greek white wine.  The atmosphere is conducive to stopping in for a light snack or a full meal, although if the restaurant continues to be packed - I can't see customers be willing to endure a long wait just to get a snack.

Currently Superba Snack bar is open for dinner seven nights a week from 5 pm - 11pm (midnight on weekends) and lunch and brunch will follow later once they get a handle on dinner service.

Well worth checking out.  Note that while I was recognized, this was not a hosted meal.

Superba Snack Bar: 533 Rose Avenue, Venice | 310.399.6400 | superbasnackbar.com

Good Things Come in [Freddy] Smalls Packages

Freddy Smalls opened up last week on Pico Blvd in West LA, just down the block from Mori Sushi.  In a small lowprofile space that formerly housed El Serape, some big players have come together to create something special.  The chef is Charlie Parker, who previously was the chef at the Cellar Door at Bonny Doon winery in Santa Cruz; consulting is Jeremy Fox, the former executive chef at Ubuntu.  Also in the mix is Mario Orellana, formerly of Chimu, who has been consulting and cooking as well.  Fox and Parker worked together at Manresa in Los Gatos, for their mentor Chef David Kinch.

I had the pleasure to eat at the Cellar Door several times when Parker was the chef and it was delicious and casual but perfectly executed.  The atmosphere at Freddy Smalls is also low key and the menu is attractively priced, but most importantly the food is flavorful and not shy.  With Fox associated with the restaurant some might assume that it is vegetarian.  It is most certainly not; meat has a pride of place on the menu and some of the best dishes are nothing short of decadent.

Another key player in Freddy Smalls is manager David Fleisher, who previously played that role at Seven Grand.  As such, it is no surprise that the cocktail list includes touches such as house-made tonic and grenadine.  The cocktail list includes about a dozen choices, priced at $10 - $12, and among the highlights is the Mayberry Smash, made with Death’s Door Gin, fresh berries, sage honey, lemon juice and mint leaf garnish.

The Chicken Liver Mousse ($8) is served with crispy bread, red wine and shallot marmalade (center) and violet mustard (right).  The mousse itself was rich and creamy and spread luxuriously over the warm toast.  The marmalade was an unusual touch and and the mustard brought a sharper element to the dish.  They brought more bread without us having to ask for it, when our waiter saw that we still had mousse left after finishing the toast.

Deviled Eggs have been having a very long moment in foodie circles, and the epicenter of their rennaisance has been at gastropubs.  Here, they are Buffalo Deviled Eggs ($6), with crisp chicken skin, Point Reyes blue cheese and CP's Hot Sauce all incorporated to liven up the dish.  The chicken skin was the hook and it got us to order the dish.  The chicken skin was great, but overall the eggs were fine, not of note.

The pièce de résistance of the menu and our recent meal was the Reuben's Gluttony ($19).  A board arrived at the table groaning with gluttonous delights including corned beef (more brisket style in my opinion), bone marrow, yorky pudding, kohlrabi kraut and a selection of mustards.  The corned beef brisket was rather tasty and the yorky pudding when topped with bone marrow was outstanding.  Overall only a shmear of mustard was left on the board when my hungry posse was done with it.  A must order.

The Flash-Grilled Steak Tartare ($12) is topped by a smoked egg yolk, and is accompanied by Worcestershire fingerling potato chips.  Incorporating Worcestershire sauce into the potato chips used to eat the tartare, rather than into the tartare itself, was an inspired idea.  The smoky yolk mixed in nicely and enriched the dish.  Another must order.

It wouldn't be a Jeremy Fox menu without some vegetable dishes.  The Beets & Avocado ($9) was served on a bed of red quinoa, fuyu persimmon and pistachio nuts.  A pleasing assortment of flavors and textures that also looked too good to eat.

The Mushroom and Farro Porridge ($16) is another vegetarian dish sure to please.  The base is caramelized onion consomme, with winter vegetables, miner's lettuce and a slow cooked egg.  A runny egg makes everything better and this dish tasted very meaty for a vegetarian option.  Note that the egg is $3 additional (to the $13 base), but I consider it an essential ingredient.

The dessert menu is short and sweet with only three options.  One stands out and practically demands to be ordered: Belgian Waffle ($8) served with grilled lady apple, bacon butter and bourbon-maple syrup.  The bacon butter was served on the side for us and the waffle, grilled apple and bourbon maple syrup was a heady combination.  It left us happy as we headed out into the winter's night.

Freddy Smalls is indeed small and is likely to be extremely popular once word gets out.  So go now and beat the rush while you can.  Good things do come in Smalls packages.

Freddy Smalls: 11520 W. Pico Blvd, West LA.  Phone: 310.479.3000 | Website: www.freddysmalls.com

Public: Opening up the Roosevelt Lobby

Public Kitchen & Bar Dining Room

The main lobby in the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel is one of the more dramatic spaces in town, yet for years it has been neglected and sat largely empty as there was nothing to drive energy to it.  Library Bar is small and off to the side and entrance to Teddy's is nothing but discreet.  Now the newly launched Public Kitchen & Bar has opened up the space both literally and figuratively to provide a needed focal point and locus of energy.  The restaurant, from Chef Tim Goodell, is in the former Dakota location, although this restaurant suits the location and the times much more than the steakhouse ever did.

Pineapple Express

The bar faces both the lobby and the restaurant and offers a dozen classic and classically inspired cocktails for $9, a bargain in this setting and neighborhood.  On a recent visit I enjoyed the Spiced Cucumber Collins with Hendrick's Gin, lime juice, shishito pepper, cucumber and mint.  The gin was the forward flavor element in the cocktail and the Hendrick's paired well with cucumber.

You cannot go to Public without ordering a round of the Parker House Rolls ($5), which come in a set of six and arrive with Vermont Creamery butter.  They are Chef Goodell's grandmother's recipe and are wonderfully fluffy and light.  These set the tone for the restaurant: well executed, delicious, American and unpretentious.

Burrata with bagnet vert and cherry tomatoes is marvelously creamy.  My tablemates and I did not let even a spoonful go to waste.  The kitchen appears to love mason jars with hinged lids as the burrata, the pickles and the chicken liver terrine all came in them.  I found them to be a fun playful touch that speak to the use of the chef's grandma's recipes and traditions.

Pickles

The House Pickled Seasonal Vegetables ($6) are crunchy and vinegary and go beyond the standard pickled cucumbers.  The Chicken Liver Terrine ($14) is served with a kumquat marmalade and grilled rustic bread.  This dish defines decadent.  The layer of red wine gelee on top of the chicken liver only enhances the richness of the dish, which I was not shy about eating.  The marmalade is served in a white oval dish that when filled resembles an egg with the yolk in the middle.

The Cured and Smoked Salmon ($10) is a light appetizer that is served with a fingerling potato salad and finished with yuzu juice.  The fish is silky in texture and not too smoky; an appetizer that lives up to the promise of whetting your appetite.

Another popular appetizer at my table (yes, we were very hungry) was the Potato and Three Cheese Fritters with basil aioli.  The fritters are miraculously crisp on the exterior and melty on the interior.  Even if you are tempted to order them just to have an excuse to say the word "fritter" do so.  These little guys are best eaten warm; not that you'd let them get cold.

The Crispy Oxtail Gallette ($9) with a poached farm egg and frisee is like shredded short ribs with a beautifully run egg on top.  This dish (unpictured) hits two of my sweet spots in one: secondary meats and runny eggs.  The galette is not for the faint of heart but it stops short of being too much.  Don't be afraid and go for it.  I bet you'll be eating it with as much gusto as I did.

A special of a Foie Gras and Duck Sausage was ravenously set upon by our table as if we had not eaten any of the previous dishes.  I can't divulge too much about this dish, except that it didn't last long.

Now when it comes to dessert, it better be worth it.  The duo of Chocolate and Butterscotch Puddings ($8) delivered.  The butterscotch wasn't afraid of venturing over to the savory side with a healthy dose of salt and the vanilla bean cream was a luxurious touch on top of each.

The Valhrona Chocolate Souffle ($8) is a way to end your meal in style.  Nothing quite says celebration like a souffle (and some bubbly), so get both and toast to your good fortune.

Souffle

Public is a fun restaurant that makes tasty food in a beautiful environment in a cool hotel for way less money than you would expect.  Cocktails are only $9, appetizers are $6 - $13 and mains are $14 - $26 (except the steak category which are $34 - $75 for the cote d boeuf for two).  The room is great, the food delicious, the service professional and as a bonus when you are done with dinner you can get a cocktail at the Library Bar or at the new Spare Room upstairs.

The only weak point I found was that the cocktails often read better on paper than they tasted in my glass.  If Goodell and company raise the caliber of the cocktails to that of the food and the room then they can't go wrong.  As it is, I feel confident recommending Public.  The Hollywood Roosevelt finally has a restaurant worthy of the public spaces of the hotel.  If you go, please report back.

All food and beverage on my visit were hosted.

Public Kitchen & Bar: 7000 Hollywood Blvd (in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel).  Phone: (323) 466-7000.  Website: http://www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/la/hollywood-roosevelt/eat/public-kitchen-and-bar

Cocktails at the Eveleigh: Old Man Winter Warms You Up

The Eveleigh, a new restaurant and bar, sits quietly on Sunset Blvd nestled behind shrubbery, an oasis from the hectic boulevard outside.  Inside, Dave Kupchinsky manages the bar, creating a welcoming atmosphere and creating new cocktails and tweaking the classics, as his style continues to evolve.  He most recently managed the bar program at The Tar Pit and at The Eveleigh it is evident that he feels more at home as his cocktails are more confident and he is more relaxed.

Blood & Smoke

I was recently invited to sample some of the cocktails. I was joined at the bar by the legendary Yolanda Evans, a New Orleans native known to bartenders from Los Angeles to Paris as fan of all things spiritous. The first cocktail we tried was the Blood and Smoke (above) made with Mezcal, Serrano pepper, blood orange, cherry Heering, sweet vermouth and mesquite smoke. In this take on the classic Blood and Sand, the smokiness of the mezcal and the mesquite smoke was tempered by the rich blood orange juice.

Old Testament

The Old Testament, made with Noah's Mill Bourbon, nutmeg-bay leaf simple syrup and Forbidden bitters did not last long in my glass.  The simple syrup was infused with both the nutmeg and bay leaf.  Kupchinsky has been working on creating more infusions and the Old Testament is typical of the investment he has been putting into the bar program.  This cocktail is delicious on a Biblical scale.

The Eveleigh

The signature Eveleigh cocktail (above) is made with Hendrick's Gin, rose and lavendar rooibos tea, vermouth blanc, and Barolo Chinato.  This is a gin drink for brown spirits drinkers.  Attractively garnished with the flower but don't let that deceive you as the power of the digestive Barolo Chinato gives the cocktail a lot of backbone.

The Sad Bastard (below) is made with bourbon, gin, ginger, clove, lime juice and bitters, shaken and garnished with candied ginger.  I only got a quick sip of it, as my drinking companion enjoyed it so thoroughly.

The Sad Bastard

The Old Man Winter is named for the barman himself and as is described as best served with lukewarm by a grumpy bartender.  This is not a drink to begin the evening with as it will blow your palate.  No shrinking violet, the Old Man Winter includes Scotch, Campari, Benedictine, Fernet and heavy angostura.  This drink served neat in an old fashioned glass packs a wallop.  Boozy and stirred, this drink was created with imbibers like LushAngeles in mind.  I am not sure what Kupchinsky is trying to say about himself with this cocktail except "beware," as he has got a lot going on.

Old Man Winter

The Lucky Louis (below) is a produce driven drink that was a refreshing counterpoint to the Old Man Winter.  It is made with Rhum Agricole, kumquats, star anise, and lime juice.  This shaken cocktail served on the rocks has the kumquats floating in it, which gives the drink a festive look.  It is easy to drink and the combination of citrus and spices was enjoyable.

Lucky Louis

The cocktails are fairly priced at $12 (note that the Old Testament is $16), which can be a deal in the neighborhood, where many cocktails are suboptimal and overpriced.  The bar itself is comfortable and large and dominates the inside room.  Even when the room was busy, Kupchinsky and his team were able to get the cocktails flowing quickly; speed without sacrificing quality.

The menu looked attractive but as I had already eaten, I only tried one item, the chicken liver parfait with orange muscat jelly, pickles and toasts.  The chicken liver was delicious and creamy, easily spreading on the toasts.  The one drawback to this dish is that Eveleigh should serve it with more toasts.  More were brought when asked, but there seems to be an epidemic in Lo Angeles of serving dishes like steak tartare or pate with not enough toasts.  Toast is easy and cheap, please serve more.

So mosey on down Sunset Blvd, get an Old Testament and you might get lucky, or at least a Lucky Louis.  Worst case is you have some excellent cocktails and perhaps a snack to wash them down.  In any case you'll be sure to see the grumpy bartender, pouring his cold dark heart into these wonderful drinks.

The Eveleigh: 8752 West Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood.  Phone: (424) 239-1630. Website: http://theeveleigh.com/