Elite Tasting: McCormick & Schmick’s

I finally made it to a weekday Elite event! I work out in BFE and it’s hard to come out to weekday Unilocal events. Thanks Katie B. for her time and effort to set this event up.
The event was full with tables reserved for Unilocal’s elites. Was to able to meet some cool Elitesters and enjoyed the interesting conversations.
We were able to enjoy a 4 course meal topped off with glasses of wine.
Here’s the list of our courses that was served:
(1) Lump crab tower — Lump crab, mango, avocado with a citrus and balsamic sauce. Not bad at all.
(2) Signature clam chowder — Very good. Good chunks of clams and potato. Actually haven’t had a cup of this stuff in years. Had a bad experience once. This restaurant does it well.
(3) Stuffed shrimp with burre blanc sauce — Shrimp cooked well and tasty.
Came with Medallions with mushroom demi glaze sauce — Honestly more like tri tip. A bit tough and overcooked. Nonetheless, can’t complain!
Also came with lobster risotto and asparagus — Good but bit rich for me. I skipped the asparagus for personal reasons.
(4) Minature crème brulee — Good and creamy
Cheesecake with fresh berries — Not bad. Like most cheesecakes.
Upsidedown apple pie with candies walnuts and mini scoop of vanilla ice cream — Sweet and tart.
Overall, a great event. Got to meet some cool Elitesters and definitely a great event for a Monday. I could do this every Monday!

Much thanks to McCormick & Schmicks’ staff for the generous dinner and great service. Even more thanks to Katie B. for organizing the evening’s event! Ahhh the perks of being Elite…

After much debate with myself whether attending this event was a good idea (6am flight the next morning), I came to the conclusion: «Sleep? Who needs it???»
Even though M&S was terrific (service-​wise), the biggest treat of the night definitely had to be breaking bread at the same table with our fabulous CM, Katie B. She is so amazing at her job that I think she should be able to binge watch on Netflix all the time, guilt-​free. Fellow Unilocal elites at my table were also lots of fun and provided great insight on food, life and everything in between.
M&S definitely has the service thing down pat. Our servers were so attentive and heeded to our every need. The food though… our 1^st course (crab tower) & 2^nd course (clam chowder) were definitely HUGE winners in my book. Zesty and light to start, followed by hearty soup with tons of clam. The main was a bit of a miss: mostly because it was SO salty and the risotto was so mushy/​saucy. The dessert was okay for me: I like the variety but none of the options were particularly «my cup of tea» (Not M&S’s fault: I’m pretty picky about my desserts). The display was gorgeous though.
Easy parking & Unilocal SOCKS! Totally worth the sleep deprivation!

The event was great, as always. I really enjoyed crab tower and chowder.
For the main entrée, fist, I asked if they can make it with no cheese and they said yes. When I saw my plate, my plate looked sad because I got steak with no sauce, 2 pieces of grilled shrimp, and old hard white rice. So I told them to bring me sauce. I also told them rice is hard and can’t eat so I want new rice. They came back and said «Yes, you are right, the rice was old so we tossed them all.» and they brought me some new rice with squash in it.
I really didn’t wanna complain but I just had to so I can enjoy my food. My steak tasted so much better with demi glacé sauce.
Later I found out that they thought I can’t have any dairy and that’s why they brought me everything with no sauce.
Anyways, the service was good and very helpful. Thanks to Katie and all the staff. I’m definitely going back for happy hour!

Every time I go to Portland, Oregon I make it a point to visit Jake’s, which is an old time turn of the century restaurant with dark woods, and probably has not been renovated since those times. To me, Jake’s is Portland’s quintessential & iconic restaurant where in season, you can order crawfish & their version of a molten chocolate cake that is too rich for words.
I keep wishing there could be a reincarnation of Jake’s in Los Angeles, but at the invitation of a Unilocal elite event, I was able to attend Jake’s sister restaurant, McCormick & Schmick’s. As much as I love Jake’s, it never occurred to me to make a visit to McC&S, but this Unilocal event has reminded me that I should pay more attention to the good eateries here in the heart of downtown.
It was cool that we had a room all to ourselves with wide, tall windows that presented a wonderful view of the downtown LA skyline. Our inimitable, gregarious, most gracious hostess, Katie B., head of Los Angeles East, was at our table so this table certainly did not lack for stimulating conversation. The other members at the table were most affable & the topic ranged greatly.
1) First Course was the Miniature Lump Crab Tower of three stories with the premier etage being a chunky avocado mousse; the second etage, the diced ripe, soft mango; the troisieme etage was the shredded crab meat topped with microgreens.
There was a gastric of what seemed like lime/​Yuzu juice & dollops of what looked like a demiglace of Aceto Balsamico & orange juice. The soft, delicate flavours of the tower was contrasted & modulated by the fresh citrus acidity and by the richer, thicker, more cloying Aceto Balsamico reduction sauce.
2) McCormick & Schmick’s Signature Clam Chowder is of the Boston variety. For those who like a hearty, roux enriched, creamy soup with chunky pieces of clam, this chowder is ideal with enough of broth based Umami.
All the above was paired with the house provided Chardonnay by Joel Gott, Monterey, Napa, Sonoma Counties. This Chardonnay is definitely not like the typical Californian Chardonnay which tends to be very oaky, buttery with Malolactic fermentation.
This Chardonnay is more austere with what seems to be stainless steel fermentation vats which allows fermention at a lower temperature to encourage more tart, apple tones. The initial attack is slightly sour like fermented apple cider, but clears for an astringent, clean sweetness. Joel Gott was good for refreshing the palate in between bites.
3) Surf & Turf was Stuffed Shrimp with Sauce Beurre Blanc & Filet Medaillon with a Mushroom Demi-​glacé served with Lobster Risotto & Asparagus Spears: The grilled, lightly cooked shrimp looked as though it had a filling of finely minced crab meat along with a brushing of Beurre Blanc.
The filet was cooked a point with a bit of pink in the middle with a touch of a mushroom reduction sauce. (In order to act as a gastric to enhance meaty flavours, and to add more earthiness, I brought along my own purée of Jalapeño & garlic preserved with Japanese rice vinegar which enlivened the beef.)
The stuffed shrimp was paired with the Joel Gott Chardonnay, and the beef was paired with Avalon Cabernet Sauvignon from Lodi, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara and Monterey with flavours of cherry, black currants, black berries, also hint of cloves. The acid & tannins are rather mild with smoothness.
4) Chef’s Mini Dessert Trio: Cheese Cake with Fresh Berries; Upside Down Apple Pie with Caramelized Walnut Crust, Miniature Scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream; Miniature Crème Brulee with a Caramelized Sugar Top
My favorite was the Crème Brulee. The custard portion was very creamy, velvety, smooth, rich with good vanilla flavour while the caramelized sugar was not too hard & glassy but lightly burnt, crunchy & grainy to add a texture contrast to the overall smoothness. I asked for an Espresso with a deep, smooth bitterness as a good contrast & palate cleanser to all the dulcet notes of the 3 desserts. BTW, the small, colorful orchid garnishing the last course was a nice touch signaling the end.
The greatest impression on me about this elite Unilocal event was the amazing staff at McCormick & Schmick’s. Many in the staff were so enthusiastic about welcoming us in so many ways. Their sincere smiles of welcome & willingness to see that we got the best service they could offer really impressed me. I realize that this was a special event, but even taking that into account, I felt throughout the event & after, that warm feeling of hospitality which is a rare occurrence in the many times I have gone to various places to dine. Thanks, Katie for my first eye opening Unilocal elite tasting event. I will have to see for myself by going to McCormick & Schmick’s so that I can write another critique on Unilocal

What a wonderful event! I loved getting to know more of my Unilocal community on a face-​to-​face level!
The company and the setting were delightful. McCormick & Schmicks is such a lovely restaurant, definitely worth visiting for the views and the lush setting alone. I was able to meet some lovely foodies and delight in their company throughout the entirety of the meal.
My only disappointment comes from the dairy free options. I can handle a boring salad instead of the clam chowder everyone raved about, but receiving an entrée with crunchy white rice and unsauced filet mignon (cooked medium-​well, much to my chagrin) and equally naked shrimp was a bit sad. However, the waitstaff made up for the mistake in spades and I received a new plate with a properly cooked farro/​butternut squash substitution. I was extremely grateful and enjoyed a much more well-​balanced entrée thanks to the staff’s attentiveness.
The dairy free dessert — apple torte with mango sorbet — was surprisingly delicious. I never thought to put those flavors together before, but now I think I’ll eat all my hot apple desserts with sorbet!
Throughout the meal, the waitstaff was more than gracious and extremely helpful. I definitely want to return again, but maybe next time just for dessert and a glass of wine with a view!

I love Elite events like this one because it’s easy to give it a solid 5-​star rating when the ambience, service and most importantly the food is so top notch.
I’ve been to McCormick & Schmick’s in Orlando and Atlanta but this was my first trip to one on this coast and it’s consistent with the other two locations.
Great location for DTLA residents (like I am), great ambience and perfect service, as you would expect at an Elite event, but I have no doubt the service was the same patrons outside our room were getting.
Loved the Lump Crab Tower appetizer and the hearty, stacked with clam Clam Chowder was the best I’ve had since relocating to L.A. last fall. The entrée was a Surf & Turf combo. The dish tilted toward the shrimp side. I’d give the Shrimp & Rice a 5-​star nod and the Steak over the Mash a 4-​star… it was awesome but a 4-​star rating only because I’ve had bettor.
This spot is def on my list to bring the wife to for dinner and maybe a few happy hours in the near future. And I gotta come clean here… I’ve lived in DTLA about a mile away and have frequented too many restaurants to count but I didn’t know this restaurant existed. Now that I do, you’ll def see me hanging there.

Thanks Katie B. for this delicious event!
This tasting was literally like a feast for me! I had to doggy bag my food because I was so stuffed! My favorite dish was definitely the crab mango tower. Just a nice balance of everything, a bit salty and sweet. The clam chowder was not your typical thick chowder. Instead it was rather thin and had a very interesting zest to it (that was a pleasant surprise). As for the surf and turf, loved the seafood part but not so much the meat. Out of the 3 dessert samplings, my favorite was the apple pie. Sadly I’ve had better crème brûlée .
The service was excellent. When your wine glass was running low, a staff was right there to offer you some more. They were also able to bring out tea for me instead of coffee to go along with my dessert.
Great food, great people — Great way to spend a Monday evening!

What a great event to attend as my first elite tasting! :) I was scared the location was going to be hard to find, but thanks to Katie B’s great directions in her email, it was easy to find. Another plus was free parking (3 hours free in US Bank parking lot with validation) and we all know what a luxury free parking in LA is.
The evening started off with a glass of Cabernet … and ended with the server just leaving the bottle at our table haha Our glasses were always filled so definitely good service on his part :) The food was definitely filling and came out in a timely manner. For the first course, we had the crab tower, which was nice and light. Next, we had a bowl of their signature clam chowder, which was surprisingly good because I did not really have high expectations for it. The main course was the surf and turf, which I found to be mediocre. It was a serving of stuffed shrimp and steak medallions over lobster risotto. The steak was a little bland, but not bad. For the last course, we had a trio of mini desserts. There was apple pie with vanilla ice cream, cheesecake, and crème brûlée. My favorite out of the three was probably the apple pie, which went well with the vanilla ice cream. The caramelized sugar on top of my crème brûlée was way too hard and the cheesecake was standard.
I love the intimate setting of these tastings because you can really get to know the other Unilocalers. Luckily, we had a great group at our table and shared some good convo. Overall, a nice evening. Thanks for putting the event together, Katie! :)

I get a four course meal for free?!
What is this?
Oh yeah. it’s Unilocal and Unilocal is awesome.
Thanks to Katie B. And McCormick & Schmick, we elites were able to get stuffed here for a four course meal. Since moving to DTLA, I am learning how close places really are in downtown and McCormick was definitely a walk away from my place.
First of all, this place is pretty damn nice. It’s located in the US Bank Tower. The shape of the restaurant is circular or an arc (makes sense since the tower is uh. tower. circular). Atmosphere was especially good because our table was the
(hey Nitar, Lily, Matt, Charles, Ceclia!) Cheers! Well, our table was pretty cool because we actually cheered and drank our unlimited pinot or chardonnay to each course we got. Speaking of courses, the food wasn’t that bad. My favorite was probably dessert (a trio of apple pie, crème brûlée, and cheesecake). Other things we ate included clam chowder, a crab salad, and a surf and turf of a filet, shrimp, and risotto. Mmm. They gave us SO much food that I couldn’t finish my courses. I know. first world problems!

This was my first Elite event after moving back to LA! The venue was really fancy and all of the servers and staff were so polite and accommodating. I probably should’ve ditched my usual clothing and put on something more fancy but eh, no one made a big deal about it.
The food started out wonderful — the crab was pretty good, as was the clam chowder. However, I was just a bit disappointed with the main course as well as the dessert. There were mushrooms pretending to be something else and my beef was well-​done and very hard to chew. I had been looking forward to the crème brûlée but I felt like it had been sitting out for a little too long. We did manage to wrangle a cup of coffee to go with our dessert, though, so yay for that!
Lucky for me, I was seated at a table full of comedians so dinner was quite enjoyable. And the highlight of the night was Unilocal Elite socks! I have never been so excited for a pair of socks.
Got there a little after 7 and left at around 9, well within the 3 hour validation that they give you if you park in the US Bank parking structure.
Thanks Katie for a wonderful event!

I used to work at the Edison building right next door so I have been here so many times for happy hour, main reason being that their happy hour is from either 4 or 5 until they close which is 10! I had not eaten there in a restaurant setting so I was very excited to try their real food offerings!
Showed up right around 7, patiently waited for a hostess who pleasantly walked us to one of the rooms in the back. The table setting was fancier and more formal than I had expected. I was glad I decided to ditch my usual jeans and a shirt attire for this event :-p
One nice surprise was that we were also offered wine — cab or chardonnay! About 5 minutes after being seated, we got our appetizers. I have to admit this was my most favorite part of the entire meal! The crabmeat tower with avocados and mangoes! The sweet vinaigrette sauce was more than just yummy.
Clam chowder was piping hot and very nice — esp. because I was freezing from walking outside and still trying to get my body temperature back!
The main course — surf and turf (stuffed shrimp and a good portion of filet with mushrooms were served on a bed of risotto) — was good but cold. Some were not a fan of unidentifiable pieces of mushrooms but I loved it!
The dessert trio was consisted of cheesecake, crème brûlée, and apple pie a la mode. This was rather disappointing but I still cleaned my plate lol Crème brûlée was cold and cheesecake seemed to have been store bought. Not sure about apple pie.
It took about 1.5 hours from the start to finish of the meal and the service was superb! I had asked for some hot water and it was brought out super quick and everything else was rather fast considering they were attending the big group we were.
Nice surprise #2 was bright-​red-​just-​in-​time-​for-​the-​season Unilocal socks! I ended up using them as mittens on my cold walk home :)
Many thanks and hoorays to Katie B. for another amazing event!

The last time I cooked was… over a year ago. Since I eat out every meal (or at least every dinner so I can take the leftovers to work for lunch), a free meal on a Monday night at McCormick & Schmick’s is like a dream come true.
Back when I was in college, I used to go to M&S regularly for their happy hour but I had never tried the regular menu. The Unilocal tasting was great and I had a wonderful time but (there’s always a but, isn’t there?) the food itself was 3* quality and not enticing enough for me to go back. Service was spot on from the moment I arrived and an employee escorted me to the private room in the back.
I had the pleasure of sitting at a table with Katie B. and other fantastic individuals (a nurse who has an office job, a school teacher, a sign language interpreter, and someone who works at Slickdeals). The conversations were fun and the red wine made it even more entertaining.
The best «course» of the meal was the clam chowder. The crab tower looked better than it tasted and the Surf & Turf was a little tough to eat. The dessert trio was just a-​ok as well. I did eat everything though because I was hungry.

Wow!
Events like this make me so happy to be Elite :)
Beautiful location, wonderful food, great service and good conversation.
I like McCormick & Schmick’s but I had never been to this location (even though I live nearby). It’s nice to know they have free, 3 hour parking in the evenings. Parking can get soo pricey in this area.
The restaurant and our private Elite dining room was beautiful. The staff was on the ball and quick with everything.
I started with some chardonnay which was very nice and went well with the crab cake tower.
The clam chowder was nice and the cup was a good portion without being too much. It also went well with the Chardonnay.
My water glass was kept filled and probably never got below half full. Nice attention from the staff (water is a small thing and I’m impressed when people are on top of the small things).
The surf and turf was amazing. I wish I was eating that again right now. Since the staff seemed ever present with wine refills, I asked to try the Cabernet. I finished my Chardonnay with the stuffed shrimp (yum!) and moved to the cab and filet medallions with mushrooms. Wow! I have to go back and have that again soon.
I’m not a desert person and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the desert. The small portions of 3 different deserts was wonderful. Sometimes a large portion can be too much after a meal. I thought this portion — together with the variety was perfect. I started with the upside down apple pie with miniature scoop of vanilla ice cream (I like miniature things so I enjoyed the little ice cream ball). The little cheesecake was delightful and just enough for a good taste. The crème brûlée — I’m glad that I saved it for last. It was excellent — rich & tasty but the small portion didn’t over-​do it.
A perfect evening! Thanks so much to McCormick & Schmick, Unilocal and Katie B!
Even though the evening was perfect, I wish there was a bit more mixing among the group as a whole. From reading the revues, there were a few Unilocalers there that I have been wanting to meet. Maybe next time :)

I didn’t even know that this McCormick & Schmick’s was this big. It seemed like a long walk just to get to the banquet room. So different from the one in Pasadena. It was a bit difficult to find and if you miss it you kind of have to loop all the way around.
I loved the tasting. Don’t need to go into the details as others have stated but my fav was the chowder. It had a TON of clams. I was very surprised since most times at restaurant they probably give you 2 – 3 small pieces. Maybe it was just a special treat for elites? I don’t know but it was effin delicious.
Parking turned out to be $ 7 but maybe cuz the machine didn’t validate properly. haha
Thank you Katie B for bringing such a wonderful event! Love these types of events since it is a bit more intimate and got to chat with some wonderful elite members.
Got to give it to Sara (sorry if incorrectly spelled) and the staff there as well. They really did take great care of us. Drinks were always full and they took plates away very quick. That dinner probably would’ve cost a bunch with the free flowing wine so. Thanks! :)

thank you much to katie b. for planning a fantastic event! plus SOCKS! for our sock-​cess! lol
it’s my first elite event and this one set the bar HIIIIIIIGH
preparation/​/​
parking below is validated~ :)
ambiance/​/​*****
plenty of private rooms with old school club vibe… wonderful venue for parties of exclusivity with old school charm
service/​/​*****
white glove service from everyone! plus everyone was so pleasant and charming~
when one of the guys at our table lost his parking ticket, they did everything possible and luckily found his original ticket @ the host bar =)
food/​/​****
four course exquisitely prepared and served in a timely fashion
mango crab medallion set the tone for the night~ crispness of the mango offset the seafood salad
signature clam chowder lived up to its name with creamy soup & chewy clam
surf n turf had yummy shrimp & lobster risotto~ the steak was a bit dry and overcooked for me, but otherwise well done
dessert medley!~ wow cheesecake. crème brûlée. upside down apple pie
you think it~ they plate it! — a tad sweet… but not anything that can’t be fixed w/​a cup of coffee
~*~
a lovely evening spent dining w/​elite friends. raise your glass!
sam. michael. anita. keila. grace

The venue was perfect. It was in the heart of downtown, Los Angeles. There was valet parking on Hope.
This was the first sit down dinner event I’ve been to. I completely enjoyed it because it gave me an opportunity to get to know the people at my table.
The appetizer was mango crab cake, which consisted of visible chunks of real crab and fresh mangos. The clam chowder was rich with real clam pieces. The surf & turf was a dish with giant shrimps, steak, over lobster risotto. The dessert dish was an array of delectable tasty treats. Service was absolutely delightful.
I loved the view from this area. I’ve been to McCormick & Schmick’s, but I’ve never been in this area. It’s great for private events.

You know when your Monday is not a hard day — when there is an elite tasting in the end of it! This time, we were in beautiful downtown Los Angeles, where the whole room of tasteful McCormick & Schmick’s was dedicated to our sheer enjoyment (not without the glamorous involvement of Katie B.)
May I just say that the service was absolutely delightful? Rio made our dining experience so much more pleasurable — a big round of applause to the whole team!
I loved their crab tower appetizer, especially combination of zesty mango, creamy avocado and flavorful crab meat. The clam chowder was classic, probably our table’s favorite. In spite of the popularity of the dish, there are so many ways to ruin it, but ours was absolutely perfect. Stuffed shrimp for the main course was plain sinful and decadent — if I had a plate full of it, I wouldn’t have been able to stop! Risotto was more of a miss rather than a hit for me, but beef medallions went great with a glass of Cabernet! For dessert, we didn’t have to make Sophie’s choice, since we could have ALL THREE treats rather than picking just one. What a well played final card, McCormicj & Schmick’s!
Oh, and all the raw excitement about the Unilocal red socks? Y’all ‘d better be wearing them for your next 5K, my elite friends — you gotta burn those carbs somehow!

Another fabulous Elite event organized by the awesome Katie B. It’s been over two months so I left my life in downtown LA to go into the suburbia workforce so it was nice to return to downtown LA and a new change for me to try to locate parking at McCormick’s – no more walk overs from the building I used to work. It’s pretty sweet that parking is covered for 3 hours with validation, but you gotta make sure you enter the right structure.
Got there pretty early, so I was seated at the first table with Keila, Anita, Michael, Sam and Donna. Fun times at our table! :)
And the food! I’ve been at McCormick’s a couple of times before with my firm, but I totally love the items making up our four course meal. A very fresh and yummy mini tower with avocado, mango and crab. A warm nostalgic bowl of clam chowder. Two juicy shrimp and well done filet medallions (I prefer medium rare, but the meat was good — no fat!). And desserts that came in threes — crème brûlée (the crystallized top was too soft but still good), cheesecake and apple pie.
Our Unilocal group got our own room towards the back of the restaurant, and I’m amazed how deep the place goes —doesn’t seem like it from the outside. Plenty of places to host a private party or business get together.
Service was fantastic.
Hope to be back soon when I’m brought back into downtown.

What an awesome sit down event that Katie B. organized at McCormick and Schmicks!
I can’t believe that I haven’t been to this location for happy hour or dinner yet (especially when I only work 3 blocks away!). Will definitely keep this restaurant in mind when I need to make reservations for dinner in the downtown area next time!
A big thank you to the awesome staff that kept my table clean and wine flowing. I really had a nice time chatting with my new Unilocal Elite friends at my table: Keila, Grace, Donna, Sam and Michael! Discovered that this is a first for 2 of them! What an awesome event to start the elite experience!
Food was really good! My personal favorite is the Miniature Crab Cake Tower. Really liked how the avocado and the mango compliments the crab meat! Absolutely delicious! My medallion was little overlooked, but I absolutely loved the lobster risotto that came with the Surf and Turf.
Again, a BIG thank you for such an intimate elite event. Would really love to see more of these events in the future!