Culver City Archives | Page 2 of 2 | A Travel Foodie's Journey

July 28, 2019 in Local Eats

Sensational Southern Sunday Supper at Hatchet Hall

I made a dinner reservation for a party of 6 the moment I caught wind that Hatchet Hall, one of the local Culver City eats, had a special fried chicken dinner. Somehow the entire original guest list, aside from my husband and myself, backed out of dinner but luckily I had asked two of our close friends to join as well. The four of us have had many amazing dining experiences together and consider each other as family so it was poignant that we spend our Sunday feast together for this specific event. To call it a spectacular, sensational Southern feast would be a severe understatement. It was probably one of the most amazing food experiences we have shared together in our history of dining all over Los Angeles.

My husband and I each ordered the fried chicken dinner as there was a minimum of 2 orders per table. The fried chicken plate came with piping hot fluffy dinner rolls, super creamy mashed potatoes with gooey gravy and braised greens which had a slightly bitter taste but also had a bit of a salty aftertaste from the bits of possibly bacon or ham which provided a nice contrast. Additionally, it came with a side of cole slaw lightly dressed, not overpowering or over saturating the finely chopped vegetables.

The star though, not surprisingly, was the plate of fried chicken which was perfectly fried and seasoned. The skin was super crispy and lightly seasoned. The meat of the chicken was piping hot and unbelievably tender. Unlike other fried chicken establishments, Hatchet Hall’s chicken was not oily or greasy. These are fighting words, but I am going to have to declare their chicken as the best fried chicken I have ever had and I have eaten quite a few in my lifetime.

Not to be outdone, we also ordered a few items outside of the Sunday through Wednesday 6-7 p.m. fried chicken special.

There was a side dish that looked interesting on the menu called spoonbread with wood roasted mushrooms, herbs including dill and Parmesan. We were enamored, enthralled and salivating over this dish, because of the incredibly unique flavor combinations. It was savory, herbaceous all combined in what seemed to be a very moist cornbread concoction.

In addition, we also ordered a side of the smoky and charred grilled blue lake beans with mushroom vinaigrette and fried shallots which were fine but sadly, paled in comparison to the spoonbread.

Last to arrive of our main entrees was the whole fried sea bass. We were told that we got the last sea bass of the night which was confusing since our reservation was at 6 p.m. and they had just opened. What arrived was a pescatarian’s dream. It was perfectly fried on the outside, with a crispy but not oily exterior, leaving the meat of the fish moist, flaky and easy to pry off the bones. The parsley, chili and lemon sauce added a layer of dimension to each bite.

We finished off our meal with a piping hot peach cobbler topped with ice cream as well as a slice of chocolate cheesecake. The cobbler was perfect, not too sweet, hot but not scolding with a slightly burnt and crispy bottom, cooled off with a scoop of vanilla, melting into the crevices of the cobbler. The cheesecake had an Oreo base with chocolate mousse, a creamy custardy layer and a light chocolate glaze on top. It was deliciously light and ended our experience on a decadent note.
Sunday dinner at Hatchet Hall should not be missed and is an experience that is without a doubt life altering. We felt fortunate to have experienced it together and encourage others to partake and to get there early as the fried chicken extravaganza only lasts an hour and also to order the fish while it’s available as it’s apparently in short supply but in great demand.

Thank you, Hatchet Hall, for giving us a 5 star family dining experience!

http://www.hatchethallla.com/fried-chicken-family-dinner

http://www.hatchethallla.com/menu

May 17, 2019 in Local Eats

Marvelous Meal at Margot

For those in the know, this is not a write-up about a spinoff of the fantastically hilariously funny and witty Amazon series though just like the series it has a throwback, classic feel where you feel the lead character would fit right in with her chic outfits and witty charm. Rather, it is a celebration of a beautiful vibrant restaurant on the outskirts of downtown Culver City which manages to capture the mood and the vibe of the hippest, most popular restaurants and bars of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood with its retro vibe and its 180 view of the city’s skyline.

Margot is where you go to see and be seen. It’s where pretty people eat and drink. Everything about it screams “notice me” but in that subtle nondescript Culver City way. There are people of all ages who come to eat and imbibe, all fashionably dressed but in a subtle, refined and understated manner. Nobody is looking to stand out too much but there are a few with their bare midriffs and teeny shorts who are the exception.

The interior design of the restaurant, its outdoor patio and its indoor and outdoor bars is a nod to the years of yesteryear, evident in their choice of nostalgic Moroccan inspired patterns for table tiles, and retro rustic lighting and furnishings.

It was quite packed when we arrived. Luckily, we had made reservations on Resy and were whisked to the last indoor half booth/table before the outdoor patio. It gave us ample opportunity to people watch.

Our server was fabulous. She was attentive as one would expect at a top notch venue. Our food came out in batches. First to arrive were the asparagus a la plancha and charred broccoli. Of all of our orders, the asparagus was likely the weakest offering as it didn’t offer as much diversity in texture or flavor. It was served with ajo blanco, Marconi almonds and grapes. Perhaps the goal was to have a more subtle subdued flavor and if that was the case, then the dish was a success. The broccoli however was quite exceptional. It had a slightly smoky taste and mixed with the tzatziki sauce and feta, it had a creamy aftertaste. The pastas came next and were the stars of the evening. We ordered the cappelini with truffle and the tagliarini with seafood sausage. Both were spectacular in their different but complementary ways. The truffle, well it goes without saying, that it was light but powerful and decadent. The pasta with seafood sausage made from shrimp was surprisingly robust, had a bit more tomato base and definitely stood toe to toe with the truffle pasta.

The main entrees of whole grilled sea bream and American wagyu zabuton with fingerling potatoes were definitely quite good as would be expected. The fish was amazingly tender, subtly covered in tarragon aioli and salsa verde. The steak was exceptionally juicy and cooked perfectly medium rare and the accompanying fingerling potatoes had a nice crisp toasted outer layer which had a dipping sauce combo of horseradish cream and paprika butter.

For dessert, we ordered the tiramisu tres leches. It had a strong coffee flavor with a creamy filling and tasted quite light on the tongue. It was the perfect way to end a perfect evening.

Margot is definitely someplace I would spend all my special moments as it’s close to home and has a bit of class and a sexy vibe beckoning you in to partake in the beauty that is the Mah-velous Margot.

Margot 8820 Washington Blvd., Suite 301

Culver City, CA 90232

https://www.margot.la

April 21, 2019 in Local Eats

Dear John’s Bar

I’m in what can only be described as a happiness food coma from our sensational dinner experience at Dear John’s which was recently reopened this last week as a passion project by the renowned Hans Rockenwagner, Patti Rockenwagener and Josiah Citrin. To say that I am in love and enamored with the food and the vibe at the restaurant would be an understatement. It’s been quite some time where I’ve been personally transformed and moved by the food, the service and the ambiance.

I had been to Dear John’s a few times before in its original incarnation. We came for New Year’s Eve dinner several years ago and the patrons clearly had been loyal to the staff and the food for quite some time. The food was okay, moderately priced, the pianist and singer were entertaining and it was a solid, respectable night.

Tonight’s dinner extravaganza was not even the same conversation or the same crowd. The clientele seemed more established, more polished but not uptight. This reincarnation did not have live entertainment but they had lively music playing in the background. The restaurant looked like a more tightened version of the original with a nod to its history.

The food, however, was a complete 180. Everything we ordered just topped our expectations which is a sensational sign for the success of this “do-over” that our city, Culver City, is so incredibly lucky to have for the next two years. We started with the tableside Caesar salad which was a show in and of itself. It was creamy and delicious, perfectly and evenly mixed with the dressing.

Our friends ordered the garlic bread, avocado crab Louie, shrimp cocktail and wedge salad to start, which all looked beautiful. The garlic bread was the only one I sampled of the four and though I try to limit my carbs, that toasted, garlic, buttery goodness was definitely worth the splurge. Each order came with two delicious breadsticks.

My husband and I ordered the filet with cafe de Paris butter, chicken Parmesan and broccolini.

Our friends ordered the ribeye, lobster Thermidor, creamed corn and fries. We got a bonus treat of the spaghetti and clams from Hans and Patti.

There are no words for how amazing everything tasted. For me, it’s been a while since I’ve eaten at a top quality restaurant where everything tasted like they should and all the accompaniments fit together. Everything seemed like it was prepared and cooked by an Iron Chef but understated, and that is a huge accomplishment in a town that has so much competition.

To top off this magical evening was the mind boggling chocolate peanut butter wafer dessert. It took 2 hands to cut through the dense deliciousness. I’m not a dessert person, but I somehow accidentally yet deliberately ate 3 very large teaspoons of the ice cream and the cake combo. If I had a dessert of choice, that would embody my ideal. It was moist, yet dense but not sweet. Each flavor came through with each bite.

We had met Josiah through our lovely dinner companions in the past but tonight was our first time meeting Hans and Patti who are just sensational people, committed to the restaurant and were there to meet guests, making sure their dinner experience was everything it should be.

Dear John’s Bar is where people should go for the next two years to treat themselves to an amazing dinner experience and savor in the joys of eating.

We will be back again and will bring our friends. Many thanks to Josiah, Hans and Patti for an amazing delectable dinner experience!

Dear John’s Bar

11208 Culver Blvd.

Culver City, CA 90230

https://www.dearjohnsbar.com

April 19, 2019 in Local Eats

Seasalt Fish Grill

I had been wanting to try this casual eats for some time. It’s not quite in downtown Culver City so it’s away from the madness and perhaps that was my hesitation previously. However, on Good Friday, after a long, exhausting week, we just wanted to go somewhere and have some decent, reasonably priced food without any effort of getting dressed up.

Seasalt Fish Grill is located in a building with adjacent free parking. You walk up to the counter, order and they give you a number to place on your table. It’s beer, wine, sake and shoji only. They have a TV where you can watch whatever sports event is in season. The seating is casual and comfortable. The restaurant is not very big but it didn’t seem to be very busy on a Friday night.

We ordered the seaweed salad, half spicy tuna, half salmon poke bowl with mango, corn, avocado, the North Shore shrimp which came with rice, red onions and pickled cucumber and the fish and chips with garlic Parmesan fries.

The poke bowl was the winner though some bites of the fish were tough but overall the flavor combination was varied and enjoyable. The seaweed salad was solid and had remnants of sesame flavor.

The North Shore shrimp had the shell on the breading which was unexpected, and it tasted sweet, unlike the three plates of garlic shrimp we had at Giovannis’s Shrimp Truck on the North Shore of Oahu. The pickled cucumber countered the sweetness of the plate.

The fish and chips were okay. The breading didn’t attach to the fish in 2 of the 3 fish sticks and the garlic Parmesan flavor didn’t absorb into the fries.

Overall, for the quality of the food, we would give it 3 stars. The location, convenience, casualness and service, we would give a 4. I wouldn’t go out of my way to dine here and for casual seafood eats, I would choose California Fish grill but if you’re in the area, about to watch a show at Kirk Douglas and don’t want to spend a lot of money, Sea Salt Fish Grill would be a solid option.

Seasalt Fish Grill

9901 Washington Blvd, Ste. 101

Culver City, CA 90232

https://seasaltfishgrill.com/culvercity/index.html

March 12, 2019 in Local Eats

Taco Tuesday at Don Chuy’s

One would be hard pressed to find fault with Don Chuy’s Taco Tuesday special. I did a search of the best Taco Tuesday special and discovered that Don Chuy’s, a mere 5 minute drive from home, offered 99 cent tacos!

Since it was mid afternoon, the chances of the restaurant being busy were fairly slim, I leaped out of bed like a kid on Christmas morning and made my way out the door. I got there, parked in the first parking space in the very small parking lot, went in and ordered my 3 tacos: carnitas, al pastor and carne desebrada totaling $3.25 with tax. In less than 5 minutes, with soft tacos, chips and salsa in hand, I made my way home to indulge in my afternoon treat.

Each taco delivered a unique story, taste and tribute to Mexican cuisine. The al pastor was quite lean and tender with the small chunks of meat having a slight tomato aftertaste. The carnitas screamed pork juices and the pork bits were silky and unctuous mixed with a bit of citrus. The shredded beef was lean and tender like the al pastor but was a bit drier with a hint of onion.

Taco Tuesday at Don Chuy’s is definitely one to be applauded and celebrated. The food has always been sensational but the added bonus and bargain of Taco Tuesday makes it a true winner!!

Don Chuy’s Restaurant

11800 Jefferson Blvd.

Culver City, CA 90230

http://donchuysrestaurant.com/

February 3, 2019 in Local Eats

Chinese New Year at Fifty One

The location of the newest Culver City addition has been a revolving door of various feasts over the last decade or so. The first restaurant I recall being there was a Korean establishment called Gyenari Korean BBQ which was quite good but a bit expensive for what it was. That was replaced by Lyfe Kitchen which served healthy cafeteria style food. Most recently the space hosted OOAK, a vegetarian restaurant which didn’t last the year as its price point was much too high for its limited menu. Fortunately, it modified its menu to pseudo traditional Chinese fare that matches the West Los Angeles Chinese restaurant prices and portions.

Initially, the reviews for Fifty One on Yelp hovered around 3 stars. Wanting to celebrate a new month and the Chinese New Year, the Year of the Pig, the year in which I was born, I read the recent reviews which increased the rating to a very acceptable 4 stars. I went on Open Table and saw they had lots of availability so I picked a time that I knew would work for us and off we went.

Upon entering the restaurant, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful the interior design was. It felt Chinese but had an overall pleasant and bright Asian theme which could easily feel like a nice restaurant in Phuket or even in Tokyo. We were seated at a table midway into the restaurant, giving us a view of the front of house, the bar as well as a peek into the private back room which was shielded by several floral screens. I looked to see who was dining and saw a table of Jewish men to our left as well as a few other tables with possibly Chinese immigrants and an Asian couple walking around with the manager possibly considering an event at the restaurant. As an aside, what gives a Chinese restaurant street credit is having Asians eat there, preferably first generation immigrants, the newer, the better.

We tried to order more ethnic style dishes, if only by name. Our server, Caylin, was instrumental in helping us narrow down the options. He suggested the Hong Shao E-Fu Noodles with Chicken, Yang Chow Seafood Fried Rice, Sichuan Peppercorn Hot Pot with Shrimp, Scallion Fish Fillet and Spicy String Beans. I also ordered a hot and sour seafood soup which ended up being too sweet and thick. However, the rest of our dinner was exceptional. The fish had a very mild flavor with a perfectly slightly crispy exterior. The hot pot was a bigger offering with a significant amount of shrimp and vegetables. It had a mildly spiced aftertaste. The noodles and rice both packed a great deal of layered flavors and had a bit more oil than the other dishes. The spicy string beans had a bit of heat but wasn’t overpowering and crispy. With all of our dishes, we were pleasantly surprised that our bill totaled $80 for 2 people.

In addition to the amazing complexity of flavors of our entrees, the caliber of the service and the friendliness of the staff primarily from our server but also the manager was exceptional. For those who live on the Westside and don’t want the hassle of a drive to San Gabriel Valley and are looking for delicious and reasonably priced Asian food in a beautiful setting, Fifty One is a solid option and is a neighborhood gem. We’ll be back and will bring lots of Westside friends!

Fifty One

9540 Washington Blvd

Culver City, CA 90232

https://www.fiftyonekitchen.com

October 19, 2018 in Local Eats

Ms. Chi Cafe

I admittedly have never watched an episode of Top Chef so I have zero knowledge of Chef Shirley Chung and her culinary expertise. However, I do enjoy trying new eats especially in my hometown of Culver City and Ms. Chi definitely held a great deal of promise. It is housed in the space of former Korean BBQ restaurant, Hanjip, which got off to a great start but seemed overpriced and overhyped for what it was. Culver City has tried several times to welcome some Asian eats into its hood but most have failed or not been successful enough to sustain themselves in the high rent area of downtown Culver City. This restaurant though might have a shot at longevity. Its roots are Asian but it gives enough appeal to those who have never gone to a Chinese restaurant. For those who don’t know that the red and black covered round bowl with white ladle is the white steamed rice bowl that is served to every table and patron at all authentic Chinese restaurants, this is the place for you to to start your Asian food journey.

Ms. Chi offers a happy and non-threatening introduction to Asian cuisine. The restaurant is not filled with odious scents and live seafood in an aquarium holding your dinner entree hostage. Rather it melds the Americanized Asian fare and bumps it two more notches towards the American palate. The cheeseburger dumplings is the perfect example of American Asian Fusion. It truly tastes like its name and it’s quite wonderfully savory. The tater tots at Ms. Chi aren’t coated with the standard vegetable oil flavoring. Rather it has a slightly sweet red or green pepper aftertaste which seems a bit different but perfectly placed in the restaurant’s fusion cuisine. The Brussels Sprouts with the runny egg is perfectly charred but is slightly softened once the silky yolk is broken and seeps into the smoky crevices. The star of the evening, however, was the Beijing noodle. It tasted like bolognese with thick al dente Asian flat noodles resembling the Italian parpadelle pasta. The flavor explosion was quite complex and unmatched by anything I have ever tasted.
To top off this very unique and exemplary meal, the service was top notch. William was our server and just kept dishing it out which was fairly quick because the kitchen crew did not miss a beat.

Overall, Ms. Chi is top notch and I thank every person who we met tonight who helped shape our dinner experience and now I clearly need to find Chef Shirley Chung’s Top Chef episode(s). 😎

Ms. Chi Cafe

3929 Main Street

Culver City, CA 90232

Ms Chi – A restaurant by Shirley Chung

Archive Culver City Archives | Page 2 of 2 | A Travel Foodie's Journey

Sensational Southern Sunday Supper at Hatchet Hall

Dear John’s Bar

Seasalt Fish Grill

Taco Tuesday at Don Chuy’s

Chinese New Year at Fifty One

Ms. Chi Cafe

Grace Gambin