LA Times food writer Russ Parsons (center) talks about the joys of portability with chef Ludo Le Febvre and his wife, partner and now co-host Krissy LaFebvre. The spicy chef can currently be seen screaming "I LOVE to cook some FUCKING foie gras!" at protesters on Sundance's reality show Ludo Bites America. Reservations for Ludobites' next installment are sure to be tougher to get than Stones tickets now. Thanks a lot, television.
No rest for weary palates on Saturday morning, as The Taste continued its marathon foodie bonanza in Beverly Hills. Themed for a summer brunch, the event featured an appealing variety of ingredients and textures after Friday’s mammoth burger overload, and included several of this observer’s favorite bites of the weekend. Crowds and temperatures were at a medium simmer, with minimal wait times for all but the most popular items.
I should probably be grateful I missed out on Black Market’s Deep Fried Fluffernutters, which were one of the most buzzed-about items of the afternoon. And regretfully, I didn’t get usable snaps of one of my favorite things – the pork belly and mostarda from Sotto, crispy, crackly, meaty and all-around tasty. The Isoceles red blend from Justin Vineyards bears mentioning. It was easily the most exciting wine discovery from the entire festival. I found myself wandering back to try it against half the dishes on that part of the floor, and it worked with almost everything.
Here’s what else I ate that seemed photogenic:
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- LA Times food writer Russ Parsons (center) talks about the joys of portability with chef Ludo Le Febvre (right) and his wife, partner and now co-host Krissy LaFebvre. The spicy French chef can currently be seen screaming “I love to cook some FUCKING FOIE GRAS!” at protesters on Sundance’s reality show Ludo Bites America. Reservations for Ludobites’ next installment are sure to be tougher than Stones tickets now, thanks a lot, television.
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- Bruschetta from Nonna of Italy, I’m gonna get me a tray of these next time I have tickets for the Hollywood Bowl.
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- Pork terrine with a white bean salad from Craft, artful in its textural blend of toothsomeness and creaminess.
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- Duck Shawerma from Momed, subtle, tender and memorably spiced.
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- Il Pastaio offerred a twist on the usual pasta-with-filling concept by filling an eggplant slice rolled around baked spagehetti, clever and wonderfully executed.
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- Foie gras terrine and bruschetta from Wood & Vine, a near-perfect bite.
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- Agave cupcake from Tender Greens – my vote for Next Big Thing.
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- Drago had ’em lined up around the block for a piece of cherry and balsamic-glazed pork belly, and for good reason.
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- K-Zo’s sushi-like bite was elegant and serene.
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- Mezze’s “land terrine” with dill pickle, a twisted deli classic that worked.
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- Here’s your man from Charles Krug, pouring another fantastic blend along with a pure Cab, both noteworthy.
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- Cafe Del Rey’s lobster ceviche, refreshing with beatuiful,clean flavors at The Taste. Photo by Bob Lee.
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- McCormick and Schmick, believe it or not, had one of the most purely interesting things I ate all day… foie gras mousse, topped with a pear panna cotta and a lychee-port gelee and a brioche crouton. A meat parfait. I’m not usually a fan of foie gras done too much like dessert but this was like a meaty version of those little creme cups you get at Porto’s, and I love those things.
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- Chaya Brassereie’s watermelon cubes were religiously brilliant after entering the tent from the hot sun.
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- Dapper Mr. Chow served up a walnut shrimp that played like an elevated Panda Express entree, which gets a big thumbs up from me in both concept and execution. He also offerred a plate with way too much seaweed and a couple of carmelized walnuts, but was a big hit, judging from the large number of green teeth spotted on the south concourse.
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- This salad from Palomino, spiked with bits of intense red wine salami, was one of the most perfectly balanced dishes of the festival.
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- Chopped judge supremo (don’t tell Alex we said that) and Scarpetto proprietr Scott Conant gives a pasta cooking demo that makes the entire crazy festival disppear into a haze of fragant garlic.
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- Scott Conant’s newly opened Scarpetta Beverly Hills made its presence strongly felt with this plate of polenta and truffle mushrooms, one of those experiences involving depth and richness that pulls you out of your surroundings for a few minutes.
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- Sushi Roku offered poke, and a smile.
