Happy Hour at Wilshire Restaurant

Saturday night I made plans to meet up with my friend C for dinner. Having just learned that she would have to pay way more in taxes then originally planned, she was in need of some good food at some even better prices. So, we decided to try out the happy hour at Wilshire Restaurant. (A big HURRAY for places that have happy hour menus on the weekends!)We left behind the bright Santa Monica sunshine for the dimly lit bar. A brick wall covered in tea lights, dark leather furniture, and a wood paneled ceiling gave the place an intimate, trendy vibe. We scorned the comfy couches in favor of the bar stools, reasoning that it would be easier to eat that way. The bar area was half empty, mostly consisting of a crowd in their mid thirties to mid forties. (Then again, it was about 6:30 pm - that all may change after 9).

The happy hour menu was full of delectable sounding dishes, all between $8-$16 dollars. For a restaurant where just an appetizer will run you between $13-$20, this struck us as a pretty good deal. I would describe the cuisine as classic American all dressed up for a fancy night on the town. We decided to get two smaller plates and one larger and split everything.

C's call was the $8 Pizza with Burrata, Oak Roasted Tomato, Basil and Chili Flakes. The chili flakes packed a definite punch which contrasted nicely with the smooth burrata. The crust was thin and crispy and the whole pie was absolutely littered with fresh basil. (Yay - I love when chefs are generous with the fresh herbs!) I can't honestly say the tomatoes tasted particularly oak-y to me, but it was certainly a very flavorful pizza and I enjoyed every bite.
I have enjoyed a love of artichokes dating back to when my mom used to make them for us as kids. I thought that anything you could eat with your hands and dunk in butter had to be a great thing. So I was excited to try Wilshire's $8 Grilled Artichoke with Meyer Lemon Yogurt. Sadly, this did not live up to my childhood memories. The artichoke was served room temperature, and I wonder how long it sat around in the back waiting for the other dishes to be prepared. The meyer lemon yogurt was a great idea that didn't live up to it's potential. The tang of the yogurt contrasted nicely with the creamy artichoke heart, but I could barely detect any lemon in there. I may have to have a go at this in my own kitchen, because (now that I no longer have my teenage metabolism) it might be a good idea to start dunking artichokes in yogurt rather then butter.
The bartender told us his favorite dish was the $13 Chimay Ale Marinated Skirt Steak with Fries, so, of course, we had to give it a try. Let me take this opportunity to say: bartenders are incredibly wise people! The dish was far and away my favorite of the three. What a brilliant preparation of a not so spectacular cut of meat. Although the bartender neglected to ask us how we would like it prepared, it still emerged a perfect medium rare, surprisingly tender on the inside with a nice char on the outside. The ale did wonders, giving each bite a rich and meaty burst. And the fries, oh the fries!! Served beneath the steak, they had an opportunity to soak up all the delicious drippings. Paired with just a little salt and fried parsley, they rendered ketchup obsolete and became the sort of delectable little bites you keep eating long after you are full. Mmmm....now I'm starting to crave them....Huh? Oh...yes...right...back to meal!

A word from your blogger here - I adore dessert. I may actually be addicted to it. No meal feels complete without dessert (this includes lunch and sometimes even breakfast). Not a day goes by without my consuming at least one sweet treat...generally many. But, I am definitely a bit of a dessert snob - I will not be happy with candy bars from 7-11 or chocolate chip cookies from a package. So, when dining out, I am always eager to see what sugary visions the pastry chef has concocted. Therefore, although desserts are seldom found on Happy Hour menus, I will still be reviewing them:)
From the many tempting treats, C and I decided to go for the $10 Roasted Apple Fritter with Caramel Sauce and Cinnamon Ice Cream. WOW!! Although LA has a doughnut store on just about every corner, there is still something very special about apple fritters served raging hot just out of the fryer. The smell of dough and cinnamon wafted over us as the plate was set down, and all thoughts of taxes or heavy life decisions immediately vanished. First I tried all the elements separately. The fritter was crusty and crunchy on the outside, with the apples inside practically melting in your mouth. The whipped cream was heavy and fresh, the caramel sauce almost liquor like, and the cinnamon ice cream as flavorful as one could wish for. Taken all together in one spoonful it was heaven. The cinnamon ice cream brought out the spice on the fritters and the whipped cream wrapped it all up in a creamy hug. Amazing - go and try these fritters!!

All in all, I would give this Happy Hour three and a half out of five belt notches. Definitely worth trying!

Happy Hour is served Monday-Saturday from 5-7pm. (They even give you a ten minute warning before it ends which I thought was very kind of them - and they have their happy hour menu available online!)

Wilshire Restaurant is located at:
2454 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
310-586-1707
www.wilshirerestaurant.com

Dining on Spring: Josie's $35 Farmer's Market Menu

For my first post, I wanted to stack the deck for a delicious meal, so I decided to splurge on a "deal" that is about as expensive as I plan to go on this blog: the $35 prix fixe farmer's market menu at Josie Restaurant.

Some gourmands (and certainly many carb conscious Angelenos) may dismiss the bread basket as a waste of precious stomach space. Personally, I have always had a special place in my heart for the doughy stuff. This is a love affair further fueled by the fact that I have a tendency to show up at restaurants starving, and look to the bread basket to offer me that first morsel of satisfaction! Josie served two types of bread: A thin slice of toasted bread that was more of a crouton, and an airy white rustic bread. The breads themselves were servicable, but the butter was wonderful: creamy and rich with just a slight tang of salt. It seems the breads were choosen merely as frames for the artistry of the butter, and they worked very well together.

Then came the amuse bouche. One of the wonderful customs of high end dining, it is where the chef sends out a little bite to literally "amuse the mouth." I adore this tradition, as it gives the chef a chance to showcase his or her talents, unfettered by the customer's demands.

The amuse turned out to be my favorite part of the meal: The Mushroom Gruyere Tartlet. The texture of the soft and silky quiche contrasted beautifully with the thick ropes of Gruyere woven throughout, all of it contained in a crust so flaky it seemed to be made of pure butter. The flavor of the sharp cheese exploded in my mouth, then mellowed into the creamy richness of the eggy batter. If I were to improve two things about this, I would serve it hotter (it came out luke warm) and add more mushrooms. I don't think I had more then two or three thin slivers of mushroom in mine, I couldn't identify what type they were. But, it was still a delicious meeting of taste and texture. And, served with a little fork! I must admit, I am the slowest eater I know, taking small bites and savoring everything. I love when the size of the utensil matches the size of my bite, and have been known to eat an entire cup of ice cream with my sample spoon. So the little fork was definitely a bonus:)

Next came the appetizer, a Farmer's Market salad with shaved fennel and artichoke, topped with parmesan crisps, and served on a bed of thinly sliced salami. The greens were soft and tender, the vegetables cool and fresh, and the dressing so light the whole salad truly seemed the embodiement of the farmer's market. The parmesan crisps provided a tasty crunch, though I do wish there had been more of them. And the bed of salami provided a nice meaty contrast to the lighter greens (though personally I found it a little too peppery). But, overall, the dish was filled with the crisp clean flavors of spring. It was, as James Lipton would say, a delight!

Then came the entree: Seared Scallops on a bed of Beets, Leeks, Spinach and Peas served atop Grilled Polenta. The scallops were perfectly cooked and deliciously flavorful, with just a dusting of salt and pepper on top for flavor. All of the vegetables seemed to have bathed in that fabulous butter, only this time, they stood out as the works of art rather then the frames. The green sauce seemed to be made of fresh peas and butter, a sweet richness to compliment the scallops. The grilled polenta was crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Taken all together in one forkful, it was thoroughly enjoyable!

We ended the night with the Flourless Chocolate Tart served with Mint Chip Ice Cream. Mint has never been my favorite flavor, but this ice cream was fantastic. I normally think of mint ice cream as a sickly green concotion that endeavors to eradicate everything else on your palate and overwhelm you with it's minty flavor. This ice cream, however, was like biting into a fresh mint leaf dipped in cream. Not overwhelming or showy, just basking in the natural glory of the mint. The cake tasted like you were eating spoonfuls of milk chocolate ganache, rich and creamy, but nothing to elevate it to the level of extraordinary. And the crust was an unfortunately sandy affair that didn't impart much flavor and crumbled upon contact. This is definitely the first time I preferred the mint portion of the dessert to the chocolate.

Overall, we had a thoroughly enjoyable meal! The portions are so generous, I think it would be easy to split one meal between two people. (I went with three other friends, we had two prix fixe meals and two entrees and were all stuffed by the end, even though I was bringing home leftovers). Considering a single entree at Josie costs between $27-$44 dollars, this meal is an incredible value!! And given that the chef changes the menu every week based on what they find at the farmer's market, you can come back again and again without getting bored! I would love to hear about anyone else's experiences at the farmer's market dinner.

My beautiful friend "H" wore a very stylish outfit to dinner with a belt cinched around her tiny waist. By the end of the evening, she was forced to let that belt out a few notches to allow everything to digest! Thus began the Dining on Deals rating system:
I would give this restaurant 4 out of 5 notches!

Josie Restaurant is located at:
2424 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica CA, 90405
310-581-9888
www.josierestaurant.com

Their Farmer's Market Menu is served every Wednesday night - Three courses for $35.