August 3, 2011
by Maren Swanson
Last week, my boyfriend and I decided to check out the new “Hair of the Dog Happy Hour,” at the Crescent Hotel in Beverly Hills. In addition to their 10am – 4pm brunch, their new happy hour delivers a specialty brunch cocktail and small plate for a mere $12. The weather last Sunday was gorgeous, and the idea of an outdoor patio and gourmet happy hour brunch nummies sounded too good to be true.
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The Crescent is a boutique hotel located off Crescent Drive in Beverly Hills. The whimsical patio is furnished with furry, plush pillows alongside billowy curtains that make you feel like you’re on vacation while sipping on a summery cocktail. Speaking of cocktails, we started with some mouth-watering “Hair of the Dog,” remedies including an heirloom tomato bloody mary, watermelon punch, tangerine mimosa and peach bellini. The drinks were all made with fresh fruits and purees, which made the alcohol, seem non-existent. Trust me, I could feel the alcohol eventually, but nothing’s worse than when you’re trying to nurse a brutal hangover and all you can taste in the booze. They also offer $30 happy hour punch bowls that serve up to 6 people.
I had read that Lenora Marouani, former chef of Michelin starred restaurants, as Guy Savoy and Alex at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, had comprised the new brunch menu at the Crescent, so I had a feeling we were in for a special treat. We ordered our two happy hour small plates of brunch sliders and stuffed fried piquillo peppers. The sliders were exceptional, served open-faced and with sunny side up quail eggs. I love spice and goat cheese, and so did the crispsy stuffed peppers - secretly snuggling a chorizo surprise. Still hungry, we tried the kabocha squash omelette and the chef was nice enough to send us half size portions of the pork belly and waffle panini.
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The kabocha omelette was our favorite! The squash inside the omelette was rich, creamy and flavorful. The fluffy eggs also housed a tomato confit, corn avocado relish, kale, goat cheese and avocado; each tasted farmers market fresh. The pork belly with poached egg and shallot vinegar caviar was a little decedent for my boyfriend, but I was more than happy to finish his portion. We made one last effort at eating with a finale bite of the waffle panini. Crème fraiche, maple syrup, cream cheese and candied bacon bits made this plate more a dessert for me. No complaints here!
Overall, we were blown away with the quality, flavor and value of the Crescent Hotel’s new brunch menu. The fact that they’ve added some happy hour flare is just an added bonus. Next time, we are definitely inviting a group of friends to share the happy hour punch bowls with us!
Waffle Panini
Crescent Hotel (Website)
Brunch & Hair of the Dog Happy Hour Menu
403 N Crescent Drive
Beverly Hills, Ca 90210
310-247-0505
BEVERLY HILLS HAPPY HOURS |
