DaVinci Mediterranean
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The Details:
9737 S Santa Monica Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Phone: (310) 888-0090
Sun-Wed 11am-10pm
Thu 11am-11pm
Fri-Sat 11am-12am
The Los Angeles Foodie Rating:
The Summary:
I was invited by DaVinci Mediterranean to sample their new spring menu, and the following review is of a prearranged dinner. It’s easy to get distracted by the mixed signals being sent by DaVinci’s space. I did not care for the decor, and I’m still a little confused why “Mediterranean” was added to the name. But as long as you are able to get past that (and I was), the food is outstanding. With the exception of a truly remarkable fois gras dish, nothing on the menu attempts to redefine cuisine. Chef Jason Fullilove serves excellent food that is impeccably prepared. He uses familiar ingredients and combines them in exceptional ways. This stuff is comfort food, but the ingredients, preparation, and presentation elevates the experience to a fine dining excursion that is highly recommended.
The Place:
DaVinci is in the middle of an identity crisis. This classic Beverly Hills restaurant used to be called DaVinci Ristorante, and it was a favorite hangout of the Rat Pack whenever they were in Los Angeles. DaVinci Ristorante reportedly kept Dean Martin’s favorite booth reserved for him at all times. A quick Google search easily turns up what DaVinci Ristorante used to look like, and when compared to the remodeled DaVinci Mediterranean, it is plain to see that almost nothing from the original space remains. One exception is Dean’s now-anachronistic booth, which the new owners kept presumably out of respect for tradition. While I appreciate the fact that Dean’s booth is still available, and I think that it’s pretty cool that you can order “The Dean,” which is Cutty Sark with a single ice cube and a soda back (Dean’s favorite), the vibe of the space is confusing. The remodel left Da Vinci looking like a McMansion.
I’m not an interior designer, so I’m not sure how much my opinion counts, but the gaudy chandeliers and giant freehand painting of Leonardo DaVinci’s self-portrait against one wall left me scratching my head. To further complicate things, the bar area and the walls surrounding Dean’s booth are covered with Rat Pack art, and Sinatra-era music is playing full-time over the sound system. I kept wondering why, if the owners want to celebrate the Rat Pack so much, they didn’t just update the old space (which had a strong old school vibe but was definitely in need of an update) rather than gutting it and starting over. The dining room is now wide open, and everything seems beige. The acoustics inside are terrible, and even though there were only a few tables full at the time of my visit, the cacophony of table conversation and big band music was distracting. My disenchantment with the space is unfortunate because the real reason that you should come here is…
The Food:
However haphazard the decor might be at Da Vinci, the real reason to come and come back again is the food. I recommend it highly assuming that your budget allows for it. Entrees are in the $25-$40 range, so it’s not cheap, but it’s also not outrageous considering the quality of the food and the restaurant’s location.
Chef Jason Fullilove is great at what he does. Not surprisingly, the chef bases his menus on California’s abundant local resources. I was thrown for a loop yet again when I observed that nothing that I was served seemed very Mediterranean. The menu reads, “DaVinci’s menu is based off the refined cooking techniques of the Mediterranean, combined with the bountiful produce of California.” Rather than question the motives, I decided to approach the meal with an open mind. My concerns dissipated quickly after the first course, a watermelon and honeydew amuse bouche topped with a honeydew granita. There was nothing impressive about this dish, but there wasn’t supposed to be. It was refreshing and a perfect palate cleanser.
Next was a roasted beet salad dressed in a pistachio vinaigrette with a small wedge of goat cheese. It’s hard to miss with a goat cheese / beet combination when it’s done right, and everything about this dish was right. If you are one of those people who can’t understand why anyone would like beets, try this dish and get back to me.
The next course was an asparagus ravioli with pickled red onions and dewdrop tomatoes lightly accented with basil oil. All of the pastas are made fresh in the kitchen, as they should be, and the raviolis were just barely cooked before serving. The bite of the pasta was perfect, and the filling was creamy but not overpowering. Unlike many ravioli dishes, this one showcased the flavor of the pasta as much as the other ingredients.
The next two courses were also pasta dishes. The first was a seafood pasta adorned with lobster claw meat, Loup de Mere, mussels, and clams. This type of dish is hard to get right because the window for doneness on shellfish is narrow. But everything was prepared perfectly, including the pasta.
The other pasta dish was a vegan whole wheat pasta mixed with a mushroom ragu. The pasta was mushy, which is a shortcoming that was especially evident when compared to the seafood pasta dish. But the ragu was excellent, and it made me wonder if it’s possible to get the mushroom ragu served with the non-vegan pasta, which is clearly superior. This version of the dish is topped with fresh Parmesan at my request, which makes it non-vegan. But this is not the way the dish is served.
The next course is the main reason that I will come back. I have never had anything quite like it, and I will remember it for a long time. If it sounds like my tone is pregnant with hyperbole, it’s because this is literally one of the most ejoyable bites of food I have eaten in years. This tiny dish is a pillow-like dollop of fois gras served atop a pool of vanilla gastrique with a stick of brioche and a single chive. Behold.
Up next was a triple-helping of duck. Seared duck breast was served atop duck confit, and the skin of the duck breast has been removed and crisped into crackings. Everything rested on a bed of cauliflower puree. While I like duck a lot, in my experience it is usually not very good. This dish failed to break my streak. I’m sure it will please duck lovers as everything was prepared well, but I was not bowled over. I would skip it.
The real protein dish star was the roasted lamb served with lamb bacon, fennel puree, and natural juice alongside heirloom carrots. The lamb was incredible, and the fatty “bacon” paired with the distinct fennel flavor in the puree was fantastic. I highly recommend this dish.
The two desserts were both excellent. The first was a Meyer lemon panna cotta served on top of a bed of butter cookie crumbs. The second was an apple “donut,” which was a whole peeled and cored apple that was dipped in beignet batter and fried. The apple was served with strawberry cream. Both desserts were wonderful, but I would recommend the panna cotta over the apple.
The panna cotta dish was beautiful and refreshing, which was welcome after a filling meal.
The Service:
Since I was a guest of the restaurant, I cannot judge the service. But the server who was assigned to our table was polite, professional, and friendly.
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