Review: GRACE Restaurant

If I were S. Irene Virbila of the LA Times, I would waver between giving Grace 2.5 or 3 stars. At three stars (out of four), this would be an amazing accomplishment. It definitely seems that Chef Neal Fraser, the rock-star like chef who has elevated haute cuisine in LA to new standards, seems comfortable in this chic, modern temple to the Hollywood-like glamour of LA's food scene.

I was one of the first to arrive at the place at an early 6PM, which was the only one I could get for dineLA's hugely popular Restaurant Week. To my distress, one of my fellow dining companions had his car broken down just hours before and would be unable to make it. A shame...

Another companion dropped out, not even picking up his phone. Sad. So the meal came down to me and my friend Tai to treat ourselves to a gastromonical adventure, left to the whim of Chef Fraser and his service staff. Even though our party shrunk from 4 to 2 on this busy Thursday evening, they placed us at a prime table in the center of the room. I valued this highly and saw it as a gesture of their good will. I always think it's important to be seated at a good table, because no one wants to be relegated to a corner table that's cramped and offers little view of a well designed interior such as the one at Grace Restaurant.

We began our meal with a fresh, crisp half-bottle of 2004 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Clos Saint-Jean" White Burgundy made by Alex Gambal. At sixty dollars, it was quite expensive (although it's only $24 online). The color was a sheen ivory with a hint of mellow daffodil. The bouquet was (and Im going my the memory of my olfactory) a fantastic fragrant floral aroma with hints of vanilla. The slightly fruity, minerally taste wasn't overly sweet and complimented our first courses well. I had the spinach arugula salad with candied nuts, carmelized onions and fried feta, while my dining companion had the foie gras with cranberry compote and gelee of Sauternes. The foie gras was perfectly seared and resembled a superb egg yolk while retaining its signature ducky-butteriness. My salad was well-dressed and portioned, with each element complementing the whole of its presentation.

For the second course, I had seared salmon, given in a rather stingy filet slice of 1.5 inches thick, but it was cooked ideally at a medium-rare. The seared skin and tender flesh was perfect with the dark quinoa, all the wonderful flavors and textures bound by a luxurious sauce (of which I forget...). The other dish was a grilled tenderloin of wild boar with yukon gold spaetzle and rich red wine sauce. The meat was smoky and meaty, almost like beef, but with the added complexity that only a nature-raised hog could give. The sauce was velvety and rich, a perfect accompaniment. Both dishes paired well with a 2006 Oregon Pinot Noir with a similarly minerally, subtle aroma as the white burgundy, but with a better structure and less acidity to round out the salmon and (mainly) wild boar.

For dessert, I had a dish I had been waiting for for nearly two years, the famous doughnuts. They were just warm from the deep fryer, doughy and cinnamon-y and amazing when dipped into the accompanying hot chocolate with orange zest whipped cream.

We sat and reveled while sipping the remainder of our wine. The service was impeccable throughout, with service neither too intrusive nor unattentive. I'm still glad we were seated at such a great table in light of our smaller party and the busy night. The bar was very active in the first hour of our meal as excited diners (probably the dineLA crew, like us) waited to be seated. I saw well-heeled diners and giddy coeds passing us to the rear seating area. They were in for a treat.

Although our meal cost nearly $250 (including a generous 25% tip) for the two of us, it was a slight bargain. With two half bottles of superb wine and three courses, the normal prices would have run around $150-200 (with good wine, of course). Overall, Grace is a great New American style restaurant with wonderful service and food worthy of a Michelin star (note: one star, not more). You could do no worse on a celebratory evening.

GRACE Restaurant
7360 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036

(corner of Fuller and Beverly, in Mid-City, just west of La Brea)




(photos courtesty restaurant website)