We had a night in DTLA last night, enjoying dinner and then a concert at the Disney Hall. Let's see the photos!
So, we got pretty for the night....
There used to be a restaurant called Patina in a corner of the Disney Hall. Lovely place. We went there once, and I remember they had a truffle option with someone rolling a cart around to tables, opening a chest, then shaving truffle on to the dish. Smelled awesome. The place also had a water menu. That one made me snicker.
Patina is gone, and the space is now Asterid. We decided to give it a pre-show try, each of us enjoying the set menu.
The good:
The mezcal and rice cocktail.
A winner. I liked my cocktail best of the three of us. Conrad also had a glass of a beautiful Pinot Noir that I would go back to try.
The food was pretty tasty. And it built up well. The little amuse of quarters of mini-turnips and shrimp chips was, well, a choice (turnips were great, the shrimp chips were just shrimp chips, puffs that you can buy in a store). The crab and avocado toast was pretty, but the avocado wasn't unctuous enough.
The shrimp tostada was excellent.
The miso black cod was fantastic
(Van opted for the "beef dip", and his meal was even better for it). The tres leches cake looked a mess by comparison to the precision of the preceding dishes, but it was damn tasty.
The place had carpeting, and we could hear each other talk.
The server did a great job with recommendations and explanations.
The mixed or not as good:
It took a mighty long time to get that first round of drinks.
The other pacing was a little wonky, taking time for the first course, then rushing by the end to the point where Conrad and I were done our cod, and our plates were cleared. Van was not yet done, and I don't like when that happens. Clear us all at once. But they compounded that by bringing out dessert for me and Conrad but not one for Van. Eventually he got his, but it was a noticeable gap of time.
Portion sizes. Van paid $12 more for his beef dip entree, and boy, did he get a lot more food for his money. I get it, it's a tasting menu. But the entree did look disappointingly small on that big plate.
All in all, we'd go back, but we'd probably order a la carte instead.
On to the show!!
Kraftwerk is celebrating 50 years of their first album by doing a residency for several nights at the Disney Hall. Van got us the tickets - he's known their music a long time. Neither Conrad nor I knew their songs, but we were up for it.
I took some pictures right before the start,
and when I saw others around me taking photos and video, I did a little of the same.
But not for long. I didn't know the songs, but I was enjoying what I heard. I was also loving the visuals used. So I decided to put the camera away and just enjoy the show.
Good decision!
It was a long show. 1h55 of pretty much non-stop music. No break, no opening act. And we had a great time! I'm really happy Van recommended we go.
So then, a successful night in DTLA for the three of us. I can't wait for the next opportunities!
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