Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
118
lamb shank; crispy skin wild Scottish salmon; and the house specialty—roasted elk tender-
loin that's so tender you can cut it with a fork. You'll need a strong selection of rich reds to
pair with this genre of cuisine, hence the lengthy
Wine Spectator-
award-winning wine list.
The r estaurant also hosts a v ery popular S unday br unch on the gar den terrace, ser ving
equally adventurous dishes such as thick buffalo burgers and the wild game trio .
419 Cold Canyon Rd. (call for directions), Calabasas.
&
818/222-3888.
www.saddlepeaklodge.com. Main
courses $24-$45. AE, DC, MC, V. Wed-Fri 5-10pm; Sat-Sun 11am-3pm and 5-10pm. Valet parking $4.
3
L.A.'S WESTSIDE & BEVERLY HILLS
EXPENSIVE
The Bazaar by José Andrés
SPANISH/TAPAS The Bazaar is the D isney-
land of culinar y adv entures, and it 's putting L.A. on the dining map . I t's a P hilippe
Starck-designed playground for celebrity chef José Andrés—host of the PBS show
Cook-
ing in Spain
—who serves up avant-garde Spanish cuisine. Located in the splashy new SLS
Hotel, it's four separate spaces in one open r oom, and it 's sensory overload, from bull-
fighter pictures and the open kitchen in R ojo, to the calming r elaxed vibe in B lanca, to
the pink and glossy Patisserie. You'll get traditional tapas like garlic shrimp , codfish frit-
ters, and impeccable S panish
jamon,
but it 's the “ modern tapas ” menu and Andr és'
molecular gastronomy techniques that gets us excited. We can't get enough of the “Philly
cheesesteak,” a hollowed out bread filled with oozy cheese and topped with thinly sliced
seared Kobe beef, or anything with the “ spherical” olives—juice-filled olive “skin” that
dissolves in y our mouth like magic. P icking candies like saffr on gelee in “ edible paper”
from jars in the Patisserie makes us giddy with delight. E ven cocktails get the José treat-
ment at
Bar Centro:
margaritas come with salt “air,” and caipirinhas are made tableside
with liquid nitrogen. It's the best (and most expensiv e, at $20 a pop) slushy cocktail w e
ever tasted.
465 S. La Cienega Blvd. (in SLS Hotel), Beverly Hills.
&
310/246-5555.
www.thebazaar.com. Reservations
recommended. Tapas $5-$36. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Daily 6-11pm; brunch Sat-Sun 11am-3pm. Valet park-
ing $10.
6
Comme Ça
FRENCH BRASSERIE This is a contemporary take on a traditional
brasserie: white leather banquettes, mirr ors ev erywhere, chalkboard walls with nightly
specials written on them, and knickknack-filled shelves. A bustling bar is the perfect spot
for hand-crafted fresh-fruit cocktails or a glass of wine and a plate of cheese—the counter
has more than 30 varieties and an expert fromager. The young and trendy (and occasion-
ally, the famous) flock her e for traditional brasserie dishes like steak frites; delicious
escargot doused in parsley butter and miniatur e croutons; coq au vin; and braised shor t
ribs with potato purée. The rich onion soup is a winner, not overly cheesed-out or gloopy
like so many lesser r enditions; and the burger , which is only ser ved at lunch and late-
night, is tr uly one to behold. The only do wnside is the noise lev el, which some find
abrasive and others think just adds to the bustling atmospher e.
8479 Melrose Ave. (just east of La Cienega Blv d.), West Hollywood.
&
323/782-1104.
www.commeca
restaurant.com. Reservations recommended. Main courses $22-$31. AE, DISC, MC, V. Daily 10am-11pm.
Parking valet $8.
Crustacean
SEAFOOD/VIETNAMESE Helene An, matriar ch and ex ecutive
chef of the An family r estaurants, is by title a Vietnamese princess, great-granddaughter
