THIS ONE IS AT THE TOP - IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE.Byline: Larry Lipson Restaurant Critic For reasons difficult to fathom, Southwestern food has had a hard time catching on in Los Angeles, but if any one restaurant deserves a break for giving it a true, blue corn effort, it's the new Top of the Glen in Bel-Air. The tiny cafe and patio is one of the handful of eating places in the crammed Beverly Glen Shopping Center (Fabrocini's, Mulholland Grill et al.) at the top of the hill separating the Valley from the Westside. Here is, by the way, a great rendezvous spot at either lunch and dinner for parties who live and/or work on one side to get together with those who live and/or work on the other. The kitchen here turns out plenty of interesting dishes, from the lightest of snacks and ``bites'' to numerous reliably satisfying main-course plates; from recipes with a bit of a chile pepper kick to those of full and assertive flavors. As the days and nights cool off, a recommended way to start a meal here is with a bowl of impressive fire-roasted tomato soup ($6.95), generously sprinkled with chicken pieces and boosted with roasted corn, sweet bell pepper and cilantro. Add to this a topping of tortilla strips and a guacamole and sour cream garnish and you have a colorful, warming beginning dish that will both nourish and perk you up at the same time. Or there's always a soup of the day Soup of the Day is the loosely scripted 2006 internet phenomenon that told the story of one man who is dating three women at the same time. Each of the 19-episodes of the story was its own 4-6 minute self-contained viral video. The entire series can be seen at [1] [2]. ($5.95). One time recently, it was a hearty corn and potato chowder chowder, stew of fish or shellfish with potatoes, onions, and pork (usually salt pork), thickened with crumbled hard bread. The name chowder seems to have originated from the French word chaudière . Or if warmth isn't needed, you could go for a starting salad, one of the best here being a refreshing arugula arugula or rocket Yellowish-flowered European herbaceous plant (Eruca vesicaria sativa), of the mustard family, cultivated for its foliage, which is used especially in salads. and watercress watercress, hardy perennial European herb (Nasturtium officinale) of the family Cruciferae (mustard family), widely naturalized in North America, found in or around water. mixture ($7.95) elevated with julienned touches of jicama ji·ca·ma n. A crisp, sweet turnip-shaped root vegetable (Pachyrhizus erosus) used raw in salads and as crudités or cooked in stews. Also called Mexican turnip, yam bean. and mango and a restrained scattering of gorgonzola cheese. Making this plate even more interesting is its dressing - a pecan tomatillo-cilantro vinaigrette - and the purple bonus of a cabernet-soaked pear. Yes, there are tacos and tamales here, and they're very good. The former arrive as a main-course plate with rice and black beans, these ($10.95) of soft corn tortillas wrapped around fresh fish or grilled chicken and daubed daub v. daubed, daub·ing, daubs v.tr. 1. To cover or smear with a soft adhesive substance such as plaster, grease, or mud. 2. To apply paint to (a surface) with hasty or crude strokes. with a multitoned topping of green guacamole, white and yellow shredded jack and cheddar cheeses, and a red tomato salsa. Tamales ($11.95) are even more interesting. They also come forth as an entree with rice and black beans, but there's a choice of four types: the tasty chicken and wild mushroom ones that we chose one night, those with spinach and goat cheese, others filled with sweet corn and cheddar cheese, and even some with curried chicken. Major main-course items tried include an adequately sized New York strip Noun 1. New York strip - steak from upper part of the short loin strip steak beefsteak - a beef steak usually cooked by broiling steak ($18.95), a smallish tequila-rubbed veal chop ($27.95), superb pistachio-crusted halibut halibut: see flatfish. halibut Any of various flatfishes, especially the Atlantic and Pacific halibuts (genus Hippoglossus, family Pleuronectidae), both of which have eyes and colour on the right side. ($17.95) and gratifying grat·i·fy tr.v. grat·i·fied, grat·i·fy·ing, grat·i·fies 1. To please or satisfy: His achievement gratified his father. See Synonyms at please. 2. grilled chicken breast in a rich mole poblano po·bla·no n. A cultivar of the tropical pepper (Capsicum annum) having a mild or fairly pungent dark green, thick-skinned fruit used in cooking. sauce ($12.95). The halibut could end up as the signature dish here. Stacked napoleon- style with flavored mashed potatoes and a mixture of chayote chayote Tendril-bearing perennial vine (Sechium edule) of the gourd family, native to the New World tropics, where it is widely cultivated for its edible fruits. Chayote also is grown as an annual plant in temperate climates. squash and roasted corn, it offers spice and fruit flavors, crunchy exterior texture and melty flakes inside, plus a side orchestration of both soft and firm vegetable accompaniments. What more could one ask? Incidentally, some of the entrees come with a choice of two sides from a list of 12. Probably the best way to finish is with the perfectly crafted flan ($6.95), but for those who revel in sweet endings, this surprising little cafe doesn't disappoint. It lists seven other desserts, from a creme brulee to a chocolate souffle souffle /souf·fle/ (soo´f'l) a soft, blowing auscultatory sound. cardiac souffle any cardiac or vascular murmur of a blowing quality. cake, although not one has a Southwestern accent. Perhaps this occasional looseness with its Southwestern identification may just happen to be what L.A. really wants from a Southwestern restaurant. TOP OF THE GLEN Food: Three and one half stars. Wine: Two stars. Service: Three stars. Where: 2954 Beverly Glen Circle, Bel-Air. Hours: Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily except Sunday, for dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. nightly, to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, for brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Recommended items: Fire-roasted tomato-chicken soup, watercress and arugula salad, chicken and wild mushroom tamales, chicken breast with mole poblano sauce, pistachio-crusted halibut, flan de crema. How much: Starters from $5 to $10, entrees from $11 to $28, desserts $7 each. Beer and wine. AE, MC, V. Wine list: Selection of 37 full-size bottlings that include some rarities (Kistler, Hartford) priced from $21 to $39. Corkage: $10. Reservations: Suggested. Call (310) 475-8336. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Pistachio-crusted halibut is a standout at the Southwestern-influenced Top of the Glen, perched midway between the Valley and the Westside. David Sprague/Staff Photographer |
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