Benjamin Bailly Appointed Executive Chef At Cliff's Edge

Chef Benjamin Bailly has joined Cliff's Edge Restaurant as Executive Chef. Benjamin began work on January 3rd, and has been gradually giving the menu a new, more focused direction, while staying true to Cliff's Mediterranean roots.

Says Ben, "I am really looking forward to cooking in this great neighborhood, and creating seasonal food that is rustic and approachable, but also refined and contemporary using fresh, local ingredients."


The new menu is geared strongly toward sharing, and is divided into four sections, 'To Share', 'To Start', 'To Follow', and 'Desserts'.
'To Share' is a menu of small plates designed to make the beginning of the meal a social occasion, shared among friends as an accompaniment to an aperitif or a cocktail from Cliff's recently revamped drinks menu.

Among the items on this menu are:

Chickpea Fritters with Rosemary and Lemon Aioli; Eggplant Caviar with Cumin, Pine Nuts and Cilantro; Salt Cod Brandade with Lemon, Parsley and Garlic Crostini; Pickled Cauliflower with Castelvetrano Olives, and Marcona Almonds.

'To Start' consists of slightly more substantial plates, that can be shared or serve as appetizers. The emphasis, as in all the menu items, is on seasonal, flavorful produce, carefully prepared and served. Baby Beets come with Goat Cheese, Lavender, Orange and Pistachio; Burrata Salad is made all the more seasonal by the inclusion of Persimmon, and a Pomegranate Vinaigrette; Crispy Polenta supports a 'Sunny Side Up' Egg, a Saut�e of Mushrooms, and shaved Pecorino Romano; Seared Scallops are served two to a plate with Cauliflower, Vadouvan, Salsa Verde, and Lebne.


'To Follow' consists of dishes that might normally be described as 'entr�es', larger and more hearty. Skate Wing's delicate texture and flavor is paired with brown butter, sunchokes, pine nuts, lemon and capers; Berkshire Pork Belly is served with Gigante Beans, Chorizo, and Piquillo Soffrito; Taleggio Risotto is partnered with Butternut Squash and Rosemary.

'Desserts' include Chocolate Torta, Pistachio Cr�me Br�l�e, and Gianduja Budino.

The menu will continue to evolve and change regularly with the seasons, and menu specials will reflect the very best of what the market has to offer.


Says partner and manager, Pierre Casanova, "Cliff's Edge has been at the heart of Silver Lake's dining scene for seven years, and with Ben Bailly working with us, we look forward to an exciting new stage in the life of Cliff's. Our guests, and the community, have a great deal of affection for our dining patio, and its amazing ambiance, and we're confident that they're going to fall in love with Ben's food too."

Partners Dana Hollister and Keith Greco, who designed the restaurant and the recently remodeled bar, are equally enthusiastic about Bailly's appointment. "Ben's food reflects exactly how people want to eat now" Says Hollister. "I want to be buried in his Ceviche, it's so good. And with the menu evolving as we move forward, this is a really exciting moment for us."

Cliff's Edge is taking part in this years Dine LA Restaurant Week (http://discoverlosangeles.com/restaurantweekv2/index.html), and items from the menu will be available in a three course Prix Fixe menu for $44.

Chef Benjamin Bailly Bio
Hailing from the village of Denain, in Northern France, Chef Ben, 29, credits his French and Italian family for influencing his menus.

Bailly cut his teeth in the kitchen at Sheraton Park Tower in London, then moving on to work in Alain Ducasse's Spoon at the Hotel Byblos in Saint Tropez.

In 2004, Bailly joined culinary le