Botanica Restaurant and Market

Great Californian food reminds me of Italian and Greek food in that it lacks the complexity of French food but instead focuses on bringing out the simple features of a few ingredients. This simplicity is anything but easy, as a great Cacio e Pepe can show, and certainly requires access to fresh ingredients, something both Greece, Italy and California are blessed with. There are a couple of neighborhoods in LA that stand for this type of food. Santa Monica and Venice on the coast with places like Gjusta and Rustic Canyon and then more inland there is the Los Feliz and Silver Lake area with places like Kismet. Botanica, just south of the Silver Lake reservoir is one of the best examples of this type of LA Californian food. Simple but surprising and no matter which month of the year the ingredients taste like they just came fresh from the farm. Like the White Beets and Persimmon (salad or plate) was so simple but full of subtle flavors. The Seared Pointed Cabbage with the touch of Gouda. And then for the main the Striped Bass in probably the lightest coconut broth I have ever had and an edge from the charred radicchio and squash. While all these dishes were outstanding and made me think about when I could squeeze in another visit, the highlight of the dinner was the date desert. This was just perfection. Dates on a bed of fluffy tahini and olive oil and rosemary drizzled all over. It could have been a starter or a desert, but no matter which, it was amazing.