Spago - 2006.12.23 - *****

Gift #4. That was the count of birthday gifts from Amnon. In my hands I had also Gift #5, still a mystery, wrapped in gold and blue.

Expectation for Spago was moderate at best; we've been a bit disillusioned by the latest strings of fancy restaurants, and this being a chain created by celebrity chef, well... At 5:30, we were the first diner to arrive, and I was quick to note that the open kitchen was populated by almost exclusively caucasian, as opposed to the more typical latino staff. The maitre'd could've used more graciousness, such as opening the door and wait for us to pass through first, but our waiter Josh soon made up for that with his genuine hospitality.

The menu read fairly standard. I think Mr. Puck is not known for being eclectic. The starters, as usual, were the strongest. Ginger carrot soup gave a good distillation of the two main characters, at once distinct from one another and harmonious. Matsutake mushroom salad with wild rocket and soy-yuzu dressing was yummy and generously portioned, if a bit over salty. I was a tad disappointed with my first taste of Matsutake. I thought it would be more of a "wow", though these were from Oregon, not Japan. Our third appetizer was a beautiful potato apple latke with smoked salmon, a perfect contrast of savory against sweet, pillowy against leathery.

In fact everything at Spago came in a healthy portion, more German (or Austrian) than French in that manner. So we finished barely half of our wild mushroom risotto and spicy beef goulash. They were good solid dishes, more classic than fanciful. I did wish the goulash came with a bit more interesting sides.

Amnon was keen on a glass of dessert wine tonight, however it wasn't to be. Spago's limited selection starts at 12 bucks a pop. So we went with a chocolate lava cake and a selection of house made cookies. Again, solid classic preparations. The cake was warm and oozy and makes one fuzzy inside; the side of vanilla ice cream was one of the best in memory, house made as well. My macaroons and cookies, ginger, chocolate, white chocolate, and peanut butter, promised to be a good breakfast tomorrow.

Oh and our meal was flanked by couple of complementary amuses. Pair of celery soup smooth and rich but not too rich, and two lemon curd cookies. The breads were excellent as well, cheese-herb crusted crackers and asiago bread. All in all, an above average dining experience. Our waiter was very professional as well.

But alas, gift #4 was merely a distraction to bring out gift #5. As the commercial would go, dinner for two at Spago, 120 dollars. A frame picture of Maria Callas as Medea, 1959, signed by Marias Callas herself, PRICELESS. Never has there been or would there be a gift to top this one.

Pictures for Spago.