Re-Visit May 10, 2018 – Wood & Vine, Hollywood, CA.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in all of Los Angeles and Hollywood. My first tasting was a dinner in 2014, then followed by a brunch in 2014 as well. In 2016 I did a re-visit and another one now in 2018. The big difference between the last one and this one is the chefs. In 2016, chef Kyle Schutte was at the helm but now in 2018, Chef Jennifer O’Neil has put a brand new spin on all of this goodness. I can’t say enough about this recent tasting.

The back patio is very industrial, but intimate. It had a lot of young spirited people, some having birthdays, some for a night out on the town, coming from seeing the show at The Pantages; all with the same thing in mind, having a fun classy slice of life in Hollywood. There is nice instrumental jazz as a cool backdrop and they have movies every night in the outside patio on the wall and of course, all housed in the historic Taft building. I worked on the 11th floor for 8 years, so I know all of the stories and history (need to write a book to be able to tell my readers all about that). But the vibe of the Taft building is old Hollywood at its core.

Here’s What I Tried:

Cocktails:

Accomplice – New Amsterdam Vodka, strawberry, lemon, and champagne. Bubbly and effervescent; a great quenching cocktail.

Magnolia – Cucumber-infused vodka, muddled cucumber, lime, ginger, and honey ginger syrup. This is a very user-friendly drink with a nice combination of ingredients that work great together.

My Other Lover – Mezcal, lime, simple syrup, peach bitters, sage, and blueberries. If you’re a margarita aficionado then this is the cocktail for you. Bar Manager / Mixologist, Tom Carney made all of our drinks and he is just amazing!

To Start:

Roasted Beet Salad, arugula, house apple cider vinaigrette, herb goat cheese, toasted pine nuts, and beet puree. A true art piece and I am not the biggest beet fan, but the dressing did a balancing act; not too much vinegar, instead a nice sweet type of nectar.

Popping Shrimp, golden brown house seasoned and breaded shrimp with tartar sauce. These amazing darlings just made my evening complete.

Scallop Fresa, strawberry salsa, balsamic reduction, and greens. A great combination; who would think to put strawberries with scallops, but it worked.

18 oz. Rib eye, sautéed spinach, shiitake mushrooms. The meat was cooked rare and just melted in my mouth; the mushrooms were a welcomed addition as well.

Pan Crusted Salmon, crispy skin on salmon, roasted tomato sauce, peas, crispy prosciutto, and crisp roasted tomatoes. This is probably the best salmon ever; the crust alone will make you come back for more.

Pork Back Ribs, miso carrot puree, radish, butternut squash, sweet Asian BBQ sauce, with greens. These ribs just fell off the bone and the sauce was equally brilliant.

And Then…

Brussels Sprouts, chili paste, brown sugar, and lime juice. A bit spicy for my taste but a spice lover will surely enjoy them.

Roasted Asparagus & Tomatoes, roasted asparagus, cherry tomatoes, house vinaigrette, and feta cheese. I adored the way these were cooked and the melding of flavors really worked for me.

Lobster Mac, trio cheese sauce, pine nuts, and crispy prosciutto. This is not your typical mac n’ cheese, they use a more liquid cheese that goes great with the lobster and it has nice light fusilli pasta.

Something Sweet:

Relax Time, dulce de leche and chocolate lavender infused cookie bar. This dessert was incredible with nice chocolate nuances and the lavender really is the showstopper.

Butterscotch, house butterscotch, maple ice cream, and sweet thyme crumble. All I can say about this is interesting and if you’re a butterscotch lover, then this is the dessert for you.

Nutella Bombshell, chocolate cake, Nutella whipped mousse, with fresh berries. Another piece of art, so gorgeous you will have reservations about eating it, but hey, live a little!

Wine:

Chardonnay, La Follette, ‘13 Sonoma. This is a creamy rich Chardonnay with lots of buttery goodness. It was a sure fire hit with the scallops.

Malbec, Writer’s Block, ‘14 Red Hills. A super jammy wine that paired perfectly with the salmon.

Syrah, Levo, Into the Static, ’14, Santa Barbara. I loved this wine with the Rib Eye; it just enhanced the richness of the meat.

Cabernet, Obsidian Ridge, ’15, Napa. Another great pairing with the Rib Eye.

I really do feel like family here. Manager Wally Moran is just so fun and welcoming, I really adore him. All of their staff was helpful as well as not so bad on the eyes!!!

Staying right around the corner at Villa Delle Stelle, this is the perfect place to come for a delicious dining experience! Make this part of your Hollywood excursion and you will become a regular like me.

Wood and Vine
6280 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
Hollywood
(323) 334-3360
www.woodandvine.com

Comments

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *