An Inside Look At The Fall Menu At Providence LA - Exclusive
Chef Michael Cimarusti is a legend when it comes to fine dining in Los Angeles. His restaurant, Providence LA, recently celebrated its 17-year anniversary, proving that combining sustainability and success is 100% possible. This seafood-focused restaurant places a huge emphasis on sustainability, allowing guests to feel good about what they are eating and where their money is going. "We always try to do our best to stay local whenever possible, to do business with people that we have good, strong relationships with — people that supply us with fish that's sustainable," said Cimarusti. "We try to fill a menu that is entirely sustainable, and we don't use any farm-raised fish."
Chef Cimarusti also owns Connie and Ted's in West Hollywood. From clam chowder to decadent lobster rolls, Connie and Ted's is a more casual seafood option that follows the same commitment to quality and care. During an exclusive interview with Tasting Table, Chef Cimarusti shared some of his best cooking tips along with an inside look at what diners can expect to find on the fall menu at Providence LA.
Land and sea
While Providence LA primarily focuses on seafood, it is not restricted to it. In fact, people who prefer beef will usually find that as an option on the tasting menu.
"We just changed our beef course, which is one of the main course choices you have. We're a seafood restaurant, but we offer beef as the main course if you want it," explained Michael Cimarusti. "It involves matsutake mushrooms, habanada peppers, which are pickled and fermented here in the restaurant, and pumpkin ... Habanadas are an ingredient that come on right at the end of summer and on the cusp of fall. Matsutake, the same thing — [it's] a beautiful wild mushroom from the Pacific Northwest and sometimes also from California."
Having premium access to all of the vibrant and unique produce in California makes for innovative dishes that catch the eye and tantalize your tastebuds. Of course, no fall menu is complete without at least a hint of pumpkin, and Cimarusti's dishes are no exception.
A piece of pumpkin
Pumpkin is a fall staple that has a one-of-a-kind flavor. This unique gourd can be sliced and roasted or pureed as a subtle enhancement to any fall-inspired dish. At Providence LA, Chef Michael Cimarusti is using a Musquee de Provence pumpkin to highlight the flavors of fall in the main beef course.
"It seems funny here in California to start thinking about pumpkin when it's a hundred degrees outside," Cimarusti told us. "The truth is, now is the time when the pumpkin harvest begins, so we're doing this dish with this beautiful Musquee de Provence pumpkin — which is one of my favorite fall pumpkins — and wild matsutake, and fermented habanadas that we grow in our garden. It's delicious. It's a wonderful combination of those three things."
That said, the only way to get a true taste of this renowned restaurant's seasonal cuisine is to experience it for yourself.
Providence LA is open for dining Tuesday through Saturday.