My brother and I were visiting California and, having grown up in the New York area, the only type of cuisine we had never tried was Basque. We saw some menus and reviews of Basque restaurants in LA, but we were not convinced. Then my brother received an enthusiastic recommendation, so we decided to give it a try. From the moment we walked in the door, we were treated like family. We the restaurant filled up, we saw that this was standard procedure for the staff. Both new and familiar customers received prompt, attentive and friendly service. Our questions about the dishes on the menu were answered cheerfully and accurately. When it turned out that some of our dietary restrictions did not allow us to eat that evening's side dishes, the chef volunteered to come up with a more than satisfactory substitute that was not on that evening's menu. As for the main dishes...WOW! My brother ordered Lamb Stew (Txilindron). He found this to be the second best lamb dish he had ever eaten -- edged only by our Mother's Shepard's Pie remembered from many years ago. I ordered Roasted Garlic Chicken (Oilaskoa). Frankly, it did not read as id it was one of the more exciting offerings on the menu.But with my multiple dietary restrictions it seemed to be the safest. It turned out to be absolutely delicious, with a melt in your mouth texture I rarely find in the chicken dishes. Our waitress' wine recommendation was backed up with an invitation to taste before ordering. The wine -- from Basque country -- was a perfect complement to my dish. My brother ordered the pudding cake from the dessert menu and was not disappointed. Our experience at the Basque Restaurant was memorable.
more