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Dining - Reviews |
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By Rosemary Chiaverini
As most of you know from my first review,
the objective of this column is to educate
the readership and NoHo Arts District
subscribers on how to eat healthfully in the
neighborhood’s fabulous restaurants. Upon
reflection, I realized that there are
already commonalities which we all bring
into our dining experiences. For example, do
we not all know how to speak the “restaurant
lingo”? If you’ve been watching your weight
for years as I have, the vocabulary and
phraseology are ingrained in the brain:
“Baked, not fried.” “Dressing on the side.”
“Hold the potatoes.” “No thank you, I’ll
pass on dessert. A non-fat capp will
suffice.” And of course, there’s the famous
opening line: “Can you remove the bread
basket please? (And if you ever think you’re
hearing my voice saying that statement, you
can be sure it is someone else throwing
their voice in my direction.)
Well, a funny thing happens when I go to
“The Eclectic Wine Bar & Grille” on
Lankershim Boulevard. My brain, loaded with
all these diet-backlash words, phrases and
good intentions, is left behind with the
parking valet.
Because if you’re a foodie and a lover of
life, “The Eclectic Wine Bar & Grille” is
absolutely Mecca.
Now I’m not saying you need to throw up your
hands and roll your eyes as if to say
“Healthy choices are impossible. What’s one
last fling? I’ll start again on Monday!”
(Never a good posture to take as the
calories you’ll ingest AFTER you leave the
Eclectic Bar & Grille will be far more
damaging than what you do WHILE you’re
sitting at your table.) What I am suggesting
is you reframe your perception of “healthy
living.” Because cultivating good habits and
living a healthy lifestyle is not about a
constant focus on a number on a scale. It is
not about eating faux foods. And it’s
certainly not about avoidance of social
situations involving food – especially
fantastic food!
It’s about quality of living. It’s about
showing up for your life – hopefully one
full of all the things which make you happy
and make your spirit soar. And with a
restaurant like “The Eclectic Bar & Grille”
it is about going with the flow and
remembering the words of the Greek
philosopher Epicurus who commented that if
one learns the art of moderation, one can
taste the joys of life in abundance.
The Grille has been in North Hollywood since
1992 and is owned and managed by its very
likeable and ebullient owner, Brian Patrick
Sheehan. Brian got his start in the
restaurant business when he was four years
old. His father, David Sheehan, wrote a
restaurant review column entitled “The
Lamplighter” for a little Santa Monica
newspaper, “The Evening Outlook” before
eventually serving as the film critic for
the same newspaper and CBS Television. (Yes,
it is THE David Sheehan). Travels to Europe
with his parents followed and while other
families were being introduced to centuries
old art and monuments, 12-year-old Brian was
heading to the kitchens and becoming
mesmerized with home made risotto. His love
of food is reflected in the very eclectic
menu. His love of the restaurant business is
apparent in the way he greets and takes care
of his customers, in his relationship with
his staff and in the repeat business he
generates.
Last weekend was not my first visit to the
restaurant. Being a theatre lover and goer,
it is often my suggested rendezvous spot
before heading out for the evening. But this
past weekend, I had a different hat on, and
my focus was not on my dinner companions or
the book in front of me, but on being
present throughout the whole dining
experience.
And that is what I suggest you do too.
For “The Eclectic Bar & Grille” is a place
where that “Restaurant Dieting Lingo” needs
to take a backseat to a new manner of
speaking. Of course, mindfulness when it
comes to choices will keep you on the right
track no matter what your goals are in
regard to your health. But this is a place
for experimentation, curiosity, and
venturing out of your comfort zone. The menu
will seduce you, beckon you and tantalize
you. (It will also torment you as everything
on the menu is fabulous and it will
difficult to choose.) Take the time to read
the menu, not glance over it. Peruse the
wine list. Contemplate the delicate paring
of wine and flavors. Ask questions of your
server. Ask the right questions, and stories
unfold.
Start with Dense’s Seafood Trio and you’ll
be paying homage to Brian’s Australian wife,
Dense after whom the dish is named, thanks
to the power of observation of several
customers. If you love the “Chicken a la
Madeira” you have the National Academy of
Television Arts & Sciences to thank along
with Brian’s solution to the “what do I do
now – now that I’m out of Port?” question.
Another inspiration was the film, “Big
Night.” Brian commented that upon seeing
that movie, it brought back memories of
those European kitchens with his parents and
thus came the inspiration for the risottos.
When he casually mentioned that the movie
“Like Water for Chocolate” was one of his
favs, I knew instantly I wanted him to be my
guide on my own culinary adventure and that
it would be one I’d want to repeat. Rent the
movie before your next visit. It will tell
you a lot about what to expect.
Brian’s head chef, Carlos Najera, has been
with him for over 11 years and the variety
of the menu is the result of a collaboration
based on creativity and love of food and the
sharing of that passion. There is no
shortage of choices at the Eclectic Bar &
Grille. You could eat there once a week and
not get through the menu. The meat, chicken
and fish entrees are generous, and come with
a side of Chef’s Steamed Mixed Vegetables
and a choice of potatoes. Be prepared to
make noises when you take your first bite of
the garlic mashed potatoes. Be prepared to
make SOUNDS when you have the oven roasted
sweet potato “fries” tossed with organic sea
salt.
But there is more than food to be
experienced at the Eclectic Bar & Grille.
The lighting is such that everywhere you
look brings pleasure to your eye. The
artwork is hung in a way to accompany the
sensuousness of the meal in front of you.
Notice the way the seating is arranged as a
lot of thought went into it. It is intimate,
private and makes you feel it is “your
regular table.” Once seated, you will find
yourself deep in conversation, or lingering
over a fabulous cappuccino and eventually,
if you are present in this fabulous dining
experience, connecting with your companion
on a much deeper level. And if you dine
alone as I do quite often, you will feel
very as cared for and welcomed as a party of
ten.
The Grille is now offering a champagne
brunch from 10 am to 3 pm on Sundays.
Free-flowing Champagne or Mimosas accompany
– what else? – an eclectic menu proudly
using local free-range organic eggs. It is a
bargain for $21.00 but what most impresses
me is why Brian enjoys having it. “People
come together to sit, talk, celebrate,
relax, maybe do a little business. It’s a
time they can renew themselves before t he
start of the week.”
At the end of my dinner, Natasha, my very
capable server, placed this Bordeaux wine
glass in front of me. It was filled with my
favorite variety -- “chocolate.” As she
positioned my spoon and presented the
homemade Chocolate Toffee Mousse, she bent
over and said sotto voce “In my opinion,
this is a girl’s best friend – it’s smooth,
silky, creamy and rich. You’ll want to take
it to bed with you. Make sure you feel the
emotion.”
I took a bite. Natasha was right. I had my
own “When Harry Met Sally” moment. And yes,
when it came time for the people sitting
next to me to order dessert, they did indeed
say “I’ll have what she’s having.”
So next time you’re in the neighborhood, or
in the mood for a pre- or after theatre
dinner or light meal, give yourself enough
time to experience this fabulous restaurant.
And I mean really experience it. Feel the
emotion – in the food and in yourself. It
just might make the difference between a
usual Saturday night out and a Saturday
night that is one for the books.
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