Anniversary on Sunset

By Sophie Gayot
Chefs Laurent Tourondel, Brian Moyers, Christophe Bellanca with Sophie Gayot

Chefs Laurent Tourondel, Brian Moyers, Christophe Bellanca with Sophie Gayot

By Sophie Gayot

Last night, to celebrate the first anniversary of his Los Angeles restaurant BLT Steak, chef Laurent Tourondel made the trip from the East Coast. During the occasion, he and his corporate chef, Christophe Bellanca, formerly at L’Orangerie and Le Cirque, introduced the new chef de cuisine, Brian Moyers, who just moved into the kitchen from The Blvd at the Beverly Wilshire, and the sommelier Jared Heber.

The trio cooked together in the kitchen and served us squash blossom stuffed with burrata, pistou and roast tomato pomodoro; hamachi with marinated white asparagus, avocado and pickled red onions; olive oil-poached halibut in artichoke barigoule, fennel and spring onion in a blood orange sauce; dry-aged NY strip on a bed of beef short ribs accompanied with ricotta gnudi, a morel fricassée and fava beans; and ending with strawberry rhubarb crumble pie with lemon thyme ice cream. Hollywood celebrities Sharon Stone and Victoria Recano were seen here that evening.

Note: In honor of the Lakers’ continued success in the NBA playoffs, BLT Steak’s bar is offering chef Tourondel’s signature BLT Burger—a first in LA (the offer is for a limited time only, while LA is in the playoffs). The “Kobe” burger ($17) or the “Jackson” burger ($14) can be accompanied by fries and a brew for $11 more. A flat screen captures the game action.

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