John, Lisa Vanderpump & Tony
VILLA BLANCA RESTAURANT & BAR 9601 Brighton Way, Beverly Hills Open for lunch and dinner daily 310.859.7600
villablancarestaurant.com
SHEBA LIMOUSINE SERVICE 951.371.7152
shebalimos.com
and Jason select the rest of our meal, so we surrendered to their expertise. Another appetizer promptly came our way: Crispy Rock Shrimp—a generous and tasty portion, lightly tempura-battered and served on a bamboo leaf with spicy harissa aioli and ponzu sauce. In one of the Housewives episodes, Lisa and Ken go to Summerland Vineyards to sample the latest Pinot Noir. I’d watched the rerun of that episode the night before and was looking forward to trying it. Turns out they didn’t have it yet, so I had their Cabernet Sauvignon instead, and it was exceptional. For dinner, John was served the Cherry Miso Duck Breast— thinly sliced, pan-roasted duck breast on a bed of shishi- to peppers served with a cherry miso reduction. Truth be told, he liked it but craved the Grilled Australian Lamb Chops glazed with Villa Blanca’s sweet and spicy mint sauce in the company of mashed potatoes and soy-glazed haricots
verts...Next time! Sensing that I was a carnivore, Jason felt at ease choosing the Roasted Prime Filet Mignon for me. Encrusted with peppercorns, finished with a plum wine Bordelaise sauce and served with mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts, it was scrumptious... and he was spot on with his instincts! Suddenly, our delicious meal took a back seat to my personal fantasy of meet- ing Lisa. It actually happened! Lisa, Ken and Giggy pulled up right in front of the restaurant and got out of their car. Ironically, another thing that I envisioned took place... Michael, the G.M. escorted Lisa right over to our table. I couldn’t believe it! She was warm,
brilliant...and yes, I have a bit of a crush on her. There, I said it! Having just watched the finale of Housewives, she was disturbed by the way she was portrayed on TV. She reintroduced us to our waiter, Jason, and referred to him as her future son- in-law. Before leaving, I did go to her table to thank her again, she got up and we held
hands while we discussed one of her foundations for Alzheimer’s disease. I gave her a kiss on the cheek, looked deep into her eyes said that no matter how BravoTV may try to portray her, she is well-respected and loved by many. We also took a picture together, and another with the adorable Giggy, the Pom and Ken. The finishing touch of our dining adventure was the decadent English Toffee Pudding served with real vanilla ice cream, which left me swimming in afterglow. I am sure space is limited, so if you want to reenact my inspired Valentine’s Day
scenario on the 14th, reserve now for the 2011 Valentine’s Day Dinner Special—$75 per person.
VILLA BLANCA’S VALENTINE’S DAY MENU CHOICES:
Starters: a choice of Shrimp Bisque with Asparagus Tempura; Beef Carpaccio Salad; Arugula & Strawberry Salad Entrées: Lobster Uni Risotto; Roasted Alaskan Halibut; Rock Shrimp Walnut-Cranberry Mushroom Linguini; Chocolate-Chili Rubbed Filet Mignon Dessert: Dark Chocolate Mousse or English Toffee Pudding
Executive Chef Francis Dimitrius is a Southern California native who attended the California School of Culinary Arts, Le Cordon Bleu after receiving a BS from USC. Previous to Koi, the die-hard Trojan fan served as Chef at Matsuhisa in Aspen and Chez Melange in Redondo Beach. “I am thrilled to be working with Lisa and Ken” exclaimed Dimitrius. At Villa Blanca, the menu is a culmination of classic Mediterranean, Italian and European cuisines with Asian influences.
FEBRUARY 2011 | RAGE monthly 71
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