Smoke.Oil.Salt
Dangerously (and delectably!) close to my own backyard on Melrose Ave. in Hollywood sits smoke.oil.salt -- a two-room Spanish restaurant and wine bar bursting with Chef Perfecto Rocher’s modern take on traditional Catalan cuisine. Under the umbrella of Umami mastermind Adam Fleischman’s AdVantage Partners, Rocher -- who spent time at the famous El Bulli in Spain and is a third-generation paella chef -- focuses on home style Catalonian and Valencian dishes prepared with finesse and elevation that makes them unlike any Spanish fare I’ve ever previously enjoyed. Dishes that seem inherently simple -- like Pa Amb Tomaca I Llangonisses, a focaccia-like thick toast covered in fresh tomato paste and topped with house made red and white sausage; unbelievably tender smoked octopus; and incredibly flavorful blood sausage -- left me repeatedly reassessing which plate boasted the best food (spoiler alert -- it was all of them). Also featuring my new favorite go-to Cava cocktail with sparkling wine, Spanish vermouth, and orange, I’m already looking at my calendar to determine the closest Sunday I can return to the restaurant to enjoy their prix fixe paella night!
Dress: Dorothy Perkins
Belt + Purse: Kate Spade New York
Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Sad Girl
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW® Pomade in Soft Brown
Glasses: Bonlook Urban Dandy Black
PA AMB TOMACA I LLANGONISSES - catalan tomato toast with house-made red and white sausages
POLP A LA BRASA - smoked octopus, garden herb salad, potato vinaigrette
CARXOFES - caramelized globe artichokes and collard kohlrabi, hazelnuts, garlic, and spicy chili
ESMORZARET DE LA SAFOR - home made blood sausage, pumpkin, pine nut, fried egg, roasted anaheim pepper, oysters
CANELONES DE ROSA - rosa's valencian duck confit canelons, bechamel, idiazabal cheese, truffle oil essence
LA TARTA PERFECTA - marcona almond Santiago tart homage, lime granita, almond ice cream
