Los Angeles - Joe's Restaurant

2 weeks in a new job and life is no longer normal. Jetlagged, tired with not much of an appetite but with some great company and a fabulously casual Californian joint with very decent food, things could change. Named after Joe Miller, an unassuming nice guy chef who's done the time at other great US fine dining establishments, Joe's has been in business since 1991, which speaks volumes for the fickle and trendy LA crowd.

The tasting menu was enticing.

An amuse bouche of duck sausage was a nice start albeit a little gamey but it was robust tasting and not too fatty.

The grilled porcini with pheasant egg, crisp parmesan and arugula was my winner for the night. The combination of the various flavours and textures were very well balanced and went very well with the 2003 Moraga red I was lucky enough to get from the proprietor at a Bel-air do honouring him over the weekend. Good on you Mr. Thomas Victor Jones - we are glad that you went from B2-s to wine and brilliantly too. Your card was apt - and I thoroughly enjoyed the samples from your second career.

The grilled shrimp was light yet tasty - succulently done reminiscent of good Chinese restaurants, accompanied by crunchy cauliflower and a piquant sauce with citrus hints. Looks did it no justice.

The roast lamb served on a bed of peppercorns was the juiciest and tenderest I've had in a while. Well marbled but with a meaty bite to it, there was also no lambey smell so even the faintest of hearts can try this. Well, I highly recommend it. I didn't see it on the regular menu but if you see it on the daily-changing tasting menu, be sure to jump on it.

Dessert was a fruit tart using nectarines but while I loved the pastry and baked custard, the fruit was just a tad too tart (pardon the pun).

A great experience I would gladly have next time I'm in LA. Kudos to a great service team who made our evening even more enjoyable. Thanks!

1023 Abbot Kinney Boulevard

Venice

California 90291
Tel: +1-310-399-5811