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| - We started with a seared scallop antipasti, which was amazing. The scallops were impeccably fresh and cooked to perfection. We followed with a white truffle pasta and Garganelli with porcini trifoliate. The truffle pasta was simply prepared, which allowed the truffles to shine through. We ended with La Fiorentina--the porterhouse for two (see photo)--with porcini bernaise sauce. It might be the best steak I've ever eaten. Perfectly seasoned and cooked just right. It was tender, juicy, and intensely flavorful.
So why am I subtracting one point? Mainly because of the wine service. The list is extensive but stratospheric in price. There are very few bottles priced under $100. The markup is steep. To cite but one example, the Antinori "Tignanello" 2011 is listed at $260 but I can get it at K&L Wines here in LA for $85, which equals a 3x retail markup. Anticipating this problem, I took a bottle from my cellar, only to be faced with a very steep $50 corkage fee. Turning from price to service, they took my bottle away to open it somewhere out of sight (why?). They brought it back and placed it at the farthest away point on the table so that we couldn't reach the bottle without getting up, hence leaving the pouring in the wait staff's hands.
This is a pet peeve of mine. As Christopher Hitchens put it, this "breathtaking act of rudeness ... conveys a none-too-subtle and mercenary message: Hurry up and order another bottle."
I brought it. It's my bottle. I should decide when and how quickly it gets poured.
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