The Thomas Gals were enveloped in
Mediterranean luxury and lifestyle this Thanksgiving; talk about a reason to be
grateful!
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| Pecan Crusted Scallops |
On that special third Thursday in
November, Kelly and I dined at Estérel, a contemporary French restaurant at
Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. Named
after the mountains in southeast France that overlook the sea, Estérel entices
with an innovative menu that captures the unique flavors of the region.
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| Fennel Goat Cheese Salad |
We chose the classic French way to
celebrate all our blessings: with a glass of wine. And our vino of choice: Burgundy. The Seeker is a classic Burgundy, aka Pinot Noir,
full of smooth earthiness with hints of black cherry.
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| Carving Tableside |
And then it was onto the feast! Kelly started with Pecan Crusted Seared
Scallops with sage brown butter, sun choke puree, chestnuts, and brussel
sprouts. She noted the sizable scallops
were firm yet delicate with just an essence of sesame. The brussel sprouts supported this
fragileness with a grassy contrast while the chestnuts rounded the dish out.
I, on the other hand, went with the
Fennel Goat Cheese Salad comprised of Laura Chenel fennel fresh goat cheese,
cranberry hazelnut crips, squash emulsion, and petite frisee. Simple, sweet (the squash emulsion), and
crisp. The perfect jumping off point for
a decadent Holiday meal!
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| Turkey!!! |
For
the entrees Kelly went traditional, noting that her Free Range Roasted Turkey
entrée had “all the roundness of a Thanksgiving feast, without the
grease.” The white meat, carved
tableside, was so moist she could cut it with a fork. The accouterments of cranberry relish,
brioche sage stuffing, buttermilk red bliss mashed potato, haricot verts persillade
(aka a sauce of parsley) were “simple but pronounced. They didn’t argue for attention. Each taste complimented the others so well you
really only needed a few bites of each.”
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| Porcini Agnolotti |
Those partaking of the traditional Thanksgiving
fowl had a choice of multiple emulsions.
Kelly doubled up with a red wine reduction with kidney and giblets and mushrooms
gravy with neck parts. The later was
deemed a delight. “I feel the French
taught me to respect mushrooms,” noted the younger Thomas Gal.
Eating out for two is the perfect
choice when one’s a Veggie (that’s me!).
The Porcini Agnolotti was the perfect cross section of earthy tastes and
textures. The carrot harissa puree was a
fluffy contrast to the spiciness of the welted wild arugula and black garlic
while the local black beans gave this fresh autumnal bite some overall
structure. Très Yumm!!!
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| Chai Cheesecake Brulee |
We each finished the meal with edible
gifts of sweetness. I chose the
Valrhona Chocolate Cremeux with maple syrup ice cream, candied pecans and
orange. Kelly indulged in the Pumpkin
Chai Cheesecake Brulee with a brown butter cookie and winter spicy red wine
reduction. Both were a sugarplum’s
delight!
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| Valrhona Chocolate Cremeux |
And speaking of sugary delights! The Sofitel LA will be showcasing a one of a
kind elegant Buche de Noel (a Yule log shaped traditional dessert that is
served near Christmas in France, Quebec, and other French speaking countries)
in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Sofitel worldwide.
So if you’re looking for the perfect
place to celebrate your next Holiday meal French style, Estérel might be the
spot!
