Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

08 Apr 2010

Ludo Bites 4.0 at Gram & Papa’s – Los Angeles (Downtown)

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Chef Ludo Lefebvre is a rock star. For starters, he doesn’t play by the brick and mortar rules. He pops up whenever and wherever he pleases, keeping diners firmly on their toes the entire time. Furthermore, when the chef unveils his chosen venue and releases dates, every seat in the house sells out within hours. Reservation systems have been known to malfunction due to his popularity. Not to mention, the man has more groupies than David Bowie does. His most devoted fans drop in several times a month and are sure to have their menus autographed afterward.

After bringing down the house at Royal/T last December and at BreadBar before that, Chef Ludo has set up shop at Downtown’s Gram & Papa’s. His two month engagement officially begins today and runs through May 28. Fortunately, I was one of a few lucky bloggers invited by Fooddigger to sit down for a sneak preview the evening before LudoBites 4.0‘s debut.

The new space is incredibly intimate. Every seat in the house offers a perfect view of the open kitchen, redefining the boundaries between diners and chef.

Our multi-course tasting began with individual-sized baguettes served with “Three Fat Textures.” While the clarified and brown butters were completely delicious, I found myself returning again and again to the bright white lavender-laced lard.

Following the bread course was a gorgeous plate of Gastrovac‘d fruits and vegetables. The centerpiece was a carrot salad with saffron creme anglaise. Cooked slow and low, the carrots retained their characteristic snap and sweetness. Pickled pearl onions and a plethora of citrus fruits (Meyer lemon, blood orange, Navel orange) brought pleasantly tart accents to the plate.

The dish that elicited the most ooh and ahhs was the “Egg, Potato Mousseline, Lobster, Borage Flower.” Hidden beneath the impossibly smooth layer of potato puree were hunks of butter poached lobster and a soft boiled egg. The intermingling of flavors between the lobster, potato, and silky yolk had us all swooning with delight.

Making its second appearance on the LudoBites tour was the foie gras croque-monsieur. The sandwich initially debuted at the tail end of LudoBites 2.0 and was brought back by popular demand. While it doesn’t look like much on the outside, Chef Ludo’s croque is something kind of wonderful. Sandwiched between two slices of squid ink-dyed bread is a luscious lobe of foie gras, ham, and cheese. A chutney of lemon, turnip, and seaweed provided a bold punch to balance out the richness. Will Chi, one of Fooddigger’s founders, missed the sandwich so much that he proclaimed “welcome home” as he took a bite. Welcome home, indeed.

Another terrific course was the Burgundy escargots with garlic flan and parsley jus. While I can’t say that this wildly different interpretation topped the classic Escargots de Bourgogne, I did appreciate how Chef Ludo turned the standard combination of ingredients completely on its head.

The only dish that left me wanting was the Columbian River King salmon with spring cabbage and juniper berries. While the fish was superbly cooked, the accouterments mostly fell flat and didn’t enhance the dish overall.

All thoughts of the lackluster salmon completely disappeared with the arrival of the peculiarly shaped Jidori chicken. The supple slab of poached white meat was topped with bits of fried skin and hazelnuts. The deconstructed chicken was impressively moist and crispy in all the right places. Pickled leeks with English peas, as well as a phenomenal bacon pudding, were on hand to mix and mingle. Having mastered the art of fried chicken, it seems that Chef Ludo is channeling his creativity toward rethinking roasted chicken.

The cheese course was comprised of a brie chantilly napoleon with honeycomb, balsamic, and frisee. The rind-less brie was whipped for two hours by hand Kitchen Aid, creating a luxuriously creamy texture not unlike butter. I’ve always loved pairing honey with cheese and was pleased to have bits of honeycomb to swipe my napoleon in.

The final course was a dark chocolate souffle with black pepper milk chocolate ice cream and chocolate cream. Served warm out of the oven, the souffle was light and ultra chocolaty. The black pepper milk chocolate ice cream, which was made with the most fragrant Indonesian black pepper, was surprisingly spicy and strangely addictive.

In a town where every other menu is crowded with sliders, bacon, and pork belly, Chef Ludo is seeking to do something different and memorable. Diners and critics may not always be thrilled with his jarring juxtapositions, but he’d rather be bold and fail, than predictable and popular. The beauty of LudoBites is the ever-evolving menu. Chef Ludo promises to introduce some really provocative dishes just as soon as he’s comfortable in his new space. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

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Ludo Bites at Gram & Papa’s
227 East 9th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: 213-624-7272

Restaurant Review

05 Apr 2010

Sage Cafe – Seattle

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Although it might not be apparent from the decadent morsels posted on this blog, there’s a little voice inside my head that keeps my diet in check. Whenever I’ve stuffed too many cupcakes or dumplings down my gullet, it pipes up to remind me that a little greenery wouldn’t hurt. The little voice is admittedly quieter while I’m on vacation, but it has its limits. After 36 hours of consuming little more than doughnuts, chowder, and ice cream, my body was hurting for some vegetables.

Fortunately, The Astronomer, Rosalind, and I were kickin’ it in Capitol Hill when the mood for roughage hit. The densely populated area is home to Seattle’s most happenin’ hipsters and virtuous vegetarians. A resident of the neighborhood, Rosalind led us to Sage Cafe (formerly Hillside Quickie’s Cafe), her favorite vegan sandwich shop in the city. With hearty nutrients in sight, the little voice cheered with glee.

According to the company’s website, Sage Cafe is a twenty-year-old family business that started in the back of a mini-van. From its humble roots, the local chain has become the leading Northwest company in the vegan Slow Food movement.

From the lengthy menu, I selected The Sweet Jamaican wrap ($11), which was comprised of jerk-spiced tofu in lavash bread with smoked yams, grilled sweet onions, tomatoes, coleslaw, lettuce, and vegan mayonnaise. The hefty package was neatly wrapped and bursting with freshness. The tastiest bites were the ones that paired the creamy yams with the spicy tofu. Let it be known that I am a meat eater with a soft spot for soy byproducts.

The Astronomer’s Thai Curried Gyro ($10) came with seitan, grilled onions, and heirloom tomatoes on Egyptian flat bread. The sandwich turned out to be a knife and fork affair since the oozy contents could not be contained. The wrap was pretty darn tasty with its curried innards, but sadly was a big ‘ol mess to behold and eat. Food should be a feast for the eyes and mouth.

Rosalind’s El Besito Caliente burger ($11) was a tremendous mouthful of grilled tofustrami (tofu with pastrami seasonings), avocado, cucumbers, caramelized red onions, and tomatoes. A vegan lime chipotle mayonnaise moistened the burger from top to bottom. The “spicy little kiss” packed a lot of heat and was the most delightful veggie burger I’ve ever tasted.

Sage Cafe was just what my body craved on this sunny afternoon in Seattle.

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Sage Cafe
324 15th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98112
Phone: 206-325-6429

Restaurant Review

03 Apr 2010

Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream – Seattle

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As fate would have it, a week before my trip Serious Eats posted about a Seattle-based shop that served ice cream for breakfast. I generally have no desire to eat the cold and sweet stuff anytime before noon, but the chance to go against my sensibilities proved too enticing to pass up. On our second morning in the city, The Astronomer and I met up with Rosalind at Molly Moon’s in Capitol Hill. Even though we felt a little naughty indulging in dessert for breakfast, we proceeded into the shop anyway.

Molly Moon Neitzel has been serving artisanal ice creams and sorbets to discerning Seattleites since the spring of 2008. She currently has two stores in the city and is hoping to open additional posts in the future.

The rainbow of flavors served in her shops are all made using cream from local cows and fruits and herbs grown nearby. Even the chocolate that’s used in the shop is from a Seattle-based company, Theo Chocolate. During our visit, salted caramel, “scout” mint, and Starburst all caught my eye.

The flavors on offer sounded delightful, but we kept our eyes on the prize and ordered ice cream for breakfast ($6). The off-the-menu treat was comprised of a cup of steel-cut oatmeal topped with a scoop of maple bacon ice cream. It also included unlimited access to the toppings bar where all the mixed berries, candied ginger, and candied bacon I desired could be had.

What I liked best about this unusual concoction was the intense contrast between the frozen ice cream and hot oatmeal. When the two opposing fronts collided in my mouth, a storm of goodness was inevitable. I also liked how the presence of whole grains assuaged any guilt I had for consuming such a decadent little number. The only thing that could’ve made this creation even better would have been saltier and smokier bacon, both in the ice cream and scattered on top. The sweet and savory interplay that I was hoping for was totally missing.

Eating ice cream for breakfast was definitely a fun diversion from the usual bananas and cereal, but not crazy-delicious enough to partake in on a regular basis. After we left the shop, we went straight to the grocery store to procure some fruit.

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Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream
917 East Pine Street
Seattle, WA 98122
Phone: 206-708-7947