When The Bazaar by Jose Andres first opened in Beverly Hills’ SLS Hotel, it was an instant hot spot in the trendy LA scene. Add to that the four stars from the Los Angeles Times, becoming a finalist for the James Beard Awards’ “Best New Restaurant,” plus numerous other awards and Andrés’ appearance on 60 minutes, and you’ve got an internet that’s inundated with reviews, from both lovers and naysayers…but mostly lovers. Therefore, I won’t bore you with yet another raving review, from yet another foodie; to be honest, I could never describe the restaurant as eloquently as S. Irene Virbila has and so I refer you to her article in the Los Angeles Times. In it, she describes the experience at the Bazaar as “Fellini-esque, a gastronomical circus, a flirtation with the flavors and soul of Spain,” all of which are accurate, but when a restaurant like this one has been so overhyped, over-characterized and overbooked, how does the average person get in, get out, and get laid…wait no, I mean…get a fun, unique experience without getting sensory overload? Step one: eat at the bar.
Ignoring my terrible joke, my first time at the Bazaar was actually on a date. Lucky for me, my friend is an eat at the bar champion. What I’m trying to say, not so subtly, is that while I can’t guarantee you getting laid just by taking your date to The Bazaar, I will say that if you are hoping to get physical with a certain someone who already likes you, dinner at The Bazaar will seal the deal. Well, maybe you better throw in a couple of those liquid nitrogen caiprinhas for prosperity…
Liquid Nitrogen Caiprinhas
OK, what I’m really saying is that the restaurant is not only sexy and chic in appearances, but is bursting with genuine fun energy, and who doesn’t want to get with fun? It was a Saturday night – my man friend and I pulled up to the SLS in typical eat at the bar style – with NO RESERVATIONS. (Oh yea…we live dangerously). We were warned by friends that “they’re booked for months!” and “you’ll never get in!” but you know how I love a good challenge. I approach the hostess while my friend heads straight for the packed bar.
She says. Do you have a reservation? I say. No, I do not. She says. I’m sorry we’re all booked for tonight. I say. My friend and I would like to eat at the bar. She says, no problem, but just to clarify, we actually have 2 bars. Bar Centro is the alcohol bar and serves a shortened menu and our tapas bar inside the restaurant serves the full menu. I say. We must have the full menu! She says. In that case, I actually have 2 open seats right now and can seat you right away. I say. What?! Seriously? Do other people know about this? She says. Few…most people make reservations, but the chef likes to keep certain seats open for walk-ins so that it’s not so exclusive, but who dares come here on a weekend with no reservations? First of all, I love the chef! Second of all, I may have paraphrased that last quote for dramatic purposes, but I swear that’s the general gist of what she said. To the bar!
I was at the tapas bar watching the prep cooks for at least 10 minutes before my date joined me, wearing a suspicious smile. Uh oh, what’d you do? I made a new friend, he says. In the span of 10 minutes, he’d not only gotten us 2 cocktails, but was also invited to a round of tequila shots by some guy and his female entourage. The guy asked me to join them for dinner…but I said no. I picked you, he says. Matter-of-factly. Come to think of it, he says, he might’ve actually been gay. Very nice. I say. You get hit on by men more than I do. He says. That’s because most straight men are pussies and they fear rejection. Oh right. That. But you’re not like that? No, he says. I’m special. Let’s order. (I would’ve rolled my eyes, but I was too hungry to pretend to be offended).
Olives - Modern vs. Traditional
Like any art form, cooking is part technique and part feeling, but with molecular gastronomy, the technique part is strongly emphasized. It shows that good food is not only an art form, it’s a science. Our introduction to the menu was like a tour of Manhattan on a double-decker bus: helpful in orienting first-timers, unassuming, but makes you eager the get the hell off the bus and experience it yourself. The menu features 2 lists: one of modern tapas, one of traditional tapas. The waiter explained their deconstruction/reconstruction process for their modern olives and burrata that literally makes them “burst” with flavor. I could hardly stay in my seat. Bring them all! My friend gave me a look that said, sit down and breathe. The waiter just laughed. OK fine, I say. Just bring the ones you like best! And he did…
Not Your Everyday Capresé
Tuna Watermelon Sashimi with Soy Sauce Foam
Philly Cheesesteak: Air bread filled with cheese, topped with kobe beef
Baby Japanese Peaches, burrata, hazelnuts, arugula
Foie Gras Cotton Candy Lollipop
I looked around at all the seated patrons and could not understand why more people weren’t jumping out of their seats exclaiming, “holy shit!” It’s THAT exciting. Exciting not only because it’s ‘interesting,’ because that can be a problem with restaurants that specialize in molecular gastronomy – interesting for the sake of TRYING to be interesting, but ‘interesting’ doesn’t always taste ‘good,’ it just tastes like someone tried really hard. I’ve not been to other Andrés’ restaurants, but I could really feel the passion, fun and playfulness in every dish. The flavors just seemed to meld together naturally, as in, the way it’s experienced in nature when things are organic and ripe. If the fantasy is that rainbows taste delicious…they would taste like that Japanese peach dish…
After dinner, we were moved to the “dark” side of the restaurant, by Bar Centro, where we could enjoy sweets and experience a more social atmosphere. The Apple Carlota was disappointing in that it was nowhere close to being on par with the rest of the meal, but I believe they have a new dessert menu now, which I can’t wait to try.
Apple Carlota
Inset Screens Play Fellini Films on a Long Counter in Bar Centro
Bar Centro - (The bartenders here are chefs in their own right. Cocktails are fantastic.)
After the meal, I could not stop smiling, almost giggling. Could it be the food? The atmosphere? The company? Or the combination? It got me thinking – like so many things, the food here may start with a chemical reaction, but there’s something else intangible that takes it to a whole other level and anyone with even any inkling of emotional intelligence can feel it. What is it? Well, how is it that my friend is able to draw interesting people to him, anywhere? What is it that makes certain people stars? Why are we instantly attracted to the people we’re attracted to? It may start with a scientific equation, an “A+B=C”…an “IF, THEN, THEREFORE,” but it’s this something else that makes the magic. And that’s the stuff I’m interested in. A kind of energy that is and must be genuine, personal and cannot be imitated no matter how hard someone tries. An excitement that radiates from within, one that spouts from love, confidence, dedication, and most importantly…a curiosity paired with the desire to share amazing discoveries and creations with others. Enjoy!
