Eating and Drinking in Los Angeles

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J. Rock · #851 Post by **J. Rock** » July 23rd, 2019, 3:16 pm

Barry L i p t o n wrote: ↑
July 21st, 2019, 10:44 am

johngonzales wrote: ↑
July 15th, 2019, 11:15 am

Barry L i p t o n wrote: ↑
July 14th, 2019, 6:08 pm
Water Grill did the trick. A healthy meal of salad and nice halibut with a few oysters to start. Not particularly special but guilt free
Plus they are corkage-friendly.

On the music front, we went to Spago last night. Did the DineLA tasting menu of about 8 courses. Very good btw. It didn’t bother me, but the modern re-done version of Spago, at one point harm Led Zeppelin (at a beyond backdrop volume) as one dined. I love Zep, but it was different. Music seems a little more in place at Otium, but their’s IS relatively loud and then it combines with the noise of the room.

Also did the Charcoal DineLA with the Gelbs. Another good choice.
Yes, corkage friendly as in $0 corkage fee! Brought a half bottle of Billaud Simon 2012 Monte de Tonnerre for lunch.

Good to hear about Spago. The DineLA menu looks great but I had hesitated because my last meal there was pedestrian. Will be trying AOC's dineLA menu tonight.

When I last had the tasting menu at Spago in December, it exceeded my expectations and I thought it was quite excellent, and my wife agreed. I actually liked the food better than what I had a Maude during their Sonoma menu. I would recommend going back (although, I don't know what on their DinaLA menu).

Barry L i p t o n · #852 Post by **Barry L i p t o n** » July 24th, 2019, 8:31 am

I was hesitant to go back as the one time I went recently (early 2018), it had clearly lost a step from previous years. Glad to hear it's back up there.

Benny P · #853 Post by **Benny P** » July 24th, 2019, 9:11 am

J. Rock wrote: ↑
July 23rd, 2019, 3:16 pm

Barry L i p t o n wrote: ↑
July 21st, 2019, 10:44 am

johngonzales wrote: ↑
July 15th, 2019, 11:15 am

Plus they are corkage-friendly.

On the music front, we went to Spago last night. Did the DineLA tasting menu of about 8 courses. Very good btw. It didn’t bother me, but the modern re-done version of Spago, at one point harm Led Zeppelin (at a beyond backdrop volume) as one dined. I love Zep, but it was different. Music seems a little more in place at Otium, but their’s IS relatively loud and then it combines with the noise of the room.

Also did the Charcoal DineLA with the Gelbs. Another good choice.
Yes, corkage friendly as in $0 corkage fee! Brought a half bottle of Billaud Simon 2012 Monte de Tonnerre for lunch.

Good to hear about Spago. The DineLA menu looks great but I had hesitated because my last meal there was pedestrian. Will be trying AOC's dineLA menu tonight.
When I last had the tasting menu at Spago in December, it exceeded my expectations and I thought it was quite excellent, and my wife agreed. I actually liked the food better than what I had a Maude during their Sonoma menu. I would recommend going back (although, I don't know what on their DinaLA menu).

I also had a very pleasant experience at Spago a couple months back. We hadn't been in awhile and was curious how the restaurant was performing. We did the tasting menu as well and definitely exceeded our expectations and the service we received was top notch as well.

#854 Post by **Jonathan Grunzweig** » July 25th, 2019, 7:45 am

I wanted to give a shout-out to a place I don't recall having seen mentioned here, which I tried for the first time last night: Margot, in the heart of ridiculously-hipster Culver City: https://www.margot.la/. High-energy rooftop venue, casual but with ambitious, small-plate food intended for sharing, and an impressive, well-priced, ambitious wine list -- kudos to the somm., Daniel. Zalto stemware to boot...

Jonathan

#855 Post by **alan weinberg** » July 25th, 2019, 2:59 pm

Jonathan Grunzweig wrote: ↑
July 25th, 2019, 7:45 am
I wanted to give a shout-out to a place I don't recall having seen mentioned here, which I tried for the first time last night: Margot, in the heart of ridiculously-hipster Culver City: https://www.margot.la/. High-energy rooftop venue, casual but with ambitious, small-plate food intended for sharing, and an impressive, well-priced, ambitious wine list -- kudos to the somm., Daniel. Zalto stemware to boot...

Jonathan

99 Amiot Clos de la Roche $116? Good deal.

#856 Post by **c fu** » July 25th, 2019, 9:14 pm

Jonathan Grunzweig wrote: ↑
July 25th, 2019, 7:45 am
I wanted to give a shout-out to a place I don't recall having seen mentioned here, which I tried for the first time last night: Margot, in the heart of ridiculously-hipster Culver City: https://www.margot.la/. High-energy rooftop venue, casual but with ambitious, small-plate food intended for sharing, and an impressive, well-priced, ambitious wine list -- kudos to the somm., Daniel. Zalto stemware to boot...

Jonathan

what's their corkage like?

More and more restaurants in LA are using Zaltos/GGG. I like it. The restaurant wholesale on those are dirt cheap from what I've been told.

#857 Post by **Adam Frisch** » August 7th, 2019, 12:06 pm

I've lived in LA for 10 years. And whenever anyone asks where I live and I say LA, they always say: "wow, best Mexican food!". Now, I just happen to travel to Mexico for work quite a lot, and I can honestly say I've never had any great Mexican food in LA ever. I've had passable Mexican fast food at best, but never anything that would hold up to casual dining or fine dining. Every hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Mexico City will blow the socks of anything I've had here.

So for those of you who are in the know - where do I go for excellent Mexican food here in a dining setting, either crossover or authentic?

G. Greenbaum · #858 Post by **G. Greenbaum** » August 8th, 2019, 8:52 am

I sure hope the food in Mexico City would be better than what we have in LA. LA is not a fine dining city by design and certainly not fine dining Mexican, though Broken Spanish is pretty good and I lament the loss of Rivera and Corazon y Miel. Babita in San Gabriel is arguably the top high end place to go. Where I think we excel is in our mom and pop places, the various tacquerias slinging great bites. Ricky's fish tacos are amazing and better than many I've had in Baja. The Al Pastor at Tacos Leo is the real deal. The birria at El Parian! Mariscos Jalisco has lines down the block. Salazar is still packed and quite good. There are numerous Mole places in the Mar Vista, Del Rey corridor alone, not to mention Guelaguetza, Rocio's and La Casita Mexicana. Coni Seafood has placed Inglewood as a destination! The cities of Bell, Whittier, Montebello, etc all have worthy candidates. With some effort, you might learn to love LA's offerings.

G. Greenbaum · #859 Post by **G. Greenbaum** » August 8th, 2019, 9:31 am

I was remiss in not mentioning Holbox in the Mercado La Paloma. Gilberto's dishes are exquisite!

#860 Post by **Adam Frisch** » August 8th, 2019, 10:39 am

Thanks Gregg.

Yeah, Ricky's Fish Tacos are good and just around the corner from me.

But sometimes you want something that doesn't look like it came from a food truck or a cheap cantina. For me it's the refried beans that always, and I mean always, comes out of a can here. Heard good things about Broken Spanish. Tried Barco Mercat a few years ago when it was all the rage, but a little too crossover for me.

J. Rock · #861 Post by **J. Rock** » August 8th, 2019, 2:50 pm

I thought Barco Mercat was fine/good, but didn't stand out to me.

I'm very happy with most small taco shops around town (Guisados, Chanos, Pinches), but I don't know if I can think of any really impressive spot I've been to for elevated/gourmet Mexican cuisine. I did enjoy going to Cascabel for some decently elevated Mexican/LatAm fusion food when I lived right around the corner, but at times, it could be a bit hit and miss and likely not worth the drive if you don't live in the area.

Barry L i p t o n · #862 Post by **Barry L i p t o n** » August 8th, 2019, 3:40 pm

Don’t think it’s open anymore but I thought Rivera was excellent Mexican and high end.

A +1 for holbox.

Benny P · #863 Post by **Benny P** » August 8th, 2019, 5:58 pm

A little off the beaten path but there's Babita restaurant in San Gabriel about 10 or so miles east of Downtown LA if craving elevated Mexican food. It's been awhile so not sure how it is these days, but a change of pace from the various taco shops and more casual restaurants in the area.

#864 Post by **joz€f p1nxten** » August 9th, 2019, 1:45 am

Thanks for all of the info in this thread but...for a newbie to LA, it's a bit too much to make sense. I'll be spending 3 nights in LA with my wife, from 2 to 5 January 2020 [EDIT from: 2 to 5 August] after a trip through Arizona / Utah / LV. We'll be staying close to Sunset Boulevard. Looks like a good place to start from to discover LA, but in the end no idea (never been to the West Coast).

I just had a couple of questions:
- this Majordomo place seems to be pretty trendy, but it's located way out East? Seems like quite far from where we are - or is it doable by Uber?
- What i learned in this thread was that LA is known for it's "hole in the wall" eateries serving good food - is there are list of those which I can consult (eg Mexican, my wife is not really into spicy Asian food unfortunately)? Seems like an interesting thing to try and I assume you don't need to make a reservation.
- Maude, Republique and Angler don't seem to be too far from our hotel in the evening. Those seem good restaurants - can I consider them as typical LA - looking for a local restaurant experience, if I want French cuisine, I can have that over in Europe as well...

Also, in the Las Vegas thread, I learned that you can have wine delivered to your hotel? Is that also possible in LA? And you can take that to a BYOB (I am all new to this...)?

Any input will be highly appreciated!

johngonzales · #865 Post by **johngonzales** » August 9th, 2019, 9:21 am

Aug 2 to 5 have already passed, yet you posted after that date???

Majordomo is probably $17-20 in an Uber from (eg) Sunset and La Cienega, dependent on time of day.

Yes you can bring wine to most restaurants. They will charge a few which may or may not make it worthwhile. If you want to drink wine that costs more than $50 retail, then bringing is typically worthwhile. A few wineshops deliver, though I am not sure which. Maybe Wally’s, not sure about K&L. But the K&L shop itself is right on Vine near Sunset, so close to Hollywood hotels.

For someone who hasn’t been to L.A., I would suggest going to somewhere coastal. Where you can dine, walk the oceanfront area, and soak up that vibe. Santa Monica fits the bill, Abott Kinney isn’t walkable to the ocean but has the west side vibe.
For food, I would look for Mexican, Asian, Cal cuisine. Those are more unique to L.A., so at least touch upon them

#866 Post by **Mich@el Ch@ng** » August 9th, 2019, 9:48 am

Depending on where you're staying, Animal and Republique would be good choices, and very LA in my opinion. Gjelina or Felix on Abott Kinney wouldn't be a bad choice, either. Venice would be a brutal commute from Hollywood, though.

J. Rock · #867 Post by **J. Rock** » August 9th, 2019, 12:55 pm

While I had a great time at Maude a few months ago, I didn't think it quite stacked up to the other tasting menus I've had somewhat recently at Scratch, Spago or Dialogue; however, it's possible that their last menu just didn't match with my particular tastes as well as some others. I do really like how the menu is wine region inspired and they waive corkage for bottles from the region featured in the current menu. I am tempted to go back for the current Champagne menu.

Depending how far West on Sunset you'll be staying, I recommend considering having brunch at Mastro's Ocean Club in Malibu (by the Palisades). I think the food is very good (even if not the very best in town), especially for brunch, but I think it's the setting right on the ocean with live piano music that sets it apart as a great brunch destination, especially if you're visiting. It's hard to have a bad day when I start it off by having lobster eggs benedict and a glass of Champagne while watching the dolphins go by just outside the window.

Robert Dentice · #868 Post by **Robert Dentice** » August 9th, 2019, 4:18 pm

joz€f p1nxten wrote: ↑
August 9th, 2019, 1:45 am

Also, in the Las Vegas thread, I learned that you can have wine delivered to your hotel? Is that also possible in LA? And you can take that to a BYOB (I am all new to this...)?

Any input will be highly appreciated!

Yes. I use Wine House for this but mostly because of their German selection. I am sure many other stores deliver.

https://www.winehouse.com

Another one I use is Kogod Wine but they need a days notice because they ship, but transport is in cool shipping boxes.

https://www.kogodwine.com

And most restaurants have BYOB but I would defer more to the locals.

#869 Post by **c fu** » August 9th, 2019, 4:31 pm

K&L wine also does local shipping.

J. Rock · #870 Post by **J. Rock** » August 10th, 2019, 9:39 am

Wally's also does local delivery (for a significant fee, from what I remember), although if you're going to Maude (or Cut/Spago/Urasawa/etc.), for example, Wally's of Beverly Hills is walking distance from there (or a very short Uber detour), so I'd just pick it up myself. A lot of their wines are in warehouse storage, however, so they often need 24 - 48 hours to get your wine at their retail/restaurant location.

Several other stores also do local delivery, so if you see a bottle you like at a certain store, look on their website or call them to see if they deliver.

#871 Post by **joz€f p1nxten** » August 11th, 2019, 4:46 am

johngonzales wrote: ↑
August 9th, 2019, 9:21 am
Aug 2 to 5 have already passed, yet you posted after that date???

Majordomo is probably $17-20 in an Uber from (eg) Sunset and La Cienega, dependent on time of day.

Yes you can bring wine to most restaurants. They will charge a few which may or may not make it worthwhile. If you want to drink wine that costs more than $50 retail, then bringing is typically worthwhile. A few wineshops deliver, though I am not sure which. Maybe Wally’s, not sure about K&L. But the K&L shop itself is right on Vine near Sunset, so close to Hollywood hotels.

For someone who hasn’t been to L.A., I would suggest going to somewhere coastal. Where you can dine, walk the oceanfront area, and soak up that vibe. Santa Monica fits the bill, Abott Kinney isn’t walkable to the ocean but has the west side vibe.
For food, I would look for Mexican, Asian, Cal cuisine. Those are more unique to L.A., so at least touch upon them

Thank you - the trip is 2-5 January in LA - my mistake! I was thinking that around that period, the sea side will be very quiet, so we didn't book a hotel there.

Thanks all for the tips, I will look into them!

Robert Dentice · #872 Post by **Robert Dentice** » August 11th, 2019, 9:45 am

Lovely Japanese breakfast at Konbi:

And not to sound like a broken record but another great overall meal at Majordomo.

johngonzales · #873 Post by **johngonzales** » August 27th, 2019, 9:16 am

Christophe Eme is out at Kass already. I thought he was actually the main owner but, regardless, it seems like some stylistic differences hit. I’d speculate that he wanted to do more of a restaurant, with more serious food, than a wine bar.

#874 Post by **G. Keeler** » August 27th, 2019, 11:11 am

Robert Dentice wrote: ↑
August 11th, 2019, 9:45 am
Lovely Japanese breakfast at Konbi:

And not to sound like a broken record but another great overall meal at Majordomo.

We did Majordomo and Konbi a few weekends ago as well. Domo was very good again and I really like what they do with veggies. A roasted squash dish with fish sauce and crispy shallots was great. We really enjoyed Knobi the next morning. Egg salad sandwich was great but a tofu dish with tomato and crispy rice was out of this world good. That dish would have been perfectly at home as a course in a 3* tasting menu.

#875 Post by **c fu** » August 27th, 2019, 12:55 pm

G. Keeler wrote: ↑
August 27th, 2019, 11:11 am

Robert Dentice wrote: ↑
August 11th, 2019, 9:45 am
Lovely Japanese breakfast at Konbi:

And not to sound like a broken record but another great overall meal at Majordomo.
We did Majordomo and Konbi a few weekends ago as well. Domo was very good again and I really like what they do with veggies. A roasted squash dish with fish sauce and crispy shallots was great. We really enjoyed Knobi the next morning. Egg salad sandwich was great but a tofu dish with tomato and crispy rice was out of this world good. That dish would have been perfectly at home as a course in a 3* tasting menu.

man i gotta go to Konbi. Everyone keeps talking about it and it's not terribly far from me

G. Greenbaum · #876 Post by **G. Greenbaum** » September 3rd, 2019, 9:58 am

Jonathan Grunzweig wrote: ↑
July 25th, 2019, 7:45 am
I wanted to give a shout-out to a place I don't recall having seen mentioned here, which I tried for the first time last night: Margot, in the heart of ridiculously-hipster Culver City: https://www.margot.la/. High-energy rooftop venue, casual but with ambitious, small-plate food intended for sharing, and an impressive, well-priced, ambitious wine list -- kudos to the somm., Daniel. Zalto stemware to boot...

Jonathan

We went to check out Margot over the weekend. All I can say is this is without a doubt, the loudest restaurant I have ever been in. We had to leave before ordering due to the volume. We could not hear each other and would have been shouting at one another had we stayed. They have a DJ that starts to play music around 8:30. I will say the management was absolutely as gracious as could be and very apologetic. They tried to accommodate us but unfortunately, nothing could mitigate the volume. It is a beautiful space, so maybe on an off night, I'll return. Never had a chance to even peruse the menu/wine list.

Brian G r a f s t r o m · #877 Post by **Brian G r a f s t r o m** » September 4th, 2019, 9:15 am

That's a bummer, Gregg. That's my #1 restaurant pet peeve.

#878 Post by **Marshall Gelb** » September 13th, 2019, 2:29 pm

Brian G r a f s t r o m wrote: ↑
September 4th, 2019, 9:15 am
That's a bummer, Gregg. That's my #1 restaurant pet peeve.

Mine as well! We went to Hatchett Hall a couple of weeks ago with John & Mary Gonzales. The place was deafening and so dark that you could not even see your food let alone read the menu. In reality, the food was pretty decent but the overall experience was (for me) unpleasant.

Cheers!
Marshall

johngonzales · #879 Post by **johngonzales** » September 13th, 2019, 5:21 pm

Marshall Gelb wrote: ↑
September 13th, 2019, 2:29 pm

Brian G r a f s t r o m wrote: ↑
September 4th, 2019, 9:15 am
That's a bummer, Gregg. That's my #1 restaurant pet peeve.
Mine as well! We went to Hatchett Hall a couple of weeks ago with John & Mary Gonzales. The place was deafening and so dark that you could not even see your food let alone read the menu. In reality, the food was pretty decent but the overall experience was (for me) unpleasant.

Cheers!
Marshall

I have lots of pet peeves. I think that’s what happens when you’re on the wrong side of 55.

My big one is this craze with the kitchen bringing out dishes in whatever order at whatever pace they choose. I also don’t like really noisy or really dark. Hatchet Hall brought some fears on all three of those.

In reality, with a good amount of cajoling, they did sequence and pace the dishes very well. The menu is very interesting, and the food was actually quite good. It was way too noisy and it was way too dark. As we discusssed that night, I be told most of the crowd didn’t have a problem with it, but it really detracted for all four of us. I have heard since that it is much better in both regards on the patio. I’d go back and sit there, but wouldn’t dine inside.

I don’t think it bothered me as much as it did the other three, but they also broke the corks opening two of our wines. They strained the white and decanted the red so the bottles ended up drinking fine, but they weren’t the apex of wine service.

#880 Post by **M.Kaplan** » September 13th, 2019, 5:50 pm

Marshall and John,
1. Always always always sit on the patio at Hatchett Hall on the weekends; weeknights inside aren't too busy/noisy.
2. Eat the porkchop.

Brian G r a f s t r o m · #881 Post by **Brian G r a f s t r o m** » September 14th, 2019, 12:47 am

Marshall Gelb wrote: ↑
September 13th, 2019, 2:29 pm

Brian G r a f s t r o m wrote: ↑
September 4th, 2019, 9:15 am
That's a bummer, Gregg. That's my #1 restaurant pet peeve.
Mine as well! We went to Hatchett Hall a couple of weeks ago with John & Mary Gonzales. The place was deafening and so dark that you could not even see your food let alone read the menu. In reality, the food was pretty decent but the overall experience was (for me) unpleasant.

Cheers!
Marshall

Similar experience at Cassia tonight, but moreso with the noise than dim lighting. Service and food were both excellent. But just way too loud. Pumped-in music. Conversation was difficult, and required speaking at loud volume. Got up from the table seriously conflicted as to whether we'd return, but then, as soon as we stepped outside to walk to our vehicles, I noticed the outdoor dining area, which would have been so much better on the noise front.

The really nefarious aspect of excessive noise in a restaurant is that it has a tendency to snowball.

johngonzales · #882 Post by **johngonzales** » September 14th, 2019, 8:57 am

Brian G r a f s t r o m wrote: ↑
September 14th, 2019, 12:47 am

Similar experience at Cassia tonight, but moreso with the noise than dim lighting. Service and food were both excellent. But just way too loud. Pumped-in music. Conversation was difficult, and required speaking at loud volume. Got up from the table seriously conflicted as to whether we'd return, but then, as soon as we stepped outside to walk to our vehicles, I noticed the outdoor dining area, which would have been so much better on the noise front.

The really nefarious aspect of excessive noise in a restaurant is that it has a tendency to snowball.

I like Cassia. The light level is definitely fine, double that at Hatchet Hall. The noise level is slightly less as well. As you state, the problem with noise, which is ridiculously obvious, is the snowball/competitive aspect. People want to talk at meals. The density of patrons and lack of attenuation make for a lively chatter at a place like Cassia or Hatchet Hall. When the establishment wants to have music, that simply add some to the baseline background sound which people must talk over. If the place then attempts to make the music audible in the crowded environs by turning it up a little, the talking volume goes up and it just becomes untenable. Restaurants that have an attached bar area seem to have a greater challenge as they almost always seek easily audible music in the bar area.

Almost everyone likes music, but being able to converse is more essential.

G. Greenbaum · #883 Post by **G. Greenbaum** » September 14th, 2019, 12:43 pm

M.Kaplan wrote: ↑
September 13th, 2019, 5:50 pm
Marshall and John,
1. Always always always sit on the patio at Hatchett Hall on the weekends; weeknights inside aren't too busy/noisy.
2. Eat the porkchop.

Mark beat me to it. HH is one of my favorite restaurants in LA. I've had both celebratory as well as regular dinners. I always eat outside when the weather allows. If I go with a group of 6 or more they have a great round table. The food is fantastic and their wine list is well chosen, mostly natural. My favorite dish is the spooonbread with mushrooms and parmesan.

Brian G r a f s t r o m · #884 Post by **Brian G r a f s t r o m** » September 14th, 2019, 11:15 pm

I'll have to check out Hatchett Hall. I'll admit I've not even heard of it; thanks to this conversation I'll ensure we get outside seating.

johngonzales · #885 Post by **johngonzales** » September 14th, 2019, 11:40 pm

G. Greenbaum wrote: ↑
September 14th, 2019, 12:43 pm

.......their wine list is well chosen, mostly natural.

Oxymoron

Marshall and I were chuckling at their corkage policy that asks one not to bring anything on their list. No risk there. It’s a pretty deep list of esoteric, moderately priced, young wine.

G. Greenbaum · #886 Post by **G. Greenbaum** » September 16th, 2019, 9:46 am

johngonzales wrote: ↑
September 14th, 2019, 11:40 pm

G. Greenbaum wrote: ↑
September 14th, 2019, 12:43 pm

.......their wine list is well chosen, mostly natural.
Oxymoron

Marshall and I were chuckling at their corkage policy that asks one not to bring anything on their list. No risk there. It’s a pretty deep list of esoteric, moderately priced, young wine.

It's only oxymoronic if you prefer Sucklingized milkshakes.

johngonzales · #887 Post by **johngonzales** » September 16th, 2019, 9:04 pm

There’s a whole gigantic, historic, world of great wine that’s not a milkshake but not “natural”. THough not many people even know what qualifies as “natural”. But hey, as esoteric as the list is, irks much better than it was when they opened, and they’re cool with byo.

J. Rock · #888 Post by **J. Rock** » September 19th, 2019, 2:43 pm

Does anyone know where to find the menu for Pasjoli? It's driving me nuts that I can't see what they serve or how much they charge.

#889 Post by **c fu** » September 20th, 2019, 9:35 am

J. Rock wrote: ↑
September 19th, 2019, 2:43 pm
Does anyone know where to find the menu for Pasjoli? It's driving me nuts that I can't see what they serve or how much they charge.

i saw a bunch of pictures on instagram.

J. Rock · #890 Post by **J. Rock** » September 20th, 2019, 12:03 pm

c fu wrote: ↑
September 20th, 2019, 9:35 am

J. Rock wrote: ↑
September 19th, 2019, 2:43 pm
Does anyone know where to find the menu for Pasjoli? It's driving me nuts that I can't see what they serve or how much they charge.
i saw a bunch of pictures on instagram.

I took a wild guess at the URL and found what looks like a draft of the menu for anyone wondering. https://www.pasjoli.com/menu. Very excited to try some of Dave's food without having to pay Dialogue prices every time.

#891 Post by **G. Keeler** » September 20th, 2019, 2:20 pm

Ha. I wouldn’t call that a wild guess.

johngonzales · #892 Post by **johngonzales** » September 21st, 2019, 7:26 pm

I wonder how Beran is going to split time. When we went to Dialogue he was mega-involved in about every dish coming out of the kitchen. Hard to imagine he wouldn’t be at Dialogue every night. Maybe he’ll conceptualize and have someone else head the kitchen at the new spot.
Definitely looking forward to a place with a mortal’s price-point, an fun one that’s a bit more straight ahead.

Brian G r a f s t r o m · #893 Post by **Brian G r a f s t r o m** » September 23rd, 2019, 9:53 pm

Is Hatchett Hall in the old Waterloo and City location? If "Yes," I can *definitely* understand the noise problem.

G. Greenbaum · #894 Post by **G. Greenbaum** » September 24th, 2019, 8:09 am

It is Brian. When you reserve, request a table outside. Sitting inside on nights other than Fri and Sat are not too bad. If you are just 2, sitting at the far right side of the bar is also helpful.

J. Rock · #895 Post by **J. Rock** » September 24th, 2019, 2:57 pm

johngonzales wrote: ↑
September 21st, 2019, 7:26 pm
I wonder how Beran is going to split time. When we went to Dialogue he was mega-involved in about every dish coming out of the kitchen. Hard to imagine he wouldn’t be at Dialogue every night. Maybe he’ll conceptualize and have someone else head the kitchen at the new spot.
Definitely looking forward to a place with a mortal’s price-point, an fun one that’s a bit more straight ahead.

As much as I would love to eat Dave's food without paying about $300/person, I'm hoping (and betting) Dave remains cooking at Dialogue where's he's making magic happen.

Brian G r a f s t r o m · #896 Post by **Brian G r a f s t r o m** » September 26th, 2019, 1:45 am

G. Greenbaum wrote: ↑
September 24th, 2019, 8:09 am
It is Brian. When you reserve, request a table outside. Sitting inside on nights other than Fri and Sat are not too bad. If you are just 2, sitting at the far right side of the bar is also helpful.

Cool. Thanks, Gregg.

J. Rock · #897 Post by **J. Rock** » September 26th, 2019, 12:55 pm

In case anyone was as curious as I was, here's the actual current menu at Pasjoli https://la.eater.com/2019/9/26/20885586 ... pen-inside I'm drooling just thinking about it. It's certainly not cheap, but I'll be able to go here more than Dialogue. If it's the same or similar duck, it's just excellent.

#898 Post by **G. Keeler** » September 27th, 2019, 11:40 am

J. Rock wrote: ↑
September 26th, 2019, 12:55 pm
In case anyone was as curious as I was, here's the actual current menu at Pasjoli https://la.eater.com/2019/9/26/20885586 ... pen-inside I'm drooling just thinking about it. It's certainly not cheap, but I'll be able to go here more than Dialogue. If it's the same or similar duck, it's just excellent.

Menu and pictures look pretty good. Pricing seems fairly reasonable as well. I strongly disliked my meal at Dialogue but this looks promising if it can turn out consistent food.

Brian G r a f s t r o m · #899 Post by **Brian G r a f s t r o m** » October 1st, 2019, 8:44 am

Loved Hatchett Hall! Had a small table outside, and glad we did because it was quite noisy inside. As mentioned by others, good-sized portions. $20 corkage on first 2 bottles, $40 thereafter, will waive one if you buy from their list.

We ordered 4 dishes: 1 was very good (pork chop, which was cooked perfectly), and 3 were excellent (octopus app.; spoonbread with mushrooms app.; roasted game hen main). The roasted hen was mind-bendingly delicious! I found myself using the little bit of leftover sauce on the game hen dish for the pork. The octopus was delicious, and was cooked perfectly. So, that is two difficult-to-cook proteins that this kitchen executed flawlessly --- color me impressed; I've been to many "fancier" restaurants that lacked the technical execution of Hatchett Hall.

I enoyed the casual atmosphere, and lack of pretension in the food. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy fine dining as much as the next guy, but sometimes you just want super delicious stick-to-your-ribs food, and Hatchett Hall delivers that in an upscale format for the category.

johngonzales · #900 Post by **johngonzales** » October 2nd, 2019, 1:15 pm

Just a nit that somehow started and is running: It''s Hatchet Hall, not Hatchett.