Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

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03 Jan 2020

Bon Temps – Los Angeles (Downtown)

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Happy 2020, everyone! Thank you for making Gastronomy a part of your internet surfing routine. I dined out far more frequently than I blogged in 2019, so I still have a few more meals to recount before diving into the new year. Now up is Bon Temps, my favorite Los Angeles restaurant experience in 2019.

Chef Lincoln Carson is making magnificent food at Bon Temps, his newish and French-ish restaurant in the Arts District. From start to finish, every single dish dazzled and delighted with the kind of polish that can only be honed over time and tenure.

There were cocktails to start for me and my dining companion Thien. For her, a “3rd & Revolucion” with tequila reposado, aperitivo, lemon, pineapple, and spice ($15). And for me, predictably, a cognac Old Fashioned with grand Champagne cognac, maraschino, absinthe, and bitters ($14).

First to arrive was a complimentary fougasse, a crisp and rich loaf with preserved lemons and leeks.

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Restaurant Review

31 Dec 2019

Portland Provisions: Nordic delicacies, fish sauce wings, and more

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When work required travel to Portland, I tacked on a few extra days and brought The Astronomer and June along on my Pacific Northwest jaunt. With beautiful fall weather on our side, we enjoyed a wonderful stay that included a bit of everything that we love—urban cityscapes, tax-free gourmet dining, natural wonders, and hours spent reading at Powell’s Books. As far as family vacations go, this one ranks somewhere near the top along with Maui.

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Canard – Industrial District

As soon as we deplaned at PDX, The Astronomer, June, and I grabbed a Lyft and high-tailed it to Gabriel Rucker’s Canard for a late lunch. I dined at his finer restaurant Le Pigeon when I visited in 2013. The chiller vibe here made it the perfect spot to kick off our trip.

We feasted on oeufs en mayonnaise with trout roe and maple syrup ($8), a ham jam sandwich with goat cheese butter ($8), the greatest cinnamon toast ever ($4), some French toast with oranges and creme anglaise ($8), a magnificent steam burger ($6), and a “duck stack” ($16).

Though we were so very stuffed following the savories, we couldn’t leave without trying the apple pie Paris brest with salted caramel cream and gruyere streusel ($10). You’d be proud to know that we ate every last crumb of every single dish.

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Restaurant Review

30 Dec 2019

Shibumi – Los Angeles (Downtown)

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My dining companion and I weren’t quite sure what to expect as we sat down at Shibumi‘s 400-year old cypress counter. It was a Thursday evening and the crowds were slow to arrive. Eventually the 40-seat room filled up with folks who knew their way around the place, and Chef David Schlosser hit his groove, moving in and out of the kitchen to make sure that everyone was well taken care of.

After settling on the $95 omakase, we kicked back with an Old Fashioned each ($16) and awaited the parade of kappo-style dishes. The term kappo, which technically means “to cut and to cook,” also describes Shibumi’s style of cooking:

…a less formal cuisine that emphasizes the proximity between the diner and the chef who is cutting and cooking the food.

As we sipped our drinks, a few “rare tastes” (chinmi) in the form of house-made fermented seafood arrived.

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