Perched above the manicured lawns of The Grove, Bar Verde offers al fresco dining amid dancing waterfall views from the balcony. Located at Nordstrom’s at The Grove, Bar Verde has a stylish, modern bar area and a full service restaurant elegantly embedded in the store.
Three walls of glass offer views of Nordstrom’s, another, the bustling activity of The Grove, and the third allows diners to observe the chefs in action.
There is a casual element at the table with a soft dishtowel napkin playing on the farm fresh theme. The color scheme is neutral with light khaki, browns and earth tones.
Looking over the cocktail menu we noticed that they are priced lower than most new restaurants opening in Los Angeles. Many are under $10 including the Nor’Easter, an artisan cocktail made with Maker’s Mark, maple syrup, fresh lime juice and ginger beer. It’s served in a copper cup, which keeps it constantly chilled. We also ordered the classic Mojito and an Amelia made with local craft vodka, St. Germain cordial, fresh lime juice and muddles blueberries to start our culinary adventure. It was a vibrant drink in color and taste.
The restaurant offers a triple filtration water system for their still and sparkling water served in a glass bottle and left on the table for refills.
Bar Verde opened in 2013 during the week of Black Friday, coinciding with the unveiling of The Grove’s 100-foot tall Christmas tree and the arrival of 90,000 visitors to witness the holiday festivities.
Sourdough bread was served with a triple olive tapenade made with black, kalamata and Nicoise olives chopped finely with diced sundried tomatoes, Extra Virgin olive oil and capers, complementing the bread perfectly.
Our server recommended a bowl of mellow ruby red tuna folded into the piquant sharpness of wasabi, sea salt and soy sauce served with a side of verdant seaweed and lightly fried black and white sesame seed wantons that offered a delightful crunch – an excellent appetizer.
Multiple Nordstrom chefs gathered together to create this menu. One of the creators is Chef Travis Chase at The Grove. He brought his experience from the Lazy Ox Canteen and the Tin Table in Seattle to the Bar Verde kitchen. Another chef is Bostonian Hugh Brown who works at the Nordstrom’s in Boston and is well known for his Romesco sauce.
For salads, we ordered the fig and berry with crisp panko chicken on the top. The citrus of the berries is a great palate cleanser, while the fig with Point Reyes blue cheese offered a burst of salty and sweet flavors.
The asparagus salad with lettuce was a little light on the asparagus, yet the saffron aioli drizzle and sesame dressing make this dish pop with flavors.
There are three pizzas or flatbreads and our server recommended the fennel and sausage flatbread topped with Yukon Gold potatoes, Fontina cheese and rosemary.
When I ordered the Bar Verde burger, our server told us about the burger on the secret menu. “The regular burger is good, however it doesn’t include bacon and avocado with a fried egg on top,” he said. This secret menu burger offers a combination of salty, creamy and savory with a sweetness from the balsamic onions. All of this goodness is placed on a large brioche bun. It was too big for me to eat alone, so I cut it into fourths to share with my tablemates.
The salmon Romesco is a healthy summer dish that is pan seared and served with morel mushrooms, asparagus and a rosemary butter sauce. We also liked the black cod sitting in soy broth with organic spinach and triangular shrimp dumplings and shitake mushrooms surrounding the moist white fish.
Meat dishes include a 12 oz. peppercorn crusted New York strip steak, and short rib beef dip sandwich served with French fries and a tasty au jus dipping sauce and aioli.
Save room for the cobbler of the day with vanilla gelato a la mode. The night we dined it was a luscious pear and boysenberry with a crunchy oatmeal crumble and sea salt caramelized top.
You can collect Nordstrom points every time you dine here. Nordstrom gift cards can also be used at Bar Verde.
Nordstrom is a family run company that prides itself in customer service. The same philosophy is carried through at Bar Verde. $$ Open Monday – Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 189 The Grove Dr. (323)900-8080.