3.04.2010

My Dinner With Gordon Ramsay

Okay, I lied. So I didn't have dinner with Gordon Ramsay. But it was very close, like the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game. Here's what happened.

A few days ago I had the pleasure of interviewing Lisa Hemmat, owner of Lido di Manhattan Ristorante & Bar for my LA Weekly article. Why were we talking? Hemmat's six-year-old Lido is being featured – and ritualistically torn apart – on Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares tonight (FOX, 9pm). As part of my "research," I made my way down to see Lisa and check out some of Lido's latest menu items, inspired by Gordon Ramsay. It was my second trip to Lido in about a year and I've got to say the new menu items, not to mention a month-long stint with Hell's Kitchen Chef Scott Leibfried, have really paid off.

Lido's "Neighborhood Wine Bar" Interior

Ramsay & Hemmat Reworked Lido's Menu
Gordon taught a primarily front-of-house Hemmat her first cooking lesson (I'm jealous!), during which they created specials like the Seared Tuna Nicoise Salad and Crab Linguini. Some other Kitchen Nightmares-related menu items are the The Homemade Spinach Fettuccine (vegetarian), Baked Mushroom Penne, 8 oz Angus Burger, Grilled Rosemary Chicken, Shrimp & Scallops over Homemade Angel Hair. For appetizers, Gordon added the White bean Hummus, Asparagus & Prociutto, Creamy Mushroom Dip, Heirloom Caprese, a new version of the Calamari Fritti, Grilled baby Artichokes, Seared Scallops and Artisan Cheese Plate.

Calamari Fritti w/ Green Goddess Dressing
Bryan loved the Calamari Fritti with Green Goddess dressing. It was light and crispy, not letting the oil weigh it down. The dressing, Ramsay's substitute for typical marinara, provided an unexpected, yet welcome bite from the chives and lemon juice.

Grilled Vegetable & Goat Cheese Flatbread
Lisa recommended the new flatbread, so we chose one with grilled vegetables. It had a great tanginess from the goat cheese, beautiful color and texture from the grilled asparagus, zucchini and tomato, and a flavorful crust. I would've liked a crunchier crust that held its structural integrity, but otherwise the flavors were right on.

Seared Tuna Nicoise Salad
Green beans | Tomatoes | Capers | Potatoes | Anchovies
The Seared Tuna Nicoise Salad was truly one of the best I've had, which as a Nicoise fanatic is not easy to say. The kicker? The crunchy, salty heat of new potatoes straight out of the oven. The contrast of the potatoes against the crisp, thinly-sliced romaine and velvety seared tuna was perfect for me. I also wish I had the ingredient list for the Nicoise dressing, because it was a great balance of salty anchovies and hint of citrus. Throw in the pop of the capers and creamy egg yolks and you've got yourself one heck of a great salad.

Lemon Semi-Freddo with Pine Nuts
The Lemon Semi-Freddo was the perfect ending to our meal. A two-day process to make, the semi-freddo is a mixture of cream, eggs, sugar and lemon juice that is heated, then frozen overnight and finally served. The pine nuts and strawberries lent an earthy oiliness and sweetness, respectively. We enjoyed it a lot.

So if you're in the South Bay area, stop by Lido di Manhattan. But make sure to make a reservation – Lido's Kitchen Nightmares episode runs tonight – and they're sure to be busy!

14 comments:

  1. That looks phenomenal, what a great night. Your pictures are beautiful - any camera suggestions for a foodie on a budget?

    I'm in the process of opening a coffee shop and am documenting my progress over at http://kitchenconfidentiality.blogspot.com/, I'd love your input!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like you've been going to Manhattan Beach a lot lately haha. It was great meeting you the other night!

    -gp

    ReplyDelete
  3. I watched that episode this week so this was an interesting read. I always wondered what it would be like to hit one of those restaurants after his visits.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi KC! Thanks for reading. I use a Canon point-and-shoot camera for my blog. It's a great buy (less than $300) with an extremely slim body. I can slip it in my pocket and keep it in my purse, which is impossible with a bigger SLR camera. Hope that helps! Best of luck opening your coffee shop!

    Burumun - Great meeting you, too!

    Chris - If you're anywhere near Lido, I'd give it a shot! It's a fun thing to do given the background.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Long time ago a friend of mine told me children who end up being raised in a High Class family where what ever they want is handed to them they eventually end up as adults who do not know how to support themselves in the real society. So, yes I know this lazy little two good shoes. Lets just put it this way when a spoiled rattan like "This Lisa" ends up being raised by a parents who owned more then one restaurants in WA & of course put in her hand what ever she wanted with out teaching her the reality "How to live in the real world" &&& sending her to Standford where she only went for business & as matter of fact it was her parents who bought her this restaurant as a gift for her graduation with out her having any experience in restaurant or even hospitality industry will.............
    Oh course you should expect Ms. my way or HWY be humiliated in the public eye "specially on the Fox". I am ashamed to be related to such an idiot.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Buat kalian yang sedang mencari Permainan Judi Poker Online yang Terpecaya dan Terbaik dan bukan Kaleng kaleng???
    Hoyajackpot tempatnya dengan Rating Kemenangan Tertinggi
    ??
    Server boleh sama tetapi sensasi dan pelayanan kami jamin akan berikan yang tercepat dan terbaik Guys ??
    Mari Bergabung Bersama Kami :)
    Website Kartu Online Dengan Tingkat Kemenangan Tertinggi
    Kartu Hoki Yang Kami Bagikan setiap saat Guys ??

    HoyaJackpot
    Poker Online
    Poker Online Terpecaya
    SobatPoker
    Bandar Judi Terpecaya

    ReplyDelete
  7. Agen Judi Poker Online Terpercaya, Bandar Ceme Keliling, Capsa Susun Terbaik, dengan Jackpot Terbesar di Indonesia Dapatkan Hadiah Jackpot Ratusan Juta Setiap Harinya bersama kami di https://hoyajackpot17.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts with Thumbnails