Last night we enjoyed a great night dining out with our friends Britt & Wade at Stefan’s at L.A. Farm! Of course – it’s the same Stefan from Top Chef! Upon arrival, we got an awesome unexpected surprise – as we all got out of the car in the parking lot behind the restaurant, there was Stefan himself, enjoying a cigarette in the back! He was super cool – he called out to us and gave a us a warm welcoming, and even met up with us in the lobby and chatted us up for a bit before we were seated! He is a funny guy and it definitely made our night to see him so social and talkative with us. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to ask him directly what we should order – and his response was, “Do you like small plates?” We all gave an emphatic YES! He told us to get the tater tots with Hidden Valley ranch dressing and the “Big Mac”. I kind of laughed a bit, I really thought he was pulling my leg – but he wasn’t! He even assured us that yes, he really does use Hidden Valley Ranch. He also mentioned deviled eggs and foie gras! All we knew was we couldn’t wait to sit down and start eating …
Stefan’s is really casual and the menu is very fun. I wasn’t so sure what to expect – afterall, on the show, he always seemed to feature very serious sophisticated foods. But the small plates really set the stage for a good time. We took his advice and started with the deviled eggs, tater tots and the Sonoma Foie Gras with Cracked White Pepper, Smoked Salt and Griddled Brioche. Delicious! The boys ordered oysters and said they were impeccable. Its tough to see in the photo, but the presentation was awesome – the oyster sat on a simple and perfectly formed mound of salt. And the deviled eggs were topped with caviar! A very special egg, for sure.
Added bonus of the small plates? They’re only $3 each!
Our entrees were great too … Ed ordered the Shepherd’s Pie (total Ed food!) and I ordered the veal chop with cauliflower puree and baby carrots.
The only bummer about mine was that I had no idea a veal chop would be so fatty and kind of weird. I was pretty bummed about it and didn’t want to end the meal on an anything-but-sublime note. So, when the dessert menus arrived, I decided to skip the sweets and order the “Like a Big Mac” instead! It was the best choice I’ve ever made – and no kidding, I think it’s the BEST burger bite I’ve ever tasted!
So, I am happy to sign off with this entry by saying, I had a burger for dessert!
*My iPhone pics were terrible, so these photos are from Yelp user Kwiri Y. and kevineats.com.