Gwen Butcher Shop: 6600 Sunset Blvd , Los Angeles, CA 90028

Butcher Shop Hours:

Mon 10am - 7pm

Tues - Sat 10am - 10pm,

Sun 10am - 4pm, 

Restaurant Opening Hours: Tuesday - Saturday

Coffee & Sweet Treats: 7am - 4pm

Lunch: 11.00am - 2.30pm

Dinner: 5.00pm - Midnight

Yes, in this face-seeking society, a handsome and beautiful face is the stepping stone to your success, but only your real strength can win you respect. Today I want to talk about people who were shortlisted in People magazine. , Chef Curtis Stone's second restaurant in Los Angeles, Gwen, who is recognized as one of the top 50 sexiest men in the world, once again proves that strength is more important than face.

Curtis Stone opened his first restaurant, Maude, in Beverly Hills in 2015, and it quickly became a sensation across the city, becoming a beacon of a new generation.

Having decided to keep up the good work, he brought in his brother and successfully opened his second restaurant, Gwen, in July 2016. And this time, like Maude, the same grandmother's (another) name was used.

If Maude is a vegetarian-oriented, monthly bespoke restaurant focusing on seasonal vegetables, then Gwen is a "Men's Cave" for carnivores. I don't want to limit my chef, this time I have perfected myself again. Maude is a test for vegetables, then Gwen is a revenge for meat, just like white roses VS red roses in life, each has its own style and characteristics.  

It is different from the policy of rushing to make reservations by phone on the first working day of the beginning of the month and Maude, who has to grab the head, has to make a new order to enter this restaurant to enjoy the chef's special Tasting Menu The system Tock completes the ticket grabbing activity.

Ticketing units start with 2 people, and only the secret Tasting Menu is available. 5 dishes are currently priced at $190 / 2 Person, excluding taxes, tips and drinks, group reservations (6 people) need to call for inquiries.

In fact, you can see the clue from the name, this is not just a restaurant, Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant is a top butcher shop with a European style. In other words, on the premise that the people of Los Angeles have nowhere to eat top-quality barbecue, it also solves the problem that we can't find a place to buy top-quality meat materials.

So, as you might expect, the whole shop will be divided into 2 sections, one is the European-style Butcher Shop which is open 7 days a week, and the other is the Butcher Shop. >Meat-oriented restaurant.

Butcher Shop

The first thing you see when you walk into the restaurant is a European-style butcher shop with a small and fresh style. Although there may be a whole animal hanging in front of you, it will not make you feel alarmed, let alone strange. The smell of savory meat and the faint aroma of charcoal grilled to the tip of the nose.

Looking at the neatly arranged fresh meat in the clear glass, even those who don't like to cook will have the urge to try the charm of Homemade. And dry-salting workshops are waiting for the passage of time to achieve protein conversion. Let you suddenly discover that visiting the butcher shop can also become a kind of enjoyment.

Environment

This building was built in the 1920s and has a history of nearly 100 years. Brooklyn-based interior design firm The hOmE Studio (Evan and Oliver Haslegrave) used the original style of the building to perfectly reproduce the Golden Age< /b> Everything is beautiful, but with a little steampunk psychedelic color.

The restaurant occupies a total area of 7,000 feet and has 83 seats, which are reasonably divided into 4 parts, Chef’s counter, dining room, patio and bar area.

Aqua blue velvet benches, hanging crystal chandeliers, Chinchilla barstools chairs are all expressions of Art Deco and Goth.

The contrast between glossy finish and rough cement, black and white brings out the surrealism, trance means being in a Matrix or Inception-like set.

Of course the most attractive are the indoor fire pit (fire pit) under the roaring flames behind the glass cover and the Argentine-style asador barbecue grill (Argentine-style asador). ), watching the grill pan under the heat and the meat slowly oozing grease, you'll have more anticipation for the day's main course.

The raccoon chose the most difficult to buy Chef’s Counter in order to see more clearly. Richard, the smiling chef on duty, told us that he would be in charge of our dinner.

The pink lights on the marble countertops and the wine list specially waxed made our faces even more adorable.

Take a closer look, why even the King of Food Truck in Los Angeles, Roy Choi, also brought his family to taste it, whether it was an inspection or stealing a teacher (Keke) I didn't expect to sit next to me. It's also Chef, it seems that everyone came prepared.

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Wine

Not only are the ingredients sourced from the farmers' market, but even the cocktails here pay attention to the seasonal element, which changes every season. Beautiful bartenders follow the principle of not wasting, but beautiful, every glass is beautiful to your heart's content.

The alcohol content that is not too heavy will make you only slightly drunk at most, and the right syrup will not make you feel that the sweetness suppresses the aroma of the wine. The most difficult thing is to be attentive. A suitable cup to hold it adds a touch of elegance.

I even put my own ice logo on my ice to impress us with details.

Red wine and steak are a match made in heaven, so the wine cellar here is also called a rich colorful. From the suburban Santa Barbara to the faraway Europe, there will be a selection of fine wines waiting for you.

Serve

First Bites 

The chef led the butcher shop to pick out all kinds of cured meat and bacon snacks for appetizers, and also showed off his the strength of the butcher shop and dry curing workshop.

Duck Speck Salted Duck Ham

Duck ham made from duck breast, salted only and dried for 2 weeks before being cold-smoked with apple wood. And just like the name, the "Speck" (fat) oily aroma of this piece of duck meat is quite mellow, with a hint of sourness. The oily fragrance has a long aftertaste. Rest assured, there is absolutely no duck smell that will make you unhappy.

Spanish Chorizo 

Spanish chorizo is a fermented and dried pork sausage. The source of the spicy element is to roast the seasonal peppers first, and then add the smoked red paprika pimenton dulce, which is native to Spain, to create a smoky sausage with a rich taste and a slightly spicy taste.

Pork and liver Terrine

The two seemingly insignificant ingredients are actually quite a match. The oily aroma of pork can just balance the earthy taste of the liver. It is a pleasure to pair with wine.

Flax Seed Biscotti

Italian crackers made with various nuts, including flaxseed, are definitely a mouth-watering snack. Aside from coffee, the best partner for this shortbread is wine, most traditionally with the classic Italian dessert wine, Vin Santo, which I use with my cocktails.

Focaccia

This focaccia bread with beautiful pores, very Q-bounce but crispy skin easily conquered the taste buds at the first bite. It has a yeast-like aroma and can feel the air that jumps on the tip of the tongue, and the fragrance Fragrant olive oil taste.

I thought it was a good taste provided by a well-known European bag supplier in Los Angeles, but when I asked, it turned out to be their own bakery, and they really convinced them. But after thinking about it, it's also right. It's a waste of money to build a combustion chamber, so it's too wasteful to not use it to bake a toast and practice your hands.

The most suitable meat sauce to spread on bread, it is not fishy, not greasy, not salty, like thick foam. When you spread it on the bread, you seem to be able to feel the dynamics of it being absorbed little by little by the thick pores.

Chewy Beets 

After eating the appetizers from the butcher shop, we welcome the refreshing salad plate to wash the taste buds.

Beetroot snacks, which are not always loved by everyone, are also welcomed by us, especially the addition of dried European cherry fruit is the finishing touch, showing a rich aroma, which belongs to the sweet and sour red meat fruit. The refreshing aroma of blackberry blends together. The mild acidity also balances out the sweetness of the beets. Even if you're afraid of the earthy smell of beetroot, you can't fault it.

Marinated Peppers

The pickled red pepper is not spicy at all, and the aroma of olive oil makes people feel happy

Grilled Saradines

Finally came the first climax of the day, Japanese sardines smoked with white almond wood.

Japanese sardines are actually very difficult to prepare. In addition to the small thorns, they can easily give off a fishy smell, which is why the sardines we usually see are canned. However, Japanese sardines have always been famous, despite their small size, but the fish is quite rich.

The fruit wood slowly smoking in front of us is smoking and flavoring the sardines just after massaging the cortex. I am very fortunate that I can sit at the Chef Table to observe every move here, everyone is moving in their own post, the kind of steady, unhurried, orderly working state, like a group of leaders The lens is just as comfortable.

After a long wait, the mini fish steaks are finally smoked, brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with a few grains of salt

Then everything is two, and it's a plate for you to enjoy.  

When I took my first bite, I was moved. The small spines in the original sardines have been integrated into the fish meat, and the crispy fish skin is not shown here. The most important thing is that the oily aroma that appears after the subcutaneous fat of the fish is roasted slowly lingers in the mouth and lingers.

Burnt Cucumber Pickles

Summer Squash Hearts Of Palm, Blossoms, Buttermilk

Sliced cucumber kimchi rolls are as refreshing as the Hearts Of Palm salad. White foam made with buttermilk, served with slightly green cucumber puree, drizzled with oil and vinegar, and sprinkled with cumin with a penetrating aroma. It seems to be a mixture of various flavors, but there is no conflict at all. .

The best thing is the iced grapes. Why are the grapes full of bubbles after eating, and even a little jumping candy?

It was only after inquiries that I found out that each grape was filled with champagne bubbles. Isn't it a great idea?

Orecchiette

Pancetta Pickled Fresno Chili, Tomatoes, Pecorino

Handmade mini cat ear pasta served with super fragrant Italian herb bacon and crumbs to make the sauce The ingredients are more evenly coated, and there are people who specially help you to stir it warmly, and then put it on the plate and scrape the refreshing sheep cheese.

When it comes to the sauce, the focus here is Smoked Pork Belly Pancetta. This pork belly, which is marinated like bacon, is also added with spices and herbs, so when marinating It was already fragrant. After adding spices and other herbs, hang it like this for a month or two, so that the aroma of rosemary, thyme, garlic, and nutmeg slowly penetrates into the meat during the pickling and air-drying process, forming a unique aroma.

The pickled jalapeno chili and tomato add hot and sour elements, which resonate with the savory aroma of Italian bacon. The sweetness of tomato, the crispness of bread crumbs, and the salty oily aroma of bacon are enhanced by the spiciness. The Orecchiette pasta, which is still sunken in the middle of the small round circle, absorbs the sauce fiercely, making every bite quite rich and flavorful.  

When serving, lightly scrape a few shreds of Pecorino Romano to taste, this cheese has a taste between goat cheese and cow's cheese, so it won't have too much fishy smell , and eat it with wine, it will have a sweet taste. It belongs to the role of "magic oil", and it is delicious whether it is served with noodles or bread.  

Every hour, you'll see the chef walk into the roaring fire with spray to inspect the meat, while the grill chef is sweating profusely by the scalding oven.

Be aware that large pieces of meat must be smoked for at least 10 hours to absorb the aroma of white almond wood.  

Main Course

About Tools

If a worker wants to do a good job, he must first sharpen his tool. The little raccoon usually only encounters good steak knives in fine Michelin restaurants, but this time in Gwen, he encountered the mysterious gentleman knife from Thier, the French knife capital Perceval, and it is also a classic 9.47 steak knife, I really want to give the chef and manager a big compliment, I thought Maude restaurant before, you have already You are demanding yourself with Michelin's specifications, and as expected, this tradition continues here as always. Open the box, there are more than a dozen Percevals lying quietly inside for diners to choose from. It is like a luxurious ceremony and music opening, which is shocking. You must know that half a dozen of these items are $700-$880. !

Perceval is a brand founded by the French Michelin restaurant chef Yves Charles. He has been in this industry for many years. The design concept comes from practice, practical and at the same time takes into account Grace.

Whether the steak tastes good or not is naturally related to the ingredients and the heat, but there is a very important factor that we ignore is a good knife that cuts meat like mud, sharp enough and fast enough Quick, you'll have the most delicious beef you can eat, and the Perceval is made of steel, super sharp without serrations, to reduce the risk of spoiling the meat. Think about it, if a dull knife cuts meat, when will the knife be cut? ! It will not only destroy the fiber of the beef, but also cut the tendons continuously. After a long time, the beef will be cold and the aroma will disappear.

About ingredients

For those who like to eat lamb, this $190 set meal for 2 guests is still a good deal, because the main dish will be a Argentine roast lamb for 4, but because the little raccoon loves it more Eating beef, so we added an extra $75 (for 2 people) to change the main course to a 30-day dry-aged bone-in ribeye.

Of course, if you are a meat connoisseur, you can join a group with friends to try Australia's top and world's most expensive Blackmore rib-eye, (plus $390 for 4, 42oz) Let it be a gluttonous enjoyment that allows you to flying dragons in the sky. You must know that the exclusive rights of Blackmore Steak in USA are all in the hands of the Stone brothers.

Selected steaks from Creekstone Farms farms are of course the guarantee of quality. In addition to the cows being carefully cared for before they died, they have always grown up eating corn, so as to form that beautiful and evenly distributed steak. Oil flowers, of course, are more meaty.

America's best bite is beef, of which dry-aged is the most popular, beef is slowly passed through under a certain temperature and moderation The process of protein fermentation, slowly ripening. To put it simply, it is similar to our Chinese Jinhua ham and air-dried chicken. This dry-aged beef will be firmer and more elastic, and the flavor will be more intense with time. Even The sweetness in the meat will also increase.

Because of the long-term fermentation, the surface of the meat will be dry and hard. Of course, the longer the time is, the more dry and hard parts will be, and here is what we call the loss part, when cooking When it's time to play, it's usually all repaired, and then thrown directly into the trash. Compared with filet mignon, the loss rate of rib-eye steak is quite low. After all, the fat content is relatively large, which is why the dry-aging of filet mignon is so expensive. The naked eye is relatively cheap

As for the heat of the steak, the rawness of the beef, it all depends on the skill of the chef. Seasoning with only salt and pepper is enough to be amazing when it is served. Of course, cutting meat is also a degree. When cutting, I chose half fat and half lean. This kind of steak has the aroma of fat, and is tough and juicy. Bone and tendons, fat but not greasy, meat but not firewood, a variety of beef to enjoy. The meat is soft and juicy, with a rich taste, and the meat is very elastic. When you eat it in one bite, your mouth is full of oily aroma and unique meat sweetness. The full gravy is all in the meat, and every bite is full of satisfaction.

This bone-in ribeye steak for 2 is already delicious enough to make my liver tremble, and it completely brought me back the heroic enjoyment of eating meat at Chi Spacca.

Sure enough, it is a top-quality knife made by the hands of craftsmen who have been tempered and tempered. It is very sharp, and when it is cut with one knife, the steak is perfectly separated, which is a wonderful word.

The side dishes are sweet corn kernels, creamy eggplant and crunchy green beans.

Dessert

Melon

After eating such a heavy beef, a small honeydew Sorbet was just enough to wash off the multiple stimuli on the taste buds.

Creme Fraiche Panna Cotta, Almond, Cherry, Peach

Apricot peach delicious ice cream sprinkled with toasted crunchy and fragrant almonds, brandy-pickled cherries with a light wine aroma. Even those who don't like cheese won't hate the strips of Panna Cotta here, sweet but not greasy, soft but not mushy.

A big thank you to the Gwen team for such a wonderful meal. By the way, here will automatically charge 18% Tips 

About Butcher Shop

European style, clean and clear, it not only sells a selection of fresh pork, beef and mutton, but also has a dry salting workshop (but it still takes time to wait). You can even clearly see the hanging rows of bacon, salted duck and various sausages through the glass, which reminds me of the scenes of every family drying bacon during the Chinese New Year as a child.  

There are also a wide variety of sausages here, such as North African sausages, Italian sweet sausages, and thyme flavors, which have become popular in recent years.

Here you can buy a lot of seasonal meats, such as Scotch grouse, venison, wild boar, a variety of traditional grass-fed poultry and Dijon chicken;

There are even many kinds of pork that are rare elsewhere. You must know that the pork in the United States is really delicious, and here you will sell the Red-wattle hog, the black cat and mulefoot pig, and the English flower. Pigs such as Gloucestershire Old Spot and Tamworth hogs, etc.;

When it comes to beef, it's even more jaw-dropping. If you want to eat the most expensive meat in Australia's history, Mole Wagyu, come here, because Gwen has the exclusive agency rights of the USA; of course, the first place in Southern California. Agency for Five Dot Ranch beef, a famous farm in Napa.

And the raccoon's favorite foie gras! ! ! I actually bought it to eat at home, but I can only say that there is no fishy smell at all, and the delicious food makes me drunk. I even enjoy it as a meat-flavored ice cream.

Finally, let's sort out the restaurant's features

1. In 2015, Maude (the name of Grandma) opened in Los Angeles, and it is also Curtis Stone's first restaurant in the local area. It is famous for making creative dishes with the theme of seasonal ingredients every month. Maude is currently headed by former sous chef Justin Hilbert

2. Gwen is also a name, (Curtis Stone another Grandma), Gwen is a professional animal husbandry farmer in Melbourne, Australia, in fact, after the success of the first restaurant Maude, Gwen was put on the agenda , the original plan was to cooperate with the former chef Chad Colby, who had just retired from Chi Spacca, a restaurant in the meat industry in Los Angeles, but later due to differences in ideas, the cooperation broke down, but Curtis Stone quickly pulled his pro Relive childhood memories with brothers Luke, who both worked in a butcher shop before leaving Australia.

3. Unlike Maude, who has to rush to head 2 months in advance, the policy of rushing to book by phone on the first working day of the beginning of the month is different. If you want to enter this restaurant to enjoy the chef's special Tasting Menu, you must go through a new The ordering system of Tock completes the ticket grabbing activity. This system is related to the top Chicago restaurant Alinea, Next, because it is the owner behind them, Nick Kokonas, who introduced the ordering system.

4. The ticket unit starts with 2 people, and only the secret Tasting Menu is available, $190 /2 Person, excluding taxes, tips and drinks, currently group reservations (6 people required telephone inquiries).

5. In fact, you can see the clue from the name, this is not just a restaurant, Gwen Butcher Shop & Restaurant is a top butcher shop with a European style. In other words, on the premise that the people of Los Angeles have nowhere to eat top-quality barbecue, it also solves the problem that we can't find a place to buy top-quality meat materials.

So, as you might expect, the entire store will be divided into 2 sections. One is a European-style Butcher Shop, open 7 days a week, run by Alex Jermasek (previously at ink., Chi Spacca and Belcampo) and Daniel Roderfeld (previously at Eataly & Dean & DeLuca) principal.

One is the restaurant in charge of Curtis Stone and his team. The main ingredients come from the butcher shop in front, and they are mostly cooked by open fire barbecue.

So, if you are a vegetarian, I would advise you to think twice.

6.Maude's trained manager Ben Aviram also moved to Gwen to take charge of the big picture, which is the main factor why the service will still be great; the drink list is also provided by Veteran Mitchel Bushell (former sommelier for French Laundry, Alinea and Maude)

7. The restaurant covers a total area of 7,000 square feet and has 83 seats. It is reasonably divided into Chef's counter (you can see the chefs cooking), the dining room usually suitable for 4 people, and the outdoor patio patio . The à la carte menu “Butcher Scraps” is then available in the bar area with only 6 seats and in the wine room with only 6 seats as well. The second floor of the restaurant is where Curtis Stone and his team develop new dishes

Chef & Owner Profile: Curtis Stone

In this era where chefs are full of handsome guys and beauties, it is not easy to become a well-known chef. In addition to satisfying the taste buds of customers, you also need a seductive appearance (really an era of face-seeing !), and today's Chef Curtis Stone is the perfect combination of both, blond hair, a sun-kissed smile, and amazing cooking.

Australian-born handsome chef Curtis Stone, nicknamed The Quiet Terminator, became an instant hit in the United States in 2008 with the reality show "Take Home Chef." Internationally renowned chef, TV presenter, entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author, has been voted "Top 50 Sexiest Men in the World" by Glam'mag Magazine and one of London's Best in London Dining Guide. One of the best chefs.

Curtis, who was born in Melbourne, Australia, has been interested in food since he was a child. I believe it all has something to do with his grandmother who loves to cook and his mother who is a Pastry Chef. Since he was four years old, he often cooks with his grandmother. Teaching him cooking skills from a young age made him extremely interested in the cooking world, which provided great help and influence for his future career development. So the name of this Maude restaurant is also taken in honor of grandma. Another Grandma "Gwen" owns a livestock farm in Melbourne, which is why the butcher shop is named after the grandma.

He started his culinary career at the age of 18 and traveled around Europe to experience gourmet cuisine. After obtaining a business degree and a certificate in culinary training, he went to London, England to get his first job under the apprenticeship of three-Michelin-star chef Marco Marco Pierre White, working at his Café Royal, won White's trust and appreciation, and he was promoted to head chef to sous chef at another restaurant, Mirabelle, during which time the restaurant was awarded one Michelin star. He then spent four years at the acclaimed Quo Vadis, named one of the best chefs in London.

In 2003, the 27-year-old Curtis and Ben O'Donoghue partnered with the food show "Surfing the Menu" to open the first chapter of TV's food career. In addition to cooking, the two handsome sunshine boys are all over Australia. Cook while having fun, and become the most eye-catching "surf chef" with food and body. It is also because of the success of this show that the appearance of "Take Home Chef" in 2006 laid the groundwork. The "stalk" of the blue-eyed handsome guy accompany you home to cook makes more people fall in love with this handsome chef. After winning the ratings, best-selling author and other achievements, the handsome guy actually found a beautiful actress Lindsay Price (the star of Dongzhen Witch) as his wife, and then gave birth to two lovely sons, (winners in life, there are No) so he stayed in Los Angeles completely~

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