We had the great fortune of meeting Chef Jason Fullilove when he opened up a pop-up in Culver City just up the street from our home. I likely read about Barbara Jean on Eater or Infatuation and with its close proximity, we decided to give it a try.
The kitchen was open to the dining area, and we watched Chef Fullilove at work, putting together the dishes for his customers. There weren’t many of us dining so initially I had some doubts about the quality of the food. However, after sampling one entree after another, surprising and overwhelming our taste buds, we were sold.
Chef Jason Fullilove came by to ask how our dinner was and we found him to be a truly cool cat. I mentioned that I normally held Honey’s Kettle in the highest regard and placed them on the pedestal of best fried chicken on the Westside but his version completely unseated them. The recipes of all the soul food inspired items we ordered were so upmarket that it didn’t seem befitting for such a casual location. I asked why there was very little advertising or marketing being done on behalf of the restaurant. He said he was experimenting with word of mouth as being the primary method of organic advertising. I was truthfully worried that wasn’t going to be sufficient but I did my part by writing about the pop-up on my blog, posting my review on Yelp and spreading the word to all my friends and neighbors. Sadly, the pop-up didn’t last in the area but for a few months.
Since then, I followed Chef Fullilove’s career on social media. He moved his pop-up to various locations throughout Los Angeles. He even had a stint as the chef at The Magic Castle. When I read that he was one of the rotating chefs at Abernathys at the Music Center, I immediately made dinner reservations as we had Alvin Ailey tickets for a Saturday evening show in April. Then the pandemic struck and everything was cancelled. One restaurant after another was forced to permanently shudder, and it was heartbreaking to read about them, knowing that with each closure, dreams were being shattered.
After months of quarantine, restaurants were finally allowed to reopen for outdoor dining. A few weeks ago, I saw an Instagram post that Chef Fullilove was back on the Westside at an Abbot Kinney restaurant called Neighbor. I looked for Chef Fullilove’s menu on Yelp and Instagram but couldn’t find one. Knowing that Chef was at the helm, we made dinner reservations on faith that it would be just as good if not better than our Barbara Jean experience.
Upon our arrival, we mentioned to our server Candace that we had dined at one of Chef’s pop-ups previously and we would love to say “hi” to him if he was available. He promptly came out to greet us, and he was just as we remembered him. It started off our evening on the right foot.
We began our decadent meal with a quintessential Los Angeles offering. Chef Fullilove’s interpretation of the brussels sprouts included a cauliflower coconut puree as a dipping sauce with a few sprinklings of pomegranate seeds. The brussels sprouts were crispy, slightly smoky and a bit charred but not excessively which would have masked that the starter was actually a vegetable dish. The pops of pomegranate added a bit of tartness as well as a holiday look and feel to the dish.
Next to arrive were the homemade buttermilk biscuits. The biscuits were a prime example of Chef’s southern cuisine expertise. They were piping hot, with a crispy exterior. The biscuits were dense with a hint of cheese and herbs. The pat of butter may have been drizzled with a bit of honey or perhaps liquified caramelized onions. The concentrated concoction had a bit of an unexpected but welcomed fried chicken aftertaste. Adding a bit of heat to the biscuits was the pepper jelly.
The mixture for the chicken liver butter had a base of smoked apple sauce and pickle mustard seeds. It had a very earthy flavor and incredibly smooth texture, oozing into the crevices of the thick pieces of toasted bread.
Arriving simultaneously were the uni deviled eggs which were topped with Santa Barbara sea urchin, yuzu kosho and tobiko. It was an interesting and unexpected combination with a bit of Japanese influence.
The smoke trout rillettes were quite substantial and hearty. The mealy hush puppies sat alongside a thick, creamy mixture reminiscent of a tuna salad topped with trout roe.
After our assortment of starters, our entrees arrived.
My husband’s burger was quite large and came with a generous side of fries. The beef patty was so incredibly tender, it almost tasted as if it was a shredded beef sandwich.
The fried chicken was moist and tender with a very subtle heat, as if it had been marinated in buttermilk and perhaps tabasco. Its batter was light and crispy but tightly packed. The sauce tasted a bit like thousand island dressing which was a nice pairing with the chicken.
Last but not least were the turmeric pork ribs with toasted sesame seeds. They were tender and moist with a slightly tangy barbecue sauce.
We are incredibly happy that Chef Fullilove is back in West LA and cannot wait to introduce his Southern cuisine which he has expertly fused with a bit of Asian influence. His menu offering is perfect for the ethnically diverse city of Venice Beach. We’re hoping that he makes the Westside his “Neighbor”-hood home for a bit so we can introduce his spectacular cuisine to some of our friends and continue to partake in his sensational offerings.
Neighbor
1031 Abbot Kinney
Venice, CA 90291
Vespertine was the second of two Michelin starred local restaurants that we sampled during our quarantine. I accidentally came upon it on Tock after it had completed two prior takeout themed menu offerings. A few months before the pandemic, a coworker had indulged in the in-person multi-course meal and wine pairing and had shared his photos of the evening.
After experiencing several courses in different sections and floors of the restaurant and splurging $700 per person, as beautiful as the presentation appeared, the $175 hourly rate for the 4 hour evening seemed a bit exorbitant, so I wasn’t quite inclined to quickly make reservations.
However, when the 12 course $65 per person Southern feast takeout offering came to my attention, I did the math. It was an investment that was worth the risk of not knowing what low country Southern cooking provided so I made my reservation and purchased the dinner for two on faith.
I arrived at the restaurant a few minutes prior to my 5 p.m. reservation. I checked in with the hostess clad all in black with matching black face mask. We were each assigned a parking space where we would be provided with our to go bag which was placed directly in the trunk of our cars. I waited about fifteen minutes before my dinner arrived and headed home.
The package came with a menu packet which explained the historical, societal and cultural influences of each dish.
The care and respect given to each dish and the written documented historical reference moved me to tears.
It was apparent that some of the items were rooted in sorrow, hardship and endurance, much like what we were facing during the pandemic.
I acknowledged the “first world” problems we had now compared with the dire necessities and oppression that prior generations faced as we ate our meal in gratitude.
We used our slightly upgraded dinnerware, because the attention to care and detail in the menu warranted that respect in kind.
The television was turned off and instead, we listened to the songs of an old school soulful blues singer, Elmore James.
It provided the perfect ambiance to the sensory experience the meal provided.
Our at-home dining of Vespertine’s low country southern feast was a journey in time through socioeconomic and geographical traditions and culture, all by way of food. We so appreciated the care and effort that was taken to transport us to the South through a bountiful and delicious culinary education. It was a beautiful, soulful and transformational experience.
Vespertine
3599 Hayden Avenue
Culver City, CA 90232
http://vespertine.la
If Barbara Jean was a real woman, she would be saucy, a bit edgy and complex but composed and well put together. Chef Jason Fullilove offered a bit of sassy mixed with a flavor explosion of sumptuous goodness.
We started off with the chicken and egg salad which was a ying and yang of crisp fresh shaved cabbage contrasted with the chewy cranberry and the moist shredded chicken. It had a light citrusy dressing which was perfect for the mixed textures of the dish.
The buttermilk biscuits were dense, a bit gritty and grainy but combined with the sweet warm honey and the softened butter they whisked you back to home, to your childhood at your mom’s kitchen after she had given you a pat on the back for a job well done at school.
After that “Ratatouille” moment, our experience was followed with the orecchiette pasta which had a tart but tasty tomato emulsion at the base of the plate giving it another layer of flavor on top of the already delicious combo of mushrooms, peas and pecorino. It was an Italian Mother’s dream.
In direct contrast was the shrimp and grits which is what I imagine southern dreams are made of because the shrimp were quite large, sweet on the outside but juicy and tangy in the inside. The grits were perfectly cooked and subtly flavored.
My favorite part of the meal, the star of the show, was the fried chicken. As my husband said, it was far superior to Honey’s Kettle which is mass produced. Clearly, these are fighting words but I would have to second his opinion. It was evident that great care and respect was paid to memorialize what fried chicken should taste like. The batter and the skin were light, crispy and seasoned with herbs which were visible with each bite. The meat was ridiculously tender and juicy. I was in fried chicken heaven. If I could choose my last meal, the fried chicken by Chef Jason Fullilove would be it.
Not to be outdone by this 5 Star meal at a 2 Star location was the dessert which had a bit of cream cheese frosting combined with a bit of fruit bread and sweet nut layers mixed into each bite.
Everybody should sprint through the door at this new Culver City eats because it’s ridiculously delicious, inexpensive considering the quality of the food and Chef Jason Fullilove is an absolute dream, so talented, cool and collected. We are so happy Barbara Jean moved into town and hope that Chef Jason will want to make Culver City his home.
Madly in love with @barbarajeaneats and @cheffullilove! The BEST food and chef in Culver City!! A 5 star foodie experience for 2 star price!!
Barbara Jean,
4114 Sepulveda Blvd, Ste E
Culver City, CA 90230
Grace Gambin
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