Fig Restaurant at LAFW

By Rachel Ganz

Los Angeles Food & Wine Kickoff Dinner Series at Fig Restaurant/Fairmont – An Epicurean Adventure

On Thursday August 22, 2019 I was invited to attend and taste the gastronomic creativity of chefs Jason Prendergast & Michael Corvino at Fig Restaurant at the Fairmont Hotel Santa Monica as part of the LAWF kickoff dinner series.

Trained in classic French culinary cuisine Jason Prendergast is known for his preference for local harvests through his numerous relationships with neighborhood farmers and fisherman. Michael Corvino was the recipient of the James Beard Award for Best Chef Mid –West.

The ambiance of Fig was warm and inviting with views of the outside patio and pool. The wine steward came around my table several times pouring fine wines from Kosta Browne Winery. My favorite was the aromatic and delicious Pinot Noir.

At 630 PM there was a welcome reception with savory hor d'oeuvres and assorted fine wines. The sit down dinner was from 730-10 PM with attentive and polite waiters and wine stewards.

The appetizers of "melon with rice crackers with lime & sea salt was fresh but over-salted.Chef Jason Pendergast

However the "seaweed donuts with trout roe & cream "was quite enjoyable. A "carrot & avocado salad with chocolate mint, sour chili and pine nut" was exotically refreshing. The "sablefish with cream dashi & Kale' was ambrosial and tasty.

The main course was a "dry aged Flannery Ribeye' with chanterelle mushrooms, Australian truffles, and wild watercress was zesty , scrumptious and fairly lean and went well with my second glass of Pinot Noir

Desert was a "crème fraiche custard "was an opulent custard of fresh plums candied pistachio splashed with a mint vinaigrette.

I was impressed by the variety of garden fresh ingredients and originality of this menu that was created by these two great chefs!