Menus_Inn of the Seventh Ray

By S. Irene Virbila, Los Angeles Times Restaurant Critic
July 22, 2010

Thanks to chef Bradley Miller, the Topanga hideaway now offers cuisine to rival its idyllic setting

I'm writing this in a purple font, the same color as the seventh ray, or so I'm told, which is why the napkins at Inn of the Seventh Ray in Topanga Canyon are violet. So is the bouquet of wispy wildflowers on each table. And years ago (the last time I ventured to the idyllic spot for dinner), so were the tablecloths. Way back then, I remember incense sticks stuck in the ground around the trees on the terrace heaving powerfully scented smoke into the air. And a rich flower child in a Chanel suit and bare feet with a daisy tucked behind her ear.

The food then was not the macrobiotic feast I or anyone else might have envisioned, more like just plain inedible. A cuisine only someone with limited experience and/or limited tastebuds could love.

It's not that way anymore.

The Inn has been many things through the years — the purported summer retreat of evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson in the 1930s, later a church (or two), a garage, a gas station and auto junkyard before this neglected property became a restaurant. Until recently, though, it was more a curiosity than a destination for anybody who cared about eating.

Now it has a serious chef and some serious food.

The food from chef Bradley Miller is nuanced and delicious. This is not the hippie cuisine of old — well, except for the fluffy multigrain bread baked fresh there every day and served in thick, comforting slabs. This guy is a hidden talent who has been cooking at the Inn for more than a year now without much fanfare. The son of a butcher attended Scottsdale Culinary Institute, did some stages in Europe and cooked around the West before landing at Patina for a year. He was also a contestant on Fox's "Hell's Kitchen," poor guy.

At the Inn, Miller has made it his mission to buy mostly organic and local produce and is conscientious about naming the farms on the menu. Poultry and meats are naturally raised. He carefully sources his seafood. He's even introduced a touch of molecular gastronomy to the menu.

Shrimp cocktail 2010 (given a date like the dishes on Ferran Adrià's lauded menu at El Bulli) is five not-so-big shrimp, each speared with a plastic pipette, very similar to a dish at the Bazaar by José Andrés. The idea is to bite into the shrimp and suck the loose tomato sauce out of the pipette at the same time. Think of it as a do-it-yourself cocktail. Across from the shrimp, as on a board game, are five perfectly round olive-oil poached tomatoes. The flavors in this dish really pop, but I'm not a big fan of the sucking on a plastic pipette. Or eating out of glass test tubes, for that matter.

But hand-chopped beef tartare with a 65-degree (i.e., slow-poached) egg rides the cutting edge without getting too far out there. I love the way the beef combines with the still-runny-yolked egg, and the fingerling potatoes are dusted with espelette pepper from the Basque country.

When I asked about the chicken, I discovered it's cooked sous-vide. Yowsa! At Inn of the Seventh Ray? How Topanga is changing, despite all the longhairs and rugged types glimpsed as you drive through town. OK, three of the guests at the next table are wearing turbans, and they are not East Indians. But they are scarfing down a Maggie's Farm green salad like they haven't eaten in months.

And in the secluded wooden pavilion that holds just one table behind us, guests are drinking wine with enthusiasm and holding forth on politics. All of which is to say the guest list is diverse. Maybe since this is such a big-ticket restaurant for Topanga, it's mostly tourists and Angelenos who treasure the Inn's unique country-elegant setting.

Most of the appetizers are excellent, even one you'd think might be a little dull, the soup. Cauliflower-red pepper purée is, for example, full of deep-throated flavor, tasting more of the sweet roasted red peppers than cauliflower, but lovely as a first course.

Seared scallops with a summer succotash exudes appeal both because of the quality of the scallops and the quality of the cooking: nicely browned on the outside while still quite rare at the center. Another dish that stands out is the angelhair pasta with the classic mix of tomato with extra-virgin olive oil and basil, a perfect pasta for a summer night.

Grilled portobello mushroom, though, is tricked out with apricot sauce, pesto — and truffle oil. At least Miller uses the oil with a lighter hand than most. The mushrooms themselves are meaty and delicious.

Servers are more professional and savvier about food than before, though the place is so big that sometimes your waiter inexplicably disappears for a while. They're enthusiastic about the chef and know the dishes. I just wish the menu changed more from week to week or included more specials. But this way it's easier for the chef to deal with the ebb and flow of customers to this fairly remote spot.

Of course, I had to be the guinea pig and try the crispy vegan duck. "That's 'duck' in quotes," our waiter explains. "Some people just don't get it." This is a hard one to love, merely strips of tofu skin, lightly crisped. It's not awful, but not very compelling. I'd rather have a square of Meiji soft tofu with grated ginger than this faux duck. But I guess the point is to have vegans feel they're getting something fancy too, just like everybody else at the table.

Loch Duarte salmon is slow-cooked, the better to show off its velvety texture and subtle flavor. Vadouvan (an Indian spice mixture) adds a mysterious note to the smashed potatoes underneath. And that sous-vide chicken? It's rubbed with achiote essence and browned at the end. Inside, the chicken is moist as can be and served with a soft, creamy polenta, baby turnips and beets, sometimes a few ramps or garlic scapes.

Filet mignon gets a traditional oven-roasted treatment and comes out just fine, dressed up with an artichoke, potato and goat cheese cake and some caramelized onions. Roasted lamb loin is fine too, served with a scattering of this and that, including morels with a deep, earthy flavor.

The wine list has some real finds on it, put together with passion and interest, not just by rote. Some of the wines are made from organic grapes to fit the restaurant's philosophy.

I didn't notice anyone skipping dessert, though they tend to be quite sweet. Half or them are vegan, including a carob cake with espresso ice cream. Cinnamon sugar-banana beignets with cardamom semifreddo and pineapple rum relish is a good one to share, but I'm wishing I'd tried the almond milk crème brûlée made with soaked, whizzed almonds and served with organic berries. That sounds like something folks on both sides of the vegan aisle could appreciate.

Maybe all the nights are beautiful at this magical spot. The tables are set far apart. Fairy lights are twined around old California sycamores. Frogs belt out a chorus from the creek, and some nights a jazz combo starts up on the other side of the water.

The mood is deeply relaxed, a place to linger over dinner with friends. According to the printed story of the Inn, "We want you to rest unhurried and partake of the angelic vibrations of the violet ray."

Count me in.

I have heard so much about this place that I had to go. Most people I knew told me that it was great, but quite a few also hated it, so I thought I would check it out and decide for myself...well, sort of- cause my wife came along,too! Wow, are we glad we did!

First of all, you have to take a date, because it is hands down the most beautiful setting in LA. Although, there was a group of ladies celebrating something at a nearby table and they seemed to be having a good time without their hubbies. I completely understand the difference between my friends' opinions about this place now, because the ones who liked it are my laid back, fairly well adjusted friends, and the ones who didn't are my high-strung buddies. If you're the one leaning on the horn the instant the light turns green and the car in front of you hasn't sped off, then this place is not for you.BUT: if you want a nice, romantic dinner where you can actually spend quality time with someone that you actually want to speak to in between bites, then make a reservation NOW.

The food is made to order with attention to detail that really shows. Everything is fresh, organic and delicious. We started with an heirloom tomato salad that was to die for-so fresh-the waiter told us that the tomatos are not even sliced until we order it! I thought that was going to be the best thing, but then we had scallops-freshly seared, a portobello appetizer that blew away anything I have EVER had in LA! The main course was Lamb for me and some Australian fish that I have never heard of that my wife is still raving about. Maybe even better than the food was the wine. My wife and I are both big wine lovers and the new list(evidently there is both a new chef AND a new wine steward) is outstanding! They tell you all about which wines are organic and even biodynamic(they even tell you what that means) I have never seen anything like it, and every page I turned there were more amazing wines to choose from all of the greatest wineries in the world. But mainly California, and since we were eating California "new age" cuisine, we had California wine-well, my wife actually started with a glass a French Sauvignon Blanc, but we shared a bottle of pinot noir from the Ojai Vineyard(we took the bottle home)that absolutely stole the show.I had a really great viognier to start.

We both agreed that this was one of the best meals we have ever had in LA and if we had been eating at one of those snooty places downtown or in Beverly Hills we would have paid at least twice as much for food that was not as good. And the best part was- the fact that we weren't in some wannabe French style crowded art deco lounge (yeah, LA doesn't have enough of those!), but we were sitting by a creek, outdoors with real flowers all around us. We even heard coyotes! It was amazing!I can't believe we had never been there before and we are absolutely going back!

If you are the type who is always tapping your feet at the movies(waiting for it to end) and the explosion was your favorite part,or if at a restaurant with your significant other you want the waitress always hovering over you with a check in her hand waiting for you to leave, then this place is not your kind of restaurant. Head to Chevy's and you'll be happy. But if you want a special night, where you want to get to know that special someone, or spend the night with a group and enjoy great ambience, food and friends for an unrushed, memorable evening, then make a reservation now!

Jonathan

about The Inn of the Seventh Ray:

Part gourmet restaurant, part romantic getaway, part walk in the woods, and all organic, The Inn of the Seventh Ray is a dining experience not to be missed.

The majority of seating is outdoors, though there is some space inside in case of rain. The tables are set on small patios winding around the tree-covered hillside beside a babbling brook. Not only is the setting relaxing for adults, but kids love hunting for frogs and tadpoles and skipping stones in the stream while waiting for lunch. Early dinner can yield sightings of deer, coyotes, and other wildlife wandering through, too.

The food is a creative combination of organic foods, including many vegetarian options, all served by peaceful, new-age wait staff who really know food and wine. Weekend brunches feature a buffet well worth the drive to Topanga. While there is not a specific children's menu, the servers always have off-menu recommendations for kids.

Desserts are yummy and unusual, but be warned: there is no chocolate at the Seventh Ray!

Reservations are strongly recommended. We suggest asking for a creekside table, so that grownups can enjoy a peaceful meal without losing sight of the kids as they go exploring.

One of LA's most romantic restaurants. Inn of the Seventh Ray Restaurant is one of our | Top 10 Los Angeles Vegetarian Restaurants

Inn of the Seventh Ray Located in the heart of Topanga Canyon, the restaurant's main building retains much of its history from the 1930s, when it was a private retreat, church, garage, gas station and auto junkyard. Inspired by its one-time holy sanctuary spirit, the owners transformed the place into one of the most romantic restaurants
in Los Angeles. It starts with the drive through the canyon, then to the tables spread about the garden under gorgeous trees, and along the winding creek, and ends with the gift store on the way out. The owners initially introduced the restaurant as vegetarian, but have departed from that concept. Chef Bradley Miller now oversees the kitchen. Appetizers might include diver scallops with farmers market succotash while entrées may range from crispy vegan duck with herbed soba noodles to oven-roasted Piedmontese filet mignon accompanied by potato-goat cheese-artichoke cake, caramelized sherry cippolini onions and truffle. The bucolic and soothing setting (we prefer the outside rather than the indoor dining room, still bearing the stained-glass of its past) is a good excuse to linger and peruse the quite substantial wine list, boasting over 400 selections from around the world

We Can Cook That

Inn of the Seventh Ray
Duck Bacon Aumlette

Print This Recipe

Inn of the Seventh Ray
128 Old Topanga Canyon Rd., Topanga

inn_intro_photo
We visited Inn of the Seventh Ray on Saturday morning @ 10:30am
A dish we will try to cook – Duck Bacon Aumlette $13

Restaurant Visit

Romantic. Beautiful. Tranquil. These words perfectly sum up Inn of the Seventh Ray. Located along a windy road in Topanga Canyon, Inn of the Seventh Ray is one of the most romantic restaurants in the Los Angeles area, and well worth the drive. The parking lot is small, valet is available for $4, but once you walk through the gate you feel like you are leaving the concrete city for your own private little forest. A creek bed crosses the property and the back area has been restored to its natural state of nature. Round tables with white table clothes, lilac napkins and white, metal baroque chairs dot the brick lined outdoor patio.

We arrived right at 10:30am when they opened and were asked to wait about 10 minutes for them to be ready for us. We entertained ourselves by walking through the new age book store that is located to the side of the restaurant and watching workers set up a part of the patio for a wedding later that day.

Since we were obviously the first to arrive, we were able to choose any table we liked, and chose to sit at the edge of the back patio where we had a wonderful view of the creek and wooded area. The waiter informed us that 90% of their menu is organic and they do not use any refined sugar in their recipes. They also had several fresh squeezed juices available and quite a few vegetarian options. Their wine list is one of the largest, with most of the offerings also organic.

We purposely choose to visit the Inn during brunch, and happily decided on the Duck Bacon Aumlette (don’t let the French fool you, its an omelette), goat cheese quiche and the Belgian waffle. Bread was offered while we waited, which they bake on site daily.
All three dishes had great flavors and are about what you would expect for brunch. We split each plate so we could taste a little bit of several of their offerings. The goat cheese quiche was nicely flavored but was a bit on the oily side, even for an egg and cheese dish. The crust was nice and flaky but overall, one more ingredient (even an herb) added to the goat cheese would have helped give the dish a little pop. Since we both love duck, our favorite was definitely the duck bacon aumlette. The bacon, apples, shallots and brie all balanced nicely with each other – bold, sweet, bitter and creamy. We would have preferred the rind of the brie being cut off, although we know it is perfectly acceptable to eat this part of the cheese. The dish was served with either potatoes or fruit. And while we asked for fruit, it was served with potatoes, which meant we ended up having two sides. The potatoes were a nice surprise and probably the most interesting food we ate. They had a curry flavoring to them, which you would not expect with breakfast food. A yogurt/berry sauce was the highlight of the Belgian waffle, which overall was a bit dry.

We recommend all our readers take the drive to Topanga Canyon to visit the Inn of the Seventh Ray. You can even make an entire day of it by visiting all the little antique shops and stores lining Topanga Canyon Road. The Inn allows you to have a mini vacation of the city and the best part is, the restaurant is fairly casual where both jeans and small children are fine. While we dined, the table next to us even allowed their child to explore the creek area for a little bit. This is a great place to have brunch with friends or celebrate any occasion big or small. While we felt the breakfast food was pretty straight forward, we looked over the lunch and dinner menus and feel they are certainly worth a second visit.

Raw Food

	Flax and Hemp Seed Crackers Olive Tapenade, Bitter Greens Pesto and Macadamia Nut “Cheese”	11
	Velouté Of Heirloom Baby Carrots And Coconut	9
	Raw Vegetable Salad Mâche, Miso Dressing	10
	Pavé Of Portobello Mushrooms Mint, Soy with a White Asparagus “Cream”, Sweet Corn	20
	Parsnip Risotto Parsnip “rice”, Raw Crème Fraîche, Chanterelles, King Trumpettes, Asparagus. Available with Raw Goat Milk Smoked Cheddar from Redwood Hill Farms, Sonoma, California	22
	Carob Ganache Dessert In Cinnamon With A Powdered Almond Coconut Crust And Fig Fool	9

A day of reflection
......a time for sealing the past and creating anew. To be refreshed and
energized by the universal spirit of Nature, to feel lifted within the music
and nourished by the cosmic energy within the food

Sunday Buffet

Vegetarian

Gourmet Vegetarian, Vegan and Raw Food Salads, including Watercress Daikon Salad • Corn Cilantro Pearl Pasta Salad • Green Papaya Salad • Asparagus Salad • Cucumber Salad with Non Dairy Feta • Endive Salad with Roasted Walnuts • Oyster Mushroom and Fennel Salad • Corn Asparaus Salad with Rosemary Oil • Pickled Beet Salad • Brussel Sprout Salad with Sun Dried Tomato • T ofu Rice Pasta Salad • Green Bean Salad • Penne Pasta Salad • Marinated Eggplant Salad with Roasted Bell Peppers • Broccoli Salad • Broccoli Almond Quiche • Assorted Pates & Spreads including Yogurt Ollaliberry Wine, Fresh Berry Sauce • Tofu Quiche • Hummus • Cocktail Sauce • Dill Sauce and Caesar Dressing • Tofu and Real Cream Cheese • Pure Maple Syrup • Our Own Granola with Regular or Soy Milk • Organic Seasonal Fruits • Homemade Sweet Breads • Cinnamon Buns • Apple Crisp • Carob Brownies • Hazelnut Torte • Strawberry English Triffle • Traditional Scones and Vegan Scones • Poppyseed Cakes • Apple Persimmon Cake, Assorted Bagels 33.00

Full Buffet

All of the Vegetarian PLUS Belgian Waffle Bar • Buddha Salad with Chicken • Fresh Scrambled Eggs with Gravlox • Snow Crab Quiche • Poached Irish Salmon • Dungeness Crab • Lox and Naturally Raised Chicken Rosemary 37.00

The buffets as shown is representitive of the items we may be serving but is subject to change, especially with the change of seasons

From the Downstairs Kitchen
Served with your choice of whole wheat sticky bun
or whole wheat fat free scone

	Spinach Aumlette Fresh spinach and Portobello	12
	Duck Bacon Aumlette Chives, apple, shallot, Brie cheese	13
	Shrimp Aumlette Lentils, tomato, fennel, saffron and creme fraiche	13
	Frittata With seasonal roast vegetables	11
	Scramble With lox, scallions, goat cheese	13
	Poached Eggs Two range free and range fed eggs, kale, white bean stew, grilled bread, shaved Mohama tuna	13
	Vegetarian Quiche By Sundays sunrise, and chefs inspiration	12
	Goat Cheese Quiche Naturally good with fresh goat cheese	12
	Warm Brown Rice Avocado, dried sea vegetables, garlic chips, sesame seeds, Braggs liquid amino acids	12
	Wild Mushroom Flatbread Wild Mushrooms, Organic Spinach, Crème Fraîche, Gruyere Cheese	14
	Grilled Black Cod Sandwich Turnips, Cucumber, Radish, Citrus - Pink Peppercorn Vinaigrette	17
	Belgian Waffles With pure Vermont maple syrup, yogurt/berry sauce With fruit and whipped cream Add With fruit and vanilla ice cream Add	9 3 3

From the Upstairs Kitchen

	Organic Hot Cereal Dairy Free with cinnamon and pure maple syrup, Inn dried fresh raisins, roast almonds, soy or whole milk With seasonal fruit topping Add	6.00 3.00
	Bagels With traditional cream cheese or our own tofu cream cheese With Gravlox, tomato and onions	3.50 9.50
	Cinnamon Rolls Made with pure Vermont maple sugar	2.50
	Traditional English and Vegan Scone	2.50
	Poppy Seed Cake	2.50
	Fruit and Nut Breads	2.50
	Vegan Apple Persimmon Cake	2.50
	Basket Assorted Rolls and Bagel	7.00

Dessert
All desserts made with fruit sweetener, pure maple
sugar or other natural sweeteners

	Maple Cheese Cake Champagne Macerated Berries and Fresh Mint Cream	10
	Cinnamon Sugar Banana Beignets Cardamom Semi-Fredo, Pineapple Rum Relish	10
	Apple Crisp Inn Made Granola Crumble, Lavender Ice Cream	9
	Artisan Cheese Chefs Selection of California Artisan Cheeses. Berries, Quince Paste, Honeycomb	18
	Trio Of Ice Creams And Cookies * Selection of Seasonal Ice Creams	9
	Almond Milk Brulee * Soaked, Blended California Almonds, Evaporated Sugar Cane Juice Crystals and Pudwil Farms Organic Berries	9
	Chocoless Hazelnut Cake * Espresso Sorbet, Cocoa Shell Tuile	9
	Trio Of Raw Ice Cream * Chef’s selection of Market Influenced Raw Frozen Treats	9
	* Indicates Vegan

Dessert in a Glass

	Dessert Wines
	Chaucer’s Ollaliberry	8
	Chaucer’s Raspberry	6
	Chaucer’s Mead	6
	Quady “Elysium“ 07 Black Muscat	8

	Port Style Wines
	Madeira, Cossart-Gordon 5 yr Malmsey	10
	Tawny Port, Quinta do Infantado	7
	Tawny Port, Quinta do Infantado 10 y	15
	Madeira, Cossart-Gordon “Charleston”	15

	White Dessert Wines
	Domaine Pinnacle Ice Apple Wine, Canada	8
	Steele Select Late Harvest Chardonnay ‘97	8
	Mendolsohn Pinot Gris ‘99 Napa Valley	10
	Hafner “Essencia” TBA 02’ Burgenland, Austria	15
	Raymond- Lafon ‘03 Sauternes, France	20

A Night to Remember
(Our Engagement Story)

August 16, 2010 I wanted to do something special for the proposal but I knew that most importantly I had to catch Patty off guard in order to really surprise her. She could not have expected it on my Birthday…

I made dinner reservations at the Inn of the Seventh Ray, the most romantic and enchanting restaurant I know, and the place I took Patty the first time we saw each other, months after our initial meeting; a magical setting that already meant so much to the both of us. Our reservation was for 9pm, an hour before the restaurant closed. What Patty didn’t know was that I had arranged for a special table to be set for us, separate from the table we would choose to enjoy our dinner. This second table would be covered in roses and set on the hillside in front of a candlelit statue of the Blessed Mother Mary. I had envisioned asking Patty to be my wife in front of a figure representing the Blessed Mother, who we believe to be the loving force that brought us together….

We entered the restaurant a little tired from the intense yoga class we took together just a few hours before. We sat at our favorite table overlooking the natural creek. Looking into each other’s eyes, reflecting on the serenity of our relationship since our first day together, I mentioned to Patty that I was exactly where I wanted to be with my gift from God. She said that she would always remember the first birthday we were able to spend together. I smiled back in agreement, foreshadowing with my eyes as I repeated, "yes we will always remember this night…"

After dinner and a small organic birthday cheesecake, we proceeded to leave the restaurant. Patty mentioned that she needed to use the restroom before the drive back home and so I walked her up the stairs passing by the beautiful table that awaited us on the hill. This afforded me just enough time to catch the waitress and have her set two glasses of champagne on the table before we sat. As soon as the waitress left, Patty came out of the restroom. I grabbed her hand and told her that I saw something beautiful that I wanted to share with her - we were the only people left in the mystical garden. The peaceful music and delicate strings of white lights set the stage for our fairytale. When I sat her at the romantic table, she was surprised to see the champagne (aware that I’m not much of a drinker) but she assumed that my favorite restaurant was simply treating us with something nice for my birthday. This is just about when my heart began to race. I told Patty to turn around in order to see the Blessed Mother watching over us, as usual. I calmly swung around and kneeled between Patty and the statue, facing our Blessed Mother. I didn’t even need to tell Patty that I wanted to pray in gratitude to our Mother for guiding us, before I knew it, she was on her knees besides me praying softly to her while holding my hand. As soon as she finished, I prayed aloud from my heart for the many blessings in our lives, and especially for bringing Patty and I together….

“Thank you Mother for being in our hearts and for being witness to this moment…”
In a single movement, I pivoted towards Patty while reaching in my pocket for the ring and presenting it to her. “Will you be my wife? Will you walk with me?” With so much surprise and a burst of tears, she clinged to me and exclaimed “Oh mi amor!” I hadn’t even put the ring on her finger; in fact, I was holding onto it on one of my fingers as I embraced her tightly….
We were still on our knees in front of the Virgin when she pulled back and made out the words, “Of course yes!” I slipped the ring onto her finger and kissed her soul…

The Beginning

ZAGAT

Reviews