GET HIP TO THE NEW MINX.Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic Can a restaurant be sleek and classy without tablecloths? The new Minx in Glendale evidently believes so. If Wolfgang Puck's posh new Cut steakery in the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel owned by the Four Seasons people, can do without table linen, why can't Minx? Minx, a gussied-up, mod, hip version of the former Rusty Pelican, has a hotshot chef in Joseph Antonishek, a black-clad staff, comprising mostly women -- even the parking attendants -- and fairly reasonable dinner prices. In its preofficial opening days, it has been readying what the restaurant hopes will be an action-packed nightclub and a flashy freeway view patio for al fresco dining and drinking. Meanwhile, Antonishek's kitchen turns out a menu of basically comfort food with some intriguing twists, mostly in the accompaniments. For example the roasted pork tenderloin ($24) here materializes as a juicy, firm piece of meat brushed with cracked pepper and plated with a custardy caramelized cauliflower cauliflower (kô`lĭflou'ər, käl`ĭ–), variety of cabbage, with an edible head of condensed flowers and flower stems. Broccoli is the horticultural variety (botrytis); both were cultivated in Roman times. flan, thin-sliced grilled cauliflower and wonton puffs stuffed with ginger-flavored diced red cabbage. Chef Antonishek's roasted Muscovy duck breast ($27) is five-spice flavored, sliced nicely, perhaps a mite past its rarer peak but still quite delicious. It comes forth with a sweet corn pancake bed, rich slices of sauteed foie gras, a slant-cut spring roll stuffed with duck confit and a sweetish ginger-enhanced au jus saucing. Purplish-pink rack of lamb Noun 1. rack of lamb - a roast of the rib section of lamb crown roast rack - rib section of a forequarter of veal or pork or especially lamb or mutton lamb roast, roast lamb - a cut of lamb suitable for roasting ($24), moist and tender, arrives with a tingly harissa ha·ris·sa n. A spicy North African sauce made from chili peppers, garlic, cumin, and other seasonings. [Arabic har glaze, crunchy yellow beans and manchego mashers, the latter a substitute for the listed mint- flavored couscous cous·cous n. 1. A pasta of North African origin made of crushed and steamed semolina. 2. A North African dish consisting of pasta steamed with a meat and vegetable stew. salad. 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. tuna ($24) here gets the royal treatment, having been rubbed with green mango powder and teamed with banana fritters, a lively mango- enhanced Napa cabbage slaw slaw n. Chiefly Southern U.S. Coleslaw. Noun 1. slaw - basically shredded cabbage coleslaw salad - food mixtures either arranged on a plate or tossed and served with a moist dressing; usually consisting of and a tamarind-boosted vinaigrette. In contrast, the braised braise tr.v. braised, brais·ing, brais·es To cook (meat or vegetables) by browning in fat, then simmering in a small quantity of liquid in a covered container. short-rib entree ($26) seems almost plain by comparison, with lobster-studded mashed potatoes, a tiny ``package'' of white heirloom beans and its restrained drizzle of creamy corn sauce. Minx diners need never worry about the possibility of Antonishek's fare being dull or boring. His two dozen starter offerings include five skewered little goodies: beef ($4), shrimp ($3), scallop scallop or pecten, marine bivalve mollusk. Like its close relative the oyster, the scallop has no siphons, the mantle being completely open, but it differs from other mollusks in that both mantle edges have a row of steely blue "eyes" and ($3), ahi tuna ($3) and chicken ($2) creations, each with different Asian-inspired preparations, that together provide a fun way to begin a meal for a couple or threesome. The soup du jour ($8) under this chef's direction could never be ordinary. One day it was a lilting, creamy sunchoke sun·choke n. See Jerusalem artichoke. [sun + (arti)choke.] Noun 1. soup. And, of course, there's sushi. Several sushi rolls can be ordered ($7 to $14), of which there's a changing du jour roll that will certainly tickle raw fish fancies. One day recently it was a skillfully crafted caterpillar roll ($12) of lobster, eel and tuna, happily shared by three diners. Also shareable and worth trying are a trio of ravioli ($9), round, soft, generously filled with an eggplant, squash and zucchini mixture and nestled in a red pepper coulis cou·lis n. A thick sauce made of puréed fruit or vegetables: raspberry coulis. [French, strained liquid, from Old French couleis, from Vulgar Latin , and cubed filet mignon tartare
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As for sweet endings ($8 each), the best efforts of pastry chef Dadi Revivo Janisch are his three-leches coconut cake and his berry and tomatillo crumble. Every serving of Minx food inspires curiosity and gets every diner interested in companions' orders. Consequently, there's incessant passing and tasting of each others' food. So that even if you're messy and spill or drop stuff on the table, you really needn't worry. Remember, here at Minx, there isn't a tablecloth to stain. Larry Lipson co-hosts ``What's Cooking?'' a restaurant, wine and food talk show that airs from 8 to 9 a.m. Wednesdays nationally on Cable Radio Network (CRN CRN Computer Reseller News CRN Crown CRN Council for Responsible Nutrition CRN Crane CRN Community Recycling Network CRN Course Reference Number CRN Center for Responsible Nanotechnology CRN Cornish (SIL code, UK) ) and National Radio Network (NRN NRN Nation's Restaurant News NRN No Reply Necessary NRN Non Resident Nepali Association NRN Not Right Now NRN National Research Networks NRN New Republic Navy (gaming) NRN Network Routing Number (AT&T) ), heard locally on KPXN-TV (PAX) Channel 30 SAP; Adelphia Santa Monica on C 74 SAP; Adelphia San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. on Channel 1/97 SAP and 25; Time Warner West Valley on Channel 6 SAP and 960; AT&T on Channel 6 in the Valley and Channel 44 SAP in Los Angeles; Charter Communications on Channel 33 SAP; Adelphia Lancaster on Channel 37; Adelphia Simi Valley on Channel 8; Charter in Hidden Hills/Malibu/Agoura on cable FM 97.5; Avenue TV Cable Ventura on Channel 83; Charter San Gabriel Valley The San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of southern California. It lies to the east of the city of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and to the west of the Inland Empire. on Channel 34 SAP and Channel 56; Time Warner Canyon Country on Channel 960; Time Warner South Pasadena on Channel 6 and 960. Larry Lipson, (818) 713-3668 larry.lipson(at)dailynews.com MINX Food: Three and one half stars - Service: Three stars - Wine: One and one half stars Where: 300 Harvey Drive, Glendale. Phone: (818) 242-9191. Meals/hours: Open for weekday lunch (beginning Monday) from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., for weekend brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. nightly, to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Food type: International. Cost: Starters from $7 to $16, entrees from $18 to $32, desserts $8 each. Credit cards: All major. Patio dining: Due to debut later this month. Parking/valet: All-female valet parking attendants. $3 per car. Full bar: Yes. Wine/Corkage: Highly marked-up list of mostly well-known labels. Vintage-dated bottlings are priced from $28 to $600 with 28 available by the glass ticketed from $7 to $13. Corkage: $20. Music/entertainment: Nightclub featuring DJs (Minx Lounge) opens Saturday. Takeout/delivery: Yes on takeout, no on delivery. Reservations: Helpful. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Minx's executive chef, Joseph Antonishek, displays some of the imaginative fare offered on the Glendale restaurant's menu. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer |
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