Wally's Wine: Delicious And Decadent In Beverly Hills, Even If You're Sober

Why go somewhere called Wally's Wine when you don't even drink?

At first glance, it seems like a waste. The wine shop-restaurant stocks over 2,500 wines and rare spirits, the bottles of which also serve as the primary décor for the dining area.

Let me assure you, you'll have your fill of indulgence with the food alone.

The Beverly Hills restaurant boasts all of the accouterments you'd expect to find in this neck of the woods — truffles, caviar, and foie gras — but it's the restaurant's new executive chef David Féau whose magical hands convert those mediums into works of art.

The son of a French farmer, chef Féau was raised around fresh produce. At an early age, he began picking and preparing his own vegetables. Being able to till the land and create something nourishing to set on the table each night, he said, gave him a sense of purpose, one that he took with him as he earned his degree in classic cuisine at L'Ecole Hotelière Hélène Boucher in his hometown of Le Mans.

Those who want to shop around for their dinner at Wally's can make selections from the Cheese Box or meat counter and ask the Michelin-starred chef to include it in customized dishes right then and there.

We, however, opted to have him bring us his favorite appetizers on the menu. "Surprise us!" we said.

He did not disappoint, providing us with an experience I can only liken to going to a gallery and absorbing the art into my very being.

A few examples include the seared, marinated yellowtail served with cucumber, radish, crispy red quinoa, and sliced coconut; snow crab salad made with kale and avocado beignets served will frill mustard; and grilled octopus with piquillo purée, pickled baby tomatillos, and black olive tuile.

 "I do not work, I perform every day. It's like being on a stage, the rush and excitement of new challenges and how each day is different than the next is what I enjoy the most," he said.

Even after dessert — might I suggest the delicate and savory macerated strawberries and violet lychee panna cotta — you'll definitely be asking for an encore.