One of our favorite dining experiences in Beverly Hills was the romantic outdoor patio of Georgie, an upscale restaurant attached to the Montage Beverly Hills, the five star property just a stone’s throw from Rodeo Drive. See our review of the Montage Beverly Hills where we stayed for part of our luxury escape this month.
Behind the Scenes at Georgie
This place has so much charm, you’ll feel transported to somewhere in southern Europe just for an hour or two. The patio is oh so romantic for dinner and once you check in with Sommelier Oscar Chinchilla, fabulous wine will be pouring and you’ll be in pure heaven.
Behind the culinary magic is Food Network Chef Geoffrey Zakarian and Executive Chef Wilfrid Hocquet, so the dishes will keep you in heaven while you sip and taste all night long. One of our favorites was the Corn Soup, which they serve with corn waffles and a goat cheese mousse – pure bliss!
If you’re not familiar with Zakarian’s background, he also oversees the food and beverage program at The Water Club at Borgata in Atlantic City and The Plaza where he re-launched The Palm Court.
Outside of his work as a chef, Zakarian is an accomplished author and notable television personality.
Other appetizers on the Georgie menu worth noting include the Corn Agnolotti in Beef Consomme with Green Apple and Sorrel, their Autumn salad (so healthy), which they do with Frisee, Mache, Everton Cheese, Apple and a Walnut Truffle Dressing, and of course Burrata, which every Italian food lover will appreciate.
There’s also a super healthy and light Hamachi Crudo with Cantaloupe, Honeydew and Calamansi, which we didn’t try and the Dungeness Crab, which they prepare with cucumber, preserved Lemon Aioli and Tomato Jelly.
My favorite was the Pan Seared Foie Gras, which they serve with Thomcord Grapes, Porcini Puree (the best), Verjus and Salsify. We LOVED this dish, especially how the tender Salsify worked so well with the Foie Gras.
If you haven’t had Salsify before, it resembles a long, thin parsnip and has that great earthy flavor that mushrooms bring to a dish with a thick brown skin and cream-colored interior. Salsify is sometimes called oyster plant or black salsify. Oh so yum! If Georgie is in the cards for your next trip to Los Angeles, DO order the Foie Gras appetizer.
The second favorite goes to the Pate en Croute with Peach Compote, Pickles and Jus Vinaigrette which pairs well with the Pascal Jolivet Sancerre from Loire Valley or even the Emmolo Sauvignon Blanc from Napa Valley.
If scallops are your thing, then their Hokkaido Scallops with Parsnips, Pear and Bottarga are worth ordering and try their Gran Moraine Chardonnay from Oregon or the Moone Tsai Chard from Heintz Vineyard from Sonoma to accompany it.
While the service was through the roof and can be credited to a number of shining lights who whizzed past us that evening, a huge call out goes to Alex with his eclectic background, warm smile and attention to detail and customer satisfaction every step of the way.
And, of course we love you Oscar for surprising us with some vino delights we had never tried.
Because of the French influence, they had Oxtail on the “mains” menu, with Nicoise Olive and Confit Orange Zest. I’m surprised Anthony didn’t go for it, however we were trying to keep our choices healthy that evening given how many meals were yet to come on our trip.
That said, the chef and team felt that we had to taste the Risotto, so brought out a small portion to taste.
Then, there’s those beautiful scallops I was raving about earlier.
Steak lovers will adore the Smoked Beef Cheek with Polenta, Crispy Cornbread and Beer Jus (yes, really!) or the Beef Tenderloin with stuffed mushrooms, spinach and red wine jus.
I absolutely loved the Roasted Duck Breast with Turnips, Plums (totally popped) and a Port Wine Sauce. Try it with the E. Guigal Gigondas from Rhone Valley, or the Hoopes Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley’s Oakville. Oh so delish!
Ready for dessert yet? We were full and happy campers and yet Alex insisted we try the Lemon Basil Roasted Peaches with Ricotta Sorbet, Blueberries and Sable. What a perfect way to end an evening, especially with a Riesling or Port.
A call out must also go to the Dark Chocolate Parfait with Salted Almond Butter Gelato, Almond Dacquoise and Malted Milk Crumble as well as the Sweet Corn Custard with Dulce de Leche, Corn Nut Cookie and a divine Blackberry sorbet.
While we didn’t try it, a great dessert for two is their Chocolate Souffle which they serve with Bay Leaf and Vanilla Anglaise.
Two thumbs up! Would we turn to Georgie? You betcha!
DETAILS:
Georgie Restaurant
Montage Beverly Hills
225 N. Canon Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Georgie Restaurant Website @ the Montage
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Note: we were hosted by the restaurant, but all opinions expressed are entirely our own.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
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Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
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