Spago - Beverly Hills, California

Our last day in Los Angeles was all glam. A VIP tour of the Universal Studios Back Lot (where we spotted Vince Vaughn and the cast of Desperate Housewives), shopping on Rodeo Drive, and dinner at the famed Spago restaurant completed the day.

We dined at Spago the last time we were in Beverly Hills, several years ago. And though we prefer not to repeat restaurants when we travel, I just had to give it another try. Ranked #4 in the country on Gourmet’s Top Restaurant List, Spago has earned two stars from The Michelin Guide and the Outstanding Service Award from the James Beard Foundation; chef/owner, Wolfgang Puck has received the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef, among numerous other accolades and awards.

Known as one of the pioneers of fusion cuisine, Puck gained recognition for blending Asian and French styles with California ingredients. He opened his first Spago in 1982 on Sunset Strip, and the Beverly Hills location in 1997. Since then, he has amassed an empire consisting of 15 fine dining restaurants, catering services, airport-express operations, kitchen equipment, canned foods, and cookbooks.

We arrived at Spago and were quickly greeted and shown to our table. Our seats afforded us a dead-on view of the dozens of cooks working behind the large glass windows in the kitchen, one of the room’s focal points. The other, is the open-air courtyard (where the stars are typically seated), lit with tiny Christmas lights wrapped around tall tree trunks.

My husband asked our waiter for a white ale to enjoy as he reviewed the menu. The waiter returned with “a new kind of ale” that had just arrived at Spago – Portland, Maine’s very own Allagash White! He felt right at home sipping his favorite beverage.

The menu at Spago changes daily; on the night we dined there were so many intriguing options that we had great difficulty deciding what to order. My husband hit the jackpot with his Celery Root Apple Soup ($19). Topped with chopped porcini mushrooms, roasted apples and cipollini onions, the soup was the perfect blend of apple and celery – neither flavor dominated. Smooth and silky, it must have passed through a chinois at least a dozen times. The bread steward offered us our choice of French, olive, sourdough or cheese/onion bread and we used it to sop up every last bit of my husband’s soup.

My appetizer, Wild Oregon Porcini Mushrooms with house-made Bigoli pasta ($19), was also delicious. Pasta, the shape and consistency of soba noodles, was tossed with roasted butternut squash, porcini mushrooms, pine nuts, bok choy, herbs, and a light Asian oil.

As we were waiting for our entrees, Spago’s owner and celebrity chef, Wolfgang Puck stopped by our table. Thinner and younger than he appears on television, Chef Puck spent several minutes chatting with us and promised to return to autograph his latest cookbook. He made the rounds, greeting other stunned guests at nearby tables. Then, true to his word, he circled back, sat down, signed the book and talked about his favorite restaurants (Daniel in New York is at the top of the list). He went on to reveal that although he normally abhors long, drawn out meals, (preferring no more than five courses when he dines out), he makes an exception for Chef Grant Achatz from Alinea, who he describes as the most talented “young” chef in America.

When Wolfgang excused himself, we returned to our meal. My husband took the waiter’s suggestion and enjoyed the “Hong Kong” style Steamed Florida Red Snapper ($37). Fresh and perfectly cooked, the snapper was served with baby carrots, bok choy, snap peas, jasmine rice and a sweet soy sauce flavored with chili oil and ginger. The flavors of this seafood dish were bold enough to stand up well to the smooth Burgundy wine pairing ($18) that our waiter had recommended. My Wild Alaskan Halibut ($39) was the thickest cut of Halibut I have seen, and not quite as tender as the fillets to which I am accustomed. The fish was served atop a delicious puree of yellow turnips and sweet red wine lobster sauce; the dish was garnished with tiny chunks of Maine lobster, roasted fall root vegetables and sweet onions.

We ordered a cappuccino and the "Kaiserschmarren" - Crème Fraîche Souffle Pancakes ($16) with fresh strawberries - to share for dessert. Image our surprise when three desserts were brought to our table – all courtesy of Wolfgang Puck who wanted us to try his favorites! In addition to the light, fluffy pancakes, there was a twelve layer chocolate praline torte with chocolate sorbet (my favorite), and the fall "crumble" with quince ice cream and fresh berries. So much for our light dessert!

Wolfgang Puck's vision has withstood the test of time. The Spago Beverly Hills restaurant attracts tourists, locals, and celebrities alike. The service is refined, the atmosphere sophisticated, yet the restaurant lacks any sense of formality. The cuisine at Spago is creative, celebrating fresh ingredients, with great execution. While the cuisine at other restaurants, such as Alinea and
The French Laundry, is more artful than you’ll find at Spago, Wolfgang Puck’s flagship restaurant features the finest in California cuisine, and deserves its number 4 ranking on Gourmet’s Top Restaurant list.