For as long as I remember, my dad has always loved Sundays. Saturday he worked around the house and on Sunday we would explore. We made countless trips to Santa Barbara and other cities around Los Angeles.
As us kids got older, our separate lives became increasingly busier and now we only occasionally spend Sunday together. My dad's birthday was this past weekend, so I figured a visit to the Getty Villa would be a
reminiscent experience for us to share.
Located in the Pacific Palisades, the Getty Villa houses ancient Roman and Greek art. But it doesn't stop there. There are multiple
courtyards and a large garden, with fruit trees and fresh herbs, hidden in sections of the never ending estate.
Once we arrived at the Villa, we decided we needed a little something in our
stomachs before we wandered through the works of art.
During my previous trip to the Villa, I only had enough time for a
cappuccino at the coffee cart.
And as delicious as it was on the chilly, overcast day, I was excited to test out the cafe.
I ordered a glass of red wine (La
Sera Barbera "
Il Falo"), which I felt was reasonably priced at $7.25/glass. Definitely paying for the ambiance. Unfortunately, we arrived at the end of the lunch rush (2:30) and the kitchen only had champagne glasses for our red wine. In my opinion, for serving red wine, the more round the glass, the better. The wine was pleasant, but it did feel a little strange drinking it out of the tall, thin champagne glass.
We also ordered a plate of
bruschetta to share. Two-thirds of which I loved. The "
Bruschetta Mista" included two
pieces of the following:
Applewood Smoked Eggplant, Preserved Local Tomato Relish, and Parmesan Artichoke.
The
parmesan artichoke spread was my favorite of the
three. It was nice and creamy, without a thick consistency.
The traditional tomato relish was light and fresh with a thin layer of olive oil and ground pepper.
And last and definitely least was the
applewood smoked eggplant spread. Now I pride myself in liking just about every ingredient and dish that is out there. But at the Getty Villa, I found the first dish that, although prepared well, was just not for me. I understand that smoked dishes have a strong taste, but for me, this spread was like licking a
barbecue. Revolting. I was always taught to take two bites of a dish to truly be able to judge it. I took my two bites and regretted them both. When I was in college, I worked at a
barbecue restaurant and my co-workers and I would always discuss how after leaving work we could never escape that stale,
barbecue smell. This spread tasted as if they bottled that smell and infused it into the eggplant. Needless to say, I won't be trying anything like it soon.
I will definitely research recipes for the
parmesan artichoke spread to add to the traditional tomato relish when serving
bruschetta. Overall, the quick bite was delicious and just what we needed to concentrate on the works of art and not our rumbling stomachs.
I don't know much about empanadas. I tried a few during a visit to Argentina in March of 2008, but overall the experience was unmemorable. I can't seem to pinpoint what filling I tried or what the dough tasted like, which leads me to believe that they were nothing special.
