Brunch At Tavern

I've been dying to dine at Caroline Styne and Suzanne Goin's Tavern since it first opened its doors to the public last May. Last weekend, I finally managed to make my way down there for a brunch date with a friend.

The interior of Tavern, designed by Jeffery Allan Marks, conjures a sophisticated and sleek updated English watering hole. I could not decide which I loved more, the subdued sage green walls of the elegant foyer, papered in patterns of birds and branches, or the exposed brick in the glass-roofed main dining area (complete with olive trees and leather chesterfield sofas). Definitely a photo-op waiting to happen.

To begin our meal, my friend and I split the Cornmeal Berry Shortcake which was light, tender and perfectly tart. My favorite part of the shortcake was the cornmeal, which provided just the right amount of crunch.

For our main course, my dining companion and I both got the Tavern "Benedict" with Prosciutto and lemon (I know, I know, we should have ordered something different so we'd get to taste more but neither one of us would waver on our choices!). The meaty prosciutto mixed with hot shots of perfectly poached eggs topped with a sprinkling of paprika was heaven in a bite. The addition of the meyer lemon was a delightful twist on this dish and the frizze lettuce provided a nice texture in contast to the runny eggs.

For dessert, we ordered the Asian Pear Coupe pomegranate sherbet and ginger verjus granita. In theory this dessert would have been the perfect ending to my meal because it promised to be light and refreshing. Presented in a glass, the sherbet was already melting to the point of watery and the ginger granita lacked that oomph that I've come to expect from anything made from ginger. The addition of fresh pomegranate seeds and asian pear was a nice thought but did not add much to the dessert.

Before leaving Tavern, I had to check out the Larder, the more casual deli style portion of Tavern. Too stuffed to get anything substantial, I settled on a Chocolate Salted Caramel Macaron. The last macaron I had was from Bouchon Bakery in Napa Valley and I foolishly expected Tavern's macaron to hold a flame to it. Alas! I was severely let down. The cookie shell of the macaron was soft and lacked the crispy bite I was expecting. Moreover, the inside was more runny that chewy. Needless to say, I won't be going to Tavern for my macaron fix any time soon.

Details:

Tavern

11648 San Vicente Blvd

Los Angeles, CA 90049

310 806 6464