January 17, 2016 Lunch – Eloisa’s, Dinner BBQ boneless Pork Ribs, PPI Savoyard Mashed Potatoes, and PPI Roasted Brussels Sprouts

January 17, 2016 Lunch – Eloisa’s, Dinner BBQ boneless Pork Ribs, PPI Savoyard Mashed Potatoes, and PPI Roasted Brussels Sprouts   

We spent the night in Linda and T.R’s lovely guest room.  After watching Fareed Zacharia and President Obama speak in the morning we talked for awhile until Linda had to go to work at 11:00.  We then drove toward Lan’s for a early lunch but when we discovered that it was closed, we changed direction and drove to Eloisa’s at the new Drury Plaza Hotel in what used to be St. Vincent Hospital at the corner of Peralta and Palace.  We immediately liked the interior décor and the view of the the open kitchen from almost every part of the restaurant.m we arrived ten minutes before opening and were the only guests for at least thirty minutes during which time we were expertly waited upon by Witt Smith.  Suzette started with her obligatory Sunday Bloody Mary, while I ordered a wine I had not ever drunk before, a godella from Galicia, Spain.  The godella was a delightfully fruity white wine with lots of tannic aftertaste.  Suzette did not like it's minerality, but I thought it tasted a little like a high grown Torrontes from Argentina.  I note in Wikipedia that Torrontes grapes are also grown in Galicia: Godello is a white variety of wine grape grown in northwestern Spain, in particular in Galicia.[1] The Gouveio found in northern Portugal is thought to be the same grape variety.[2]

We then turned our attention to the menu.  I immediately saw two items that looked interesting; Pastrami Tacos and Duck Confit Enfrijoladas and was intrigued by a corn flan served in a corn husk and garnished with black quinoa accompanying a carne adovado dish. 

Suzette agreed with my choices, so I asked Witt about the dishes.  He told us that the Pastrami Tacos were created by John Sedler for a reception for Pavarotti many years ago, when John had restaurants in L.A.

I first became acquainted with John Sedler when I wrote an article for Chile Pepper Magazine, thirty or thirty-five years ago when I interviewed him for an article in which I identified his St. Estephe Restaurant in Manhattan Beach, Ca. as one of the then four New American Southwestern Restaurants in America, along with Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill in Chicago, Mark Miller of Coyote Café in Santa Fe, Robert Del Grande of Café Annie in Houston as pioneers of a new uniquely American food movement evolving from Alice Waters’ New American Cuisine; all of whom have been honored as Food Arts Magazine’s Silver Spoon award recipients.

The Pastrami Tacos were straight forward enough small blue corn Tortilla shells fried to crisp and filled with a squirt of ballpark mustard, sauerkraut, a slice of pickled jalapeño, pastrami and garnished with a fresh sprig of watercress.  An order of four were served in a grooved cardboard holder.  

Next came two separate plates, each with a soft blue corn tortilla filled with shredded duck confit and crema and garnished with chopped frisée and radicchio, and a lovely reduction sauce of Cabernet Sauvignon, Demi-glacé, and red chili.  This was a very special dish that demonstrated the breath of knowledge and experience of John Sedler’s  New American Southwestern roots.

The Enfrijolada was served with a corn fan garnished with black quinoa served in a hibiscus dyed corn husk tied at both ends to shape it into a semi circular deep draft boat shape.  This dish reminded me that John Sedler is a master of creative presentation.  

The entire meal with drinks totaled a little over $61.00.

After lunch we resumed our intended trek to Stephen’s Consignment, but as we passed Kakawa Chocolate House, across Peralta from Matteucci Gallery, I asked Suzette if she had ever drunk Kakawa’s chocolate and she said, “No.”  I then asked, “Would you like to? 

To which she replied, “Yes.” 

So I turned into the PERA parking lot and parked beside Kakawa’s building.  When we walked in and approached the counter we were offered tastes of the eight or nine formulations of Kakawa’s hot chocolate.  We both liked the Marie Antoinette blend that includes 72% chocolate, almond milk and orange flavor, so we split a 6 oz. cup of it and a 72% cacao chocolate brownie.  What a fabulous dessert to a fabulous meal.

We then drove to Stephen’s and Costco to refill the car with gas, which was $1.53/gallon, and stopped to shop.  We got boneless BBQ pork roast fot dinner.  

When we got home we watched Denver beat Pittsburgh in the AFC playoff and heated the Pork BBQ and ate it with PPI Savoyard Mashed potatoes and PPI Roasted Brussels Sprouts and cans of Coors beer.

Bon Appetit