Vin Bar

As usual we had a terrific meal at Vin Bar – it just doesn’t get better than this – service and cuisine is always A+

Schramsberg to start

Braciola of tuna, olive tapenade over roasted yellow peppers – absolutely delicious

On the left baby octopus with a spicy tomato sauce – Arrabiata style, parsley and on the right warm calamari salad, Romano beans, celery, olive oil – 2 perfect dishes

2nd Wine

Eggplant tortino, tomato sauce topped with ricotta cheese – I just can’t wax poetic enough about this cuisine and Chef Nico’s skill

Third wine

Gnocchi sardi, wild boar ragu, porcini mushrooms, light cream sauce, ricotta salata on top – pasta done to perfection

Rabbit stuffed with rabbit ragu and apple, lamb that had been marinated with herbs and grilled, arugula salad, pork sausage, roasted fennel – quite a plateful of wonderful food

4th wine

Cheese course – 24 month parmesan, buffalo brie, gorgonzola, walnuts, horn of Rome chutney, jalapeno and onion, black truffle honey

Blueberry sorbet, white peach sorbet, pear sorbet, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, diced peaches, almond sugar cookies – a light, refreshing end

All in all – a wonderful meal!

Vin Bar/Valentino

Vin Bar/Valentino is a very special experience for us. I continue to feel that Piero Selvaggio ranks as one of the best restaurateurs in the country. He and his entire team from Sommelier Paul Sherman, Restaurant Mgr. Giuseppe Mollica, Executive Chef Nico Chessa, Pasta Chef Fabio and the entire FOH team are first-rate. From the welcome greeting of buona sera from Piero to the last thank you for coming, each and every diner is treated as a special guest – nothing is too much or “we can’t do that.” The experience is just the opposite; “we will do anything to make this a special evening for you.”

We never bring wine to Vin Bar/Valentino and always just let Piero choose the wines.

Champagne to start

Mozzarella Marinara “revisited” – a classic preparation that was simply delicious

Anchovies served on the side for the Mozzarella dish

Second wine

Soft Shell Crabs on a bed of spinach with Agrumato oil infused with orange. “The making of Agrumato olive oil is a very tedious and labor intensive process, resulting in a truly unique flavored extra virgin olive oil. Small amounts of olives are actually ground simultaneously with citrus fruit to produce an extra virgin olive oil with an unparalleled taste.” I love soft shells and these were cooked to perfection. The saucing with the infused Agrumato oil was light and a perfect balance to the soft shells.

Porcini Mushrooms on a grilled Heirloom tomato with a saucing of 10 year old Balsamic Vinegar Reduction – the porcini mushrooms were the finest I have ever tasted and Piero did mention they were very expensive. The saying “You get what you pay for” certainly holds true.

Gluten free gnocchi del Norcino with a tomato-based sauce that had just enough spice without being overwhelming.

The reference to Norcino refers to the following:

“Between the 12th and the 17th centuries, Italy sees a strong development of the jobs linked to the processing of pork. This is the period when the figure of the norcino (pork butcher from Norcia) appears and thanks to his skills, he creates new charcuterie products.”

The gnocchi del Norcini featured 3 different pork products – pork shoulder, speck and Guanciale.

“While most pork bacon products are taken from the belly of a pig, Guanciale is made by drying the meat from a hog’s jowls. Though the resulting meat is leaner than traditional pork pieces, it has a noticeably richer flavor. It is this richness, combined with a delicate porkiness, that more than merits the meat’s three-week drying period. Making guanciale may require a little more planning than simply buying good-quality bacon or pancetta, but its abundance of flavor distinguishes guanciale from the rest, making every dish that much more succulent.”

Above from:

http://www.babbonyc.com/in-guanciale.html

Third Wine

Beef tenderloin topped with foie gras and goat cheese served with asparagus and sweet onions. The saucing was a raspberry, olive oil sauce with shallots and a touch of basil – rich and unctuous.

Pasta Chef Fabio couldn’t resist and asked if we could handle one more course. Risotto with diced spinach, braised lamb ragu and sprinkled with goat cheese on top – perfect risotto with a full-flavored ragu.

Cheese Course – Raschera (an Italian pressed semi-fat , semi-hard cheese  made with partly skimmed raw or pasteurised cow milk, to which a small amount of sheep’s and/or goat’s milk may be added) and Robiola (an Italian soft-ripened cheese of the Stracchino family, made with varying proportions of cow’s, goat’s milk and sheep milk) served with white truffle honey, sweet peppers, fig salami, toasted hazelnuts and walnuts.

Valentino has been around for a long time, but it feels as fresh and new as any restaurant that gets a ton of twitter buzz and recent press. I urge everyone of all ages to just go and experience exceptional ingredients executed with finesse with incredible service. Vin Bar/Valentino defines the true meaning of hospitality.

Vin Bar/Valentino

I am going to be redundant, but Vin Bar/Valentino is one of the best, if not the best Italian restaurant in Los Angeles. Irene Virbila, LA Times’ critic got it right when she awarded Valentino 3 stars. This really is a must restaurant. The current chef, Nico Chessa from Sardinia is absolutely wonderful; he is just getting better and better and there is no better host than Piero. As I mentioned before we never BYO so Piero chooses the wines and Nico creates the menu. What more could one ask for?

First wine

Nico mentioned that he remembered how much we liked uni.

Uni, bottarga shavings, blood orange segments, blood orange dressing – light, flavorable with sushi quality uni.

2nd Wine

Crabmeat salad, pecorino, celery with tiny bits of uni as the “glue” or holding the crabmeat salad together. On top was a crispy  tomato. Poured around the salad was a red beet soup with green basil oil —  Summer on a plate.

Grilled Octopus and Calamari, Chiodini Mushrooms, Fregola (Sardinian couscous), Squid Ink. The red sprinkles are actually dried and ground lobster eggs. It was essential that the lobster eggs be mixed with the entire dish. This was delicious.

3rd Wine

Seafood Risotto with sepia, scallops, lobster, clams, parsley, parmesan and mascarpone, instead of butter, used for the creamy quality – what a lavish extravaganza of seafood in perfectly cooked risotto. I particularly loved the use of the mascarpone.

4th wine

Quail en Porchetta “stuffed” with Lamb Tenderloin, Kurobuta Pork Tenderloin on a bed of lentils with zucchini and carrots, Haricot verts wrapped in carrots, Heirloom cherry tomatoes, Potatoes steamed in saffron – what an extraordinary meat dish – every bit of incredible meat goodness in each bite with market fresh vegetables.

Malloreddus (little gnocchi) with Venison Ragu – nobody does pasta better than Valentino not to mention perfect saucing.

Explanation from this site:

http://www.practicallyedible.com/edible.nsf/pages/malloreddus

Malloreddus is a pasta made from semolina flour and water. Each piece will be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long and 1/4 inch (.5cm) wide. The front of each piece is open like a canoe; the back of each piece has very pronounced grooves on it to catch sauce. Though the grooves used to be made by pressing the pieces of pasta against straw baskets, now of course there are machines that do that. For home production, Sardinians used a piece of specially-designed glass with grooves in it, called a “ciurili.”

Malloreddus pasta is made in Sardinia, Italy.

5th Wine

Truffle Cheese from Tuscany on Fig Bread topped by Fig “Salami” with fruit mustard, dried apricots, walnuts – a lovely cheese course

Davide Giova – pastry chef

We were getting quite full and I just didn’t do justice to Chef Giova’s desserts.

Chocolate Budino, Prickly pear Sorbet, Strawberries marinated with Balsamic

Milk Chocolate Mille-feuille, Sicilian cassata – sponge cake with ricotta topped with candied fruits and “frosted” with pistachio mascarpone

What a fantastic meal with incredible service and innovative, well-executed cuisine. As I mentioned earlier, Valentino is a must restaurant. I urge everyone to just go and enjoy.

Vin Bar/Valentino

Vin Bar/Valentino is just getting better and better.  Irene Virbila, the LA Times restaurant critic, recently awarded it 3 stars and it is more than deserved. I would venture to say that Vin Bar/Valentino is one of the best Italian restaurants in Los Angeles.

Review here:

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-review-20100506,0,7282447.story

To repeat my opinion, Piero Selvaggio ranks as one of the best restaurateurs in the country. His passion for great service plus his dedication to the finest ingredients is exemplary. I urge those who are seeking the best in Italian cuisine to run not walk to Vin Bar/Valentino.

The new chef, Nico Chessa from Sardinia, is not only inventive, but executes each dish with perfection. You will never get mushy pasta, overcooked fish or muddled ingredients. His saucing is refined.

Piero did all the wine pairings and Chef Nico devised the menu with the only requirement being to keep the portions small.

Champagne

Sardinian bread, Carastu (like a cracker bread) with fava beans, fresh tomatoes, dried bottarga and dried ricotta. A perfect beginning

White Wine- G & K Giovanni – grillo sicilia – Piero explained that Mrs Giovanni was German and married a Giovanni. She named her sons (now the winemakers) Gunther and Klaus – hence the G and K. I must say what amusing names Gunther Giovanni and Klaus Giovanni.

Oregon shrimp tartar stuffed in an avocado half with sliced cucumber and orange segments lightly dressed with citrus olive oil – a light refreshing second course and a welcome relief from the ubiquitous tuna tartars.

White Wine

Risotto with spinach and clam puree topped with soft shells with a saucing of light cream and brandy. Unlike the soft shells at Chinois, these were absolutely perfect with firm meat. I asked Piero what would make the meat mushy and he confirmed one of my ideas that the soft shell at Chinois had probably been frozen. It was a given that these soft shells were fresh and just another perfect dish.

Ciciones – little Sardianian gnocchi with striped shrimp, lobster, calamari and black cod. The sauce was made from the shrimp heads that was closer to a shrimp bisque. The entire dish was a glorious ode to fresh seafood.

Red Wine

Fresh Halibut (and I do mean fresh- it was just brought in by a Japanese lady. Piero mentioned that she was now happily munching on Chef Nico’s pasta in the kitchen). The halibut was on a bed of Sardinian Fregula (like couscous) flavored with squid ink accompanied by zucchini, carrot and cauliflower with just a touch of olive oil – I could have been at Le Bernardin in New York or Manresa in Los Gatos or French Laundry in Yountville or Providence in Los Angeles where sourcing of fish is a badge of pride. I can now add Valentino to the list.

Red Wine

Veal Loin with Goat Cheese, candied walnuts, mashed potato, aged balsamic sauce  - a flawless piece of veal executed excellently. The mashed potato was luxuriously rich and again the saucing showed extreme competence.

Cheese – Pecorino. Toscano, Tallegio, Fig salami, Honey, Blackberries,, Candied Walnuts – a lovely cheese course

Dessert – Cassata with ricotta cheese with candied fruits, pistachio, mascarpone, pistachio sauce, caramel sauce, prickly pear sauce, sorbet – I just picked at dessert and didn’t do it justice.

What a wonderful evening! I just wish that the group of diners running to the newest restaurant on the horizon would flock to Valentino instead and discover a contemporary cuisine with extraordinary flavors plus a passionate insistence on the finest ingredients. Couple this with Piero’s graciousness plus an incredible wine list, you have a first rate restaurant.

Vin Bar/Valentino

I decided to make Vin Bar/Valentino one category as we are not exactly having the Vin Bar menu – we are having what Piero and Chef Chessa wants us to have.

Vin Bar/Valentino has a new chef – Nico Chessa from Sardinia. He has been at Valentino a month so the menu is in transition with traditional Valentino dishes, focusing on Piero’s Sicilian origins, but introducing Sardinian dishes.

About the Chef – Executive Chef Nico Chessa

“Raised on the island of Sardinia, Nico Chessa has worked throughout Italy, mastering the signature dishes of every region.  He was privileged to be the executive chef for the gala reopening of the Sistine chapel in 1996, where he had the honor to serve Pope John Paul II.  Joining the Valentino Restaurant Group in 2003, after leading the kitchens of high profile restaurants in Houston and Washington, D.C., Chessa has long catered to a clientele of world-leaders, entertainers and notable dignitaries.  Acclaimed for his Sardinian-style food by award-winning journalist John Mariani, Chessa’s charismatic presence has brought him an added following as frequent guest chef for the premier Crystal Cruise Line.”

From here:

http://www.valentinorestaurant.com/giorgio/chessa.asp

In any case, Piero is intent on updating Valentino and not resting on his well-deserved laurels. This is a restaurant that is always evolving with probably one of the best service Front of the House teams, led by the ever-present Piero.

Last night, the day before Valentine’s Day, can only be described as a zoo. We sat at the entrance in Vin Bar and somehow Piero managed the constant stream of diners; it was like watching dozens of clowns at the circus emerging from a tiny car. Somehow Piero expertly and magically made it all appear “easy.”

All wine pairings were done by Piero and extraordinary. We started with champagne – not pictured.

With Nico Chessa as the new chef, we were treated to some typical Sardinian dishes.

I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies.

Zucchini flower, Taleggio cheese, fried quail egg, diced tomato, winter black truffle – the zucchini flower was stuffed with the cheese plus there was a “sauce” of the cheese surrounding the flower. A wonderful combination of earthy truffles and runny cheese.

Grillo Wine – great acidity, very delicate

Aristos – more full-bodied white – not as delicate and flowery as the Grillo – loved both

Salad of Sardinian Fregula (almost like couscous) with chunks of lobster, beets and julienned blood orange rind. The fregula with the lobster was a study in texture , with the beets and the orange adding just the right “top-note.”

Spinach Tagliatini with sea urchin and cherry tomatoes and a sauce from the juice of the tomato and olive oil – everyone knows that I love sea urchin so for me, what’s not to love. Terrific.

A word about all the pasta we were served. Vin Bar/Valentino excels at pasta. They are all made in-house and are cooked to perfection. I honestly can say no one does pasta better than Vin Bar/Valentino.

Bucatini pasta with calamari and bottarga. I think this was made by forcing it through a chitarra – a set of closely strung strings that looks very much like the strings of a guitar as Piero made reference to chitar.

Vignedileo

Branzino with langoustino filet both cooked and raw, sautéed apple on top, langoustine sauce, pistachio, basil olive oil and a touch of pepper

Last red for the evening

Hand-made Strozzapreti (priest’s chokers) with Sausage, Sun-dried Tomato and Pecorina Cheese. In an earlier post I explained  that it is called “priest chokers”  because centuries ago, it was common practice to let priests eat for free in restaurants. Wishing to get rid of the “freeloaders”, chefs rolled the pasta in such a way with the hope that the pasta would get lodged in the priest’s throat and choke. We devoured this dish and didn’t choke!

Now pastry chef Davide Giova personally delivered our dessert.

First assorted sorbets of prickly pear, coconut, strawberry and Barlett pear

Then an assortment of pastries : (Unbelievable that Chef Giova was kind enough to write this down for me)

Sbrisolona

Pasta di Mandorle

Cantucci

Almond Praline

Chocolate Truffle

Vin Bar/Valentino is so much more than a special occasion restaurant. The wine pairings are fantastic. The cuisine is new and exciting – this is not a stuffy restaurant. It really needs to be added as a must and get the “foodie” attention it deserves.