When the weather turns frigid and cold (in other parts of the world), there is one redeeming seasonal factor.  Winter is truffle season, of course!  Truffle connoisseurs’ hearts start racing with the first sign of winter because it means the season of multi-course, delectable truffle dinners is upon us.  Among the most expensive ingredients one can buy, the best black truffles are found in Richerenches, a village in southern France somewhat near Provence.

One of the best ways to experience (and thus celebrate) the rich flavor and beautiful aroma of the black truffle would be to cancel your evening plans and head downtown for Patina’s Black Truffle tasting menu – on tonight and tomorrow night only.  You can decide between four, five, six, and seven course meals each highlighting the effortlessly perfect marriage between truffle and the rest of the plate.  The first course, for example, is a Peasant Black Truffle Salad with Country Bread, White Mushrooms, and Parmesan.  You’ll follow that with Foie Gras Ravioli, which features handmade pasta dough made with eggs that have infused the flavor of the truffles.  Should you decide to go full force, your meal will also include Milk Fed Veal Tenderloin with Vegetables and Black Truffles followed by a cheese course (bien sur!) and a Bartlett Pear and Almond Cake with Black Truffle Ice Cream.

You’d have to be cold-blodded if, by the end of this culinary masterpiece, you don’t feel like Richerenches has come to you!  And you didn’t even have to train your dog to hunt truffles this year.

Patina is located at 141 S. Grand Ave in Downtown LA.  For reservations, call (213) 972-3331.  Dinners range from $140 – $185 per person depending on how many courses you choose.  Hurry, the Black Truffle tasting menus end tomorrow evening!