LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
EATING Out |
by Barry Becker |
There's Magic at La La Land
When a restaurant is celebrating a 14th season, as is La La Land (22 Wilmington Ave., Rehoboth Beach) you know it must be good. And, on a recent trip here, we discovered why this playful yet elegant restaurant is still packed every night! The restaurant is a series of magically decorated and painted rooms, but we chose to sit outside in the bamboo garden, which was a great idea for a beautiful summer night, nestled in among the towering bamboo. Everything on the menu sounded like we HAD to have it, so it was hard to decide even what appetizers to choose. The Thai duck confit wraps in spiced ginger syrup with crispy red carrot threads caught my eye, but so did the fresh smoked mozzarella and grilled eggplant terrine with pan roasted pine nuts. In the end we were directed by our fabulous waitress Irene to the Maine lobster spring rolls and the Florida key lime ceviche, both incredible choices and worth the trip to La La Land! Everything here is very artfully presented. The spring rolls are plump chunks of lobster in a fabulous spring roll, fried to crispy perfection, and sliced open into 4 huge pieces on an oversized plate, served with a soba noodle salad piled high in the center of the plate, accompanied by pomegranate molasses. There was a big sprig of thyme, and an unbelievable grid of thin sliced potatoes baked into a flag that decorated the plate. This dish was so over-the-top, so rich and fabulous, that calling it spring rolls isn't enough! The ceviche was outrageous, a bowl of shrimp, scallops and calamari in a citrus and blood orange marinade that made the seafood a wonderful red/orange color, with a sea of flavorful crisp fried leeks on top. This was all so refreshing, the seafood perfect and wonderful. We both enjoyed a hearts of romaine salad before we headed to the entrees. The salad was delightful, served with blue cheese crumbles and sundried cherries and a light and tasty passionfruit vinaigrette. For entrees we overlooked, with great difficulty, the mahi mahi with corn bacon salsa and fresh avocado puree, as well as the fresh pan seared halibut with rock shrimp fennel risotto cake and the grilled filet mignon with port roasted shallots and baby spinach. Irene directed us to 2 of her favorite dishes, and she did so well on the appetizers, of course we listened to her and ordered the roasted rack of lamb and the butter poached fresh Maine lobster. She was SO right! The lamb was cut very thick and was amazingly tender and juicy, served with a toasted almond and fresh mint pesto that gave it great character and flavor, and a caramelized garlic potato pave. This is a scalloped potato dish, with thin slices of potato layered with butter, garlic and herbs, and baked to perfection, and it is a perfect complement to the lamb. The plate was also decorated with a paper thin large slice of potato that was baked to a crispy brown with a sprig of thyme pressed into it that was great food art! As for the lobster, well it was the most buttery rich dish of huge chunks of fresh outrageous lobster, served alongside unbelievable truffled potato gnocchi, with sauted fresh asparagus resting in a tasty fondue of champagne, leeks and shredded carrots. This was a cholesterol-level-be-damned kind of meal, but so worth it! If you want the elegance of lobster without all the work, this is the dish for you! La La Land has a great dessert menu, as well as many dessert cocktails, including 100 and 150 year old Grand Marnier, ports, scotches and cordials, and great lattes and cappuccinos. As for the eating part of dessert, we tried one of the day's specials, blueberries soaked in coconut piled high atop a white chocolate sour cream custard, and a perfectly light mascarpone cheesecake, a round portion served amongst blueberries, blackberries and strawberries, on an almond crust. This was absolutely the perfect way to end a perfect meal (even though that meant not having the chocolate espresso bombe!) I did, however, have a decaf Godiva cappuccino, which was divine! As always, La La Land shines in every department, from creative and tasty food to great service and ambiance, no matter where you sit! And don't forget to check out the bar before or after your meal, where David Engel will take great care of you. La La Land, 22 Wilmington Avenue in Rehoboth Beach, is open for dinner nightly. For reservations, call 302-227-3887. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 11, No. 11, August 10, 2001. |