PROVIDENCE (D)

Wednesday, February 6, 2008 - 8:30 p.m.

Providence is a lesson (in a good way) of learning not to judge a book by its cover. Usually reticent to travel East of La Brea, or La Cienega for that matter, I wanted to take a chance at seeing if this could be the LA equivalent of Le Bernardin for us Angelenos. I did my best to check my skepticism at the door as we arrived at Valet but it was hard when we were looking at a location . The exterior made it look like an old apartment complex... with less doors. It was kind of bizarre.

But the interior was a pleasant surprise. The host desk was ensconced in its own little area with a a doorway to the left for the main dining room, and a doorway to right into the bar. Since we arrived early, we agreed to wait at the bar. I got the requisite champagne cocktail but my s.o. asked for something like a "Whiskey Sour, but not sweet." The bartender came up with an interesting mix that included freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and he called it a Ward 8. It was actually very good - fresh, flavorful but not sweet. The dangerous part was that you couldn't really taste the whiskey - you just got its essence. In short, it was GOOD.

Requesting a quieter table put us in a smaller portion of the restaurant that looks right into the large glass-walled wine cellar. The original touch was the accents on the wall up towards the ceiling, making it look like barnacles as if we are sitting on the ocean floor. Cute.

A lot of the menu items sounded great, but we went for the Chef's Tasting Menu (or as our waiter called it, "the Chef's extravaganza!" which would be at least 12 courses). And I was ready for the challenge.

Course 1 - Amuse (Bouche) Cocktails
This was unique and innovative and a brilliant way to start the courses composed of: 1 Mojito Raviolo; 1 Gin & Tonic Gelee; 1 Greyhound Raviolo. Yeah, how the hell did they enclose such liquid magic into this thin skin that burst with delicious drink in one "bite?" I think it's with the magic of technological advances (which is what they do at wd-50, I assume?) that makes for interesting modern cuisine. If the flavors sucked, I would be complaining about it being such a waste of time. Now I just want to know if I can order these anytime!

Course 2 - Soup, Cheese, Marshmallow
A shot glass of Fennel Soup, a single bite of Goat cheese wrapped in Hearts of Palm, handmade marshmallow covered in wasabi pistachios. Each item was savory and left you wanting more. What bits of the pistachios that didn't stick to the marshmallow were coyly picked up by my fingers and quickly devoured.

Course 3 - Kushi oyster poached in Champagne
I don't think I need to even go into detail beyond the fact it was a shame you only get one oyster.

Course 4 - Uni "scrambled eggs" with black truffles and Brioche toast strips
I've never been a fan of sea urchin roe. I'm a seafood fanatic, but I could live without this delicacy. However, the unique preparation of placing the uni over what looked like tapioca balls, or "eggs," in a coconut milk soup was to die for. The truffles added an earthy aromatic and the crispy toast strips added some crunch. No complaints here.

Course 5 - John Dory with tomato paste and fried chickpeas
I knew I liked this fish, but WOW. And I am not a big tomato fan. Even when I order pastas with a tomato sauce, I only use as little as possible to barely coat my penne. But this paste really brought out the flavors in the fish by providing some acid to balance the fish and the chickpea flavors. The sear on the fish was a crispy golden brown. This dish helped to reinforce my love of John Dory.

Course 6 - Foie Gras Ravioli, black truffles and aromatics
The foie gras was not heavy and the pasta was a nice al dente, even a little soft, but it worked well with the overall consistency. My s.o. had gotten the foie gras ravioli soup at L'Atelier (de Joel Robuchon) but felt all the flavors were washed out. Here, the taste was mild but still palpable.

Course 7 - Lamb with peas
The lamb was tender with just a little bit of gamey flavor. The peas were exceptionally fresh (which is odd for Springtime, isn't it? What do I know...). My tolerance for lamb is truly developing into a preference.

(But can I say I AM getting pretty damn full by now...)

Course 8 - can we say Cheese?
The cheese course was welcomed by now, especially since I am starting to believe in its digestive properties, though I am loathe to wonder if it's because of how long it takes to be served the cheese than it its inherent properties. Just kidding. Our server was enthusiastic and informative about all the cheeses on the cart. What was even more pleasantly surprising was how good the condiments were: pureed apples, cherry & olive compote, candied walnuts, and dried figs. They were delicious alone or with these accompaniments.

Course 9 - Amuse (Bouche) Dessert "sandwich"
A single sandwich made of banana cake slivers baked crisp, stuffed with a peanut butter gelee, and topped with Tamarind and a tiny sprig of Cilantro. Sounds odd but it worked.
Course 10 - Dessert (even my 2nd stomach is finding this difficult)
Lychee coconut fondant with tapioca and grapefruit in coconut milk with basil.
This was a nice and light segue from the heavier peanut butter and into our next course of...

Course 11 - Milk Chocolate Panna Cotta, Coconut Raviolo and Bailey's ice cream
I loved that the panna cotta wasn't too sweet, even for being made with milk chocolate. I could have gone for at least three more Ravioli to help the balance further, but it was still a pleasant combination. By now, I was feeling so full, I was wondering if I had any feeling left in my taste buds for...

Course 12 - Chocolate ganache with salt & pepper ice cream and fig cherry compote
Sounds a bit bizarre, yes, but it was good. Though, my not being a traditional chocolate fan, I didn't finish the cake. Don't get me wrong - it was very good. But it was more chocolate than cake, so it wasn't for me. My s.o. ate every last bit.

If there is one complaint I can make is the timing of the service. We've now had multiple Tasting Menu dinners, and none have lasted 3.5 hours. That's right folks - we weren't out the door and at the Valet station until nearly midnight (and on a school night! Oy).

But the servers and the food were most excellent. As much as I hate venturing to the Eastside, we will definitely be back.