Left Coast Contessa

Tavern in Brentwood

August 17, 2010 at 4:48 am 3 comments

As the grand finale of my birthday weekend my family plus Catie and Joe headed out to Tavern in Brentwood. I have been wanting to try Tavern for months and it did not disappoint. This was likely the best meal I have had in LA thus far. Get excited people.

Hey everyone, its my birthday! Thanks to Joe for the image.

Side note: I was under the weather on my birthday because I had a stomach bug the night before. All I ate all day was a small amount of water and 3/4 of a plain bagel. Let me tell you, I focused all my energy on being able to consume this meal and it was totally worth it.

First, may I comment on the space, because it is awesome. There is a sandwich, cheese, bread and treat area at the front of the restaurant which I will be frequenting in the future (or at the end of the meal). Then there is an awesome bar with great modern arm chairs. The bar is dark and low key. A great place to get a fantastic cocktail and relax. The dining room its self is light and airy. Basically it is like a conservatory. When we arrived it was light outside but as the night went on the room darken which was really cool. The light was spectacular throughout the evening. It would be an awesome place for a party (like a wedding reception). Also, the light makes for great pictures!

Source

Of course I started with a glass of prosecco to celebrate my 23rd birthday!

Cheers!

I decided to start with tomato tart with eggplant, saffron onions, goat cheese and tapanade. I knew I had to order it when I read the menu and Catie and I both sighed, “MMM Goat Cheese”.

Words cannot express. The olives and the tomato were very flavorful but were well balanced by the sweetness of the onions. I mean, it had goat cheese. The crust was flaky and amazing. I would like another please.

Catie ordered roasted peaches with prosciutto and I had to snap a pic. Look how pretty:

Salty meat with a roast fruit and cheese? I love the flavor combos.

For my entree I asked for a recommendation from the  waitress. She said that the Devil’s Chicken is fantastic so that is what I ordered.

There were braised leeks, onion, potato, and mustard breadcrumbs.

The chicken was so moist and delicious. It literally can apart the moment I stuck my fork into it! The flavors were rich and delicious. I was only able to eat half since I was still queasy but it was incredible.  The mustard was flavorful and melted into the chicken and the leeks and the potato. It was insane. The braised leeks added a great flavor and the potatoes soaked up all the other flavors and they were reflected against the potatoes. Does that make sense?

Catie had halibut and, once again, I couldn’t resist snapping a shot:

Couscous with the best looking piece of fish I have ever seen.

For dessert I started with decaf coffee of course.

And for dessert the girls split warm plum clafoutis with poured almond cream.It had a candle in it and I blew it out and made a wish. It was a really good one, too

Dessert:

The dessert was thick and creamy and had delicious plums! I love me some plums. I had a small portion since it was the end of the meal and I was trying to keep the food consumption to a minimum.

My portion with the addition of almond creme. The almond cream was excellent. Cream on  the plums was a wonderful idea.

I was also intrigued by dessert that young David ordered.

It is basically a peach sherbet with bourbon whipped cream and mint.   Can’t you see how excited he was about it?

Overall, the meal at Tavern was exceptional. I loved the way that they matched the flavors within the dishes. I also thought that the ambiance was superb. This is the best meal that I have had in LA thus far and I will be back at least to grab a sandwich from time to time. Go to Tavern. It is my FAVORITE in LA.

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