Archive for the ‘chimichurri’ Tag
As names go, 71 Above is not exceptionally creative. It’s an obvious, albeit appropriate, appellation for a restaurant on the 71st floor of the tallest building in downtown Los Angeles.
The views include the ocean far off to the west, the hills, other skyscapers, the Staples Center, Dodger Stadium and freeways – lots of traffic-clogged freeways. Each window table has a compass to help establish direction. Fortunately, the menu is mush easier to navigate.
Eight first courses and eight second courses are offered. The firsts range from soup to Brussels sprouts, from steak tartare to grilled salad. Ricotta gnocchi was on the menu, but unavailable. Two of us opted for the charred Brussels sprouts served over a small amount of plain yogurt. This combination resulted in a creamy and smoky sauce. This dish could have easily been shared, but I’m glad I had it all to myself. The grilled salad featured two heads of bibb lettuce topped with green olives, golden raisins and shredded grana – a parmesan-like hard cheese.
For the entrees, we each ordered something different: chicken, pork loin and flat iron steak. The latter, my choice, was the best of the three. Grilled to a perfect medium rare pink center and topped with chimichurri sauce, it was also a colorful plate. The pork, served with pears and mashed parsnip, was a little on the dry side. I didn’t sample the chicken, but it looked juicy and I coveted the grilled cherry tomatoes on the dish.
71 Above
Four+ Plates
633 W. 5th St.
Los Angeles
Although most of the lyrics eluded us, my friends and I sang what we remembered of Billy Joel’s Uptown Girl en route to Humboldt because it’s located in Uptown Denver. That set the mood for a thoroughly enjoyable meal.
Humboldt Farm Fish Wine is uptown in more ways than just its geographic location. It’s contemporary, bright and offers a diverse menu while putting new spins on time-honored familiars. It also helped that our server was exceptionally well-versed in the restaurant’s offerings.
Steak Salad usually doesn’t catch my attention, but when the ingredients include harissa, bleu cheese and chimichurri, it’s hard to resist. I’m glad I didn’t. The tender pieces of flank steak and harissa, a Middle Eastern condiment of chile, garlic, cumin and other spices, would have been satisfying on their own. The inclusion of bleu cheese, roasted red peppers, cipollini onions and peppery arugula dressed with chimichurri in vinaigratte form resulted in an exquisite combination of flavors typically not associated with one another.
Our server recommended the Rueben which was served on artistically-marbled rye bread. Each element was perfectly balanced: corned beef, cheese, sauerkraut and Thousand Island Dressing. However, it was nearly overshadowed by the side of roasted cauliflower.
All I sampled from the Albacore Tuna Salad was a beet because goat cheese, of which I’m not a fan, was a main ingredient. Still, I was intrigued by the pomegranate vanilla dressing, but not enough to taste more than the red vegie.
For a little while, we were living in an “uptown world.”
Humboldt Farm Fish Wine
Nearly Five Plates
1700 Humboldt St.,
Denver, CO
The Blue Page Special 