Wilde Wine Bar and Restaurant – Dinner Saturday Dec. 10, 2016 – Hollywood, CA. This is a great location, on La Brea in a very hipster area, with lots of art galleries on every block. This used to be a wine bar that I wrote about as well, 3 twenty wine lounge. The transformation is astounding, going from high tech, to down right chic romantic, a place you really want to come and try.
This was on of those tastings where I was unable to choose a lot to taste, I had a limited budget, but I thought I picked some good choices, now its up to you to come in and try the rest!
Here’s what I tried:
To Share:
Eggplant – Cutlet Parmesan, with house made tomatoes sauce and Parmesan. The eggplant is cut very thin, and the tomato sauce is super rich. Done really simple this dish shines, it is delicate yet very Italian, a great way to start.
Plates:
Cast Iron New York Strip Steak, 10oz. with au proivre sauce, cress and fries. The fries were just the bomb, but not heavy, super light and crispy. The steak is very large, you can share this with a guest, the sauce is very French, with ample amount of pepper.
Local Sea Bass Filet, ‘nicoise” sautéed with olives, capers, parsley and Meyers lemon. Flaky moist fish, this sea bass hit all the right notes. The vegetables are equally terrific, cooked just enough, they tended to be crispy. I just loved the subtlety of flavors and the way it was presented, a true winner.
Dessert:
Chocolate Cake, they give you a small piece but it really is enough. Delicate, and light with very robust chocolate flavor, it makes a nice finish to my great meal.
Wines:
House Sauvignon Blanc, Olas, 2013. This is a very drinkable wine and it is their house wine, I would recommend this with the Sea Bass, nice and light with a fruit forward balance and nice delicate flavors.
Barbera, Cantine Valpane, Italy, 2013, this is the wine to drink with the steak; it is dry and very Italian.
Pinot Noir, Challen, Ca. 2013, for me I loved this wine with the chocolate cake, it adds a great deal of jammy nuances to the great chocolate flavors.
The interior is just lovely, with its great romantic lighting, and the best crystal chandelier ever. Impeccably appointed, 1500-square-foot dining room is warm, sexy and sophisticated, offering comfortable bar and lounge-style seating as well as more formal table settings. There is lots of fresh artwork to look at, very often they have art work up from a local gallery.
Wilde has been opened since April 2015, and it has really taken off. They offer uncomplicated European-American dishes, good old-fashioned hospitality and an award- winning wine list. They want to offer each customer making a feeling of a relaxing evening at home or an invitation to a good friend’s house for dinner, Wilde has earned an unheard-of, near-perfect rating on Yelp. Wilde makes every effort to eliminate the intimidation, snobbery and high price tags many people often associate with wine, you can taste numerous types, each with their own special characteristics. Wilde recently earned the #1 spot on Open Table’s Diners Choice Awards for the Restaurant with the “Most Notable Wine List” in the entire Los Angeles area for two consecutive months (October and November 2015
They do lots of events and have a very fun Sunday night’s “Fried Chicken & Bubbles” which is often fully booked in advance.
About The Owners:
Lorna Donohoe, owner and General Manager, she left a successful marketing career to open Wilde Wine Bar & Restaurant and focus on her lifelong love of wine, food and entertaining. She was previously head of global marketing at Playboy Enterprises, overseeing the repositioning of one of America’s most iconic brands, and has also worked with such high-profile companies as Conde Nast Publications, along with a host of other leading lifestyle, fashion and designer brands.
Nader Naderi, Executive Chef and Owner, began his culinary career at a young age in London’s Earls Court and went on to open two successful restaurants in Los Angeles. In 2001, he left the restaurant business and launched a hugely successful fashion company, The Great China Wall, and later consulted for designer denim brands such as Wrangler, Seven for All Mankind, Koral and others. In 2015, he returned to his culinary roots, opening Wilde Wine Bar and Restaurant with wife and business partner Lorna Donohoe. Of his cooking philosophy, Naderi says: “When I was working as a chef in Italy and Europe, the food was simple, no more than three or four ingredients and paired with simple wines that let the food speak for itself. There has been this huge trend for over-complicated, over-seasoned dishes, fusions and so many ingredients that one can barely taste what the dish is. Our local customers and catering clients continually express their appreciation that the food at Wilde is farm-to-table, organic orsustainable, simply prepared with just a few ingredients.”
There is so much potential here to become the most fashionable local wine bar on La Brea, I know once you come in and experience the cozy romantic warmth the way that I did you too will be hooked.
Wilde Wine Bar and Restaurant
320 S. la Brea Ave.
los Angeles, CA 90036
http://wildela.com/
*Note some content was taken off of their website.