CHEZ'S CUISINE WORTH GETTING AFFECTIONATE OVER.Byline: Larry Lipson Daily News Restaurant Critic The Chez chez prep. At the home of; at or by. [French, from Old French, from Latin casa, cottage, hut.] chez prep at the home of [French] seems like a silly name for a restaurant until you find out that it's the affectionate name used by the owners and staff for their Chez Melange mé·lange also me·lange n. A mixture: "[a] building crowned with a mélange of antennae and satellite dishes" Howard Kaplan. in Redondo Beach Redondo Beach (rĭdŏn`dō), city (1990 pop. 60,167), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on the Pacific Ocean; inc. 1892. Once a commercial port for Los Angeles, it is a residential and resort city with a protected harbor and an excellent marina. . The people who own Chez Melange and several other South Bay restaurants have ventured forth to uptown Los Angeles with the acquisition of the restaurant facility formerly called Sylvie, and before that, Rox, in the Beverly Prescott Hotel. So, in honor of their very successful flagship restaurant, they dubbed it the Chez. And they've brought some of those good suburban restaurant values with them. Like not charging an arm and a leg for everything simply because the dining room sits in a very chic hotel building. And by presenting a menu of dynamic-looking food that will please a wide range of tastes, from travelers who prefer down-to-earth meat-and-potato dishes to local foodies who want a bit of adventure, a touch of exotica ex·ot·i·ca pl.n. Things that are curiously unusual or excitingly strange: such gustatory exotica as killer bee honey and fresh catnip sauce. on their plate. Chef Michael Shafer isn't scared to put a little spicy zing into his recipes. And those that show it best are his delectable Thai-style, beer-steamed dumplings ($6.95), his spicy fried oysters ($5.50) and his swordfish swordfish, large food and game fish, Xiphias gladius, of the warmer Atlantic and Pacific waters, related to the sailfish. It is named for its sharp, broad, elongated upper jaw, which it uses to flail and pierce its prey of smaller fish, rising beneath a school brushed with a creamed wasabi (green horseradish horseradish Hardy perennial plant (Armoracia lapathifolia) of the mustard family, native to Mediterranean lands and grown throughout the temperate zones. Its hotly pungent, fleshy root is used as a condiment and is traditionally considered medicinal. paste) sauce ($12.95 for lunch, $18.95 for dinner). Steaks and other meats (filet mignon, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of pepper steak, lamb chops, Cajun meatloaf) are juicy, well-portioned, full-flavored and share plate honors with a variety of accompaniments. Flavored mashed potatoes are a favorite of Shafer's and work very well with the meats. Vegetables, usually cooked al dente, seem to be picked for color, texture and natural affinity to the main item. Sauces are usually rich wine reductions. One of these reductions comes with the meatlike portobello por·to·bel·lo or por·ta·bel·la or por·to·bel·la n. pl. por·to·bel·los or por·ta·bel·las A mature, very large cremini mushroom. [Origin unknown.] mushroom appetizer ($7.95), a dramatic-looking dish with incredibly deep, lasting taste. Other Shafer triumphs include puffy crab and shrimp cakes ($8.95) and a nifty take on a tostada with seared sear 1 v. seared, sear·ing, sears v.tr. 1. To char, scorch, or burn the surface of with or as if with a hot instrument. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. ahi tuna ($8.95). For the best ending at the Chez try the melange a trois ($6.50) with creme caramel, creme brulee and chocolate mousse. THE FACTS The restaurant: The Chez. Where: Beverly Prescott Hotel, 1224 S. Beverwil Drive, Los Angeles. When: Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks for breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m. weekdays, for brunch from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays, for dinner from 5:30 to 10 p.m. nightly except Sunday, from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday; lounge menu from 2:30 to 11 p.m. nightly. Behind the scenes: Michael Franks and Robert Bell are co-owners. Michael Shafer is chef and co-owner. Recommended items: Thai dumplings steamed in amber ale, spicy fried oysters, Pacific Rim tostadas, grilled portobello mushroom in red wine sauce, Dungeness crab and shrimp cake, Cajun meatloaf, lamb chops with gorgonzola mashed potatoes, wasabi painted swordfish, pepper steak with shrimp and mushrooms, filet mignon with pesto mashed potatoes, melange a trois (creme brulee, creme caramel, chocolate mousse), lemon tart brulee with orange sauce. How much: Starters from $4 to $13, pizzas and pastas from $9 to $15, entrees from $12 to $22, desserts from $4.50 to $6.50. Full bar. All major credit cards. Wine list: Good variety of choices (78 bottlings) and welcome list of seven half bottles (from $10 to $32). Full-bottle prices range from $13 to $130 and include eight under $20. Recommended red wine sleeper: Peterson 1994 Dry Creek Barbera ($21). Corkage cork·age n. A charge exacted at a restaurant for every bottle of liquor served that was not bought on the premises. corkage Noun a charge made at a restaurant for serving wine bought elsewhere : $7.50. Reservations: Suggested. Call (310) 772-2999. Our rating: four stars for food; three and 1/2 stars for service; three and 1/2 stars for wine. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion