Sage restaurant from Chef Shawn McClain at Las Vegas’ Aria Hotel is a gem. It was the most impressive meal of our stay. Maybe it was because I didn’t really know what to expect — what’s “new American,” anyway? — but Sage has turned into a place I highly recommend for any stay in Vegas. Everything that is placed in front of diners has been carefully considered — even the bread (crusty and fluffy) and butter (lavender, with a side of salt) are special.

We started our meal with cocktails, including a flaming absinthe demonstration. Check out the video:

My favorite drinks of the night were the Smoking Bulleit, with smoked peach-infused Bulleit bourbon, mint and lemon (the cocktail menu changes seasonally, so this one may no longer be available), and The Artful Margarita, made with Oro de Jalisco blanco tequila, Art in the Age root liqueur, Cointreau and lemon, which tastes like root beer.

The food at Sage was excellent. The Foie Gras Custard Brulée blew my mind, and the Wagyu Beef Tartare — topped with a gorgeous poached egg yolk and served with crispy chocolate chips — had made me reconsider the dish entirely. You know the food is good when something you normally don’t go for, in this case beef tartare, leaves you wanting more. The Slow-Poached Organic Farm Egg — all foamy, topped with shaved potato chips — was another delicious dish.

The Glazed Pork Belly, which is actually more sweet corn tortelloni than pork, is still a good choice; you’ll just want to know what you’re getting. The Main Dayboat Scallops were perfectly cooked, and the 48 Hour Beef Belly came so fork-tender that the meat practically fell apart just by looking at it.

We opted for the Signature Tasting Menu ($79 per person), which comes with optional wine or beer pairings ($39 each). This is a good value for four courses at this quality (by the time we got to the dessert course, I was stuffed, so please excuse me for not discussing it), so you’d be well-served making a stop here on your next trip to Vegas.

Further reading:

Las Vegas, NV: Sage is a Cocktailian’s Respite From Bottle Service by estarLA

Note: This meal was hosted.

Recess happy hour at Public School 612

If you’ve been to the downtown L.A. Daily Grill lately, you may have noticed a separate bar space just past the host stand. That’s Public School 612 (AKA PS 612), a new gastropub concept from the owners of the Daily Grill restaurants. This is the first of what the owners hope will be many PS 612 locations.

The bar opens every day at 4:00 p.m. and features food and drink, including a nicely edited beer list. There’s also a Recess happy hour on weekdays from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a bar bites menu that tops out at $4. The drink specials don’t include the bar’s cocktails, but there’s a $4 handle of beer (that’s actually available all night long), a $5 Skinny Margarita and a $10 carafe of wine.

I was recently invited to try out the Recess menu, and I definitely found some favorite items. The Adobo Short Rib Tacos are tasty and tender, even though I didn’t really find the vinegar flavor I was expecting with a name like adobo. But no matter; the tacos were good (and hearty) anyway.

Adobo Short Rib Tacos

The Schezwan Calamari surprised me. I was skeptical at first, but the spicy Chinese flavors worked really nicely with this traditional Italian dish. I think I may actually prefer this preparation.

Schezwan Calamari

I also tried some items that are on the regular dining menu, and the 1903 Fish & Chips served with remoulade was a standout. The fish was light and flaky, and the fries were nicely fried, too.

1903 Fish & Chips

There’s also a dessert menu that’s kind of a secret, mostly because the items aren’t listed. Why aren’t they listed? Because they ran out of room on the menu! Seriously. So make sure to ask for these two delicious items: the beer float and the peanut butter and jelly cookies with milk.

This beer float, made with vanilla ice cream and Young’s Double Chocolate Stout, is my favorite beer float. The chocolate stout just makes sense — it’s not too bitter, but just bitter enough to give it some bite.

Beer float

The peanut butter and jelly cookies are also a great choice. The peanut cookie is rich, and the sweetness from the fruit jelly balances that out.

Peanut butter and jelly cookies

As for the drinks here, stick with the beer. There are beers from Craftsman, Allagash, Unibroue, Telegraph and The Bruery, among other quality breweries. Oh, and you can play darts in the back. It’s a recipe for good times.

Note: This meal was hosted.

Ray’s and Stark Bar (named after famed film producer Ray Stark) are Patina Restaurant Group properties, so you know already that the bar has been set high. I was recently invited to sample Stark Bar’s food and cocktail menu, and it didn’t disappoint. Herewith, my favorites from the night.

First, the food. Dubbed simply “Egg,” the croque madame was hands-down my favorite. I mean, is there really any doubt (other than the calorie count) with a runny egg and cheese? This one was made with ham, gruyère, béchamel sauce and a lightly fried egg on top.

Egg AKA croque madame

The goat flatbread (AKA just “Goat”) was a pleasant surprise. Made with slow-roasted goat shoulder, goat cheese, chili and sesame sauce, red onions, and cilantro, this pizza-like flatbread was rich without being overpowering. I didn’t think I was a fan of goat meat, but this dish may have changed my mind for the better.

Goat flatbread

Morningstar’s chile relleno, simply called “Chile” (seeing a pattern here?), is a signature dish for the chef. It’s not on the Bar Bites menu, but we ordered it from the restaurant’s appetizer list. This version was the richest I’ve ever had — it’s made with wood-roasted chile, chorizo, dates, local goat cheese and topped with almond sauce. So rich, so delicious.

Chile relleno

Another dish that I enjoyed, though I didn’t think I would, was the beef tendon. I usually don’t like beef tendon, but just as the goat flatbread changed my mind, this beef tendon made me think twice about my usual disdain for the food. Morningstar’s version came with a red braise, mushrooms, mustard fruit and broccoli.

Beef tendon

Now, on to the drinks, many of which are named after Stark films. The Smokey and the Bandit cocktail is now my favorite Laphroaig drink, hands-down. It’s so simple — there’s just honey, orange and lemon peel to round it out — but it just all comes together perfectly. Laphroaig is a really, really smokey whisky that I think is an acquired taste, mostly because it tastes like Band-Aids, so to make it palatable can sometimes be a challenge. Dozois accomplished this.

Smokey and the Bandit

All the cocktails I tried were great. The Opera (gin, red Dubonnet, Maraschino liqueur, orange bitters and orange peel) was complex, and the Steel Magnolias (rum, freshly squeezed lemon juice, simple syrup, strawberry and basil) was sweet but not too sweet — a good thing.

Steel Magnolias

Opera

I would definitely go back to have a proper meal at Ray’s, and Stark Bar will most likely become my go-to neighborhood hangout for quality mixology and eats.

Note: This meal was hosted.

View from the upstairs bar at Fig & Olive

A week ago (I know, I know — I’m behind!), the New York-based, olive oil-centric restaurant Fig & Olive opened its flagship West Coast location at the trendy corner of La Cienega Boulevard and Melrose Place. It was a scene, my friends: three nights of people in cocktail attire walking a red carpet complete with a step and repeat, as well as fashion presentations by Cholé and Fendi. All that for a restaurant opening!

To be fair, the restaurant is housed in a pretty awesome space: it’s huge, and features rosemary bushes and an olive tree in the main dining room. There’s even an upstairs space, which houses the Fig Champagne & Cocktail Bar, unique to the L.A. location.

Fig & Olive’s thing is olive oil, which it uses in place of butter in nearly all its dishes. You can even buy bottles of its special infused versions at the restaurant (blood orange-infused olive oil, anyone?). The cuisine is inspired by the Mediterranean, and that means the entire region, including France, Italy and Spain.

The opening gala was divided into three nights, one for each region. I attended the French night, though we were served what must be either signature items or ones that were easy to serve as passed-appetizers, i.e., crostini, i.e., not French.

Mushroom crostini

Fig and prosciutto crostini

There is also a respectable cocktail program designed by Giovanni Martinez of Buffalo Club and Les Deux Estate fame. The best drink I had that night was the Summer in Provence made with Old Tom gin, house-made rosemary and thyme syrup, muddled blackberries and fresh lime juice.

Summer in Provence cocktail

Fig & Olive owner Laurent Halasz has an eye for fashion and plans to partner with fashion houses to put on actual shows. Good idea, bad idea? I can’t decide, but I appreciate the sentiment.

Looks from the spring/summer 2011 Chole collection

It’s always hard to judge the quality of a restaurant by an event like this since it’s nowhere near the actual experience you’d get as a regular customer. The service was friendly and efficient as could be given the large number of people in the space, but I’ll have to go back for a proper meal to really make a decision about the food. From this experience, it was just OK. But the place sure was pretty!

Wine? Why not! Photo by Christina Lam.

This Friday, Feb. 18, is National Drink Wine Day. Now, we all know that you don’t need a special reason to drink wine, but now you can say you’re doing your civic duty when your boss asks why you’re having that bottle — er, glass — of pinot at 10:00 a.m.

Here are a few ways to celebrate.

While not technically happening on National Drink Wine Day, Pourtal wine bar is hosting tonight a screening of the documentary “Merlove: A Documentary about Merlot” with writer and director Rudolf McClain. As you watch, sip on some of the bar’s merlot Merlove and white wine Labor of Love-themed wines. Screening is free, but the wine costs money.

Pourtal
104 Santa Monica Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Wednesday, February 16, 2011
8:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

On Friday, downtown Los Angeles’ Corkbar will offer a specially-priced flight of three wines for $10. And if you check in on Foursquare and unlock the Swarm badge, you’ll get extended happy hour specials, including $2 off drafts, $8 select wines and half-priced select appetizers, for the rest of the night.

Corkbar
403 W. 12th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Also, Napa Valley Grille in Westwood will host Friday a “Guess the Grape” game led by Wine Director Christina Sherwood. Guests will be invited to sample a grape varietal not listed on the menu, and if they answer correctly will be rewarded with a complimentary glass of wine. Free wine, woo!

Napa Valley Grille
1100 Glendon Ave. Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90024

Smashed Irishman at Les Deux

The nightclub formerly known as Les Deux (of “The Hills” fame) is now the gastropub Les Deux. Les Deux Estate, actually, but you can keep calling it Les Deux. Anyway, the folks behind The Buffalo Club in Santa Monica took over the former nightclub space and turned it into a classy restaurant and bar with a more-than-respectable food and drink menu.

I recently visited the new Les Deux during happy hour, which goes until 7:30 p.m. but applies only to food. Boo. But the cocktails are really pretty great, so that makes the $12 to $15 price tags a bit more bearable (not really; those are steep prices!). Anyway, if you’re going to shell out for one of the drinks on the menu, try the Smashed Irishman made with Jameson whiskey, lemon, basil, red bell pepper, honey and a Guinness reduction float. It’s reminiscent of Rivera’s Blood Sugar Sex Magic, which is one of my favorite cocktails. If you’d like something custom made, ask the friendly mixologist behind the bar for a Dealer’s Choice, which he will create for you based on your preferred flavor profile.

The grilled cheese with caramelized onions is also a good choice, though the tomato soup that comes with it is just OK. When I was there, it seemed that the staff was still working out some kinks: I ordered the grilled cheese off the happy menu, which listed fries as the accompaniment, but got the soup, which is part of the dish on the regular menu. Oh, well. The mac and cheese is another worthy menu item, with its topping of bread crumbs and a bruschetta-like mixture giving it a little something special.

Grilled cheese sandwich with caramelized onions

Mac and cheese

Les Deux is definitely going to become one of my go-to Hollywood happy hour spots. Now, if only the cocktail menu were part of the discount…

Further reading: Les Deux Estate, a Hollywood Sequel You Need to See by Thirsty In LA

The Blogger Prom Committee all dressed up! Photo by Heather Kincaid.

The Hollywood Confidential Blogger Prom, the second incarnation of last year’s Blogger Prom, took place at the elegantly historic Yamashiro Restaurant last week, and boy, was it a party! With guests decked out in their best Hollywood glamour — every decade from the 1920s to the 1950s were represented — along with classic tunes and abundant food and drink, Blogger Prom was a hit. Just check out these stories in the Los Angeles Times and Brand X!

As part of the Blogger Prom Committee, I cannot say enough how great it was to work with the Yamashiro staff, who helped put together a fun, elegant and memorable party for the 100+ L.A. bloggers and their guests. Chef Brock Kleweno not only put together a fabulous passed-appetizer menu but also personally served up some of the tacos normally seen only at Yamashiro’s farmers market. The short rib taco was my favorite.

Short rib taco

Chef Brock manning the taco stand

We also had other great food sponsors, including sweet treats from Crumbs Bake Shop, Chocolatebox Cafe, Coolhaus and Barrie Lynn The Cheese Impresario.

Mini cupcakes from Cumbs, though you had to know this since there wasn't a sign or rep.

Coolhaus serving up ice cream sammies

We also had great drink sponsors: Pinky vodka, Cabana cachaça, Zaya rum, Casa Noble tequila, The Dalmore scotch, Eagle Rock Brewery beers served up by The Beer Chicks, and wines from Fresh & Easy. Committee member Natalie Bovis, AKA The Liquid Muse, created a signature cocktail for the event, as she did last year, using a tasty combination of Pinky vodka, Chambord, lemon juice and simple syrup.

Fiona of Gourmet Pigs (center) enjoying prom.

Koi pond in the garden of Yamashiro

In addition to all the consumable goodies, we had fun with tunes courtesy of DJ Steve, who provided the musical entertainment at last year’s prom and this year played against a backdrop of the film “Sunset Boulevard.” We announced our giveaway prize winners via Twitter, which streamed live on a big screen in the garden of the restaurant. And who could forget the parting gifts? The gift bags were filled with all kinds of goodies — just take a look:

Gift bag contents

Special thanks to Studio DNA for donating their time to dolling up the female members of the Committee (which was most of us). Danielle and Dane did a great job on my hair and makeup!

Now, this wasn’t all fun and games — all proceeds from ticket sales benefited Operation Frontline Los Angeles, which teaches nutrition and cooking to underserved families. Through admission and giveaway-prize ticket sales, we raised $2,400 for the organization. Big thanks to Goldstar for administering the ticket sales. If you’d like to contribute, please visit the donation page.

Eva's fried chicken

This Tuesday, June 22, Eva Restaurant is offering an all-you-can-eat-and-drink deal with Eureka North County pilsner and fried chicken for $25 per person. Actually, the special is being marketed as all-you-can-drink beer with “free” fried chicken, but we all know nothing is free. In any case, Eva’s fried chicken is pretty darn good, which I’ve said before, so this should be a great way to experience it. And it’s the only food that will be offered on this night, so hopefully you like it! And if the night is a success, then the restaurant may continue the special deal on a weekly basis.

The event is taking place this Saturday, June 19, at the West Hollywood Tender Greens from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Look out for noms such as Nutella blondies, carrot cake cookie sandwiches, browned butter brown sugar cookies, matcha mocha bundts with red bean filling, ube cupcakes and much more (complete menu here). There will also be The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf beverages to help wash it all down. The best part? Every is priced between $1 and $4 and all proceeds go to charity.