It Must Be 'La Seine:' Restaurant Row's Latest Addition Introduces Kosher Fine Dining

Pop quiz: If I told you I had plans to open a fine dining restaurant on La Cienega's famous restaurant row, what would you say? I'm guessing you'd probably tell me over 90% of new restaurants shut down within their first year, so don't waste my money. What if I then told you my restaurant would NOT be open for dinner service on Friday nights? You would probably look at me in stunned silence. But wait, there's more. What if I THEN told you my restaurant would be in the seemingly doomed location that once housed The Lodge steakhouse and most recently, sushi joint Hakobe (RIP)? Perhaps you'd just walk away, shaking your head...

Photo credit: Eater LA

Well, here's the deal. A new restaurant -- La Seine -- did just open in the aforementioned, seemingly doomed location on La Cienega, just north of Wilshire Blvd. And I just happen to be a neighbor who has lived a stone's throw away for more than half a decade. I've jogged, driven, walked my dog and strolled with my husband past the glass-fronted restaurant space at least 100 times, and my heartstrings have tugged again and again as I've watched restaurants open -- all shiny, happy and new -- and sit empty for months, eventually giving in to whatever ails them: a failing business model, poor revenue stream, overpriced menu, lack of PR, or prohibitively expensive "restaurant row" rent.

La Seine's Bar

Photo Credit: La Seine

Main Dining Room

Photo Credit: La Seine

Which is why I have to say I'm THRILLED -- no, really -- to tell you about La Seine. It's an absolutely brilliant, and I mean brilliant, concept, especially for my South Wilshire neighborhood. Why? To put it bluntly, anyone who's familiar with the Beverly Hills-adjacent area knows its majority population is comprised of Orthodox Jewish families. I can safely say that as a non-practicing Presbyterian couple from San Carlos and Westwood (respectively), Bryan and I are easily the minority residents on our block, if not a 2-mile radius. But we've made it a point to adapt and make sure to respect their practices. For example, we drive much more carefully through our neighborhood between sundown on Fridays and nightfall on Saturday, when the devout are observing Shabbat and prohibited from using automobiles. It's all about respecting your neighbors and knowing them well enough to adjust accordingly.

Alex Reznik: La Seine's Executive Chef & Top Chef Alum

Photo Credit: Grub Street LA

Which takes me back to La Seine. Opened by restauranteur Laurent Masliah (A Cow Jumped Over The Moon), La Seine is a high-end fusion of French meets Sushi meets Kehillah-certified Kosher cuisine. It doesn't get more niche than that, but it also meets a local resident requirement that no one else is meeting: Kosher fine dining. And when I say "Kosher," I want you to get visions of Gefilte fish and Manischewitz out of your head; because as strange as the combination might sound, La Seine's Executive Chef Alex Reznik is turning out spectacular meals... that just happen to be 100% Kosher. And for a foodie who doesn't know much about Kosher restrictions other than they're incredibly strict, the superb quality, complex flavors and artful presentation of the Top Chef alum's menu honestly blows my mind.

Cocktails (from left to right) | Deauville, Whitsett, Kosher Red Wine, Hamilton

Photo Credit: La Seine

The cocktails are 100% Kosher. The wine list is 100% Kosher. The meats, vegetables, risotto, Israeli couscous, pastas, chocolate souffles; all 100% Kosher. And all 100% delicious. My meal there was pretty epic. Reznik presented us with not one, but two amuses: first, a tall shot-glass filled with spicy tuna, cauliflower puree, avocado mousse and cilantro blossoms, followed by a bite of braised short rib mounded on a crisp piece of chicken skin. Warm, rich, indulgent; they were a wonderful teaser of what was to come.

Amuse #1 | Spicy Tuna, Cauliflower Puree, Avocado Mousse, Cilantro Blossom

Amuse #2 | Braised Short Rib on Crispy Chicken Skin

Sushi was next on the agenda. Chef Reznik served a Japanese-inspired ceviche with Big Eye tuna, yellowtail, albacore, avocado and sliced kumquats. Scoop a bit with a crisp wonton and consider your palate cleansed. Then came the Godwin Roll, two pieces of which were enough to convince me to return to La Seine's sushi bar, regularly and with husband in tow. There's no way he could turn down a roll filled with yellowtail, spicy Big Eye tuna and avocado, tempura-fried and drizzled with housemade Sriracha.

Japanese Inspired Ceviche | Big Eye Tuna, Yellowtail, Albacore, Avocado, Kumquat

The Godwin Roll | Yellowtail, Spicy Big Eye Tuna, Avocado, Tempura

On to appetizers. Yes, we're only at appetizers. First, a plate filled with all things offal: Bone marrow, corned beef tongue, and veal sweetbread nuggets served with garlic crostini, cornichons, banana ketchup and wasabi soy. I found myself face to face (or tongue to tongue) with beef tongue, something I've managed to successfully avoid for 31 years. It's a simple testament to the quality of Chef Reznik's food that I (begrudgingly) broke my tongue fast, but I have to admit I was surprised at the tenderness and delicate flavor. The ground veal sweetbreads were fantastic; if you need to fool yourself to eat them, just imagine they're deliciously fried veal meatballs. One bite and you'll want to finish the entire nugget.

A small bowl of housemade fettuccine botarga (dried and cured fish roe) followed, served alongside stinging nettles, baby artichoke and spring onions. Keep in mind four of us shared the meal's bounty, otherwise we would have been rolled out of the restaurant by this point. The pasta was appropriately al dente, sweet from the braised onions and ever-so-salty from the botarga.

Bone Marrow, Corned Beef Tongue & Veal Sweetbread Nuggets | Garlic Crostini, Cornichons, Banana Ketchup, Wasabi Soy

Fettuccine Botarga | Stinging Nettles, Baby Artichoke, Spring Onions

On to the fish. Halibut with fiddlehead ferns, French lentils, roasted heirloom tomato was crisp on the outside, moist inside, and won me over from the presence of the Fiddlehead ferns and French lentils alone. A stunningly beautiful portion of seabass with tomato-lemongrass consomme, fried quinoa and red caviar hit it out of the park.

Seabass | Tomato-Lemongrass Conomme, Fried Quinoa, Red Caviar

Halibut | Fiddlehead Ferns, French Lentils, Roasted Heirloom Tomato

Nine ounce hangar steaks resting on a bed of spring pea risotto (again, all Kosher), was unanimously voted the best hangar steak any of us had ever had. And that's a serious statement. The Rib Eye "Two Ways" with Israeli couscous and purple artichokes was gorgeously marbled, but surprisingly the flavor didn't stand up to the hangar.

9 oz. Hangar Steak | Spring Pea Risotto

Boneless Ribeye Done Two Ways | Israeli Couscous, Purple Artichokes

Anyone who says they don't have room for dessert is typically lying, but in our case, we really didn't have room. Until three of them showed up at the table, that is. Chocolate ganache cake with cocoa nibs, sea salt, praline ice cream, and a shot of chocolate bourbon milkshake took us back to the days at elementary school when we were able to stuff ourselves with ooey-gooey chocolate sheet cake slathered with chocolate frosting. An upgraded version in the best possible way, sprinkled with sea salt. We conquered the chocolate souffle with green tea ice cream, scraping the sides to indulge in every last bite. And last, but certainly not least, the strawberry, blueberry and lime/mint sorbet trio were refreshing and light.

Chocolate Ganache Cake | Cocoa Nibs, Sea Salt, Praline Ice Cream, Chocolate Bourbon Milkshake

Chocolate Souffle | Green Tea Ice Cream

Sorbet Trio | Strawberry, Blueberry, Lime + Mint

Afterwards, we weaved our way out of La Seine through through a sea of energized Orthodox bar patrons happily awaiting their tables. Once outside, we all looked at each other, then back at the jam-packed restaurant, and couldn't believe our eyes. Finally, a restaurant at 14 La Cienega Blvd. that both stands a chance at success and has a built-in clientele. A French/Sushi/Kosher-certified restaurant with a Top Chef contestant running the kitchen, no less. Hey, stranger things have happened. :)

La Seine

14 North La Cienega Blvd.

Beverly Hills, CA 90211

(310) 358-0922

Reservations available on OpenTable

Hours:

Sun-Thurs: 6-11pm

Closed Fridays

Sat p.m.: Open after Shabbat-2am

Thanks to Joey and Max from Wagstaff and E*starLA for sharing such a great experience!

Breakfast (For Dinner) in Beverly Hills

Breakfast. Some say it's the meal of champions, while others say it's the most important meal of the day. I say it shouldn't be limited to the a.m. hours, because in our house having breakfast for dinner -- think egg and cheese sandwiches, poached eggs on peanut butter toast, yummy omelets and even whole grain pancakes with warm, gooey maple syrup -- is a common occurrence. Outside of our house, finding a restaurant that serves breakfast all day, every day (or at least until 3pm) gets extra points in my book. Sometimes I just want eggs for dinner. Is that so wrong?

Breakfast in Beverly Hills: Enjoy a complimentary night and free breakfast every morning at participating hotels

Turns out I'm not alone in my love for the a.m. turned p.m. breakfast. Last week, I was invited by the Beverly Hills Convention & Visitors' Bureau to preview what might be considered the ultimate breakfast for dinner: a stop to five of Beverly Hills' most luxurious hotels to experience "Breakfast in Beverly Hills," a limited-time program promoting a complimentary* night's stay and breakfast for two at nine participating Beverly Hotels from March 1 through June 30, 2011. These aren't just any hotels, either. They happen to be the crème de la crème of Beverly Hills hospitality, including The Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows, the Beverly Hilton, The Montage, L'Ermitage, The Peninsula Hotel, The Thompson Beverly Hills, The Avalon Hotel, Mosaic Hotel, and Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive.

To showcase the promotion, BHCVB had a fabulous idea: get a bunch of local journalists together on a Beverly Hills trolley and drive them from hotel to hotel to taste each of the chefs' exclusive "Breakfast in Beverly Hills" menu items. There was mixing, mingling, notes- and photo-taking, and lots of poached eggs.

Our Chariot Awaits!

We started at the tucked away Avalon Hotel where Milan-trained Executive Chef Mirko Paderno and his staff greeted us with a champagne cocktail and seats in the hotel's urban oasis cabanas. It's no secret that Oliverio, The Avalon Hotel's restaurant, is one of my local favorites for pretty much any meal, but it was fun to watch other journalists explore the space and remark at Oliverio's "hidden gem quality." For his contribution to the Breakfast in Beverly Hills program, Chef Mirko presented us with an ostrich egg frittata topped with brie cheese and procini mushrooms, alongside a tiny spoonful of bruléed French toast. The frittata was light yet richly flavored, and the French toast surprised our palates with a tart tang of passion fruit. Fun fact: the contents of ONE ostrich egg fed all 20 of us.

Avalon Hotels' Breakfast in BH Specials

Next stop, the Beverly Hilton. Executive Chef Suki Sugiura, who recently prepared a spread meant for the mouths of Hollywood royalty at February's Golden Globe Awards, took us around the world in six frittatas inspired by Dr. Suess's Green Eggs & Ham (the hotel opened on the same day as the whimsical author's book release). Chef says he develops Hilton's cuisine by "learning from other cultures and putting it into California style." His mission was evident in each of the six frittatas, clearly inspired by six distinct parts of the worlds and subsequently infused with a California fresh slant. An Italian frittata was filled with pork smoked and cured in-house; a California veggie frittata was loaded with locally-grown asparagus and onion and Southern California-pressed extra virgin olive oil; a crab meat, scallion and water chestnut frittata was topped with a Cantonese-inspired sweet and sour sauce; the richness of chef's Lebonese Shwarma chicken frittata was balanced with chunks of fresh tomato, green beans and tahini; and my favorite, the house soft-cured Pacific salmon and dill frittata was brimming with fingerling potatoes and came with a house-made grainy mustard inspired by Chef Sugiura's 3+ years of studying in Scandinavia. As if that wasn't enough, the Beverly Hilton's staff composed a mock breakfast buffet service, complete with pastry station, french-pressed Rwandan Silverback Coffee, and fruit smoothies topped off with your choice of pomegranate or blood orange vodka. My choice? Both.

Chef Suki Sugiura's International Frittata Buffet at The Beverly Hilton

Maybe it was the relaxed outdoor ambiance of the recently revamped Trader Vic's or perhaps it was pure excitement on my part, but I may or may not have made a mistake in overindulging in the Beverly Hilton's fabulous frittatas. It could have been a strategic error, but my appetite was re-energized after a brief trolley ride dropped us at a private dining room inside the Beverly Hills Hotel and Bungalows, where waiters greeted our arrival with champagne and four tray-passed appetizers. I realized I wasn't so much full but getting a little "egg'd" out, so Executive Chef Alex Chen's decision to serve an array of miniature short rib grilled cheeses, spoonfuls of delicately-layered beet and goat cheese, lamb bites, and crab crisps gave my palate a happy break. I know, sweet and salty irony. It was only then that I could truly give Chef Chen's fabulous breakfast dish its due. He served what was arguably the most sophisticated and beautifully presentated dish of the evening: a poached egg atop a crisp potato cake, layered with smoked sablefish and a refreshing fennel and onion salad. A dollop of whipped goat cheese accented by chopped dill and a tiny spoonful caviar completed the dish. One word: divine.

Beverly Hills Hotel's Poached Egg + Sablefish "Benedict"

Sad to leave, but knowing we had to stay the course, the trolley took us to the Luxe Hotel on Rodeo Drive. The hotel is tucked away on Rodeo Drive among the legions of couture boutiques and cafes. Upon entering the dimly-lit Bar 360 we met Chef James Chang, who recently left Patina's catering group to head up Luxe's kitchen. He excitedly shared his "Breakfast in Beverly Hills" creation, a poached egg perched on a potato pancake with classic hollandaise sauce. His personal touch? A dash of Tabasco and paprika to make the sauce really sing.

The Luxe Hotel's "Eggs Rodeo"

Our evening was drawing to a close and the BHCVB couldn't have ended it with a more perfect venue: the rooftop pool and cabanas at The Montage Beverly Hills, complete with a twinkling view of the Hollywood Hills. Chef Gabriel Ask, who honed his chops at Thomas Keller's famed French Laundry, Alain Ducasse and Joel Robuchon, served a short rib hash with roasted cherry tomatoes (harvested earlier that afternoon) and a perfectly poached egg. After tasting nine egg dishes throughout the evening, the contrast of flavors in this dish made it one of my favorites. While the velvety egg yolk oozed over sumptuous chunks of short rib and potato, the roasted tomatoes lent the dish a sweetness and light acidity that cut the richness. It was well-balanced in each of its few bites and a dish I will certainly return to have on another day. I just need a short hiatus from eggs first. :)

The Montage Hotel's Bloody Caesar & Short Rib Hash

Thank you to Kimberli at the Beverly Hill Convention and Visitors Bureau for hosting the evening. If you want more info on the Breakfast in Beverly Hills promotion, visit the BVCVB website.

*Receive a complimentary extra-night's stay and breakfast for two with the purchase of one-, two-, or three-nights stay at any participating hotel.

Heaven On A Plate: Enoteca Drago's Truffled Pizza

Yesterday I died and went to heaven, if only for fifteen minutes or so. They say it happens when you least expect it, and that was surely the case for me. I was at lunch with a friend at Enoteca Drago, a small Italian wine bar in Beverly Hills, where we were enjoying a relaxing Friday afternoon filled with wonderful white wine (an Italian Gavi for her, a French Sancerre for me) and light salads. It was then that we decided to split a pizza. Perusing the pizza portion of the menu, we wanted something more exotic than the traditional Margherita, but not something as heavy as, say, the Breakfast pizza, with onion, mushroom, bacon and eggs. So we settled on the Bomba, a pizza that, from the onset, sounded simple enough: mozzarella, caramelized onions and black truffles. Yeah, right. That was where we couldn't have been more wrong.

What happened next was incredible. Our waiter presented us with something I had never seen before: a plateful of what appeared to be layers of crisp, blistered crust covering what I could only assume was a pizza underneath. After all, we had ordered a pizza, hadn't we? Right away -- keep in mind we hadn't even touched the thing yet -- it smelled of sweet onions, salty mozzarella cheese and earthy black truffles. While I couldn't see them, I knew they were hiding in there. And I was going to find them. I sheepishly used my fork to lift the super-thin crust barely an inch, and what I saw made me gasp and exclaim an exaggerated, "Oh my God."

What Heaven Looks Like

The mozzarella cheese was still incredibly hot and pliable, coating both super-thin top and bottom crusts, stretching and oozing as I barely touched it. The onions, cut paper thin and caramelized to a perfect golden brown, had practically melted into the cheese, their purpose clearly not to be seen but to infuse the pizza with a light sweetness. And finally, the truffles. Good God, the truffles. Sliced across the entirely truffle -- not chopped or stingy in any way -- they were almost one inch across and they were... everywhere. I almost felt guilty looking behind the curtain (or under the crust, as it were), because I wasn't expecting this. I slowly dropped the crust, put my fork down and looked at our waiter, who was awaiting my reaction. His smile revealed that I was clearly not the first Drago diner to have such a magical reaction to the Pizza Bomba, as he simply nodded and said, "Do you want me to put in an order for a second one?" I hesitated about a second too long in reluctantly saying "no." A girl has to have some restraint.

Peek-A-Boo, Pizza Bomba-Style

Don't let this fool you. We ate the whole thing.

The next time you're in the Beverly Hills neighborhood... You know what? Scratch that, just make a point to go to Enoteca Drago and order the Pizza Bomba. My friend and I savored it for about half an hour, sipping our white wines and chatting, stopping every so often to remark at the pizza. "Can you even believe this?" was said often, as we twirled the pieces of pizza in our fingertips, admiring the truffles and never-ending mozzarella. The crust never got in the way, instead providing a paper-thin foundation for the rest of the ingredients. It was honestly one of the best things -- pizza or otherwise -- that I've ever eaten.

Poker Night Snacks: Mini Sandwiches from Nate 'n Al's Delicatessen

Bryan had the boys over to play poker last night. I was headed out for a night with the girls but wanted to leave the guys with something great that they could munch on – not to mention, soak up bottles and bottles of beer – before I left. Bryan told me that typical poker food included a fabulous combination of bowls filled with chips, nuts, pretzels, etc. I responded with four words: "Not in our house." Don't get my wrong; there's absolutely nothing wrong with bowls of snacks. But I couldn't – in good conscience – just open a bag of chips, dump it in a bowl and say, "See ya! Have a good night!" It's like the fast food cop-out, plus I knew I could make something way more delicious in practically the same amount of time. So here's what I did. Considering there wasn't one left when I got home, I think the boys enjoyed them!

Nate 'n Al's Bishop's Best Sandwich (that's our name for it, not theirs)

I asked Bryan what he thought about making miniature versions of one of – in my opinion, anyway – the city's BEST sandwiches from Beverly Hills staple, Nate 'n Als Delicatessen. It's the Jewish version of Santa Monica's Bay Cities Italian Deli. I've been eating their food since I was a kid, as my mom always got Nate 'n Al's for summertime backyard dinners. I introduced Bryan to the sandwich when we first started dating: it's made with layers of fresh roasted turkey, black forest ham, roast beef, cole slaw, muenster cheese, spicy mustard and Russian dressing on fresh-baked rye bread. While I get it without roast beef, it's just an amazing sandwich. Apparently the thought of the sandwiches for poker night was good, because Bryan agreed with a resounding "YES!" So come Friday, off to Nate 'n Al's we went, getting all the ingredients for the sandwiches and ordering separate sandwiches for ourselves. It was lunchtime, after all!

Now I'm sharing the recipe with you. There are lots of step-by-step photos, so it's a snap to figure out and make. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Deli packages from Nate 'n Al's

Nate 'n Al's Bishop's Best Sandwich

Make 24 miniature sandwiches. All ingredients are available at Nate 'n Al's deli case.

• 1/2 loaf rye bread (minimum 12 slices)
• 1/3 pound thinly-sliced roast beef
• 1/3 pound thinly-sliced roasted turkey breast
• 1/3 pound thinkly-sliced black forest ham
• 1/3 pound sliced muenster cheese
• 1 pint cole slaw
• 1/2 pint Russian dressing (I forgot to get this so substituted low-fat mayo)
• Spicy mustard (quantity up to you)
• Toothpicks

To make the sandwiches, just follow these steps:

Step #1: Spread out all ingredients on cutting board or counter.

Step #2: Lay out bread for each sandwich. Spread Russian dressing on one slice and spicy mustard on the other (I've shown mayo because I forgot to buy Nate 'n Al's Russian dressing). Add a slice of Muenster cheese to one of the slices.

Step #3: Fold a slice of ham and lay on the opposite slice of bread.

Step #4: Top the ham with a slice of roast beef.

Step #5: Top the roast beef with a slice or two of roasted turkey breast.

Step #6: Top the layer of meat with an even layer of cole slaw (about 2 tablespoons), spreading it to the edges of the meat.

Step #7: Top the sandwiches with the other slice of bread. The Muenster cheese acts as a barrier between the cole slaw and the bread, preventing it from getting soggy.

Step #8: Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the sandwiches into four quarters. Stick toothpicks in each quarter (now a mini sandwich!)

Step #9: Assemble the sandwiches on a platter – or two, after all you're making 24 mini sandwiches – and serve with small plates and cocktail napkins. The sandwiches can also be made ahead of time, covered with a layer of plastic wrap and refrigerated until it's time to serve.

Step #10: Serve and enjoy! These guys are popular, so make sure you get one. Or, better yet, just buy extra ingredients to make one for yourself later. Oh, and get a pint of potato salad. It's the best around.