One final post about my trip to Los Angeles for Windpower 2007.

On Tuesday night, a couple of colleagues and I slipped off to dinner at Spago, Wolfgang Puck’s famous eatery in Beverly Hills. (Note to co-workers who might be reading: I won’t be submitting this tab on my next expense report.)

Notorious foodie, food writer and restaurant blogger Kate was able to secure a prime reservation only three days before we planned to dine. She claimed she got the reservation through Open Table, but I can only assume she bribed the maitre’d.

In any case, even before we were guided to our table, the star spotting had already begun. Through a miscommunication with my companions, I wound up cooling my heels in the bar for a few minutes. And as I waited, I spotted former Masters champion Raymond Floyd as he strolled past. Moments later, a leathery George Hamilton glided by as well. And once I found my way to our table, I noticed former Secretary of State Warren Christopher dining nearby.

At that point, the kitchen could have sent out grilled cheese and potato chips and it wouldn’t have spoiled the evening. And frankly, when I heard we were going to Spago, I wasn’t expecting much better. I surmised that Spago was a little past its prime and would probably attract more tourists than fine diners. I suspected that given Chef Puck’s expansive empire, his flagship restaurant might have suffered without his hand firmly at the tiller.

Boy was I wrong.

The food was impeccable.

I started with ricotta gnocchi with morel mushrooms and braised duck ragout in a delicious sauce built on a wonderful veal stock. For my main course, I had liberty duck breast, which was impeccably grilled. Along the way, I enjoyed a delightful Cabernet Sauvignon.

As Kate relates in her own, much better review, she began with sashimi, which brought the only slight miss of the evening. Tantalizingly fresh toro and hamachi was oversauced and overwhelmed. But the recovery was as quick as it was decisive. For her main, Kate selected the Peking Duck served with house made lo mein. Everything on the table was stellar, but I have to say that the lo mein was the best. Simply made with great ingredients, it was noodle perfection.

Our other companion started with a basic salad which looked astonishingly fresh and crisp. She then followed up with a the restaurant’s Salmon offering, which lived up to our waiter’s recommendation.

For dessert, Kate enjoyed strawberries and cream, and I had the peach cobbler. For me, it was these dishes that confirmed Spago’s greatness. The cream was a perfect consistency and sweetness. The strawberries were fresh and perfectly ripe. The simplicity spoke volumes, and the resulting flavors were delightful.

The cobbler yielded a similar experience. Now, I’ve had peach cobbler in the four corners of the United States and across the south. I’ve had it smothered in brown sugar and topped with homemade pound cake. I’ve had it with lard, butter, shorterning and every conceivable assortment of flavorants.

Nothing I’ve had compares to the oh-so-simple treatment at Spago. The peaches were fresh. They were cooked in a simple syrup and topped with sweet homemade biscuits the flavor of which would give even the most traditional southern grandmother a run for her money. Pastry Chef Sherry Yard more than measured up to her own stellar reputation.

All in all, it was a wonderful evening. Spago far exceeded my cynical expectations and confirmed its stature as one of the top restaurants in one of the world’s great restaurant cities.

Of course, there was one other celebrity siting during our meal at Spago that’s worth mentioning. Between appetizers and dessert, Wolfgang Puck himself popped by our table to say hello. Out of touch with Spago? Not a chance. And, as Kate reports, during our brief chat with him, Chef Puck revealed to us that Spago is coming to Washington, D.C. A variation of the Beverly Hills mainstay will be opening in the soon-to-be completed Newseum on Pennsylvania Ave. this fall.

Pretty cool, huh?

And, again, don’t miss Kate’s post. She captures the whole thing much better than I do.

Cam: Okay… how do I say this nicely? If Warren Christopher is a) easily identifiable for you and b) considered a “star”, you’ve spent waaaaaay too much time in D.C., Marshall.

Secondly, while the meal sounds fantastic, I’m boycotting Wolfgang Puck for his work with the Humane Society of the United States. I completely understand that Puck has the right to do what he wants in his restaurants… I just don’t have to eat it.