Wolfdown

Los Angeles, California

The ambiance of this restaurant was a highlight of the evening. I felt as though I was in a private home or sophisticated tree house due to the relatively low ceilings with raw wood beams that were reminiscent of a bungalow, but with the juxtaposition of being more modernized by the selection of tile and glass across the front of the open kitchen. There is additional outdoor seating that would be very lovely in warmer weather.

In contrast, I generally felt that the dishes were overpriced for the portion size and limited delivery on flavor when considering comparative establishments. Maybe some small modifications could make me change my mind since the food was close to what I wanted it to be, but without effectively grabbing my attention as it was predictable and lackluster in flavor and I am forever seeking the unique.


I was very happy with the recommendation of the red wine I had with dinner, which was Matthieu Barnet Petit Ours Brun, Cotes du Rhone. Smooth and jammy without being sweet nor heavy with tannins.

I also enjoyed a glass of white wine, which was the Pascal Javier "Jasnieres", Chenin Blanc, Loire. Again, a smooth and crisp white without being oaky.







Warm Celery Root Salad: Shaved celery root, Bagna cauda, fennel, celery, capers

I found this to be bland. Each green ingredient delivered a clean taste, but without a pop in flavor. If a more flavorful dressing had been evident, this could have been enjoyable. Anything would have been a benefit to add to the complexity of this dish. Spice. Smoke. Anything. The capers were the most interesting addition to this plate and were surprisingly mild. They were almost toasted and could have been mistaken for a pistachio, which I did find to be most interesting!










Braised Black Cod: Black Cod, kochujang, soy, purple daikon, shungiku leaf, Mori's rice

The cod was smooth and buttery. Perfect! This came with a side dish of rice meant to absorb the sauce that was thick, dark, and rich. Nonetheless, this plate was a disappointment in that there was literally only one leaf of Shungiku! The daikon took on a sweet flavor as it does when it is cooked, in contrast to the biting pungent spiciness that it maintains when raw.  Further, I enjoyed the softness that it had, cutting easily like a cooked beet.


Stir Fried Ramen: Temoni ramen noodles, crab, slow cooked egg, uni, trout roe

This was unique in that no broth was delivered, as would be typical of ramen. The snap of the large trout roe added interest and freshest to the spoonfuls I scooped up. I would have enjoyed this more had the volume of crab been increased. I did like that the sauce was created through the cooked egg and uni being stirred into the noodles. I requested pepper to add to my dish as I found it to be too heavily creamy with a salty sea like flavor that was enjoyable, but without an additional contrasting herb to keep my palate interested.




















Misugaru "tiramisu": Mascarpone cream, walnut praline, bourbon, buttermilk cake



The tiramisu dessert was suggested by two of the staff, so I ordered it. This was unique, but not a "must try" in my book. The flavor was that of a tiramisu, but with greater emphasis on the bitterness of walnut that came from a layer that was caramel colored and textured and above a light cake layer and covered in an airy white cream.

Another disappointment of this visit was that we felt neglected by our waitress. Although she was delightful, she rarely checked in on us. To be kind, they have only been open for two weeks at the time of my visit, so I attribute the neglect to the establishment poorly estimating how busy they would be tonight, which appeared to be full, but without anyone waiting to be seated. Overall, this was a nice visit, but did not live up to the high standards that I had hoped for when I think a few small changes would have really allowed me to feel impressed. Nonetheless, worthwhile if you are in the neighborhood.

State Bird Provisions

San Francisco, California

No one wants to be disappointed by a meal, but this is particularly true for me. After walking more than two miles across the city in order to take in the city views and be at least somewhat active between sampling the goodies at the Ferry Building Embarcadero and hopefully eating an exciting dinner, I stood impatiently in line in the drizzle of the San Francisco sky waiting to enter the decidedly casual ambiance of State Bird Provisions. I arrived fifteen minutes prior to when they begin dinner service and a line had already formed. I had tried to make a reservation here, but they were booked. However, I was informed that one third of the restaurant is reserved for walk in seating. My hope in securing a table without having to wait was waning as the doors opened and the line stretched out longer behind me than in front of me. To my delight, I was seated at the bar in a two seat area next to another diner as interested in the food experience as I was. He elevated my hopes by reporting that he had returned here to eat multiple times and enjoys eating well curated food. This claim was substantiated by the restaurants he reported visiting. I was told by others that the experience was overrated, but I find it is difficult to rely on the opinions of others as everyone has a different point of reference for what constitutes "good" food.


The menu was explained to me after I requested to be directed to the most unique dishes. They had multiple pancakes and toasts offered along with other fare and I noticed the diverse ingredients sprinkled throughout the menu. I was happy to find that I could order a half size of many of the items on the menu.

Squash 'mochi' with maitakes, brussels sprouts and grated burgundy truffles
I selected this dish because it sounded like a unique presentation with complex flavors. Unfortunately, it tasted to me exactly like those ingredients placed in a dish. The brussel sprouts were raw without any caramelization to deepen their taste. The mushrooms were softened by cooking, but without me being able to detect any cooking broth or technique to enhance them. Although I could see the truffles, they did not add to the dish either because they were lacking in quantity or not highlighted by contrasting the other flavors adequately. The use of the word 'mochi' was an accurate description of the little squash balls of gooey texture, but again, without a distinctive squash essence. There was a thin sauce that did not cling adequately to the contents of the dish, but reminded me of a soy vinaigrette. I requested cracked black pepper to make the dish more enjoyable for me. This added a contrasting flavor and a grainy texture that I enjoyed. The dish could have been improved by the addition of a spicy note, such as a cayenne, or a sweet addition, such as dates or a honey dressing. I appreciated the unique idea to make mochi, which I viewed as an attempt to make something comparable to an asian gnocchi. Unfortunately, it was not something I can review more positively.




After this somewhat disappointing first selection, I watched as many carts were strolled past me dim sum style. This was a nice experiential aspect of the restaurant. Nonetheless, I did not feel excitement to delve into tasting what was brought around. I also assumed that the dishes would pass more than once, especially as new tables were seated. However, this was not the case and instead I passed my opportunity to make a deliberate selection. My waitress was kind enough to offer that I could order whichever dish I may have wanted. Fantastic service!









Roasted delicate squash with peptic mole and pomegranate
Per the waitresses recommendations, I tried this dish. Aside from her encouragement, I was drawn to this because of the mole and this was the one dish that I could recommend! The mole was thick and deeply flavored with a mild spiciness that contrasted with the tartness and textural popping of the pomegranate seeds as well as the pepitas sprinkled on top. Because the squash was enjoyable, I decided to make one more selection.

Smoked duck 'tsukemono' with umeboshi-rosemary vinaigrette
My hopes were that this would be an unusual take on vinegar since it was paired with the unique choice to make a duck ham, which I did want to taste since my food allergies always force me to not dabble in any dishes with ham. The saltiness of the ham was well executed in texture and flavor, but fell flat from my viewpoint on a dish that could have excelled. Additionally, it was presented as slices that I needed to cut, when it would have been easier to tackle had the pieces been bit size or cut into thin strips. It was plated with raw radishes in chunks that were difficult to manipulate on a fork and had not been given any detectable special preparations, as though tossing a raw vegetable under the duck would suffice. Also on the plate were pickled cucumber, as is often presented with a Chinese meal and typically in a vinegar dressing. Therefore, I appreciate the target of this dish, but it culminated in disappointment for me, as though it was forgotten leftovers plated as a salad haphazardly. If the radishes had been roasted or braised to soften them and sweeten their flavor, the dish would have been transformed, as they would have given the dish a more rich flavor and would have been easier to spear with a fork. Perhaps still serving a raw radish could have been more successful if they had been shaved thinly, similar to the disks of cucumber on the plate. Finally, the vinaigrette was decidedly not rosemary flavored when taken on the dish as a whole. Rather, it gave a sour and vinegary component rather than the woodiness of the rosemary coming through.

My opinion on these dishes is certainly critical, but I would argue that I approached the experience with justifiably high standards since the restaurant boasts a Michelin star. I think that this allows diners the expectation that the food served can be appreciated for either the flavor or composition,  aside from whether or not the particular dish is one that is a favorite. However, this is why I was disappointed. I generally did not view the concepts or the flavors as being anything more than straightforward.

Kali Restaurant

Los Angeles, California

Kevin Meehan, functioning as the co-owner and chef at Kali Restaurant, has a strong background with apprenticeship at the Michelin starred restaurant L'alban Chambon, which he then followed by the line up of these restaurants: L'Orangerie, Bastide, Citrine, Patina, and Cafe Pinot. He did not disappoint me and I feel confident that others will feel equally pleased when they visit. By Kevin Meehan's side is Drew Langley, the co-owner and wine director. He began at Greenblatt's Delicatessen and then moved to the Wine Merchant. In reading about him, I learned that the two became acquainted at L'Orangerie, Bastide, and Citrine. It impresses me that he then served as Wine director at Providence, a restaurant that I personally enjoyed immensely. Here is what I had the pleasure of enjoying at Kali Restaurant:

Burn Zone Gem
Bowen's whiskey, Corbin Cash sweet potato liqueur, Heering, Luxardo.
A fantastically creative integration of complex sounding ingredients, unless you actually know each of them. It is actually a classic combination of cherry and whiskey with a mildly different profile from the spiciness associated with sweet potato (cinnamon, anise, et cetera).



New pad Thai
St. George green chili vodka, agua perfecta, lime, coconut ice.
This drink delivered on the actual promised flavor of pad Thai! I loved how creative this was, but can imagine that the flavor profile may be too bold for some. For me, constantly seeking all tastes creative and unique, I loved it!

Black barley "risotto", black garlic, toasted cheese
The black garlic and toasted cheese was a delightful savory combination. The texture of the barley was a runny porridge like consistency and was too great in volume, with that comment based solely on how it played together in the texture of the entire dish, resulting in somewhat viscid spoonfuls.





Lamb, date, pecan, purlane
I typically enjoy the deep earthy taste of lamb. This dish was very good and more to my personal taste preference than the steak due to the full flavor of the meat in contrast to the cleanness of the hanger steak. Most memorable of this plate was the way the greens added textural interest and  also carried the other flavors that served as a means to deliver the sauce that could coat them like a dressing.




Hanger steak, burnt onion, fingerling potato, bitter herb oil
This dish delivered on flavor from the rich sauce. It was texturally pleasing, too. The meat was nicely cooked for my preference of being rare, but without the tastiness afforded by a cut with greater fat content. I would have intensified the herb oil considering that the volume was provided only in minuscule drips across the plate, which did not adequately disperse against the other aspects in the dish.

Meringue gelato candied egg yolk
Cured in equal parts salt and sugar
This was reviewed as such an unparalleled highlight offered on the menu that perhaps my expectations were too grandiose, but I found this dessert lackluster. It was mildly sweet and overall plain. I have cured egg yolk in salt and sugar at home and it came out with a more intense flavor with a saltiness that allowed for the tiny shavings to be a salt substitute. Therefore, I was prepared for this to be similar to a salted ice cream, but in fact, it was simply plain, albeit not unpleasant in the least.



Globally, this was an enjoyable experience and I would easily recommend the spot to others! Nicely creative ideas that I believe would generally be impressive to a diner more typical than myself who is not looking for every bite to be unusual. The featured ingredients on each dish were beautifully prepared and accompanied by complimentary flavors. Enjoy!