Crepes And Corks: Cal Mare

Before the holiday madness hit, I had the pleasure of eating at new Los Angeles restaurant, Cal Mare. It is one of the first openings in the Beverly Center Mall, which is currently undergoing a massive renovation. It is a Michael Mina restaurant, headed by chef Adam Sobel. I fell in love with the place - round tables with overhead lamps, an open space bar, beautiful dome ceilings and a kitchen open to the dining room. The restaurant is cozy, charming and really sets the mood for the meal to come. Speaking of the food....each dish was truly excellent. The menu is of course centered around seafood in addition to a variety of pizza and pasta dishes. Most impressive was the unique chickpea "pancake" dish. Really more of a thin crepe laid over a bed of shrimp and greens with saffron aioli. I was tempted to order a second!

It is rare for a new restaurant to get their flavors so perfect this early on. That being said, the restaurant was lacking in efficiency. Dishes came out poorly timed, the appetizers coming fifteen minutes apart. We had also ordered Brussel Sprouts to be served with the Branzino. We wiped our plates clean of the fish and still did not have the Brussels. I hope that the kitchen can work on its timeliness and still keep the high quality of its dishes, to ensure the restaurant's success.