Culina

29.07.14

Before you scroll, I really hope you do not have an empty stomach. This post is full of delicious food that I had the honor of trying all in one sitting thanks to an invitation by the

Culina Restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills

. Now, being on the east side of things when comes to LA demographics, I don’t typically drive west (unless I really have to). Yes, I’ve picked up quite a few bad LA habits since I moved here about 10 years ago. Have you ever been on the 10 at 5pm on a Friday? How about drive through downtown on the 110 around 3pm on a weekday? But I digress.

What’s worth a freeway venture any day of the week? Food and friendships. I will drive many miles for an evening of new flavors and great company. While Kevin and Mikey did the Planet of the Apes guy thing (I’m so glad Kevin is a movie buff too), I toasted to new friends and the awesomeness that is Los Angeles. As I said during Restaurant Week, LA cuisine is such a great mixture of cultures and just never gets old when it comes to culinary arts.

Culina Restuarant serves up far from ordinary modern Italian dishes. For example, their squid ink spaghetti with lobster, chorizo and calabrian chili is no regular pasta dish. The combination of ingredients and flavors made it hard to stop at just one bite. Until the Porchetta Di Maiale came along (house cured pork belly with grilled flatbread and seasonal fruit mostarda), and I couldn’t remember what else I ate prior. Because pork.

The ambiance of the restaurant was really cozy and perfect for a date, evening with friends or a large dinner party. It has a very laid back feeling, and I like that. I also want to head back and check out their Crudo Bar for an evening of raw live action slicing and dicing by one of their chefs.

And now that my son just saw this Porterhouse picture, it looks we’ll also be going back for a family dinner. He loves a good steak. I may have to order the Pollo Rustico you see at the beginning of this post. To see more from menu, check out Culina Restaurant.