May 23, 2016: The Tasting Kitchen

The Tasting Kitchen opened several years ago and I have been wanting to try it for quite a while now, but we have never really been able to go because it is in Venice and it always seems like it is so much further to get to than LA or Santa Monica. Christal and I decided to have a family date night while we still can take Luke out with us and I chose The Tasting Kitchen to try. The restaurant was very open with most of the tables out in the front along with an olive tree growing between the main dining room and entrance, and a bar with some smaller tables in the back. We sat next to the entrance at a booth, which worked out well for Luke's sake.

It's Superman!

Christal wanted to get a cheese plate to start so we chose three cheese to taste. We selected a Monte Enebro, Oma, and Tomme Brulee for our cheeses. The Monte Enebro was a goats milk cheese that was rolled in ash. It was fairly mild for a goat's cheese and had the signature soft texture of most goat cheeses and it paired perfectly with the fruit compote that came with the plate. The Oma was a washed-rind cheese from Vermont. It had a very pleasant funkiness to it and a very soft, pudding-like texture to it. It was my personal favorite due to the earthy flavors and it paired really well with the honeycomb on the plate. The last cheese was the Tomme Brulee, which is a French Basque cheese that is more firm and the rind is scorched. This cheese was Christal's favorite and it reminded me of a slightly smokier Manchego cheese.

Cheese Plate w Monte Enebro, Oma & Tomme Brulee 

The funghi misti with Pedro Ximenez and foie gras. It included morels, maitakes, shiitakes and beech mushrooms all sauteed together with a few small dices of foie gras that added an extra richness to the dish. The Pedro Ximenez used to deglaze the pan emulsified with the fat from the foie gras and created a perfect sauce that added sweetness and acidity to the mushrooms and could be sopped up with the toast that accompanied the mushrooms.  

Funghi Misti w Pedro Ximenez & Foie Gras

The next dish to come out was the agnolotti with corn, chanterelles and basil. I had initially expected the agnolotti to be filled with corn, but the corn was actually tossed into the sauce and the agnolotti were filled with ricotta cheese. The pasta used for the agnolotti was slightly thick so the ends where it was sealed together were a little bit too "al dente" in my opinion, but it still tasted delicious. The chanterelles were sauteed perfectly so that they were firm, yet tender and they paired with the sweet corn seamlessly. The basil added a nice fresh finish and, along with the pickled onion sprinkled on top, helped to lighten the dish even with the butter sauce that everything was tossed in.

Agnolotti w Corn, Chanterelles & Basil

Our last savory dish was the halibut with vermouth butter, morels and peas. The halibut was cooked well, keeping its firm texture yet staying tender and moist. The morels were tender and earthy, contrasting nicely with the sweet peas and the vermouth butter was not overpowering, but had a nice richness supplemented by fresh herbs and the vermouth. The dish also had a small dollop of créme fraîche that added a little more acid and a few pea tendrils that lent extra freshness and a pleasant chlorophyll flavor to compliment the dish.

Halibut w Vermouth Butter, Morels & Peas

For dessert we decided to go with the pavlova with mulberries, Marcona almonds, elderflowers and créme fraîche. The meringue was a little chewier and less crispy than I was expecting. The mulberries were sweet and also tangy, which helped to counteract all the sweetness in the meringue. The elderflowers were very subtle and I really didn't notice them when I ate them with everything else. The almonds provided a crunchy textural contrast that played off of the soft mulberries and meringue. The créme fraîche gave the dish a little extra acidity to cut through all the sweet elements as well as a pleasant richness that wasn't too heavy on the palate.

Pavlova w Mulberries, Marcona Almonds, Elderflower & Créme Fraîche

Overall Christal and I really enjoyed all of the food we had, and everything was cooked well and executed soundly, but nothing really stood out as being extraordinary or mind blowing. We both agreed that we would enjoy eating here again and would recommend it to other people, it just isn't a restaurant that is going to bowl you over with its innovation. What it will do is provide you with a satisfying and tasty meal that you will be glad you had.

Food 4/5
Service 4/5
Christal's Rating 4/5
http://thetastingkitchen.com/