I was supposed to take my friend to the Red Lobster in Beverly Hills for her birthday. As it turned out, there is no longer a Red Lobster there. We drove by the Stinking Rose. I had already experienced the Stinking Rose in San Francisco, so I asked if she wanted to eat there. Our other choice was Lawry’s. Since she wanted seafood, we chose the Stinking Rose.
The Stinking Rose is a restaurant completely devoted to garlic, much like the Gilroy Garlic Festival. I can see why there were not that many people were there for lunch. Who wants to go back to work stinking of garlic? Since we were not working that day, it was perfect. The restaurant was fairly empty. There were only a few people there. We were seated right away. We sat in a table enclosed by curtains. There was a Mediterranean feel to the place, almost Middle Eastern. Each table had a different décor to it. We sat under a light with a feather-rimmed shade. The table next to us has a chandelier with teardrop-shaped crystals hanging from it. The mood was dark and mysterious. It’s a good place to bring a date if you don’t mind stinking of garlic.
Our waiter was very attentive. Of course, it’s hard not to be attentive with the few people that were there. We were given garlic-encrusted bread. You have the option to spread butter on it or dip it in olive oil. It’s delicious either way. We both ordered iced teas, and I was delighted to find that they were herbal teas instead of the general black iced tea. My friend ordered the Giant Salt-Roasted Tiger Prawns with a garlic-parsley glaze. I ordered the Porterhouse Pork Chops, which are pan-roasted with garlic relish and came with caramelized apple slices and garlic mashed potatoes. We tried each other’s dishes. I actually loved how her dish tasted! I definitely recommend it. Mine was fine, but I found the garlic overpowering the dish. I loved the garlic in the mashed potatoes and liked the garlic taste on the pork chops, but it was too much on the caramelized apples.
We then ordered dessert. We found the Gilroy's Famous Garlic Ice Cream intriguing, but I wasn’t adventurous enough to order it. Neither was my friend. My friend ordered the Irish Coffee Chocolate Brownie Mousse, and I ordered the Tiramisu. I found my tiramisu dry and unappealing. I tasted her dessert and found it pedestrian. I should have gone with the garlic ice cream since it’s a Gilroy specialty. Oh, well, there’s always the next time.
Our bill came out to about $60 for the two of us, including tip. They have a web site with menus and even garlic-related merchandise.