Season of the Pumpkin

by Carly Milne

‘Tis the season of the pumpkin — and if you’re like me, you dread it. Why? Because it reminds me of my grandmother’s dedication to massacring the tasty tradition of pumpkin pie. Think “saccharine” instead of sugar, substitute “bland” for spicy, picture “congealed rubbery mess” instead of creamy goodness, and you’ve got the picture — and an insight to my pumpkin paranoia. But this year I became determined to overcome it, and went on a city-wide hunt for the best pumpkin offerings around.

My first stop was Frida restaurant in Beverly Hills. With a focus on creating authentic Mexican food for the masses, Frida’s dishes come courtesy of generations of family cooking. This explains why their mole verde is so damn tasty—and yet, so simple—using chicken slow-simmered in a ground pumpkin-seed sauce, served with Mexican rice. Not to be outdone, Wilshire’s executive chef, Andrew Kirschner, offers a pumpkin gnocchi featuring chanterelles and chestnuts. Meanwhile, blue on blue’s executive chef, Scott Garrett, features pumpkin in a new entrée: seared diver scallops, pumpkin pancake short stack and bacon molasses, garnished with crème fraiche and caviar. But one of the most incredible uses of pumpkin comes courtesy of downtown eatery Blue Velvet, whose executive chef, Jonathan McDowell, has dreamed up an amazing pumpkin-stuffed quail with bacon, cranberries, gnocchi and chanterelles, served with a date purée with arugula. Forget a hollow leg—you might need another stomach.

Then there are the restaurants that are eschewing the usual orange veggie for an alternate family member. Take West Hollywood’s Sushi Roku, who have a truffled pumpkin and king crab timbal with pomegranate vinaigrette—except the pumpkin is actually kabocha, a Japanese pumpkin. James Overbaugh, the executive chef of the Belvedere at the Peninsula Beverly Hills, has become so fascinated by Queensland blue pumpkins that he’s created five dishes out of it. Try the blue pumpkin soup, blue pumpkin ravioli or blue pumpkin risotto, and you’ll forget that haunting blue-grey hue of its pre-cooked form.

Naturally there has to be some kind of dessert offering. Try Wilshire pastry chef Jen Shen’s killer rendition of the classic pie—a pumpkin praline pie with candied hazelnuts and a praline semifreddo. Continuing with its blue theme, the Peninsula boasts a blue pumpkin soufflé, and Sushi Roku has a delectable baked pumpkin cheesecake in a mini pumpkin with a pumpkin crème anglaise. But once again, it’s Blue Velvet that’s outdone themselves with a mouthwatering pumpkin panna cotta, featuring gingerbread ice cream, warm cinnamon gelee, spiced meringue and a brown sugar cracker. It’s to die for.

Of course, pumpkin doesn’t only have to be for dinner or dessert. Pastry chef Brooke Mosley, of Whist at the Viceroy, has created an awesome breakfast treat—a spiced ginger-pumpkin granola, served with either toasted almond milk or vanilla-caramel infused milk. And then, there’s the ever-trustworthy Starbucks. Not only do they have pumpkin loaf, pumpkin scones and a pumpkin cream cheese muffin, they’ve also brought back their popular pumpkin spice latte as a perfect way to start your morning.

The Details

The Belvedere at the Peninsula Beverly Hills
9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd.,
Beverly Hills
beverlyhills.peninsula.com

blue on blue
9400 W. Olympic Blvd.,
Beverly Hills
avalonbeverlyhills.com

Blue Velvet
750 Garland Ave.,
L.A.
bluevelvetrestaurant.com

Frida
236 S. Beverly Dr.,
Beverly Hills
fridarestaurant.com

Sushi Roku
8445 W. Third St.,
L.A.
sushiroku.com

Whist at the Viceroy
1819 Ocean Blvd.,
Santa Monica
viceroysantamonica.com

Wilshire
2454 Wilshire Blvd.,
Santa Monica
wilshirerestaurant.com