First Fine Dining Experience: Spago.

Thank you, Dine LA! Thanks to you, I had a three course lunch at Spago in Beverly Hills for 28 bucks! What a bargain! And let me tell you, it was one of the happiest days of my life. I think I'm hooked on fine dining. It's too bad I can't afford to enjoy it on a regular basis. Maybe I should start looking into getting a rich boyfriend. Before I forget I just have to mention that the hostess at Spago was 10 ft tall because it amazed me in so many levels. Anyway let's focus on the bigger picture here and get straight to the point. My meal consisted of the following:

Bread and Butter
There is nothing better than starting off a meal with some quality bread and butter. The bread was amazing. The butter was not room temp so it was difficult to spread. I used the wrong knife to spread the butter. The fact that I was a noob to fine dining was pretty apparent, I'm sure. I wasn't too fond of the fact that the butter was whatevers. Thank God the bread made up for it.

Appetizer
Roasted Kabocha Squash and Pumpkin Soup
winter fruit compote, cardamom crème fraîche and cranberry coulis


THE SOUP WAS A WORK OF ART! There it sat before me. It had a golden orange backdrop contained in a vast white soup bowl, swirled with a radiant red and a glorious white ribbon sitting quaintly on top as the fruit compote rested gently in the middle. A work of art I tell you! Upon looking at it for the first time, I almost got teary-eyed. True Story. It was that beautiful. The soup spoon was awkward and breaking the surface of the soup was heartbreaking and exciting all the same. I LOVE THIS SOUP! With each sip I could taste the squash shining through along with an explosion of various other flavors lingering on my tongue. Each new sip was a new tasting experience. My tongue was going on a date with several different flavors with this one soup dish. It was magic. The soup went down my throat like velvet. To make my life changing story short, I became full. It was gone in a flash It was love at first sight, at first taste, and at the last desperate attempts to get every drop on my tongue.

Main Course
Grilled ‘Tandoori’ Loch Duart Salmon
with marinated cucumbers, cilantro-mint Raita and tomato-tamarind chutney



Who knew that warm marinated cucumbers in cilantro-mint Raita (I dont even know what it is) could be so perfect with Salmon? I think from now I think I will eat cucumbers warm as long as it is accompanied by the flawless raita. It was perfection. The salmon rested on a bed of marinated cucumbers and the Raita. The salmon was topped with magnificent full bodied tomato-tamarind chutney, which had a very rustic flavor to it. The chutney was then topped with what I will guess to be alfalfa sprouts. DELCIOUS! The Salmon was cooked to perfection, crusty on the outside, flaky in the inside. It was kind of hard to eat because we wanted to eat like fine diners, neatly and with sophistication. Needless to say it was difficult and I'm pretty sure I failed! We had to ask the waiter how we were supposed to eat the fish. Who knew? You eat it "normally." And that I can do. DELICIOUS! The fish looked small. But boy, was it filling! I tried to to eat a little slower this time. I will discuss how that went because it was nearly impossible.

Dessert
Chocolate Bread Pudding
salted butter pecan gelato


I've made bread pudding in the past once. I thought it was delicious. Compared to the one I had here...I now realize my bread pudding was a complete failure. The chocolate bread pudding at Spago was so rich! It came to us on an exquisite silver colored platter looking like a simple three layer chocolate cake drenched in chocolate sauce (which I am certain was made from actual melted chocolate). Now my description will start to be a little vague. Next to the bread pudding was a quenelle (after searching on google countless times I finally found out how it was spelled) of butter pecan gelato (TO DIE FOR) sitting on top of some white tasty thing. The white tasty thing was like...a marshmallow but with a different texture. I know, I am not helping. And there was a curvy black thing stuck in the ice cream. It was decorative, but edible, delicious, delicate, crunchy, and beautiful. The bread pudding melted in my mouth. The warm bread pudding contrasted perfectly with the gelato. PERFECTION. The only downfall was that I was so full that it was a struggle to finish. I tried to savor the dessert, but nevertheless finished it fairly quickly. How could I not? Happiness is not a warm gun. It's a delicious meal and a full stomach.

End Notes
I felt like I was going to explode at this point. I'm almost a compulsive eater, and being a fine dining restaurant the waiters never wait until your cup is empty. My cup kept on being refilled and thus I kept on drinking (Water, guys, water.) Our waiter, Bernard, was fantastic. He was outgoing, attentive, and fun. Thanks, Bernard.

OH YES! and the best part of the day. I SAW WOLFGANG PUCK. Yes, I spazzed out in excitement exclaiming, "OMG! THERE HE IS! THERE HE IS!" with my friend staring at me like I was a crazy fool. I shook his hand!!!! I told him I was starstruck and he was modest. SO CUTE! He said "By me? No no no." and patted me on the back. The people behind us hogged him! Roar. I wanted to get a picture with him but some man in a suit that worked at the restaurant stole him before I got a chance to ask him for a picture. I was only able to feebly bleet, "Mr. Puck..." (Question for all: Am i supposed to call him Chef Puck? Chef Wolfgang Puck? Mr. Wolfgang Puck?) I guess it was urgent. He went away and i was sad. But i'm still happy because I met him. I consider him a celebrity. So today consisted of my first fine dining experience and my first celebrity citing! I love food. Thanks be to food. Thank you Spago. Thank you Dine La Restaurant Week (best idea ever known to man). Thanks for this:


Photo Credits: Yuri Oh. Thank you. My camera was unavailable at the time.

PS Thursday I am going out on another outing for dinner. You see why I keep on Dine La, because it's another 3 course meal. HOLLERRRR!!!