BLUE ON BLUE

9400 W. Olympic Blvd, Beverly Hills (310) 277-5221

Blue on Blue is the perfect metaphor for California patio style.  Domiciled in the swank Avalon Hotel built originally in 1949 and vamped up in 1999 with the signature retro-chic  touches of tastemaker Kelly Wearstler, the patio-styled restaurant is where the beautiful schmooze in a casual aquatic ambiance while unfussy food and spa-styled, antioxidant laden cocktails keep the night flowing. 

Here, in the sexy oasis named "one of the best 50 hotel restaurants" by Food & Wine, the hip and connected come out to sip dangerously good pomegranate mojitos and cucumber-dill infused martinis, and relish Chef Gabreski's straightforward American cuisine in either the candle lit dining room or around the curvaceous pool fringed by rustling bamboo trees and evoking Hockney.  Spacious cabanas invite the loungers for an extended stay into the night and offer more privacy for the intimate or confidential.  Don't think of these as pool side shacks.  They feel like mini living rooms, replete with candles, mirrors and cozy rugs begging you to slip off your shoes.

Begin with the luxuriously creamy chestnut soup puree kissed by crème fraiche and kernels of tangy roasted apple or the excellent crunchy olive bread pillowed by boucheron, Serrano ham, arugula and porcini vinaigrette.  Butter poached lobster is succulent and comes alive with hints of curry, golden raisins and butternut squash agnoloti.  The special for the night, a pan-seared pompano served with sunchoke (one of the few native tubers of North America), clam shell mushroom, tomatoes, scallions, baby bok choy and sesame-soy sauce was tasty but the specially prepared gnocchi (Vegetarians may feel limited to appetizers) could use an extra dash of seasoning.  For dessert, a blood orange tiramisu is a courageous and unforgettable blend of bitter and sweet; topped with a skin of white chocolate, it's the kind of sublime dessert that dares to break away from the banal molten lava cakes plaguing menus of late. 

A graduate of the prestigious California Culinary Academy, Chef Gabreski began his career in 1996 at La Folie in San Francisco.  He trained with top chefs like Roland Passot and has showcased his talent at the highly-acclaimed Inn at Rancho Santa Fe and The Four Season Aviara (San Diego).  At Blue on Blue, Gabreski continues a great tradition, opting for candid yet creative offerings that compliment the casual elegance of the restaurant and its fabled city.

GD/SB