Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's - Costa Mesa, CA - New American Cuisine in a Chic Space

I was born in Orange County, that unloved, over-corporate, cookie cutter younger sibling of Los Angeles. During the days of my youth, I was a mall rat, albeit mostly in a stroller roaming around the department stores of the Cerritos Mall and sometimes, South Coast Plaza, which has always been the epicenter of the fashionable in Orange County. These days it has steady competition from Fashion Island in Newport Beach and probably a dozen other malls that I don't know about. I don't know about them because my family moved up to Glendale at age 6.

My overall impression of the culinary culture in OC is admittedly a bit pessimistic, but I was pleasantly surprised to see a cornerstone of the scene at Charlie Palmer's eponymous restaurant on the edge of Bloomingdale's at the South Coast Plaza. Of course, I'm aware that the rise of food culture is in full swing in Orange County, with credit given to visionary chefs and extraordinary cooks who work night-in and night-out to produce dishes using the bounty of California's produce. So really, the only reason why the food culture wouldn't succeed here is the very demand for such cuisine.

Aside from older mainstay restaurants that have catered to the wealthy, I think Charlie Palmer's restaurant represents a marked shift in Orange County. It brings the cachet of New York expertise with the skill of Wine Country's ingredient-driven fare. It also ups the level of wine service. For our lunch, I was pleased with the pairings and overall wine service given by Michael Frumin, who manages the restaurant's wine program.

We were invited for a media lunch by Lee Healy, a wonderful lady who does a great job putting these meals together. The best part, in my opinion, was getting to hang out with Chef Charlie Palmer, who was in town to give a demonstration in the kitchen and share his vision of the restaurant.

Stepping into the restaurant, you cautiously take a suspended catwalk into the lounge area. The catwalk overlooks a basement that holds the wine cellar while the wine shop, a massive collection of bottles in a transparent room, greets you as you enter.

The lounge takes a large swath of real estate to the right, where cushy leather divans and an expansive bar fill the space. I took a quick look at the bar menu and saw a drink called "Cougar Cosmo." I'm sure the clientele reflects as such - kudos to Palmer for milking that spectrum of Orange County's populace. Instead of these libations, we were offered a cold, crisp glass of prosecco as an aperitivo. The bubbly was pretty bland, showing a faint sweetness, though it offered my palate and stomach a conciliatory engine rev to start off the meal.


After introductions, we wandered into the kitchen, where I was immediately struck by how large it was. Palmer then directed us to the catering station, which they often use to conceptualize dishes and put idea to plate. Palmer prepared a giant scallop and sous-vide pork belly dish that used lemongrass, shallot, and soy sauce to bind the sauce, while using the natural pork fat as a base. He effortlessly constructed the dish after cooking the ingredients on a hot induction plate, though we were only left oogling at the delicious food and quickly directed to our table. I scratched my head wondering if we could have a chance to try Chef Palmer's dish, but maybe he hadn't had his lunch yet. Oh well.


Our private dining room stretched as high as 25 feet while the tables featured heavy-laden tablecloths that made me feel like I was at a wedding banquet. We shuffled into our seats and had a quick amuse bouche to start, a green grape gazpacho that was cool on the palate with a smooth consistency. A crisp acidity buoyed the flavor while the sweet half-domes of grape gave a tart, sweet finish. I was looking forward to the rest of Executive Chef Amar Santana's execution and interpretation of Charlie Palmer's New American cuisine. Santana used to be the sous chef at Palmer's Aureole flagship.



Ahi tuna tartare, usually a blase preparation in the purview of L.A. (and O.C.) restarants, came with a surprisingly innovative preparation. A roll of the well-chopped tartare comes wrapped in a paper thin slice of pineapple and comes with a hearty coconut curry that adds depth to the dish. In addition, an avocado puree adds a rich, cool, velvety counterpoint, which I really appreciated. The pairing of Leitz Riesling from Rheingau worked perfectly, adding an acidic flush that whet the palate for subsequent bites. Terrific.



In between the offered courses was a range of small dishes. We had an array of house-made charcuterie. I especially loved the peppery terrines, which were characterized by a nice texture. We also had length-split marrow bone, which always always please when roasted properly, as they were in this case. Throw in some nicely grilled shishito peppers to add a spicy kick.


Honey-glazed duck breast was the main course, a nicely scored piece with a crisp skin. The tender meat was perfectly medium rare, still juicy and warm. Pieces of tangerine lent to its "duck a l'orange" origins while hearty beluga lentils provided the requisite bass notes. Cumin infused duck jus made for an addictive sauce. This paired with Zinfandel from A. Rafanelli from Dry Creek Valley. This didn't surprise me as one of Chef Palmer's main restaurants is Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg. The red wine propounded more fruit notes and a gentle spice that accented the duck breast.


Dessert was a rum raisin bread pudding. My piece happened to fall apart on route to the table, but it was no matter. I liked the poached pears that came along with the dense bread pudding. Despite the dessert's applea, my eyes were quickly averted to the mignardises, which were made by Aureole Las Vegas pastry chef Megan Romano, who was promoting her new dessert cookbook. The spread of delectable chocolates made me so happy; I was happily enjoying them until the lunch was over and we were dismissed.


After the meal, Javier and I just stood around the dining room. Chef Palmer came up to me and just started to talking about the restaurant, confiding that while the lounge was quite busy, he thought the main dining room seemed a bit too formal for the clientele. We both agreed that perhaps the tablecloths added to the stuffiness of the otherwise beautiful, bright room, with modern CB2-type accents and furniture. He also blamed the relatively dim ambiance in the evening. I surmised that perhaps it was the clientele that didn't want a more fine dining experience, but something more casual, though I also suggested that personally I'd prefer the Aureole-type experience. I can see through his genuine care for the restaurant that he brings a certain toughness and expertise in his weathered visage, as he stood overlooking the dining room. He has an ease of a successful entrepreneur, but seemed to always be thinking about how to improve the experience of his product - a respectable trait. I completely believed his sentiment when he said that he liked to travel and ensure the quality of his restaurants, but also longed to be home to remind his children who their father was. I can relate to this experience as my own father, a successful banker, always made time to spend with me and my sister.

As we continued to shoot the breeze near the entrance to the restaurant, I asked the chef if he would consider opening a place in Los Angeles, perhaps in the heart of Mid-City. He didn't say that he had any plans in the future. If anything, despite the glut of restaurant in Downtown, I think a flagship restaurant would be successful among the bankers and lawyers, and maybe even the well-heeled loft dwellers.

Personally I think that this style of dining would work in L.A. If he could translate his big-city, quintessential New York cuisine and pair it with L.A.'s more relaxed but produce-centric fare, I think it would be successful. I still think there's a dearth of high-quality restaurants in L.A., places where diners can receive polished service and innovative wine pairings, and I think Chef Palmer could make it happen. In the meantime, I'll have to make the hefty drive down to Costa Mesa to try the food, wine, and beautiful dining room. Do I think it's worth the drive? Well if I did, my first choice would be for the $26 thre- course prix fixe!

Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's
South Coast Plaza
3333 South Bristol Street
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Tel: 714-352-2525

This was a hosted lunch.

Vertical Wine Bistro - Pasadena, CA - Food & Wine for the Passionate

For the most part, there's an incredible divergence of wine knowledge. I would venture to say that a mere fraction of people truly understand wine, knowing how to master its flavors, aromas, and pairings with food.

Anthony Bourdain recently wrote that with the utter explosion of foodie culture in this country, there's been an ever increasing number of food professionals whom consumers have begun to trust - namely chefs and restaurateurs, whether they be celebrity or not. In the same way, instead of supposing that we know more than professionals, perhaps it makes sense that foodies and even wine lovers offer our trust to sommeliers and knowledgeable wine people.

After a quick rehashing of the lounge/bar area to accommodate a more congenial ambiance, Vertical Wine Bistro has become the premier destination for food and wine pairings in Pasadena and perhaps even L.A., a secret that shouldn't be kept for too much longer. The credit goes to owner Gale Anne Hurd, a well-known Hollywood producer, who brought on David Haskell to revamp and oversee the restaurant. Haskell previously co-owned and managed BIN8945, a luminary wine destination back in 2006. Haskell is back with a force in Pasadena, bringing his sometimes unusual but all the more intriguing and compelling pairings to the often staid and uninspired milieu of Old Pasadena.

You may have caught a media dinner I shared with some well-known L.A. food writers on FoodGPS, but since then I've had the chance to return hoping to get a wider experience.




On one night, Fiona (GourmetPigs) and I shared a few appetizers such as the piping hot corn fritters topped like sushi with cured salmon and a light scribble of creme fraiche. Paired with a glass of Billecart-Salmon Rose, it was marvelous, the fried fritter bursting with the effervescence of the wine. Other delicious bar bites include the truffle fries, imbued deeply with the musk and complexity of black truffle oil. Normally the stuff tends to overwhelm a dish, but the fragrance only enhanced the flavor to the nth degree. The chorizo pizza comes as thin as the sheets that you'd get at Little Dom's in Los Feliz, but with a more addictive sauce and slivers of smoky chorizo. The cheese runs nicely.


After this trio, we were served a whole roasted jidori chicken, expertly carved tableside by Haskell. I haven't had a chicken this good since ayam kampung goreng in Indonesia, the extradinary "village" chicken found at any good fried chicken spot. The best part of this roasted chicken was the skin, browned to a delightful crisp, though it didn't overshadow the excellent, succulent flesh beneath it. I found the breast to be slightly drier (naturally), so I made sure to enjoy that first before delving into the dark meat. Haskell paired what he considered to be one of his favorite wines, a 1990 Chapoutier "La Sizeranne" Hermitage.


What made this pairing extraordinary was how the utter elegance and levity of the Hermitage brought out gentle spices and congealed the umami of the chicken skin and the juicy flesh in a rich meld. It made extravagance into a sort of familiarity, like what roasted chicken and red wine would be if waltzing in a ballroom. The sides of macaroni and cheese and pommes puree make the perfect accoutrements, rounding out any residual desire for creamy comfort.


On another occasion, I ordered a few appetizers from the bar menu before delving into the regular menu. Date poppers come wrapped in serrano ham, filled with an oozy gorgonzola and the piquance of jalapeno pepper. The medjool date's sweetness with the spice of pepper turns into a palate's delight when paired with Old Speckled Hen beer, the fizz of the beer bringing out the creamy blue cheese.


I also loved the pappardelle pasta, made fresh in house and tossed with a wild mushroom pork ragu, the pasta soaking up a rich, dark sauce and cradling chunks of delicious meat and mushroom. It makes for a great middle course, a portion not too large to wipe out the appetite for main courses.


Since I really enjoyed the single taste I had last time, I made sure to order the short ribs, which are braised to a tender bite and covered in a velvety jus sauce and placed on tangy red cabbage and a swath of parsnip puree. It'll make it you swoon when paired with a taste of Gigondas from Domaine de Montvac, the spice-filled aromas of the short rib magnified by the wine.


The fish entrees are even more impressive, showing a level of finesse with a foundation of classical cooking and a flair of modern California flavors. They both come placed on softened beans and a light broth or veloute. The Fijian escolar has a crisp skin and tastes nearly poached in buttery goodness. The black eyed peas were firmer than I thought, with a slight bite inside that reminded me of well-made risotto. A fin herb veloute and spinach pesto binds the flavors with a herby brightness.

I loved the seabass (shown above), placed skin-side up and crisped nicely. I loved the tender chanterelles, earthy and complex, placed with the white beans, which have a little more give than the black eyed peas. The lobster broth reminded me of a great monkfish dish I had at Downey's in Santa Barbara, though this dish had more robust flavors. Based on these two dishes alone, I'm convinced that one cannot find better seafood in a fine dining setting east of Downtown L.A.


We finished dinner with some cheeses. I asked for the wonderful Epoisses, runny and luscious. Haskell sources the legitimate stuff for Vertical, no easy feat considering our government's lame attempt to prevent us from tasting such a beautiful cheese. Cute mini baguettes come along on the cheeseboard.

After three meals at Vertical, I'm convinced that the days of Pasadena diners being mired in the blase throes of Cheesecake Factory or the stodgy menus of Maison Akira, Derek's Bistro, and Bistro 45 are over. There's a freshness, a wonderful repackaging of the elegant but swanky wine bistro in the heart of Old Pasadena's brick-laden district. Though new restaurants seem to sprout every few weeks in the area, I can see a commitment to perfectly executed fare that's helmed by a strong kitchen staff and served by one of the most professional waitstaffs in L.A. And what truly separates Vertical is the extraordinary pairing of the fare with superb wines by David Haskell.

The details are there: high-quality stemware and silverware. Chairs are pushed in, napkins are folded, menu details are enunciated properly, and dishes are whisked away at the exact time. And it's not just for my table, but for all the ones that I can see around me. I could almost fool myself into thinking I'm in Mid City, or perhaps even Midtown Manhattan.

Vertical Wine Bistro
Upstairs at 70 Raymond Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91103
626-795-3999