dineLA’s Restaurant Week is a consecutive 12-day event that takes place bi-annually in LA. Hundreds of fine dining restaurants participate in this culinary event as they offer prix fixe meals at a fraction of their normal prices. Recently I dined at Jute, the restaurant inside of the newly renovated Westdrift hotel in Manhattan Beach.
The Westdrift is part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection. This is Marriott’s upscale category of business boutique hotels. Jute is located in a wide open space behind the hotel’s entrance. It overlooks a beautiful 9-hole golf course complete with a man-made lake.
The cocktail menu is quite extensive and I was amused that the drinks were separated into west and east coast categories. On warm days, I am partial to tequila and so I selected the Ocean Breeze. It was made with silver tequila, pamplemousse, fresh lime and grapefruit juices and a pinch of sea salt. It was the perfect drink for the warm day.
Tomatos, Grilled Avocado, Burrata and Watermelon
The prix fixe menu included a choice of two different starters: tomato with grilled avocado or salt-roasted beets with herbed goat cheese. Both dishes were appealing to me, but the tomato dish won out because I’ve never had grilled avocado. I was happy I selected this starter because it was simply prepared with quality ingredients: watermelon, tomatoes, grilled avocados, fresh mint, burrata, and lemon.
For the entree, diners have a choice of three options. The hangar steak included cipollini onions and oyster mushrooms, the halibut with mushroom consomme, and the pappardelle with English peas and asparagus. While I don’t eat that much steak, the hangar steak seemed the most interesting to experience.
Hangar steak included cipollini onions and oyster mushrooms
When the server delivered the steak to the table, I instantly knew I made the right choice. The steak was pre-sliced and prepared to my liking. The cipollini onion confit had a sweet flavor and I found the oyster mushrooms delicious. A small pool of cilantro mojo was served next to the steak which made for easy mopping. I paired this with a glass of Raymond Merlot and life was wonderful.
Modern Key Lime Pie topped with fresh raspberries
Traditional key lime pie is one of my favorite desserts and I figured I was setting myself up for disappointment ordering a “modern key lime pie”. I was extremely surprised at the presentation as it was served in a wide mouth glass jar and topped with fresh raspberries, edible flowers and a crunchy confectioneries which delighted all of the senses.
Dining at Jute in the Westdrift Hotel is a transformative experience. After taking a seat at my table, I quickly forgot about work and imagined that I was dining on an island resort. Jute has a classy yet laid-back vibe that epitomizes South Bay style.
dineLA is currently taking place and ends on July 27. Many restaurants also offer a dineLA lunch special. The dineLA website is nicely constructed which makes it easy to peruse restaurants based on your location.
Westdrift Hotel
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/laxaw-westdrift-manhattan-beach-autograph-collection/
dineLA
https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela-los-angeles-restaurant-week/