Grace Restaurant
Average user Rating: 89
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Grace is Chef Neal Fraser's showcase for New American cuisine with wide-ranging themes such as local ingredients and wild game. Quail and wild boar are balanced by butterscotch donuts and rich banana Fosters. A laid back atmosphere with warm Earth tones gives the restaurant a lounge-like feel.
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93
7/22/2010
I dined at Grace on a Friday evening, the night before their last dinner service at their Beverly Blvd. location, for my best friend's birthday. The place was fairly packed, but we were quickly seated by the friendly hostess upon our arrival. While I've been to Chef Neal Fraser's more causal restaurant, BLD, this was my first time at Grace. I thought it was a fantastic opportunity to finally dine here with the celebration of Lina's birthday and the closing of the restaurant.
Grace's move out of Beverly Blvd. is certainly bittersweet; leaving behind seven years of culinary growth and fond memories is difficult but opening a new chapter at their new downtown location at Vibiana, scheduled to open next year, is quite exciting. While Grace is moving out, Rivera will be opening up their second location at this Beverly Blvd. space. Finally! I don't have to drive all the way to downtown for some awesome cocktails! While I am sad that Grace is leaving and am kicking myself in the ass for not coming sooner, I am happy for their new space and glad that I got a chance to dine here before their move.
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Recommended Dishes
toasted coconut doughnut, olive oil poached halibut, brandade
93
6/30/2010
When the night was complete, we were quite satisfied and overall very pleased with our meal. While there were some lowlights throughout the progression, there were definitely enough standouts to take center stage. While I am a bit saddened to see Grace close its doors on this location, I am very much anticipating it’s revival in its historic new space in Downtown LA.
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Recommended Dishes
Sauteed Day Boat Scallops, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Salted Caramel Doughnuts
93
Grace (Los Angeles, CA) [2]
6/22/2010
My last visit to Grace was a bit of a letdown, but I'd always wanted to return and give Neal Fraser's contemporary American eatery another shot. Grace is, of course, closing and moving to Downtown, so the final night of service at its location on Beverly gave me the perfect opportunity to revisit.
Grace's menu changes periodically, though there are a few standbys, such as the "Grilled Tenderloin of Wild Boar," which has been on the carte since Virbila's 2-star review back in 2003 (she didn't care for it, by the way). We, naturally, gravitated toward the tasting menus. There's a five-courser at $65, but we all went for the seven-course Chef's Menu, priced at $100, plus $60 for Wine Director Eduardo Porto Carreiro's pairings.
1: Sashimi of Japanese Hamachi | fennel, radish, california olive oil, sea beans
One thing that I've always found peculiar at Grace is the lack of an amuse bouche (typically a de rigueur flourish at fine dining establishments); thus, we'll jump right into the first course. Eaten alone, the fish was prototypical yellowtail, with a soft, slightly fatty flesh and clean, yet somewhat oily essence. What I really enjoyed, though, was the acerbic tang of radish and fennel, which formed a great counterpoint to the relatively hefty hamachi, as well as the depth of flavor imparted by the olive oil. Finishing things off was a great tinge of sea salt on the close.
2: Sautéed Day Boat Scallop | english pea risotto, morel mushrooms, asparagus, basil nage
Following was one of the best scallops that I've had in a while. I loved its firm, yet supple consistency--a perfect combination of raw and cooked textures--as well as its delightfully caramelized exterior and delicate flavor. The use of morels gave the dish a substantial, heady earthiness, but the best part was the interaction between the scallop and its bright, verdant, vegetal asparagus- and basil-infused broth. Interestingly, the only element I didn't quite care for here was the lobster, which seemed totally redundant, and rather overcooked to boot.
3: Olive Oil Poached Halibut | brandade, horseradish cream, sherry gelée
Given that I'm somewhat of a salt cod slut, I was quite excited about the brandade in this course. The fluffy cod fritter, not the halibut, was the real star of the show here, with a tremendously briny flavor that went surprisingly well with the more subdued nature of the halibut. The whole amalgam was perked up properly by the prick of piquancy provided by the sherry, which worked beautifully with the saltiness of the fish.
4: Sautéed Channel Island White Sea Bass | white beans, artichokes barigoule, pistou
Here we have another very strong presentation of fish, this time a white sea bass. The bass itself was actually quite delectable, a tender, flaky filet with a piercing savoriness, augmented by the fish's fantastically crisp, salty skin. I also appreciated the sea bass' interplay with the pistou (basil, garlic, olive oil), as well as the gravity contributed by the white beans. The artichoke, however, wasn't necessary for me.
5: Slow Cooked Egg | spring onions, pork belly, chanterelle mushrooms, white asparagus
It's hard to go wrong with slow cooked egg, and this certainly was no exception to the rule. It really lent a luscious, all-encompassing creaminess to the dish that did wonders in emphasizing the saltiness of the crispy pork belly and bacon, while adding to the earthy heft of the chanterelles. The onions and asparagus, thus, were absolutely key in tempering the power of the dish. Very nice.
6: Oven Roasted Suckling Pig | potato gnocchi, chanterelle mushrooms, white asparagus, pork jus
Our final savory of the evening was a surprisingly rustic preparation of pig. I found the meat enchantingly tender, succulent, with a robust "pork-y" sapor and a wonderfully crisp skin, and I quite appreciated how the asparagus, in concert with the corn succotash, moderated the ponderosity of the pork. I wasn't nearly as keen on the gnocchi, though.
7a: Sticky Toffee Pudding | brûléed bananas, toffee sauce, hazelnut gelato
Interestingly, instead of the entire table getting the same dessert, we were instead given a selection of five of Swan's creations to share. The pudding was nice enough, and sort of reminded me of a boozy chocolate cake. The toffee definitely enhanced the richness of the dessert, and the bananas were a fitting complement as well.
7b: Chocolate Soufflé Cake Affogato | vanilla malt ice cream, toasted almonds, espresso syrup
The soufflé was more interesting, as it had an espresso syrup that I found quite becoming, complementing the heavy flavors of the cake nicely. I didn't get much in terms of almonds, though I did appreciate the tempering effect of the ice cream.
7c: Honeyed Pain Perdu | lavender ice cream, meyer lemon curd, pistachios
This was actually my least favorite of the desserts, though certainly, I didn't mind eating it. The pain perdu, by itself, had a subtle, slightly savory sweetness to it with an almost banana-esque flair, and I also liked the pistachio crumbles. However, the lemon curd was too strong for my tastes, and rather overwhelmed the rest of the dish.
7d: Salt & Pepper Caramel Doughnut | mascarpone ice cream
DTAB had warned me that the doughnuts didn't live up to their former glory, so I was a bit wary going in. Fortunately, I'm happy to report that Grace's signature desserts did not disappoint. The S&P variety demonstrated plenty of sticky caramel character, but I was intrigued, and pleased, by the bit of savoriness that I tasted, especially on the finish.
7e: Buttermilk Toasted Coconut Doughnut | mascarpone ice cream
As much as I enjoyed the previous doughnuts, I liked these even more. The buttermilk lent an amazing flavor to the dessert, and the use of coconut gave things an almost nutty character, while adding some textural variation as well. In fact, the entire assemblage reminded me a bit of a Danish butter cookie! Loved the mascarpone ice cream too.
All things considered, this was pretty damn good meal--Grace, consider yourself redeemed. The food this time around seemed much more robust, confident, gutsy. It was sophisticated, polished, yet approachable and familiar--exactly what it should be.
So what's next for Fraser and company? Well, Grace will be resurrected in Downtown at the corner of 2nd and Main, inside the rectory building of the old Vibiana Cathedral, with an estimated opening date of sometime in the first half of 2011. Interestingly, this isn't the first time Fraser's considered DTLA: way back in 2007, he was slated to open a "hybrid" between Grace and BLD there. In any case, this space at 7360 Beverly has been taken over by Rivera's John Sedlar, who plans to open up a down-market version of his eponymous restaurant here. In the mean time, Grace's team is still available for catering gigs, if you're so inclined, and apparently, another BLD will be opening in Pasadena (at the corner of Holly and Raymond) sometime this year.
Full review with photos: http://www.kevineats.com/20 10/06/grace-los-angeles-ca- 2.html
Recommended Dishes
Sautéed Day Boat Scallop, Sautéed Channel Island White Sea Bass, Slow Cooked Egg, Salt & Pepper Caramel Doughnut, Buttermilk Toasted Coconut Doughnut
74
2/8/2010
Last week, Yvonne and I graced Grace with our graceful selves. Actually, I am far from graceful – in fact, quite the opposite – but I do love alliteration. I have heard about Grace for years, now, but never anything specific or powerful in any direction. A couple I know had an anniversary there once and were really impressed. But it’s quite hard to gauge their food opinions since they are big fans of the Cheesecake Factory.
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96
dineLA Winter 2010
2/4/2010
My third (and final) dineLA dinner in four days was at Grace in L.A. last night. I met up with a friend for our 6:15PM reservation. There's one thing to be said about Grace's location, it's a bit hard to find at night...even when you're looking for it. I drove by it once because it didn't have a lit up sign. But once we were in the restaurant, it was the antithesis of the crazy traffic and noise on Beverly Blvd. Decorated in whites, light greens, and dark woods, the restaurant was lit by candlelights and strategically dim lights. We were seated immediately.
I had already decided that I was going to go five courses with the wine pairing, so there would be no pre-dinner cocktail for me. My friend had a glass of pinot gris that was quite nice, and had decided to do the dineLA three-course menu. I appreciated the fact that we weren't rushed into ordering anything. Scott, our waiter, gave us ample time to chat and review the menu.
My friend picked Spinach & Arugula Salad with candied pecans, poached pears, and ricotta salata. It arrived at our table as a huge green mountain with a healthy sprinking of white ricotta. I didn't get to try it, but she said it was dressed just right and was delicious. I had Dungeness Crab Salad with apple, celery root, potato crisps, and curry aioli (NV Drusian Prosecco di Valdobbiadene, Veneto, Italy). The salad was light and refreshing. I loved the contrast of the textures: soft crab, crispy potato chip, crunchy apple and celery root slaw, and creamy aioli. My only complaint that while the crab was fresh, it had a slight fishy aroma to it...that threw me off a bit. I also had the Sautéed La Belle Farms Foie Gras with pears, pistachios, quince, and ras el hanout (2000 Bert Simon "Serrig Herrenberg" Riesling Spätlese, Mosel-Sarr-Ruwer, Germany). I was slightly concerned about this dish being overtly sweet because I hear that fried/pan-seared foie can be sweet, but this was so good. The foie was rich, creamy, earthy, and savory...and there was a slight crispness because of the charring. It paired so well with the eas el hanout sauce and the pears and quince. I loved the extra crunch that the pastachios provided.
For the entrees, my friend had Sautéed Day Boat Scallops with roasted apple thyme risotto, beet greens, and roasted carrot nage. These scallops were huge...and were seared so beautifully. They were perfectly cooked, and she loved it....easily her favotite dish of the night. I had the Sautéed Mediterranean Branzino with celery root purée, black trumpet mushrooms, white wine nage (2007 Molnar Family “Poseidon’s Vineyard” Chardonnay, Carneros, California). This was easily one of the best fish dishes I've ever had. The skin was crispy and crunchy, while the flesh was tender, moist, and flaky. It's a delicate fish, so the pairing with the celery root puree was quite genius. My friend had a bite of mine, and mistook the celery root puree as mashed potatoes because it was so creamy and rich. I loved the white wine nage sauce...nice bit of acid to jolt the palate. My other entree was Grilled Broken Arrow Venison with black garlic flan, pork belly savoy cabbage, and szechwan huckleberry sauce (2005 Chryseia “Post Scriptum” Touriga Nacional, Douro, Portugal). Cooked to a perfect rare, this was my first time trying venison. It was lean and the texture reminded me more of pork than anything else. I liked the pork belly savoy cabbage, but didn't get a whole lot of pork belly flavor out of it. I LOVED the black garlic flan and the huckleberry sauce...I might have licked the plate clean if I could. The entire dish as whole was a complete flavor and textural package...salty, sweet, creamy, crunchy, sour, rich...it was also comforting and felt like a winter dish.
For dessert, my friend had Sticky Toffee Pudding with brûléed bananas, toffee sauce, and hazelnut gelato. She said it was perfect, as she's had sticky toffee pudding before in England. She loved how the bananas were a nice contrast to the pudding. It was doughnut night at Grace, so I naturally selected the Chef’s Selection Doughnut Flight three doughnuts paired with three ice creams (1989 L’Etoile “Cuvée Réservée,” Banyuls Grand Cru, Roussillon, France). Last night's selection was salted caramel doughnut with walnut ice cream (my personal favorite paring of the night), dark chocolate doughnut with chocolate ice cream (my friend is a chocolate fiend and LOVED this pairing), and a buttermilk doughnut with vanilla ice cream. There was something magical about that salted caramel doughnut. It's a fresh-fried yeast doughnut glazed with a salted caramel sauce that was so good. It was a rich, sweet, creamy, slightly bitter caramel with hints of sea salt...so good that I had to take some home to my husband who loves doughnuts...and loved this doughnut.
Service for the night was excellent. Scott did a great job taking care of us, and making suggestions regarding the menu when we had questions. My wine pairings were brought out a few minutes before each course arrived. The waitstaff carefully monitored our water glasses, and managed to keep them filled effortlessly throughout the night. Chef Fraser came out of the kitchen at least four times during our three and a half-hour dinner to talk to guests and make sure that service was going well. We got to meet him and tell him that his restaurant was fabulous. As a souvenir, I got to take home a copy of the menu signed by Chef Fraser. Easily, my best dineLA dinner from this go around, and I look forward to coming back soon.
93
9/18/2008
Grace is one of my favorite places in LA.
Great food, great service, nice ambiance, not too loud ...
So far cocktail is just okay but I do hear that their sommelier is great.
During the DineLA week I had their amazing Wild Board with spaetzle that I remember very fondly. Their salmon was also prepared perfectly. For more details on this dinner+pics, go to: http://gourmetpigs.blogspot .com/2008/01/dinela-08-grac e.html
I also visit Grace on Sundays every now and again to get their burger AND (more importantly!) their milkshake!
Their burger is delicious! Although expensive as far as burger goes, I love it with the truffle cheese! And then the milkshakes ... I've had blueberry malt the first time (which I haven't seen again, yet :( ) and it was seriously the best milkshake ever!! I wish they'll serve it regularly >_<
For burger+milkshake pics, pls go to: http://gourmetpigs.blogspot .com/2008/04/my-ultimate-bu rger-and-shake-meal.html
Recommended Dishes
Wild boar, Milkshake, Grace burger
89
1/1/2000
93
1/1/2000
85
1/1/2000
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