Fantastic Sunday brunch at Tavern

Ever since it opened about 6 months ago, Tavern had been on my hit list of restaurants to try as this place has been getting press even long before its doors opened. Part restaurant and part larder (bakery/deli), Tavern is a collaboration between chef-owners Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne, who have already brought us the highly regarded A.O.C. and Lucques establishments in West Hollywood. A few weeks ago I made a brief trip to Tavern to sample some of their bakery offerings for breakfast and I came back with a pecan sticky bun and a monkey pull-apart bread. Although I wasn't completely overwhelmed with either one, I knew I had to make a return visit to try their fabulous-sounding brunch menu and to complete my Tavern experience.

Last Sunday I made a return trip and this time I brought back-up in the likes of my wife and our neighbor-friend, Jackie, who graciously watches over our trouble-maker on a regular basis.

Tavern is just a short drive up Barrington avenue for us, and upon arrival I noticed something quite rare in the west side: wide-open free parking. Whoa! Things are certainly off to a good start. The restaurant itself is gorgeous both inside and out, and is sectioned into three distinct areas: the brightly lit larder with its unreserved seating, an exquisite bar room with a 30-foot leather couch, and a main dining room with an enormous wall-to-wall glass canopy that makes the most of our wonderful California sunshine. We sat in the bar room as the dining room was already filled with brunch-goers. Some pics:




We start with our drink requests and I order a Queen Mary--basically a bloody Mary--while Fonda and Jackie go for the Elderflower Blossom which is a sparkling wine with St. Germaine elderflower liquor. My bloody Mary is very good, though not quite like the ethereal one I had at Anisette, but still very satisfying. A little spicier and more potent and this would have been tops in my book. I'll let Fonda and Jackie comment on their drinks but they apparently seemed happy with their cocktail selections.


A complimentary bread basket arrives with butter and coarse salt. The soft, warm bread was nice but the butter was clearly just pulled from the refrigerator. I love the coarse salt, however, as it pairs so nicely with thick, buttered bread.


Our server stops by to take our entree selections and I must admit we had a tough time deciding what to order, as everything on the menu looked absolutely delicious. Allow me to exemplify with a few of the available brunch items: "smoked fish with toasted rye & redwood hill goat cheese", "soft-scrambled eggs with fontina and crème fraîche", "french toast with bananas foster and hazelnuts". We must have spent 20 minutes hashing this over before finally settling; of course you know I made sure that we each ordered something different. That by the way is a requirement when you eat with me. I'm just saying!


As our server departs, I gasp for her attention to order the pecan sticky bun--with bacon. I tried this bun sans-bacon during my first visit and found it be somewhat dry, but being the dedicated foodie that I am, I wanted to give it another shot, with bacon of course, because I can.


This time around it was still a little dry but not as dry as the first one. The bacon certainly adds savoriness and texture to the rich, soft sweetness of the bun. Each bite with the giant pecans and sweet glaze and this bun becomes a mouthful of decadent flavor. I don't think Fonda liked it as much as I did, though we still fought over the last piece.


Our entrees arrive quickly thereafter and all at the same time. Given the quality and presentation of the food (as you'll see), execution in the kitchen is clearly firing on all cylinders for this to happen.


French toast with bananas foster and hazelnuts:


The bread was soft like a bread pudding and was probably prepared crème anglaise style, meaning it was soaked in a light custard for hours or overnight. Coarsely chopped hazelnuts added wonderful crunch to each bite, while the sauce added richness to the taste with some hints of rum and possibly banana liquor. I would order this again in a heartbeat, and if I had to share, I'd order a second serving just for myself.


Smoked fish with toasted rye & redwood hill goat cheese:


Smoked whitefish and smoked salmon were fresh, soft, and full of wonderful flavor. I thought the bread was a little too chewy but it made for easy spreading of the goat cheese, and the taste was nice. Provided capers, tomatoes, and finely sliced red onions added extra layers of taste and texture. And notice the plating: an organized chaos of accompaniments that somehow presented itself with class.

Wild mushroom frittata with spinach and cheddar:


We contemplated on ordering this because Fonda makes frittatas on what seems like a weekly basis, but we still ordered it (I guess we must really love fritattas!) The eggs were cooked to perfection and served in a cast-iron pan, along with a side of fried potatoes. The mushrooms and spinach exhibited incredible freshness, and overall the frittata was seasoned very nicely. The provided artisan bread was excellent and had just the right amount of crunch to it, but the potatoes, however, were a letdown as I felt they were thoroughly overcooked.

The total bill for our wonderful brunch wasn't cheap at just under $100 before tip, but that's to be expected for this high level of quality in an area like Brentwood. Tavern excels at providing wonderful flavors in a beautiful setting and with the service you'd expect from a restaurant with A.O.C. and Lucques in its heritage. This is probably not a place we would visit on a regular basis, but for special occasions and for entertaining out-of-town guests with an excellent sit-down meal, Tavern will definitely be a go-to spot for such moments.













Tavern
11648 San Vicente Blvd
Los Angeles,CA 90049

And don't think that I've forgotten about the recipe survey. The German Chocolate Cake won with 5 votes; I'll be making that very soon!