This weekend we celebrated another anniversary. In August, we celebrated our wedding anniversary but last Saturday we celebrated being together for five years. I admit, I almost forgot so I was scrambling to make a last minute reservation at 2am Friday morning. San Diego simply does not have anything to offer to its local foodies so I decided to look beyond our borders. From places like Lawry's The Prime Rib to Urasawa. I had many choices but I knew it had to be somewhere special. I narrowed it down to two places, Providence and XIV at Michael Mina. All of a sudden I realized that XIV stands for 14 and broken down further 1+4=5 for 5 years. Perfect!
XIV is coincidentally Michael Mina's fourteenth restaurant. He has a long list of well-known establishments and I hope to visit them soon. XIV is located in West Hollywood down a few blocks from the Laugh Factory. If you haven't been to this area, parking is extremely difficult to find. You're better off parking valet which is located on site.
When you walk inside the restaurant, you are taken by the interior design of Philippe Starck. From the bar area to the dining room, it reminisces a library of a European chateau with a club-like vibe. I also noticed the lack of tablecloth.
This is a place to be seen. If you have ever watched an episode of the MTV show The Hills, Heidi was in charge of the opening of XIV and gets fired while drinking on the job. Yup, same place.
There is also a covered Terrace area toward the back of the dining area.
After we were seated, the hostess gave us a black envelope which contained a personal note from the staff and GM of XIV. I thought it was a nice gesture to start off the night. I always appreciate the little things be it a card, additional attention, etc.
We started the night with cocktails and wine. I got the first cocktail on their list which was called the Perfect Pair for $13. Unfortunately, I didn't write down what was in it but it was quite good.
Naan was served instead of bread along with a dipping sauce. The combo just reminded me of a buttery pretzel. Absolutely delicious! One of the best pieces of naan I've had.
Until recently, the restaurant only served small tapas for the entire table but the menu has evolved to include ala carte items, full-size entrees and tasting menus. I think we were probably the only table to order entree items. We decided not to do a tasting since we had a long drive back to San Diego. I do recommend doing the tasting because you get the option to taste everything on the menu or have the chef select the courses for you. A separate vegan menu is also available.
Here is what we ordered:
Sweet Corn Soup - $15
Pork Belly, Apple Cider, Cilantro, Sea Salt
Heirloom Tomato & Peach - $16
Watercress, Manchego Cheese
10 oz Prime N.Y. Strip Steak - $42
Kobe Shortrib, Figs, Arugula, Horseradish, Hazelnuts
Kobe Burger - $27
Farmhouse Cheddar and "Secret Sauce"
Trio of French Fries - Paprika, Sea Salt and Rosemary
Sauces: BBQ, Ranch and Ketchup
Dark Chocolate Cake - $12
Coffee Cream, Coconut Sorbet, Crunchy Peanut
Overall, XIV wasn't what I expected and I'm glad we took the trip up north. It is a fine establishment and I hope to see the menu evolve each season. I most definitely would like to take my girlfriends here since it has such a great vibe to hang out and enjoy cocktails. This place is going on my list of foodie favs.
Things to know:
- Hours of operation: Monday-Saturday 6-11pm. Bar and limited Terrace menu available late night.
- Valet parking is available on-site for $11. The entrance to the valet is located on Selma Dr. off of Sunset.
- Ala carte selections range from $10 to $59, while the 8,11 and 14 tasting menus are $64, $88 and $98. The full menu can be found here.
- You can book a reservation on OpenTable. If you are celebrating an occasion, note it on the reservation.
- If you're lucky, Michael Mina might be in town working in the kitchen. You can follow him on Twitter @chefmichaelmina.
- Specials: 50% off Bottles of Wine Mondays. Valid on bottles $100+ from XIV's wine list.
- Not feeling the formal dining room, step into the Terrance for Mina's take on classic food and signature burgers. Terrace menu found here.
- The Terrace at XIV: 6 on Sunset. $6 cocktails, $6 menu items, $6 valet* from Monday-Saturday 5-8pm. *$6 valet from 6-7pm. $10 valet from 7pm until close. 6IX menu found here.
- Food Photography: Very low lighting. My photos didn't come out as well as I hoped.
2 comments:
Do you know if the "gamut" is still available?
nice! I love XIV.. had a great experience there.
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