McCormick & Schmick’s Restaurant
THE MENU IS ALWAYS CHANGING, BUT THE DELIGHT IN DINING IS CONSTANT
At McCormick and Schmick’s Pacific Seafood Grill, the menu changes daily based on the catch of the day and the availability of produce, because fresh is foremost here. However, that is just one of the reasons this restaurant is a true class act. Even though they specialize in seafood, they have all types of meat and produce, which they prepare artfully, adding to the gustatory pleasures one surely finds here.
We entered the restaurant at the top of Two Rodeo in Beverly Hills through its huge patio, choosing to dine inside, where we were immediately impressed by the posh atmosphere. Keep in mind that we are vegetarians, and review restaurants from that perspective, and we had just begun our sojourn into a restaurant famous for its seafood from around the world. This, as we were to see, would not be a problem at all: the menu features many items for vegetarians, such as delicious pastas, risottos, salads, and side orders, and the highly skilled chef, Masa Ose, can convert a seafood or meat dish into a very special dish for a vegetarian.
We began with warm sourdough bread and butter, followed by corn chowder, shoestring onion rings, French fries with garlic butter and Parmesan cheese, mushroom risotto, wild mushroom ravioli, and yuzu chiffon cheesecake, the order and style of presentation all perfectly choreographed by our efficient and ebullient server Christian. What a dining delight this was, from beginning to end! The mushroom ravioli is perhaps the best dish in the house for a vegetarian: wonderfully delicate and yet a powerful surprise of flavors. It was just marvelous and provided for us a gastronomic treat of the highest order. (One of the specialties of the house is the ability of Chef Ose to mix different ingredients in such a way that they literally explode in your mouth.) Let us not forget to mention the cheesecake, which, with its crust made of Macadamia nuts and curd made from the yazu fruit of Japan, provided the perfect conclusion to our meal. Manager Asif Iqbal made a very special visit to our table during the meal to see that our every whim was accommodated.
Chef Ose has all sorts of surprises in which to indulge your taste buds, as we found out when we visited the restaurant again. This time we began with the very smooth Potato Leek and Cheddar Soup, followed by Flatbread Pizza (minus the shrimp), which may have been the best pizza we have ever tasted, and a distinctive brownie dessert with coffee ice cream and sea salt. Again, we had a great dining experience, with our server Steven providing helpful suggestions and able assistance every step of the way.
McCormick and Schmick’s has been in Beverly Hills for fourteen years and has permission from the head office to set its own style regarding menu selections, and indeed it has, as described above. In addition, the restaurant has old world charm, art deco glass, Tiffany styled lamps, and private wood booths. One may also dine outside on the patio, but the regulars love to sit inside, because they realize how precious an experience that is.
With produce from local farms, fish from as far away as Australia and Alaska, and champagne and wines from around the world which patrons recommend and rank , McCormick and Schmick’s can satisfy every taste. Managers and staff are friendly storehouses of information who will attend to every detail, and all of this makes for a great restaurant in the classic sense. The décor, the service, the presentation of the food, the food itself, the ambience – all are outstanding here. Even though the menu is ever-changing, the old favorites seem to remain, making this a restaurant where you can delight in both the expected and the unexpected!