My lady and I have been meaning to check the place out for quite some time now. We have been to another of the owner's places (Bin26 Enoteca) a few years back and enjoyed the experience. The place has a similar vibe, but on a larger scale since Bin26 is located on a very small place along Charles street in Boston. The choice was made even easier by the return of Restaurant week.
We started by Moseying over to the bar and having a drink. We had an interesting drink made with a bitter liqueur called Amaro. It was refreshing but it seemed a little pricey at $10 a drink.
We finally sat down for dinner, and as it is usually the case, one of us orders from the RW menu, and one orders a la carte. They had 3-course menus for both options, and the price difference was minimal between the two (an oddity in most other times we've done RW). I chose a chicken wing appetizer and the lady chose the Carne Cruda (Beef Tartar). The Carne cruda was excellent. The celery pesto was a bit strong but still paired well with the beef. The wings were a little bland. they sat in what looked like a celery puree, but I really could not tell. It in fact seemed to "suck" the flavor out of the wings making them taste even less of them. It seems odd, but I can't describe it any other way.
For the main dish, the lady selected the Bistecca (steak) with the creamed cauliflower, peppers and spinach, medium. I chose the Agnello (lamb), medium-rare with the vegetable caponata and grilled polenta with herbs. For wine, we chose their featured nebbiolo (can't remember the label).
For some reason, the kitchen messed up both preparations by at least two levels. Her steak was well done and my lamb was medium well. Neither dish was "destroyed", but they certainly missed the mark. It could be that they could not properly control the final rest temperature of the meats because of their small size. Mind you: I'm not complaining about the dish sizes-which were small but fine-but rather about the lack of attention to the resting temperature. The only saving grace was that somehow the dishes still tasted good enough to eat. I must have had the laziest lamb ever because it had none of the characteristic "gamey" taste associated with lamb cooked past medium doneness. The Polenta was excellent, and it helped in overlooking the meat faux-pas.
The Lady's dish suffered from the same ailment, sans the goodness of the polenta. The cauliflower was like a buffer between the caponata and the beef. It really brought nothing of note to the dish. If you've ever made cauliflower puree, you know that it needs a lot of help (especially when used as a replacement for mashed potatoes, which are nothing more than a delivery mechanism for butter, cream and whatever else tasty-but-bad you want to put in them), but alas, these had none :( Her steak was still quite good despite being overcooked for her taste, so that helped.
The dessert was the highlight of the meal. It was a simple dark chocolate gelato that tasted like it was made just before serving. The flavors were bright and fresh along with a great, intense dark chocolate flavor.
Meal preparation notwithstanding, the entire staff were extremely nice and our waiter was excellent. I only wished that the meal matched their enthusiasm.
Would I recommend Bina to a friend? I'm not sure. I guess I'd say the staff was great and the place is very nice, but I'd be wary of at least ordering meats there, since (based on my experience) they tend to overcook them. Considering their usual (high) dinner prices, I'd say go there for a nice drink and maybe an appetizer, but that's about it.
I do recall the waiter telling us that they usually carry two menus (inside/outside tables), so maybe the outside menu is executed better?
Later,
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
AOC: A good hangout in west LA
After yesterday's documented so-so foray, I was juggling between two choices: A comfortable choice like BLT Steak, or a new venture like AOC. I decided to take the one mile each way walk to AOC instead.
Being still in-between the east coast and west coast time, I showed up "early" at 7:30 for some eats and plenty of wine. They have a pretty good selection of wines by the glass, although I would have hoped a more extensive champagne offering and more mature vintages, overall the list is pretty good.
The place offers small sampler platters a-la tapas (many of them Spanish inspired) and they recommend about 3 per person. The prices are not exactly cheap, but definitely average for a typical tapas bar.
My starter was a fried squid, arugula, and radish salad with a garlicky remoulade that was actually quite good. I chose to have the Albariño (Cambiata), and it was a decent choice. The acidity and citrus notes worked well with the greens and even put up a fight with the garlic. I couldn't ask for more.
Next I chose to have a glass of a Cremant de Borgogne rosé (Parigot & Richard) offered in the sparking list. It was probably the first sparkling rosé I actually felt like I liked, For the most part, rosés are simply boring. They have a beautiful nose, but when it comes to flavor, they just don't seem to deliver. The next dish was roasted dates with parmagianno and bacon. I was shocked to see the cremant actually "survive" the dates. I've had a similar dish that is much stronger (serrano ham and cabrales cheese) which would have destroyed the rosé, but this one actually worked relatively well. A pleasant surprise.
Next was a half glass of Ribera del Duero (Valduero) that played okay with the figs.The structure and tannins actually stood up to the sweetness of the figs, but not as good as I hoped.
Next was a very good combination of tetilla cheese pan fried with membrillo (quince paste) and romesco. The cheese crisped very well almost to the point of making you believe it was bread. It gave you the illusion of a grilled cheese with all the other goodies. the romesco sauce seemed darker than I remember. I don't know if it bought anything to the taste buds, for overall the dish was good. I chose a Savigny les Beaune by Jean luc Dubois that had this nice floral nose and delicate flavor. The cheese actually didn't overpower it.
The waitress offered a suggestion of grilled mussel skewers with back fat (uncured bacon) that I chose to have with the rest of a rosé. She was nice enough to bring me a taste of a fumé blanc they had in the list that was amazingly good. Fumé blanc is not part of the wines I tend to request, but this one was a pleasant surprise. It had the strong mineral and petrol notes of a Riesling, but with a more pronounced citrus component. The acidity worked great with the mussels. The rosé had all the typical complaints: great nose, but average taste. I guess not for me :)
I had to push it and get dessert (good thing the place was a mile walk each way). I was really hoping they'd serve me a glass of Kracher #6, but alas, it was available only by the bottle. I had to switch gears and get a dark chocolate torte with a glass of LBV port. A very good match indeed. I would have hoped they had some Brachetto d' aqui(Rosa Regale), but no dice.
My only small "beef" is that all wines by the glass were quite young. I wish they had some mature offerings. Considering the price of glasses, I think it wouldn't be too bad of a stretch.
I even broke a sweat walking back to the hotel, but it felt good. I felt satisfied with the service, the food, and the ambiance. It was not a cheap dinner by any one's standards, but it was definitely fun. I could only wish my lady were here with me to enjoy...
On the way back, I waled by a sushi bar packed with Japanese people waiting to get in. Now, that sounds promising!
Later,
Being still in-between the east coast and west coast time, I showed up "early" at 7:30 for some eats and plenty of wine. They have a pretty good selection of wines by the glass, although I would have hoped a more extensive champagne offering and more mature vintages, overall the list is pretty good.
The place offers small sampler platters a-la tapas (many of them Spanish inspired) and they recommend about 3 per person. The prices are not exactly cheap, but definitely average for a typical tapas bar.
My starter was a fried squid, arugula, and radish salad with a garlicky remoulade that was actually quite good. I chose to have the Albariño (Cambiata), and it was a decent choice. The acidity and citrus notes worked well with the greens and even put up a fight with the garlic. I couldn't ask for more.
Next I chose to have a glass of a Cremant de Borgogne rosé (Parigot & Richard) offered in the sparking list. It was probably the first sparkling rosé I actually felt like I liked, For the most part, rosés are simply boring. They have a beautiful nose, but when it comes to flavor, they just don't seem to deliver. The next dish was roasted dates with parmagianno and bacon. I was shocked to see the cremant actually "survive" the dates. I've had a similar dish that is much stronger (serrano ham and cabrales cheese) which would have destroyed the rosé, but this one actually worked relatively well. A pleasant surprise.
Next was a half glass of Ribera del Duero (Valduero) that played okay with the figs.The structure and tannins actually stood up to the sweetness of the figs, but not as good as I hoped.
Next was a very good combination of tetilla cheese pan fried with membrillo (quince paste) and romesco. The cheese crisped very well almost to the point of making you believe it was bread. It gave you the illusion of a grilled cheese with all the other goodies. the romesco sauce seemed darker than I remember. I don't know if it bought anything to the taste buds, for overall the dish was good. I chose a Savigny les Beaune by Jean luc Dubois that had this nice floral nose and delicate flavor. The cheese actually didn't overpower it.
The waitress offered a suggestion of grilled mussel skewers with back fat (uncured bacon) that I chose to have with the rest of a rosé. She was nice enough to bring me a taste of a fumé blanc they had in the list that was amazingly good. Fumé blanc is not part of the wines I tend to request, but this one was a pleasant surprise. It had the strong mineral and petrol notes of a Riesling, but with a more pronounced citrus component. The acidity worked great with the mussels. The rosé had all the typical complaints: great nose, but average taste. I guess not for me :)
I had to push it and get dessert (good thing the place was a mile walk each way). I was really hoping they'd serve me a glass of Kracher #6, but alas, it was available only by the bottle. I had to switch gears and get a dark chocolate torte with a glass of LBV port. A very good match indeed. I would have hoped they had some Brachetto d' aqui(Rosa Regale), but no dice.
My only small "beef" is that all wines by the glass were quite young. I wish they had some mature offerings. Considering the price of glasses, I think it wouldn't be too bad of a stretch.
I even broke a sweat walking back to the hotel, but it felt good. I felt satisfied with the service, the food, and the ambiance. It was not a cheap dinner by any one's standards, but it was definitely fun. I could only wish my lady were here with me to enjoy...
On the way back, I waled by a sushi bar packed with Japanese people waiting to get in. Now, that sounds promising!
Later,
Monday, June 8, 2009
Comme Ça: so-so
It's been a while since I felt the "need" to share stuff about what I like. Mainly, it's been due to what I mentioned before (broken hand), and some due to the economic situation. Well, things are starting to get back to "normal", so I have been able to indulge in the occasional dining out foray.
This time, I'm back on the west coast on some business around west Hollywood where there's a restaurant in practically every corner. I am going to try my best to sample as many interesting places as I can.
Today, I searched the web and some local mags for some suggestions. This place (Comme Ça) popped up on the list as a french bistro fare, and google maps put it a few blocks away, so I decided to give it a try.
The place is on Melrose avenue in a nicely decorated place that attempts to give you the feel of a french bistro in what feels like an American way. There's a nice bar as well as a cheese "bar" close to the maitre d' where a lovely lady was working on cheese platters.
I ordered a glass of '04 Bordeaux that I cannot remember the name (it was just OK), a roasted beet salad with goat cheese for the starter dish, Duck confit for the main course, and decided to finish with a raspberry breton for dessert.
The salad was reasonably well executed. I would have hoped the beets were warm, but they were nonetheless good. The dressing worked well with the vegetables as well as the herbed goat cheese.
The main dish was rather strange: The menu said Confit leg of duck with roasted potatoes and caramelized onions. I got the aforementioned ingredients, but with a bizarre (to me) addition: a mound of cold, regular run-of-the-mill cole slaw between the duck and the roasted vegetables. I even had to ask the waiter if they had put the slaw there by mistake. He claimed that is was "a new preparation". That it was...
If you happen to enjoy duck confit as much as I do, you can think of many things that could complement it. KFC-style cole slaw isn't one of them!
Imagine beautifully roasted vegetables covered in a coating of lukewarm mayonnaise and mustard dressing. Or how about the terrible texture of lukewarm cole slaw against a very hot piece of meat that is not:
a) BBQ
b) Fried chicken
I like cole slaw. It has its place- and duck confit is not one of them! I could even forgive a fancy sweeter slaw with a flavor profile similar to a currant reduction or some other duck complimentary fruit, but not fracking mayonnaise!
you can tell I have a very strong opinion about this
I proceeded to move the slaw as far from the actual stuff as possible. The rest of the items were very well prepared. The confit was crunchy and falling off the bone; the potatoes were roasted perfectly as well as the caramelized onions. It paired pretty well with the Bordeaux, although the tannins interfered a few times. An otherwise fine dish, except for the KFC offense...
The dessert was good. The berries were fresh and very juicy. The shortcake was a little too cold, which tended to mute some of the other flavors. This dish also had a superfluous addition of smoked salted nuts. They were relatively good, but it didn't seem to add anything to the dessert (except more questions)
The wait staff was actually pretty good. I got there relatively early in the evening, so the place was less than 1/2 full. The staff paid good attention to me throughout the meal. Everyone was pretty friendly and offered suggestions when prompted, which is great.
I don't know: maybe I caught the chef in a special mood and paid the price for his faux-pas. If that's the case, then I can understand. But if this is the normal way of things at Comme Ça, then I'd hate to think of them appropriately "so-so".
Let's hope tomorrow brings a better experience.
Later,
This time, I'm back on the west coast on some business around west Hollywood where there's a restaurant in practically every corner. I am going to try my best to sample as many interesting places as I can.
Today, I searched the web and some local mags for some suggestions. This place (Comme Ça) popped up on the list as a french bistro fare, and google maps put it a few blocks away, so I decided to give it a try.
The place is on Melrose avenue in a nicely decorated place that attempts to give you the feel of a french bistro in what feels like an American way. There's a nice bar as well as a cheese "bar" close to the maitre d' where a lovely lady was working on cheese platters.
I ordered a glass of '04 Bordeaux that I cannot remember the name (it was just OK), a roasted beet salad with goat cheese for the starter dish, Duck confit for the main course, and decided to finish with a raspberry breton for dessert.
The salad was reasonably well executed. I would have hoped the beets were warm, but they were nonetheless good. The dressing worked well with the vegetables as well as the herbed goat cheese.
The main dish was rather strange: The menu said Confit leg of duck with roasted potatoes and caramelized onions. I got the aforementioned ingredients, but with a bizarre (to me) addition: a mound of cold, regular run-of-the-mill cole slaw between the duck and the roasted vegetables. I even had to ask the waiter if they had put the slaw there by mistake. He claimed that is was "a new preparation". That it was...
If you happen to enjoy duck confit as much as I do, you can think of many things that could complement it. KFC-style cole slaw isn't one of them!
Imagine beautifully roasted vegetables covered in a coating of lukewarm mayonnaise and mustard dressing. Or how about the terrible texture of lukewarm cole slaw against a very hot piece of meat that is not:
a) BBQ
b) Fried chicken
I like cole slaw. It has its place- and duck confit is not one of them! I could even forgive a fancy sweeter slaw with a flavor profile similar to a currant reduction or some other duck complimentary fruit, but not fracking mayonnaise!
you can tell I have a very strong opinion about this
I proceeded to move the slaw as far from the actual stuff as possible. The rest of the items were very well prepared. The confit was crunchy and falling off the bone; the potatoes were roasted perfectly as well as the caramelized onions. It paired pretty well with the Bordeaux, although the tannins interfered a few times. An otherwise fine dish, except for the KFC offense...
The dessert was good. The berries were fresh and very juicy. The shortcake was a little too cold, which tended to mute some of the other flavors. This dish also had a superfluous addition of smoked salted nuts. They were relatively good, but it didn't seem to add anything to the dessert (except more questions)
The wait staff was actually pretty good. I got there relatively early in the evening, so the place was less than 1/2 full. The staff paid good attention to me throughout the meal. Everyone was pretty friendly and offered suggestions when prompted, which is great.
I don't know: maybe I caught the chef in a special mood and paid the price for his faux-pas. If that's the case, then I can understand. But if this is the normal way of things at Comme Ça, then I'd hate to think of them appropriately "so-so".
Let's hope tomorrow brings a better experience.
Later,
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Been off the air for a while
I've been on the D/L since I broke a hand and ran into other fun problems. I will start posting more regularly once the whole situation gets back to "normal"... whatever that is :)
Windows Mobile 6: GPS device settings lost after installing FakeGPS
This is not the usual subject matter, but since it happened to me, and I could not really find a solution through the great Google, here it is:
If you happen to develop mobile apps, and you're tinkering with location-aware apps, beware that if for some reason you install the FakeGPS utility on the actual target(a bad idea), it will happily disable your integrated GPS device! The best part is, the uninstaller will not restore your old settings, and you will then have one of two choices:
The "good" thing is that WinMo6 has the concept of an intermediate driver that allows you to swap between device ports while shielding the apps from the changes. It's basically a COM port proxy. The FakeGPS utility overwrites the default GPS driver entry for the intermediate device driver.
In \HLKM\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Drivers, change the CurrentDriver entry to read:
GPSOneDevice
Exit whatever registry editor you're using, then power cycle (not a soft reset) the device to ensure the registry hive is flushed and saved.
Once you restart the device, the GPS should work again.
Later,
If you happen to develop mobile apps, and you're tinkering with location-aware apps, beware that if for some reason you install the FakeGPS utility on the actual target(a bad idea), it will happily disable your integrated GPS device! The best part is, the uninstaller will not restore your old settings, and you will then have one of two choices:
- Hard-reset the device (and wipe out everything)
- Roll up your sleeves and modify the registry
The "good" thing is that WinMo6 has the concept of an intermediate driver that allows you to swap between device ports while shielding the apps from the changes. It's basically a COM port proxy. The FakeGPS utility overwrites the default GPS driver entry for the intermediate device driver.
In \HLKM\System\CurrentControlSet\GPS Intermediate Driver\Drivers, change the CurrentDriver entry to read:
GPSOneDevice
Exit whatever registry editor you're using, then power cycle (not a soft reset) the device to ensure the registry hive is flushed and saved.
Once you restart the device, the GPS should work again.
Later,
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