California Written by Dr. Matthew Bessen Photography by Eric Williams
What is it about those irreverent Californians? I mean that handful of boyish innovators so thoroughly at ease with their ingenious ideas that the revolution is over before anyone hears the first shot. I mean young Arnold Schwarzenegger plotting his international celebrity inside a sweaty Venice gym. I mean Steve Jobs assembling a computer in his garage. I mean George Lucas fleshing out a goofy science fiction blockbuster, two sequels and three prequels in his undergraduate dorm room. Whatever that it may be, Seviche owner, chef and self-described “California boy” Anthony Lamas must have been in the room when they were handing it out. For Ellana and I, this was hardly the first visit to the contemporary Bardstown Road restaurant known as much for its innovative Latin-influenced fare as its spacious urban patio. She confided to me her regret that allowing the chef to guide us through a tasting menu would deny her another taste of her beloved “Mugs” Bistec, a tenderloin of beef with a fried egg on top. I replied that such are the sacrifices one makes for the sake of journalism. She soothed her disappointment with sips of the frosty, port-colored sangria from a tall glass garnished with a tropical tricolor of lemon, lime and orange. 82 slmag.net
