Providence
Average user Rating: 94
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Chef Michael Cimarusti named this establishment after the Rhode Island town that introduced him to his love for the sea. This devotion shows on the heavily seafood oriented menu with French influences. The multi course tasting menu highlights small plates with wine parings and informed staff.
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89
6/11/2010
Just a quick Providence background, after Chef Michael Cimarusti left Water Grill to open his own restaurant, the aforementioned Providence, it has quickly garnered numerous awards, including 2 Michelin stars in 2009. Chef Cimarusti specializes in seafood and we definitely experienced that passion in our meal.
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Recommended Dishes
Santa Barbara Sea Urchin, Japanese Kanpachi Sashimi
93
9/22/2009
The bacon brioche was yummers.
The salt shovel was really supercute too.
Gin and tonic gelee was fun as was the balloon animal of mojito. The pumpkin soup was whatever. It added color. Maybe that's what it was meant to do.
Kanpachi with creme fraiche and rice cracker. This was lovely with a distinct chewiness and a slippery creaminess. The rice cracker really brought it all together. The only kvetch I have is the dish was distinctly too salty.
The dish I most wanted was not on the 9 course tasting menu. So, I subbed out a salmon and inserted the famous salt roasted prawns. It added $55 to the bill but I thought it'd be worth it. The table side presentation is fun and makes you feel like you're getting a little show but they were a tad overcooked and chewy. No regrets though. The show was worth it.
This uni and egg yolk concoction was simply magnificent. Genius comes upon us suddenly in the shape of an egg with the top cut off. I was very much astonished by these flavors and the smells. I can't describe them though. Sorry. There were bread crumbs though. The chef understands the significance of texture and feel in addition to taste. He's like the Helen Keller of seafood.
A good scallop. Scallops are always good.
After being overwhelmed by the uni, then recovering with the scallop, a second assault on our senses was waged by this halibut with fried burdock and shiso. Our waiter Olaf-Daniel (he called himself Olaf but also said, if he's in trouble, he likes to go by the name "Daniel" so I'm hyphenating his real name and pseudonym) told us this was one of the dishes that Chef Cimarusti bested Iron Chef Morimoto with. It was a dream that my mouth had. I wish it were a recurring dream I could have rather than that one where your teeth fall out. Don't you hate that dream? It's horrible.
The veal was nice but it's hard to follow a showstopper like the halibut.
The wine pairings were good but I'd pretty much say the same thing if I were served two buck chuck. I couldn't quite keep up towards the end. Olaf-D had poured me an extra glass of one of the wines I prematurely chugged while waiting for the uni course. After that, I was all wined out.
Olaf-D presenting the cheese cart in its abundant glory.
Our cheese plate was good.
Olaf took over my camera ostensibly to take our photo, but he began hamming it up like a fiend snapping pic after pic of himself in all kinds of poses. It was funtertainment at its best. There were only a few diners left at this point, so it was more than appropriate and a laugh riot.
I think this was a grapefruit sorbet. Lovely way to cleanse the cheesed up palate.
The finale was a fireworks deal like the Hollywood Bowl. Geez Louise. This cheesecake pretty much devastated both my brother and me. My mom gave her cheesecake up to her offspring which was a smart move because I was about to order another one if she didn't do so. Man alive. What the hell did they put in that thing? Graham cracker crust to boot.
I'm glad my mom and my sibling had a great time celebrating their Virgoness at Providence. I also enjoyed myself a lot more than I thought I would. It's nice to treat the people in your life with something nice. They deserve it.
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Recommended Dishes
uni in egg cup, halibut, cheesecake, veal, bacon brioche
93
Providence (Los Angeles, CA) [5]
8/31/2009
After my first visit to Providence, where I had the nine-course tasting, I vowed to return and tackle the 16-course Chef's Menu. Well, I came back a second time for a 5x5 event, ordered a la carte on meal three, and then paid a fourth visit for another 5x5. I was thus determined that there would no more messing around this time: my fifth trip would be for the Chef's Menu, end of story. And actually, I did it one better: Dason, one of my readers, arranged a special 22-course degustation, which would end up being the longest meal I've ever had, clocking in at an astounding 6.5 hours!
***Here, I'll present the highlights of the meal. Please refer to the post linked below for full details for the rest of the courses.***
Amuse Bouche 1: greyhound & gin and tonic
Amuse Bouche 2: soy wasabi marshmallow, cured trout, gougers, carrot soup/vadouvan
Amuse Bouche 3: hokkaido scallop | nasturtium blossoms, crispy rice cracker
The final amuse was also the best. The key here was how the nasturtium and wasabi countered the scallop's innate sweetness with an admixture of peppery and spicy notes, thus forming the perfect foil to the mollusk. Meanwhile, the rice added a fantastic crispness to an otherwise creamy dish, taking things up a notch. Superb.
1: kanpachi sashimi | endive, summer truffle vinaigrette, soy crème fraiche
Our first "real" course was comprised of kanpachi, served with sous vide endive, yuzu, soba, soy crème fraîche, and black truffle. What made this dish for me was the interplay between the kanpachi and the truffle, with the truffle adding a profound earthiness and gravity to the otherwise subtle fish. Texturally, things worked out perfectly as well, with the bits of soba adding a fantastic crunch to things, while the endive had a very pleasing, snappy consistency as well. Arguably my favorite course of the evening.
2: santa barbara sea urchin | served in a farm fresh egg, champagne beurre blanc, fines herbes
3: grilled santa barbara spot prawns | served simply with french olive oil and lemon
4: unagi | summer truffle, crushed potato, quail egg
Here was quite possibly the best preparation of unagi (freshwater eel) I've ever had. Though some thought that it was overly fishy, I appreciated the eel's strong, heady savor, as well as its exceptionally crisp, oily skin. The cruces of the dish for me was the potato, which did a great job in mitigating the unagi's overt fishiness, as well as the quail egg, which added a moderating creaminess to the dish. Again, as with the first course, the application of summer truffle worked beautifully here as well.
5: wild turbot | matsutake, sake, rosemary
Following up my best ever unagi was perhaps my best ever turbot. What did it for me was the use of rosemary; pairing it with the turbot was genius, with the pungency of the herb complementing the hearty, buttery fish superbly. I especially enjoyed the crispy, super-saporous skin. The matsutakes, at the same time, mixed things up texturally, while providing a subtle veil of earthiness.
6: pasta alla chitarra | italian black summer truffles
7: niman ranch pork belly | carrot-orange purée, pickled ramps, mizuna, carrot-ginger butter
8: columbia river king salmon | kumquat, peas, jurançon
The salmon was a point of contention for us. The salmon itself couldn't be faulted, but some thought that the kumquat was far too tart, overshadowing the natural savor of the fish. For me though, that wasn't an issue, and I really appreciated the vegetal tang and finish imparted by the peas. We all, however, agreed on the brilliance of the stupendously unctuous and flavorful skin.
9: loin of colorado lamb | eggplant, artichoke, celebrity tomato
10: japanese wagyu beef (gunma, japan) | roasted asparagus, wild mushrooms, bacon parmesan risotto
I think we were all blown away by the beef here. Magnificently marbled, tremendously tender, supremely sapid, with a splendid, savory crust--it was as good as any you'd find in a high-end steakhouse, and that includes CUT. It was so good, in fact, that I preferred to eat it completely devoid of any trappings. The asparagus, mushroom, butterball potato, beef jus, even the risotto--they were fine, but unnecessary in my opinion.
11: cheese selection
Dessert Amuse Bouche: cantaloupe soup
And with that, we were on to dessert. Though our menus listed the "Mojito" spherification as the pre-dessert, we were instead given this (due to the similarity between the Mojito and the Greyhound): a cantaloupe soup with blackberry gelée, vanilla ice cream, lime granita, and mint. It was a great substitution. The cantaloupe was ever-present, a base on which the sweet berry, sour lime, and creamy vanilla could play, while the mint gave the shot an overarching lightness.
12: kalamansi gelee | white chocolate coconut soy milk soup, litchi-shiso sorbet
13: mud creek blackberries | yuzu curd, blackberry-jasmine sorbet, meringue, warm almond cake
14: harry's strawberries | basil ice cream, balsamic marshmallow, pistachios
Surprisingly, the bracing, pungent smack of the basil proved a superb complement to the cloying sweetness of the strawberry--a fanciful, yet fabulously fitting foil. The pistachios, meanwhile, provided a countervailing nuttiness, as well as a great crunchy textural ingredient, while the heavy, toasty balsamic marshmallow seemed a bit out of place, though it did add a distinct gravity to the dish.
15: miso cheesecake | masumoto peaches, black sesame, white peach sorbet
16: chocolate ganache | peanut butter, "these pretzels are making me thirsty", chambly noir ice cream
17: a café in bordeaux | coffee mousse, canelé ice cream, chicory caramel and hazelnuts
This was actually a dessert that I had on my last visit. A canelé is a type of pastry from the Bordeaux region of France; however, the "canelé" here was merely a shell, filled with a cold coffee mousse center. The canelé's delectable rum- and vanilla-tinged flavor was thereby moved to the ice cream, with the hazelnuts providing a lovely, nutty finish. A great interplay of tastes and textures--I can see why this is the restaurant's most popular dessert.
18: white chocolate, mango and cardamom lollipop
Without a doubt, this was my strongest Providence meal to date. While my previous visits were certainly enjoyable, it's only now that I was able to realize the full extent of Michael Cimarusti's talent. What I experienced clearly demonstrated a masterful grasp of ingredients, combined with plenty of innovation, creativity, and a touch of "molecular" technique, all together creating what I consider the most exciting seafooder in the City--it is clear to me now why Michelin chose to bestow two stars here.
Full review with photos: http://www.kevineats.com/20 09/08/providence-los-angele s-ca-5.htm
PK
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Blogger
Favorite Cuisine: Japanese, Korean, French
15 Reviews
85
6/29/2009
I have selected Providence as my first post on my food section since it has 2 Michelin Star @ 2009. I went with a few food bloggers on 6.7.2009 for 9 courses tasting menu. My initial impression was alright, it was located on a more isolated section of the Melrose Ave. There’s only valet parking or street parking, since the left side of the street is residential, you can only park on the right side of the road.
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96
6/27/2009
Providence specializes in impeccably prepared seafood. As a nod to Chef Cimarusti's chief source of inspiration, the restaurant's logo is a fishing reel abstractly represented by circular scribbles, while the main dining room's walls are accented with "barnacles."
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Recommended Dishes
salt roasted santa barbara spot prawns, miso cheesecake, John Dory, Arctic char
100
Divine Seafood in LA
10/25/2008
I went to Providence not for any special occasion, the experience was occasion enough. Of course, I opted for the tasting menu. The question was, “Which menu?” Skipping over the $90 five-course and avoiding the unlisted $160 chef’s menu, I chose the $120 full tasting of nine courses. Chef Michael Cimarusti, originally from the city of Providence is amazingly skilled with seafood. His restaurant reflects these nautical themes, but in a subdued manner so as not to look like a white-tablecloth Joe’s Crab Shack. Of course, with a restaurant of this caliber, the service was top-of-the-line.
Tasting Menu
1. Gin & tonic, mojito, saffron & fennel
2. Kanpachi crudo/sashimi
3. Point Judith calamari
4. Sea scallops
5. Halibut
6. King Salmon
7. Veal Tenderloin
8. Market cheeses
9. Raisin, pear ras el hanout & hazelnut
10. Kalamansi gelee
While the kanpachi, and halibut certainly stood out, none of the courses were sub-par. Each displayed the creativity and care of detail I would expect from a newly awarded two-Michelin-star restaurant. At La Terza, I had the honor of meeting Chef Cimarusti. From the brief conversation with him, I could tell that he takes his job very passionately. Both him and the co-owner Donato Poto show the professionalism and excellence that only true dedication can bring. What other maitre d’ would prepare live roasted Santa Barbara prawns tableside (a dish unfortunately off-menu)? While I couldn’t return too soon for fear of diluting the pleasant memories of this dinner, I would be honored to come back. If Providence is divine care, I’m in heaven at Cimarusti’s table.
For full descriptions and pictures:
http://fooddestination.blo gspot.com/2008/10/providenc e-hancock-park.html
96
Great taste, but a little dry
1/25/2008
Make no mistake, this is one of the best food restaurants in Los Angeles. Incredible food! The tasting menu is tremendous, like nothing else in LA that I've tasted. But I never really liked the old Patina spot because it just seemed so... dead. It seemed like if you spoke too loudly, the other diners would get offended. So it's just not a lively spot. Not that I expected the new hipster joint, but at least some life. If it had that, I'd rate it 100. But if you've ever gone to a serious Michelin star restaurant in France, this one would fit right in.
So when you in the mood for a serious dining experience, seriously good food, almost like when you are in the mood for a really good foreign film that won the Venice Film Festival, this is the place.
96
7/13/2009
100
7/6/2009
85
6/18/2009
96
12/23/2008
96
11/15/2008
93
10/7/2008
96
9/30/2008
80
8/28/2008
96
8/18/2008
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