8720 West Sunset Boulevard
West Hollywood
As I close out the second week of this project, I made good on my promise to nod at my carnivorous heritage. Saturday a good friend and I headed to BLT to drink strong drinks, eat steak and enjoy the popovers and chicken liver pate. All food Auntie Olive would have gladly eaten a couple times a month.
DD drinks Jameson on the rocks, and Jameson only.
Everyone raves about the popovers at BLT. I have even read a review in which the reviewer criticized people for universally raving over the popovers. Having been to BLT several times (it is one of my two favorite steak places in LA), I can attest that the popovers are rave worthy. Toasty and crisp on the outside, ever so slightly doughy on the inside with a few ribbons of cheese running through. The cheese is barely detectable, rather it adds moistness and body to the batter. But occasionally in a bite you do get one beautiful soft cheesy bit.
The popovers come with a recipe on the plate, but I wish the chicken liver pate did too. Just a small amount in the bottom of a canning jar is served alongside the popovers. It is constructed beautifully. I have yet to prepare at home a pate with this amount of acidity and pop. I can taste alcohol in it, red wine or maybe cognac. I schmear mine on my popover and my entire being melts into the experience.
Both DD and I ordered the 8 oz filet mignon, medium rare. I was a little surprised to find mine was served more medium than medium rare, a rarity for a steakhouse as I find they typically err on the side of underdone instead of overdone. But the little 8 oz filet was gorgeous. Just like Auntie Olive would have enjoyed it.
Both steak and the sides were served in little Staub cast iron pans. I have an obsession with Staub cookware. Currently, I am replacing all of my pots and pans with Le Creuset. This is taking a few years as I am doing this one pan at a time, one every few months. But when I am done, I plan to invest in a collection of small Staub cook & serveware. I find them so charming. At any rate, above is the lobster mash. Granted, I did not eat a large helping of it, only a couple small bites. But I could find neither hide noir hair of any lobster in there. Although the potato part was certainly nice, if a little over processed for my liking. I like my potatoes to still seem potatoey, rather than over pureed.
And above is the sweet corn pudding. I would move mountains for this sweet corn pudding. Roasted sweet corn kernels in a pureed base, not too sweet. Just delicious.
And so ends my week of eating only what my grandmother would recognize as food. No containers of fat free yogurt, no instant oatmeal, protein smoothies or Silk soy milk creamer. This week didn't overly challenge me, however, as my relatives of two generations ago lived in a time of Campbell's soup in a can and that's primarily what I ate for lunch all week.
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