Professor Gourmand — August 2024

I started at Redbird July 31, and WOW, what a meal it was. I got there a little early, sat down and handed Chris my bottle of 2019 Amador County Zinfandel. Then I ordered a Brooklyn Negroni — Appleton 12 year rum. Amaro Meletti, Tio Pepe Muy Fino Sherry — and shortly after ordered the Tiradito — tai snapper, passion fruit leche de tigre, gooseberry, chulpe (dried Peruvian corn kernels), and cilantro — that came RIGHT out. Jon, the chef de cuisine, emerged from the kitchen and asked If I was doing the last night of Dine LA. I said I wasn’t, and he volunteered the vegan corn agnolotti. I said “Of course” and out came the corn agnolotti with a generous garnish of chanterelles, black truffles and chives. Score! I had brought the wine, which turned out to be a Beaujolais-style Zinfandel (this means “light” in the manner of a Pinot Noir) that complemented the truffles very well, which was good, since my own order, which I had already placed, was for the Black Truffle gnocchi, accompanied by chanterelles and chives. When it arrived, it also had a generous garnish of black truffles. Rich, rich, rich. You really can’t order dessert after all those truffles, so I had a glass of Amaro Averna to close the meal. Yes, Redbird always delivers.

August 1, because I had only been there once in July, I’m going to Boneyard Bistro. I arrived a little after 8 PM for my 8:30 reservation, and I think Boneyard will be at 8 from now on for obvious reasons, I redid my drinking habits insofar as I started with an Old Fashioned — house rye, Angostura Bitters, Luxardo Maraschino, and flamed orange peel…