Spago for lunch, particularly on Friday, is magical. The patio is THE place to sit.
Laurent is one of the best dining room managers anywhere. He always organizes our meal and I have yet to look at a menu.
BYO Chmpagne
Signature dish of Spicy Tuna Tartar in a sesame tuile
House-Smoked Salmon served on a Lemon Herb Blini with Dill Crème Fraiche
Hamachi Ceviche with Baby Beets served in a Chinese spoon
Bacon en Croute – an old favorite
Inside of the bacon en croute
Japanese Cucumber Sorbet with Diced Cucumber and Daikon – a nice palate cleanser before the main part of the meal
Bread Service
Duo of Crab
Panko Crusted Soft Shell Crab with Scallions, Ginger, Marinated Cucumber Salad and Pickle Vinaigrette – the soft shell was perfect – light, not a hint of grease
Maryland Crab Cake, Basil Aioli, Tomato Vinaigrette – what was excellent about this crab cake is that it was pure crab – no filler, just crab
Pan-roasted Black Bass on a bed of carrot puree and wild ramps
Then artichokes, tomatoes and a wild ramp vinaigrette and olive oil vinaigrette is added table side to the bass – delicious, light, plus seasonality at its best
Jackie Collins lunching at Spago
BYO Red wine
Risotto with Maine Sweet Shrimp, Santa Barbara Uni and Baby Japanese Zucchini – what is not to like? – uni, shrimp and risotto
Pan-Roasted Liberty Duck Breast, Onion Soubise, Porcini Mushrooms, Huckleberries, Natural Jus – excellent
Friase de bois, Shortcake, Raspberry
Close-up
A lovely lunch, well-orchestrated by Laurent. I often say that Spago is two restaurants in one. The best way to go is a tasting menu. Let the staff orchestrate the menu and you will have a fine dining experience.
Nice shot of Jackie ! Didn’t look like she mind.
Will, I don’t think she was aware I took her picture!
Joan Collins looks beautiful – and extrordinarily good for her age ! Obviously she has taken great care of her skin and has good bone structure.
The cucumber sorbet would of course have been my favorite
It’s not Jackie Collins, it’s Joan Collins.
That said, it is excellent to see that Joan looks as good ‘in real life’ as she does on television.