After a long work week, we were torn on whether to stay in on a Friday night and order delivery from one of our standbys, The Original Thai BBQ restaurant on Venice, or head out and experience a change of scenery. We opted for the latter but chose a place close by in downtown Culver City. A new restaurant opened fairly recently called Amacita. It sits where the former BacoShop had its two year residency. Over the last fifteen years, the space has had several other iterations including Santa Maria BBQ and coincidentally a different Thai BBQ restaurant.
When we arrived, the restaurant was full including its bar area. In the few times we ate at that location, we had never seen it at full capacity so that was a good omen. We ordered beer and wine and were served a basket of super crispy and addictive tortilla chips which was another point in the restaurant’s favor. Luckily, a table for two was leaving so we were seated inside fairly quickly.
We started with two crispy fried golden tacos with chicken which had the same crispy texture as the chips. It came with a huge dollop of crema, a pile of red cabbage and salsa. The chicken was perfectly moist and savory and each taco definitely had a generous helping of meat.
Next to arrive was the McGrath charcoal grilled baby corn with queso fresco and morita crema. The corn was smoky and the sauce added a layer of creaminess and tanginess. It was quite unique as they were petite baby corn and not the usual plate of corn kernels or an actual corn on the cob giving it a much more refined presentation.
Our last starter dish to arrive was a bowl of Weiser tiny russet potatoes with arbol chile cream, manchego, bacon and chives. That was the dish that made me do a double take and pay attention. All the flavors blended perfectly well and the texture of the potatoes weren’t too creamy but weren’t too roughly chopped either. It was somewhere in the middle so that you could taste the chunks of potato with the bites of bacon and chives subtly blending in.
Sadly, there was at least a 20 minute delay in between the starters and the main dishes so that was disappointing.
My husband ordered the mesquite grilled arbor shrimp in country Rhodes blistered tomatoes and tomatillo. It was delicious, savory, smoky and tender all at once with a subtle hint of tanginess.
I ordered the Peads & Barnett pork collar pibil with roasted pineapple and salsa verde. Sadly, it was inferior in comparison to the quality of the preceding dishes. The pork was dry and lacking in flavor. Unlike the three other dishes we ordered which had depth and complexity, the chunks of pork didn’t absorb any of the seasonings or the flavor of the sauces on top and around it. Somehow there was a strange delineation and separation which is indicative of the parts being cooked separately. Perhaps the pork should be marinaded in a lemon, lime or even grapefruit base to tenderize the meat and give it a bit more acidity in flavor. A bit of black pepper would also give it more depth.
Luckily, I mentioned my dissatisfaction to our busboy who must have said something to the manager as it was removed from our bill.
In addition, to apologize for the long delay, we were given a beautifully refreshing dessert on the house. It was a berry granita with peaches and cream which was a delicious way to end our Tex-Mex experience.
All in all, aside from a few hiccups which management acknowledged and corrected, it was a great dinner at Ama-cita. The presentation and flavors were polished and the vibe of the restaurant is a fantastic addition to bustling downtown Culver City. We will be back!
Ama-cita
9552 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA
https://www.ama-cita.com
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
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.
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
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
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/
https://www.fiftyonekitchen.com
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
Grace Gambin
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