Spago: Still on top of their game

Perennial workhorse and flagship of Wolfgang's empire, Spago continues to deliver blazing tastes, lively atmosphere and at least one B list actor or aging star. Tonight it was aging actor James Caan, which none of us would have recognized had we not watched Bottle Rocket the night before. There he is, adjoined to the right side of Mike's neck.



Wolfgang seems to be engaged in a personal race to water down a remarkable 20 year career in as little as seven years. From developing the midrange Puck Cafes that delivered pseudo Hollywood crap to Strip Malls and Airports across America, to an ill-conceived line of high calorie/low flavor soups, he has almost achieved this goal. Puck will have made millions by transforming himself from the energetic and talented artist, to the New Millennium's Chef Boyardee. More power to him.

He at least left one legacy, which is actually a reincarnation of his original legacy.



Spago is as good as it ever has been, the one remaining monument to this man's great achievements. As Don Lafontaine would bellow "In a world where restaurants are sustained by the fickle whims of vapid socialites with less taste than a mafia informant with a Columbian Necktie, Spago has has maintained a staggering popularity in a world where reputations can dry up faster than an aging hooker's...career."

While Lee Hefter has pared down the bread selection, the Parmesan crisps have been improved, baking in a grand intensity to the wafer. The olive bread is moist and infused with olive flavor, without being overly sharp, something that can mar even the best olive breads.



They've actually improved the foie gras three ways, something I never thought could be done. Now they offer foie gras three ways cold, foie gras two ways cooked, and a pentad of both. Pastrami foie gras? They're on their game. There must have been a sale on Quince, because the plate had two hearty slabs of terrine accompanied by a Quince-golden raisin compote, a quinelle of mousse atop a quince tartlet, and dots of apple puree encircling the entire circus.



Nayan had the autumn pumpkin and mascarpone agnolotti. The flavor was bright and rich , with a hint of sweetness and a punch of pumpkin flavor.



If you want to talk about a joint that is willing to take chances, I had the slow roasted loin of young California rabbit. It was prepared four ways: stuffed and roasted loin, skewered kidney and liver kabob, dusted rack of ribs and ricotta gnocci with a ragout of shoulder. All this came atop brasied savoy cabbage, black trumpet mushrooms, and quince-sage puree.

The tiny little ribs were cute as hell, tender and just enough of three bites. The loin was seasoned heavily and perhaps the stuffing overpowered the delicate flavor a bit, and the organ meats were actually pretty good when accompanied by the braised cabbage. The ragout was tender and flavorful, rich and filling.



Mike ordered the sauteed Maine Skate, accompanied by caramelized cauliflower, capers, golden raisin, toasted almonds and a puree of cauliflower and preserved lemon meuniere. It must have been good because fool ate it so quickly I didn't get a chance to try it. He said the flavor was balanced and the fish wasn't as tough as it seemed. He was baffled by the golden raisins as described by the menu, but found them to integrate well with the dish. We'll have to take his word on that.



Finally, to my relief and surprise, they had no tenderloin so Nayan couldn't ask them to ruin it by cooking it well done like she always does. With her, fear of the unknown is the overriding force that motivates her decisions, so she stuck with the roasted chicken with wild chanterelle mushrooms. This was served atop goat cheese, sage and yellow Finnish potato puree. The chicken was bold and crisped perfectly, juicy and tender. The potatoes were a bit too delicate as an accompaniment, but didn't compete with the flavor of the chicken.



We were too full to get any desserts, so I'll conclude that the coffee was rich and uplifting. The meal was accompanied with a bottle of 2001 Merryvale reserve cab sav.

Spago marches on. My only criticism was the smoking policy. They allow smoking in the crowded outdoor patio, and three Europeans who obviously were copping a serious binge wouldn't stop relentlessly blowing smoke in our direction. The staff was extremely accommodating in relocating us to a cancer-free zone.

Wolfgang himself may be a whore who slaps his name on everything from burritos to laxatives, but Spago is in good hands under the command of Lee Hefter. Puck may have checked out, but he knows how to choose an executive chef. I'll continue to give him my money!

Live Show Grills!

So we've dropped our soup episode, and it is receiving rave reviews from the New York Times, Miami Herald, Sacramento Bee and the New Orleans Times Picayune. We were panned by the Houston Chronicle, our only setback.

And what's coming up? Thanksgiving of course. Dan, Rob and I BS, excuse me pontificate about Thanksgiving feasts and what we like to make and eat. I won't give it away since you won't listen if I do, but it involves turkey, ham and squirrel.

Punch Grill: A Knockout

Well, imagine my skepticism when I'm invited to review a place called Punch Grill. Was this a sports bar? Was it going to have pictures of Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali plastered all over the dining room? Boxer gloves in a display case? Well, since it involved free food I was going to find out either way, so I accepted and made my reservation.



Punch Grill resides in the space that used to be occupied by a Chinese seafood restaurant on Wilshire. I can't remember the name, but I had passed it a million times. In any case, it was a short drive down the street, so I already decided I wasn't going to valet when I could have just walked. We found a spot on the street. I know what you're thinking, I'm getting a free meal and I don't want to pay for parking. Yeah, I'm cheap.

The decor looked elegant, brown columns offset some of the black marble elements. Everything was cast in low light, with a runway configuration of blue lights inset into the ground as you enter. Each table on the exterior of the dining area had an overhead light offering some directional illumination (but still not enough to take pictures with extreme clarity, however, how many others will take pictures of food?)

There is a modest bar area to the left that features a jazz combo on the weekends. I like having some music to listen to while I'm eating, as long as its not prohibitively loud. The music was a cool addition to the atmosphere.

So, no, there was no boxing paraphernalia and I was remiss in not asking how the place got its name. We sat down, and I noted the place was pretty packed and lively, always a good sign. The demographic of the crowd leaned a little to the over 40 crowd, but this is a just a snapshot of one night, of course.



My wife ordered a mojito to start and I got a Pyramid hefewiezen...oops, they're out of Pyramid. Oh well, I'll settle for a Duvell, that seems Belgian enough. No, wait, they conjured up a Pyramid. The menu was a pretty varied mix of food, mostly American preparations with the option to get sandwiches and pasta in addition to regular full entrees and appetizers.



First up came the bread basket. I think I noted before it is passe to just serve one type of bread, and this was a varied mix of rolls. The olive roll had a nice bite to it, I even tried some with butter (did I mention I'm on a diet? Did I mention I would dispense with that for a night?). The sesame roll had a good crunchy crust, and the sourdough had a sleek exterior marked with crunchy moguls...like the ones you ski on. It had a good contrast of tough exterior and warm pliable center, like a proper sourdough roll should have.



Nayan ordered the braised short rib ravioli and I started with a spinach and artichoke fondue. They were both good, but the ravioli was great. Now, I know you're wondering how they fit a short rib into a ravioli. I was wondering that myself, and apparently you can take the bone out and mince the meat. The filling had a solid flavor, very hardy, but the rich sauce gave it that extra roundness and really brought the flavors out. They were pretty addictive, and found myself eating more of hers than mine. Couple that with the fact I haven't eaten anything substantial in about two months, this was comparatively a feeding frenzy.



My fondue had a creamy, buttery flavor. The problem with any fondue is that the cheese can often times separate from the mix, and in this case, the gruyere sort of stuck to the bottom of the ramekin, requiring manual manipulation. I didn't care about the separation, but they need to give more crustinis. I found myself using the rolls, which, actually was pretty good.



My French onion soup was French onion soup. I don't like surprises or alterations with French onion soup, so this was good. Browned cheese hugged the rim, there was an appropriate sweetness and depth of flavor.



Her pork entree, which she generously severed off a chunk of the tenderloin portion of the 'porterhouse.' It was juicy and rich, but the other side of the porter was a little tougher, slightly drier. Pork is like chicken in that some cuts are more condusive to marinade than others. The apple and ginger sauce was a good contrast to the meat. Not overly sweet, it gave a bright accent to the pork. The meat also had a nice smoky undertone.



The starch component of the dish was less remarkable. The mashed potatoes were pedestrian, and just fine, but the yams were pureed to the point they had a Gerber's consistency. The taste was good, but I couldn't get over the texture.

My cioppino rocked! Fresh seafood was bathed in a tomato-fish fume. Again, I would recommend a side of crusinis for dunking. The broth was completely addictive. Now that I've raved about the most boring part of any soup, broth, let me talk about the seafood. Tender scallops, whitefish, shrimp, mussels, octopus, calamari and salmon. I haven't had salmon in cioppino before, but it makes a nice contrast to the other seafood. Uh oh! Cioppino foul. There's an unopened clam in there.



Besides the clam, this is the second best cioppino I've ever had, and the other one was in San Francisco, so you're not going to beat that.

We also ordered a couple of side dishes, creamed spinach and sauteed mushrooms. I didn't care for the spinach, it was a bit oversalted, but the mushrooms were crisp and buttery shiitakes, and we had to fight each other for the last few.

Finally, the chocolate souffle came. It's a good thing this smelled so overwhelmingly chocolaty, because I was pretty stuffed, having polished off seafood, shells and soup. It had a deep current of chocolate running from the center, and came with a side of strawberries and whipped cream. Oooh, what can I say. I'm not a chocolate freak, but we polished this off to the last crumb.



Overall, Punch was a cool space with good food. It is a lively room augmented with the vibrant jazz combo. Noting the prices on the menu, two people can get out of here for around $70-$100 with drinks. If you're not hungry enough for full entree portions, they have salads and sandwiches, and the check would be much less.

Also, a side note, even though I have reviewed a few restaurants where the meal has been comped, that does not mean its free. I do tip quite generously, since the good staff serves us like they would attend to anyone else.

Echigo? Gezuntheit!

Omakase means "Trust", or something similar to that, so when LA internet food entrepreneur Jonah asked me to meet him at Echigo I knew this would be a great meal. What I didn't realize was what a great deal it would also be. Omakase may mean trust, but it also translates to bankrupt. We both walked out of here for about $60 each, with beer. That ain't bad for Omakase.

You can also order off the menu, but what's the fun in that. Echigo resides in one of the countless, undistinguished strip malls lining Santa Monica Blvd in Santa Monica (12217 SM Blvd.). You'd drive by it about six or seven times before even noticing it...like I did.

Echigo is a humble space with an emphasis on fish. Note that I said fish and not sushi or tempura or rolls or yakatori, or beef bowls. That's because they are very focused. There is nothing cooked, no elaborate rolls and no powdered wasabi. This stuff is fresh grated, packing a hand-grenade's punch of heat in each tiny chopstick bead.

The product here is freah and presentation has a noble quality. The chefs are not loud or flashy, but they meticulously craft each piece with pride and artism. So, instead of one of my long-winded descriptions and deconstruction of every piece I ate, I will leave you with the photos, so you can salivate over them without my intruding narrative. Enjoy!

What's Goin' On!

Well, we finally dropped our new leaner show...which matches my leaner frame. And people wonder why I haven't been talking about cooking lately. Well, I don't cook much and I don't eat much, but I'm sure that'll change in the months coming up as I start my exercise regimen.

The new show, dropped last week, features several varieties of mushrooms, although a couple people noted we had to blaze through porcini, morel and truffles at the very end to fit our new tight deadline.

In fact, as versatile as they are, they are more expensive and have a narrower application than many of the other, more 'pedestrian' mushrooms like crimini, shiitake and white buttons. While you can enhance the flavor of any dish with the three I listed there, you would probably want to save the higher end mushrooms (definitely truffles!) for a more centerpiece application. Hey, if you have an unlimited budget or a cheap source for the higher end mushrooms, go for it, with the understanding they lend a more earthy flavor to a dish than the others.

Next show: Soups! (Yeah, I know we've done that before, but we're heading into winter)

Dagwoods Doesn't Cut It

Expensive and a lousy ROI for the sauce investment. The pizza is competent, crust pliable and mostly flavorful. But the flavor struggles to distinguish itself from any other pizza I've paid too much money for.

It LOOKS good. It SMELLS good, but something is just missing, especially for a niche chain that offers no discount and charges a premium for it's designer pizza.

Maybe it was the hangover. Nothing enhances the experience of eating a tepid pizza like a throbbing hangover, or some other ailment that desperately needs cheese and dough to absorb the toxins.

As challenging as Dagwoods might be, it still beats the hell out of menudo for now. This was another place I desperately wanted to like, since it's so close to me, but I found it chewy, a little sweet, and a bit on the expensive side.

Izzy's Deli

It's not my intent on making this a restaurant review site, nevertheless, with the enormous amount of work I have lately (re: Total Centrist hasn't been updated in a month!) I'm sticking to what I know best until things calm down. Whew. I am crossing my fingers that Dan and I will finally be able to knock out a show tomorrow, lest everyone think's I'm actually dead and this is being written by a highschooler)

At first, you will probably want to slam the menu in disgust. $12 for a Rueben? Come on, this is a Jewish Deli, things are supposed to be cheap. Same with the Bagels and Lox, what nerve! Are they meshugena?

You'll change your mind. These sandwiches are huge, and you'll be hard pressed to finish one. They give you so much lox, it would satisfy a Grizzly during its feeding season. That's something I can respect. A thick layer of creamcheese, topped with a comforter of lox, garnished with a teetering garnish of Tomato slices, lettuce, red onion slices and capers.

It's served open face, so you're free to pull items off if you don't want all the roughage. It even comes with the requisite pickle.

The Rueben is bulging in the middle, just like John Goodman. Start on the corners and work your way to the middle, unless you have a mouth as big as Gloria Alred. In that case you can cram the whole thing in.

I order my ruebens with the dressing and kraut (sorry! German-American) on the side, this way it doesn't get soggy waiting for the other orders to be finished.

In fact, the sandwiches may be overkill. I don't mind getting my money's worth for a huge sandwich (pastrami, roast beef, smoked turkey, club, BLT), but I'd rather have the option of downsizing it for a smaller price.

Izzy's is different than Frommin's down the street, so I won't make a direct comparison.

I did have potato hash that was scrambled with sausage and onion, and I could have eaten that the entire day, were it not unfashionable in LA to be morbidly obese.

They have great desserts, which I limit myself re: the statement just above this.