Bouchon

If you were primped and ready for this year’s golden globe awards, you most likely caught a glimpse of Oscar winners The Wolf of Wall Street and American Hustle.  Both bearing similar plots, the films depicted the lives of money-hungry men and women desperate to earn a dollar at any, or rather anyone’s, cost.  Their iconic selling technique was to offer an unforgettable deal at an unbeatable price- “Five thousand gets me fifty, right?” - with the ill intention of providing little to no money in return.  As the lies grew more complex, the confidence and the suits of the wolves in expensive clothing escalated in style - and fate took no hesitation to provide them customers that were equally greedy to earn an easy buck.

The irony of both movies was that the more you tell people no, the more they want in on ludicrous deal.  They know it sounds to good to be true, but if they place their trust in these seemingly trustworthy men, they can afford to buy their dream house next year, or pay off their spouse’s escalating hospital bills.  

So what’s this narrative got to do with Bouchon? Bouchon is a wolf in expensive clothing.  Slapping on a few words in French on the menu suddenly escalates the price for chilled soup or sauteed mussels and french fries to quite exorbitant prices.  The more complex and costly a dish, the more likely one becomes to order duck terrine with house made pickles and violet mustard.  Throw in the fact that the restaurant is located in the heart of Beverly Hills by renowned chef Thomas Keller, and you have people lining out the door for slightly above average food.

The kicker is where you are baited to come back for more - dessert.  Although the rest of the food was relatively standard, the dessert was truly Oscar-worthy.  Delicate peanut butter chocolate cakes melted next to scoops of vanilla bean ice cream and a salted caramel sauce.  Pair that with a freshly brewed cup of coffee, and you've suddenly bought in to the dream that perhaps this restaurant is too good to be true.

Lunch ($25)

Entrées

Soupe Froide du Jour

chilled soup of the day

Terrine de Canard

terrine of duck confit served with violet mustard

Plats Principaux

Moules Provençale

Maine bouchot mussels with nicoise olives, fennel and french fries

(supp. $5)

Desserts

Bouchons

Valrhona chocolate brownies with peanut butter ice cream and salted caramel

Circa

Finding a new restaurant for summer date nights can be tough, as my husband and I are picky restaurateurs.  We like finding neighborhood gems - quiet restaurants hidden in walkable neighborhoods with a seasonal menu, exceptional wine list and affable customer service.  We generally hope to spend no more than $35 per person, but we know quality pays a price.  Luckily for us, we found the perfect romantic night out with the help of DineLA restaurant week.

Nestled among beach city greats like MB Post and The Strand, Circa sits along Manhattan Beach Ave in Manhattan Beach.  Perched on a hill overlooking the ocean, Circa is perfect for catching a sunset before couples night out.  Reserving a private table in the back of the dimly lit restaurant is a must, as the semi-booths provide the closest quarters for you and your mate.  

Sharing a plate of cheese and charcuterie is the best way to start your meal.  Together, you both are enjoying the same food at the same time, carelessly grazing each others fingertips to grab a slice of petit-brie and prosciutto.  Although it is a supplemental $15, it much more mouthwatering than the mushroom tartine and little gem salad - which were both enjoyable in their own light.  Though I did not care much for my roasted chicken, this made for the perfect excuse to spindle my fork in my husband’s meatball and bucatini pasta, and purposefully jumble my fork into his to steal a kiss.  Dessert was the absolute highlight of our meal, with layers of graham crackers, firm chocolate and weightless marshmallows forming a perfect square of s’mores.  I personally did not care for the churros at first; however, we were quickly accommodated after a brief mention to our waitress of our concerns.  

While some of the dishes fell flat, others stole the spotlight from the show.  For $35 a person - you simply can’t go wrong.  A better selection of dishes may have supported a more enjoyable meal; however, I felt that it made for the perfect excuse to come back.  Like any caring relationship, we looked beyond the faults of bland chicken and mismatched tartine ingredients to see the big picture of how Circa brought us closer together and delightfully entertained.

Dinner ($35)

CHEESE AND CHARCUTERIE 

(supplemental $15)

L'Etivaz

cow, firm

L'Etivaz, FR

Petit Brie

cow, soft

Seine-et-Marne, FR

Prosciutto

ham, dry-cured

Parma, IT

FIRST

Mushroom Tartine

mushroom, parmesan, arugula, grilled country loaf

Little Gem Salad

radish, cherry tomatoes, champagne-mustard vinaigrette, parmesan

SECOND

Roasted Mary's Chicken

escarole, black olives, honey peppered carrots

Bucatini and Meatballs

San Marzano tomato sauce

THIRD

Warm Churros

vanilla caramel, Mexican chocolate ganache

S'more

guittard chocolate, graham cracker, toasted marshmallow

Tagine

As I pulled the brass opening on a foreign door, shadows from a Moorish lamp slowly decorated my tired skin.  I sat down in a quaint restaurant staring at the reflection of my eyes, covered evenly with black kohl eyeliner, when I notices pictures of energized children playing soccer in an abandoned field in Marrakesh.  Mesmerized by the beauty of Morocco, I waited patiently for my food with a hot glass of mint tea and the warm company of an old friend.

We were greeted with amuse bouche - a small welcome from the restaurant to cleanse our palates and prepare our taste buds for the journey to come.  Warming our hungry tummies with carrot soup and vegetable spring rolls, we patiently savored the creamy texture of goat cheese and dates as we waited for the trip south from the Strait of Gibraltar to begin.

Our first course was nothing short of appetizing - half a lobster grilled to perfection with a side of harissa cream sauce.  Ever so savory with a hint of spice, our crustacean sea farer was complemented with a zesty grilled zucchini stuffed with a cucumber onion salad.  Following our coastal-inspired appetizer, we fully engaged in our main course devouring a roasted rack of lamb spice effortlessly with salt, pepper and cumin.  Cooked with a Middle Eastern flair, the lamb marinated over a melange of root vegetables, making for a wonderful twist on traditional meat and potatoes.  Travelling full circle, we sailed to dessert - chocolate soup poured over vanilla bean ice cream served with a delicate phyllo dough pastry.  Sipping the remainder of my tea as I crunched on the nuts at the bottom of the bowl, my senses fully engaged back to reality...I was only one block away from work in bustling Los Angeles.

Dinner ($45)

STARTER

Amuse Bouche

goat cheese and dates, filo dough spring rolls, carrot soup

FIRST COURSE

Maine Lobster

half lobster with harissa cream sauce and cucumber salad 

SECOND COURSE

New Zealand Lamb Chops

oven roasted lamb chops served with brussel sprouts, grilled carrots and potato wedges

THIRD COURSE

Chocolate Soup

vanilla ice cream served with chocolate soup and crushed almonds

Gyu-Kaku

A haiku for Gyu-Kaku

melting in my mouth

bite-sized Japanese morsels

meat on a budget

A harmonious blend of East meets West, Gyu-Kaku is a Japanese influenced Korean BBQ restaurant for happy hour lovers and bang-for-your-buck seekers alike.  During DineLA, I sampled appetizers, meats, vegetables and a dessert for a mere $25.  Factor in the $3 I spent on a peach saketini, and you’ve got yourself a wolf in geisha’s clothing.  Slowly cooking the meat and roasting marshmallows on the table grill was the perfect distraction to catch up with friends and hide our cell phones.  Nothing on the menu particularly stood out as extraordinary; however, I felt fully satisfied with my wallet and my belly as I headed back home to read The Wind Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami with leftover miso soup.  Perhaps it was not the tantalizing experience I was hoping for, but it made for the perfect setting for a group of friends on a budget looking for a fun night out.

Dinner ($25)

STARTERS

Gyu-Kaku Salad

Miso Soup

Edamame Soy Beans

Steamed Rice

VEGETABLE

Spinach Garlic

BBQ Items (Selected 4)

Bistro Hanger Steak Miso

New York Steak in Garlic Sauce

Angus Beef Ribs

Shrimp Garlic

DESSERT

S'mores