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Simon LA
Address: 8555 Beverly Blvd.
Cross Street: La Cienega Dr.
Neighborhood: Beverly Hills
Phone: (310) 358-3979
Hours: Daily, 6:30AM-10PM;
Brunch, Sat., 11AM-4PM
Type: California Cuisine
Tight-clad lads and ladies escort diners to their tables, serving eclectic, Mediterranean-inspired dishes like wild mushroom and chorizo skewers with fresh vegetables in an apricot glaze, and a baked king crab roll in soy paper with risotto and aioli that pays homage to Chef Francis Dimitrius's stint at Koi.
Even the salads were interesting--the Pandora surprised us with juicy fresh peaches, Buffalo mozzarella, mint and julienned prosciutto, while the one of fresh lobster and crab with arugula, mango, bacon, cherry tomatoes and Dijon vinaigrette also sounded exotic.
The menu includes several pasta dishes like the linguine with clams, and the spring pea and prosciutto farfalle with carbonara sauce. Then there's the saucily named Spaghetti Lolita with shredded chicken, vine-ripened tomatoes, spinach, and toasted pine nuts in white wine sauce.
Whereas the starter and salad portions were not terribly impressive, the entrees were massive. The thick cut of roasted Chilean sea bass with mango chipotle chutney, crisp prosciutto lentils, and roasted baby veggies was very well prepared, as was the juicy Kurobata Pork Tenderloin in Chinese five-spice with candied apples, slivered toasted almonds, and prosciutto lentils and baby carrots in cumin.
The mango-champagne sorbet, cheesecake drizzled with caramel and toasted walnuts, and sticky toffee cake with homemade vanilla ice cream desserts were playful but not overstated. The wine list, though not extensive, was nonetheless an interesting mix of unusual Californian and Italian wines.
All in all, Villa Blanca provides an idiosyncratic Beverly Hills dining experience.
