BOUCHON - A PLEASANT TRIP TO BEVERLY HILLS

A recent lunch at Thomas Keller's BOUCHON BISTRO in Beverly Hills turned out to be a very pleasant experience. Even though I don't care much for the overly sleek buildings like the one Bouchon set up its operation , the interior of the bistro was elegant in a nice way, lacking every tackiness, which had a lot to do with it not trying to be French, but rather be inspired by it and admitting to be Beverly Hills. Also, my friend and I felt in good hands with the outstandingly knowledgeable staff. Those guys really know their stuff. Since I wasn't extremely hungry, I settled for a salad and a soup. What can I say? It was perfect. The Watercress & Endive Salad with Roquefort, toasted Walnuts and Roquefort Dressing, was extremely fresh and crunchy, the dressing enrobed the greens in just the right amount and the walnuts complemented the salad in with sprinkles of earthy, intense flavors. The highlight, though, was the velvety pumpkin soup. I have rarely eaten a soup so well rounded - sweet and savory, very smooth and a little meaty, substantial and almost volatile at the same time. The seasoning was absolutely perfect - not a grain of salt of pepper too much or too little. I will definitely go back, not only because of the food, but because it's the perfect place for feeling special.

BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL CATERING SUCKS

I recently have attended two events at the iconic Beverly Hills Hotel. And it is only after I went there yesterday again, that I feel compelled to write about my culinary experiences, since I simply couldn't fathom the low quality of the food served there. This is mass-produced food made with mass-produced ingredients, and  a disgrace for an establishment like the Beverly Hills Hotel. Meat and Fish tasted like protein synthesized  in some scary lab and cooked to extraordinary dryness, the mashed potatoes on my plate were so superdense and sticky, it was hard to swallow. The salad came with no dressing and was tossed so carelessly on a plate (probably out of a bag where some gas is added to keep 'freshness'), that I felt like a cow grazing on a badly maintained pasture. To be fair, a waiter later poured some dressing with unidentifiable taste on top of the tasteless greens! Unfortunately this only covered the top leaves. When we finally arrived at dessert, I even didn't feel like eating it. The dusty looking interior didn't make things better. This place needs a makeover. Badly.