Ninethirty at the W Hotel in Brentwood is a calm dinner spot, with impeccable service and strong drinks. A muted atmosphere, with equally muted décor, is punctuated subtly with huge, unframed black and white photos of music legends like Elvis Costello and Diana Krall.
A fairly comprehensive wine list complements a menu whose starters are heavy on the seafood and veg, with mains tending more towards meats. The Dark Knight and I visited this restaurant last night before heading to a party at the hotel lounge. We enjoyed the warm bread selection (cheese bread for him, olive bread for me) as we contemplated the menu. Everything looked appealing, but we decided against an opening course.
The Dark Knight adored his Sonoma lamb chops, cooked perfectly and seasoned delicately. Their subtly gamey flavor was not overwhelmed by the blue cheese gnocchi (“Pillows of love!” exclaimed the Dark Knight upon first bite) and caramelized cipollini onions.
My smoked duck leg confit was tender and falling off the bone, as confit should be. Beautifully crisped skin added a nice textural contrast, though I found it a bit salty. This was easily rectified with a bit of the sweet sherry BBQ sauce that surrounded the dish. The warm mushroom and frisee salad balanced the flavors as well, with a nice bite coming from the greens. Try as I might to control myself, I couldn’t help but also take a few bites of the sweet potato mash resting beneath the salad. It was almost too good—I had to stop myself from finishing this creamy mound of goodness.
The Tantara Shiraz (2004) that I paired with my entrée was a lovely counterpoint to the strong flavors of my food. Heady and robust, this wine’s hearty mouthfeel and slightly strong tannins cut through the oiliness inherent in duck confit. A successful pairing, though not one I would have thought of without a recommendation towards an Australian wine from our server.
For dessert, the Dark Knight and I shared the black and white “banana” cream pie. The bananas were served to the side of the pie, their tops crisply bruleed. The chocolate mousse layer atop this creamy confection was rich and a little too stiff. It crushed the lower layer, a light and fluffy banana mousse that sat on a disc of soft chocolate cookie crumbs. Drizzled with a rum gastrique reminiscent of bananas Foster sauce, this made for a satisfyingly sweet end to our meal.
I’m not sure if the Dark Knight and I will venture to this restaurant again, unless there’s yet another party for us to attend in the area. It was delicious, certainly, but tasty enough to warrant the trek from the Eastside? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Maybe we’ll try again next season to see what the chef has up his sleeves for the winter.
Ninethirty
W Hotel Los Angeles - Brentwood
930 Hilgard Ave.
LA, CA 90024
27 September 2007
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