Menu Development Is Happening, New Menus Rolling Out in the Next Few Weeks
By Dolores Quintana
At The Draycott Restaurant in Palisades Village, the research and development of brand new brunch, lunch and dinner menus are underway. Chef Ivo Galvão Filho is visiting from London and Chef Ignacio Albo. both of whom previously worked at Cipriani Dolci in New York.
We were able to try one of the dishes being developed for the new menu, fresh tuna steaks with a chimichurri sauce and a mango salsa that was inspired. Simply put, the freshness of the ingredients, especially the tuna, meant that the flavors of the tuna itself melded with the chimichurri and, in particular, the delicious mango salsa.
The Wagyu sliders, dressed with a touch of house sauce, and “pigs in a blanket” with a hearty house-made mustard sauce were also incredibly fresh and tasty as well.
Three of the house cocktails, developed by their mixologist Melina Meza, that were sampled are the Herb Garden Collins, a complex and challenging but very refreshing drink made with Bombay Dry Gin, Chareau aloe, eucalyptus, citrus, white pepper tincture, sparkling Yuzu and lime, the Mango Mezcal Paloma, a perfectly balanced drink with Vida Mezcal, grapefruit, mango agave, Pamplemousse, Aperol, citrus, Tajin and Fever Tree Club Soda, and possibly the favorite, The Black Cherry Sour, made with Angel’s Envy Bourbon, Kin White Whiskey, Ramazotti, lemon, Angostura bitters and egg whites. The Black Cherry Sour was very smooth and relaxing. The Draycott has an excellent bar program and also has a great selection of wines and a good selection if you aren’t into cocktails.
I spoke with Chef Ivo Galvão Filho about the new menu:
Dolores Quintana: What do you have coming up for the new menus?
Ivo Galvão Filho: Coming from London everything’s new to me, but the produce here is incredible. I think making bad food out of this produce? It’s hard. I think it just respecting the produce and getting the best out of it. You know, just now I’ve just worked on a dish which is burrata mozzarella cheese and roasted peaches. What else do we have? Sweet potato, pomegranates and cilantro. We made a dish which is peaches and crab salad. We worked on a rosemary gazpacho. We would like to work on these and see what the guests respond to.
The Draycott also has live entertainment including musician Shauna Medina on Fridays from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Musician Michael Jade, who plays pop favorites, at brunch from 12:00 to 3:00 p.m.
During brunch, according to the manager Nic Holiday, the restaurant offers bottomless Veuve Cliquot champagne from 11:00 to 4:00 p.m. and the restaurant is developing an Aperol Spritz program where guests will be able to make their own version of the popular cocktail.
