Argent Restaurant and Bar * Dana Hotel

I went to an event last month and this fabulous hairdresser thought I had just found my new “Let’s-meet-up-at” place. The drinks were great and the appetizers that I had were fantastic. I just loved the open space and ambiance. But this new place is actually the re-imagined restaurant bar in the Dana Hotel!

Argent Restaurant and Raw Bar had its grand opening this past May and I must have missed it because I was in California for three weeks and I’ve been a little busy, ya know? The event was the #MCBuickTour wrap up party with TV “Hostess with the Cuisine Mostess,” Johanna Cook, aka: Mama Cuisine. (Watch her new TV show!) I love Johanna and she would not have her social event anywhere that didn’t serve awesome food for foodies.

Most of the restaurant and bar was taken up most of my social media friends and we were treated to fabulous spicy apps and sliders and I had no intention of paying attention to the food because I was just hangin’ and I prefer to drink my dinner, as you all should know by now -- but one little bite off of Johanna’s plate had me screaming, “This appetizer is great!” It was Oxtail Ragu.  Wha...?  So I had another and then another type of app and pretty much made a pig of myself the rest of the evening. “Stop, right there! I have not tired that one yet...”

Mistakenly I thought that Argent was just a bar that served specialty apps because my group mingled upstairs in the VIP (duh) lofty area, so when I went home to find out, online, just what else I had eaten, I found that they are open for breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch! WHERE HAVE I BEEN?!

(Check out their ZOMBIE BRUNCH SUNDAY Oct 28th.)

Chef Nathan's Pre-Marathon Pasta

I can’t really give you a full review until I go back for dinner and brunch (my two fav meals to enjoy food), but I can definitely tell you that the Ox Tail app, the sliders and the raw hors d'oeuvres stood out as Foodie heaven food, even through my martini haze. (Great pours!)

I’m going back.  I leave you with their menu and the link to Argent so you can decide for yourself when you will check it out as well.

MY NEW FAV APPS:

Sana Sliders (2) lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, jalepenos chopped beef, choice of cheese, fries

Oxtail Fritters with bacon and brown butter vinaigrette

Oxtail Ragu bone marrow, garlic confit, wildflower honey

Rodelio Aglibot

Hot looking, right?!

I give you the Argent Menu which is subject to change:

RAW BAR

OYSTERS half or full dozen - traditional garnish, chef selected East coast

and West Coast

Oyster shooter chef’s recipe w/ vodka

crab duet alaskan king crab leg and Maryland blue crab vinaigrette

cocktail Shrimp (4)

Crab claws

Alaskan King Legs 1/2 pound

King Crab Bites

CRUDOS

(Sashimi grade)

Amberjack orange oil, pickled and fresh jalepeno

Ahi Tuna kani, sriracha, peppers, unagi glaze

salmon salsa, ponzu, pickled onions

NIGIRI / SASHIMI

Tuna

Salmon

Amberjack

Shrimp

SPECIALTY ROLLS

spicy tuna hand chopped tuna, chili mayo

Baja California shrimp, kani kama, avocado

Amberjack ROLL amberjack, scallions, wasabi aioli, more amberjack

Citrus Salmon mango, avocado, preserved lemon

NOSH

Chicken wings grilled with ginger scallion

“Three Little Devilled EggS” one each with shallots, shrimp, and bacon

Vegetable roll cucumber, avocado and wakami

dana sliders (2) lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, jalepenos chopped beef, choice of cheese, fries

Oxtail Fritters with bacon and brown butter vinaigrette

COLD AND SEASONAL

tuna tartare avocado, crispy shallots, wasabi sesame soy, wontons

crispy spinach salad tomato ginger dressing, yogurt, currants, carrots

caesar salad romaine hearts, croutons, parmesan, Caesar aioli

because I’m French chef selected greens, the best French dressing ever

“BLT” bacon, butter lettuce, red onions, tomatoes, blue cheese, green goddess dressing, bread crumbs

heirloom tomato & Watermelon Salad arugula, balsamic

chopped vegetable salad 8 veg, garlic whole grain mustard vinaigrette

HOT STARTERS

“chicken and waffles” waffle fries and chicken ala king

Baked oysters (4) butter,garlic, parmesan, preserved lemon

spaghetti sweet corn cream, scallion, cracked pepper, parmesan

Oxtail Ragu bone marrow, garlic confit, wildflower honey

Crab Cakes blue crab, tomato, braised red cabbage, citrus aioli

TOASTS

lobster on toast poached lobster tail, hollandaise

creamed chipped mushrooms béchamel, porcini, maitaki, enoki

“porcupine” meatballs chopped meat, rice, mushroom tomato gravy, giardinera

Asparagus on Brioche parmesan, poached egg

BIG AS PLATES

fried natural chicken half, bacon-maple dip, scallion biscuit

pan roasted scottish salmon sake bouillon, summer vegetables

seared sushi grade sea scallops lobster corn sauce

shrimp and grits grilled marinated shrimp, piperade, cheesy grits

Carpet bag STEAK marinated and grilled skirt steak, oysters rockefeller

ribeye steak char-grilled, oxtail ragu, bordelaise, melted shallots

burger d’ argent double patty, custom chopped beef, American cheese, brioche, pickled jalapenos, bread and butter pickles, french dressing

ETC/SIDES 5

Creamed spinach • fries • grilled

asparagus w/ poached egg & béarnaise •

Cheese Grits