Purchase a Red Ribbon cocktail in December and a portion of the proceeds will go to benefit AIDS Project LA.
Purchase a Red Ribbon cocktail in December and a portion of the proceeds will go to benefit AIDS Project LA.
It’s often said that what inspires a chef isn’t just what pleases his or her palate, but also the tastes of life’s more memorable travels. That’s certainly the case with Chef Simon Dolinky of blvd 16 — which means Angeleno foodies are in for an incredible culinary voyage in his care.
Raised in Wisconsin, Dolinky’s passion for food started with trips to the farmers’ market, where he became enamored with both the farmers and the process of growing and creating fresh food. It was an interest that followed him through many destinations: Milwaukee, where he apprenticed at the Coquette Café; then in Madrid, working at famed Ristorante Il Gusto di Milano; and finally to New Orleans and San Diego — working at Cobalt and Jsix respectively — before taking over blvd 16.
It’s here that Dolinky was able to put his life experiences into practice, creating menus that reflect his culinary journeys throughout the world. But it’s the childhood memory of those farmers’ markets that have created the greatest influence on blvd 16’s offerings. With a desire to embody the best of the Southern California lifestyle, Dolinky focuses on freshly prepared, flavorful meals comprised of locally-grown produce and regionally-sourced seafood and poultry, ensuring an imaginative menu that changes with the seasons.
“I’m excited to work from the greatest pantry in the world: Southern California,” he says. “The purveyors I’ve selected not only offer the best quality food, but also maintain the highest standard of integrity and responsibility.”
Dolinky’s focus on local purveyors has inspired him to highlight fresh, healthy, mouth-wateringly-good food with simple ingredients, and to help educate diners on the joys of sustainable dining. Take breakfast, for example, where the menu features classics-with-a-twist, like the omelet of the day with brioche croutons, asparagus and goat cheese ($13). Even the traditional bagel gets a yummy makeover, with fennel-cured salmon, pickled onions and caper berries.
Lunch gets a little more involved, with goodies such as English pea pappardelle with pea tendrils, roasted cippolini onions and French butter sauce ($16), and crispy local calamari, with sweet and sour fennel, herb aioli and cilantro ($9.) Of course, the grand finale of dinner is well worth the effort, what with dishes like lobster and Dungeness crab risotto with scallion and Thai basil ($14) for an appetizer, and sake and pink peppercorn braised seat trout with white corn soubise, pickled baby corn and macerated plums ($26) for a main. Just make sure you save room for the cherry and chocolate cannoli with blood orange sauce and pistachio ice cream ($5).
But it’s not just the menu that gets the sustainable treatment. Beverly Hills-based designer Cheryl Rowley got creative with blvd 16’s décor, adhering to Dolinky’s sustainable kitchen mandate throughout the dining room courtesy of recycled glass dishware, natural and repurposed materials including natural wooden slats blending with fabric panels on the walls, and environmentally friendly gold-spun vinyl Chilewich plynyl runners adorning every table. Plus, the restaurant uses the Natura water purification system, which uses carbon filters and uv technology to zap impurities and bacteria from tap water.
While sustainable dining is becoming less of a buzzword and more of a norm in Los Angeles, the movement definitely has its stars — and Dolinky is definitely one of them. But don’t take our word for it — taste for yourself. Your stomach will thank you....
BLVD 16
10740 Wilshire Blvd.
(in the Hotel Palomar), LA
310.474.7765
blvd16.com