John Sedlar is a Los Angeles chef/restaurateur icon. In 1980 he opened St. Estephe in a Manhattan
Beach strip center where he combined the traditional foods of his Santa Fe childhood
with classic French techniques. This
resulted in innovative Southwest dishes that could either delight or bewilder (often
at the same time) the local foodies for their ingredients and often outrageous
presentation. I know this because my
companion was one of St. Estephe’s first customers and remained loyal
throughout St. Estephe’s life even though he lived on the other side of Los
Angeles.
When we learned that John Sedlar had opened Rivera is
downtown Los Angeles, my companion could not wait to go, just for “old times
sake.” When I read S. Irene Virbila’s
highly complimentary review, I insisted we go immediately, which we did. We were not disappointed then and have not
been during any of our subsequent visits.
Although Rivera looks nothing like St. Estephe, my companion becomes
nostalgic when he sees images of the old restaurant that are flashed on the
walls. Personally, I think he secretly
hopes to see himself hoisting a glass of champagne with a blonde lovely from
another era.
There have been numerous articles about John Sedlar and
Rivera in the Los Angeles Times, thus
there is no reason for me to add my two cents on the topic. Instead, I have chosen to take my culinary
journey through Rivera with photographs rather than platitudes. Enjoy.
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| Tortillas Florales, "Indian Butter" and Xnipek - a Yucatan style charred habanaro "dog's snout" salsa. That Salsa really has some kick to it and the tortillas are almost too pretty to eat. |
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| Shrimp and Watermelon Mojito Salad, Cucumber & Mint - a perfect palate cleanser, who needs sorbet? |
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| I dream of this salad - Salad of Red Cabbage, Cabrales Blue Cheese, Lardoons.... |
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| Poblano Chile Relleno Salad, Smoked Chicken, Corn, and Pimonton Aioli....I'm addicted! |
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| Old-Fashioned Red Chile Chicken Enchilada - simply delicious! |
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| Olive Oil Cake, Creme Fraiche, Strawberry Sorbet, Xerez Vinegar - the perfect way to end the journey. |
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| I love this photo of the bull fighter - reminds me of Hemingway. |
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| The perfect Spanish White Wine - Godello, Rafael Palacios... |
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| The menu options are endless - taste from one, or sample from all! |
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| Wall of Tequila - Gorgeous Room! |
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| The Tequila Bottle Chandeler! |
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| Duo of Gazpachos - Circa 2009 |
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| Another Artisinal Cocktail with Gin, Cucumber & Lime - Circa 2009 |
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| Purple Rain - Seasonal Cocktail - Circa 2009 |
Click on the following links to read about Rivera and John
Sedlar, his resume and his food.
And for
those who like interesting cookbooks, don’t forget to get a copy of John
Sedlar’s
Modern Southwest Cuisine that
was published in 1986 and is sold at Rivera (at least it was when we visited in
September).
Recent article in LA
Times Food Section on Chef John Sedlar
S. Irene Virbila’s review of Rivera:
To go to Rivera, reservations can be made online at Open Table or by calling:
Rivera Restaurant
1050 South Flower Street, Suite 102
Los Angeles, CA 90015
213-749-1460
www.riverarestaurant.com
Thanks for stopping by Christy's Palate - comments always appreciated!
Those tortillas are absolutely gorgeous - very creative!
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