The Buffalo burger with truffle fries at Josie
I ate at Josie the other night for my uncle's birthday. Located on Pico and 25th, you would never know that a fine dining restaurant is located amidst the old buildings in Santa Monica. When you're inside the restaurant, you feel like you're in someone's living room; cool green walls and crown moulding, comfy couch-like booths with pillows, and few tables create an intimate feel. They offer a prix fixe menu, which includes an appetizer, entree and dessert, that is well worth the $45 if you like the chosen items. I was not a fan of what the prix fixe had to offer, so I opted for the buffalo burger with truffle fries. Oh...my...goodness. Delicious! My burger was lean, juicy, and HUGE (that's what she said), topped with gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and foie gras, and neither the burger nor fries needed ketchup. As an appetizer to the appetizers, we all got a complimentary slice of a gruyere cheese, mushroom and spinach quiche that was out of this world. Everything was delicious, from the goat cheese tart and bibb salad appetizers, to the buffalo burger and Brittany Salt-Crusted Jidori Chicken Breast, to the rich chocolate bread pudding and apricot tarte tatin for dessert. Don't expect to get out cheap. With appetizers, entrees, desserts, and wine, this place will set you back about $50 per person. Josie may not be a let's-go-grab-a-bite-to-eat type of a place, but I highly recommend it for a nice night out, if you can afford it.
