Literate Dining
Style and unusual contrasts lead to refined dining at Literati 2
By Richard Foss
Much of the art in both cooking and writing is to do what has been done before, but with character. Most people don’t want a steady diet of extreme innovation in their reading material or dining experiences. Doctor Johnson said of the novel Tristram Shandy, “Nothing this odd can last,” and I can think of dinners that inspired the same feeling.
It is fitting that the kitchen at Literati 2 makes its mark with well-considered reinventions of classic dishes; the food here is as much about style as anything on the bestseller list. When we visited the dining room, with its pictures of writers past and present and whimsical sculptures made from pencils, we were reminded of a classic writer’s study, moodily lit and interestingly cluttered.
The menu, by comparison, was nicely organized and descriptive, and our party of four had to negotiate because everybody wanted to taste several items. We finally decided on cauliflower soup with shrimp ($10), apple salad ($11), “Little Gem” lettuce salad ($11), sautéed spaghetti squash with pomegranate seeds ($5), and an order of truffled French fries ($10) to share.
The cauliflower soup was a simple vegetable puree with chopped grilled shrimp, a pair of flavors that went together so well that the chef sensibly left them alone. The apple salad was more artful and less successful – the idea of apples with greens and walnuts in a tangy vinaigrette is good, but the kitchen used sweet Pink Lady apples. I’d have preferred this with more tart Fujis or Granny Smiths that would have resulted in a more interesting balance. The Little Gem salad showed that this kitchen isn’t afraid of unusual contrasts – the lettuce was mixed with blood orange, sharp tasting shallots, toasted almonds, avocado, and feta cheese, a wide range of flavors and textures that was tied together with a Dijon vinaigrette. It was a daring mix but successful, sharpness of citrus and shallot effectively tamed by cheese and avocado. It might have been even better with a slightly sweeter dressing, but it was good as it arrived.
We had picked the sautéed spaghetti squash from the sides menu, attracted by the pairing of squash with parmesan cheese and pomegranate seeds. I had my doubts about this combination, but it worked surprisingly well. We sipped from a bottle of Domaine Carneros from the well-chosen bottle list and sampled each others’ starters, unwinding in the peaceful, clubby atmosphere of the restaurant.
For main courses we had selected butter braised Oregon sturgeon ($28), kabocha ravioli ($22), and a special of grilled duck breast with braised fennel ($29). The duck was the standout dish, sliced in meaty strips with mild roasted fennel and intensely flavored red carrots in a tangerine sauce. It was by far the most original item offered, a daily special that deserves a place on the regular menu. The fish, by contrast, owed much to classic French ideas, served in a butter sauce with English peas, small red potatoes, and cippoilini onions and Meyer lemon. Fish in lemon butter is far from an original idea, but when well-executed it’s terrific. This sturgeon was dense and flavorful, rich but not oily, and we ate every morsel.
The kabocha ravioli were also very traditional and very satisfying, lightly sweet with a hint of sage, some shredded Portobello mushrooms adding to the texture of perfectly al dente pasta. The flavors were subtle and rich, the portion sufficient but not excessive. These expert flavor pairings throughout the rest of our meal were in sharp contrast to the fries we had ordered as a starter, which showed up with our main courses. They were hot and crisp but so salty that they were inedible. When we explained this to our server he got another order with half the salt, and they were better but not up to the standard of the rest of our meal.
For dessert we split an order of feather-light churros with bittersweet chocolate sauce ($10) and a strawberry-rhubarb crisp ($9) that was nothing short of fantastic. It was the perfect end to a very fine dinner.
Given the realities of the publishing world, the real writers are probably hanging out at the adjoining Literati Café, a humbler and much cheaper coffeehouse. Those who wish to celebrate the literary ideal instead of the reality can do so in fine style right here.
Literati 2, 12081 Wilshire Blvd (at the corner of Bundy). Open daily for lunch and dinner, valet parking in rear, wheelchair access good, vegetarian items; (310) 479-3400.
2008-02-14
Published: 02/13/2008
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