Georgie (Beverly Hills, CA)

Georgie
Montage Beverly Hills
225 N Canon Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
Dining date: 6/11/16

Georgie opened just a couple of weeks ago, a brand new concept at the Montage Beverly Hills. It takes the place of Scarpetta, and they’ve swapped one TV chef out for another in bringing Geoffrey Zakarian to prepare his modern American cuisine. This is Zakarian’s first west coast venture after opening up several restaurants in the northeast.

Most of the front and back of house Scarpetta staff has stayed on, as has executive chef Freddy Vargas. The restaurant is dinner-only right now, but will be expanding to all day service soon.

FENNEL & ZA’ATAR PARKER HOUSE ROLLS Vermont Butter

Parker house rolls were served warm with savory notes from the fennel and za’tar. Pretty good value for three bucks, too.

CUMIN SPICED SOFT SHELL CRAB Brentwood Corn, Cilantro, Spicy Tomato Vinaigrette

Fried soft shell crab was a highlight, its richness contrasted by the cool corn salad. It provided a gentle heat and slight acid with plenty of natural corn sweetness to pair with the crab.

CARNAROLI RISOTTO Dungeness Crab, English Peas, Melted Leeks

Risotto was plenty cheesy, rich with sweet chunks of crab and some lemon zest. It was a little heavy-handed with the salt, but I didn’t think it crossed the line.

ROASTED DIVER SCALLOPS Grilled Leeks, Chanterelle Mushrooms, Egg Vinaigrette

Scallops were beautifully prepared with accompanying pearl onions, leek and earthy mushrooms.

MOROCCAN SPICED COLORADO LAMB SHANK Cous Cous, Raisin, Meyer Lemon & Spicy Broccolini

This large format dish was something to behold. The shank has plenty of savory lamb-y flavor, brightened up by the meyer lemon.

BRENTWOOD CORN RAGOUT Chilies, Lime, Cotija Cheese

The corn was very sweet and slightly creamy, though I thought the flavor of the cheese overshadowed the corn.

FROG HOLLOW FARM FRUIT BOWL Cherries and Apricots

TAHITIAN VANILLA PANNA COTTA Wild Strawberry-Balsamic Compote

We finished with a duo of desserts. The panna cotta was delicious, creamy and smooth with a fruit-based syrup. The fruit bowl was just as advertised, but showed off some really strong fruits of the season. Both the apricots and cherries were sweet and flavorful.

We had a good meal at Georgie, though I still do miss Scarpetta. The food was comfortable yet interesting, and the service and execution were pretty smooth particularly in only its second weekend of service. The restaurant is a nice addition to the LA dining scene and I’ll be back.