fundamental LA

The owners are so charming, all this restaurant needs is their presence to make this place a hit!
The seating is hip but inviting –the lighting is just right… welcoming any mood… and the chef is a stitch, always interacting with the customers. The food is exceptional, and the location is perfect! Incredible cuisine paired with the most strategic of flavors, and only the best of wine that you can imagine!
It’s a hit! Delish!

I’ve been at UCLA for the past several years, and I never realized fundamental LA was right in my backyard! It’s an intimate and small restaurant, and you forget that you’re in West LA when you’re here.
+ BLACK GARLIC PANISSE WITH YUZU AIOLI AND TOGARASHI: This dish really surprises you! The dish comes out with little black bite-​size squares, but they all really pack a great punch of great flavor. The texture melts in your mouth. Very enjoyable
+ SHRIMP ‘A LA PLANCHA’: Shrimp was seasoned great and the popcorn grits had a great creaminess. Mix in the soft egg and the bacon and you have great flavors mixed all together.
+ SEA URCHIN TOAST WITH SPRING PEAS, RICOTTA, and PRESERVED LEMON: Make sure you get all of the components in one bite! You have your citrus, you have your creamy component, you have your crunch, and your brine from the urchin. flavor orgasm.
+ BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH DEVILED EGG PUREE: Most places that serve brussel sprouts make it too soggy, but not here! The sprouts had a nice crispiness and I loved the everything bagel flavoring.
+ ROASTED BEEF SHOULDER: I really enjoyed the anchovy bordelaise and the «almost five minute» egg. Rustic dish with interesting components put together that you normally don’t expect.
+ FRIED CHICKEN THIGH: So. Good. The Chicken was extremely tender and wasn’t overpowered by the fried exterior.
+ BURGER: I’m on the quest to find the best burger in Los Angeles, and while this wasn’t quite there, it was still very delicious. Cheese was melted all the way through and the patty was so moist. I like the use of fried fingerlings instead of french fries.
+ CHURROS: Their style is a bit like Churros Calientes, with a dense chocolate sauce. Great way to end the dinner

Great fried chicken sandwhich. My current guilty pleasure. I try and come after 1pm to miss the lunch traffic here. Lots of people come and it gets too busy for me. Otherwise so far i love this place.

Small unassuming place in Westwood — you almost miss it from the street! Enjoyed my kale salad — I’m usually not a big salad person but wanted something without all the carbs. I was able to add the chicken torta as a protein on top — the combo was great as the chicken had a bit of a kick to it, and the overall salad had just the right amount of dressing (not too much and not too little). They also had a refreshing al fresca for the day. Can’t vouch for the other dishes on the menu — my colleague had the cobb salad and it looked underwhelming so it might depend on what you get here!
Parking can be difficult in this area — be prepared to pay for meters and/​or circle around a few times in the neighborhood to find a spot!

I had a terrible experience ordering online for delivery. It was supposed to be delivered curbside, so I went to the front of my building to wait. After waiting 10 minutes, I texted the driver to see where they were. She said she was up on my floor. So I went up and she handed me my food. I soon realized that it was not my order, so then I had to wrangle the delivery person back to get my food. She then asked for validation (which costs my company a bit of money) because she parked on our lot. Finally, once I had my food, I saw my market salad was completely different than market salads I had ordered before. I get that restaurants mix their items up seasonally, but the online menu only has item names and I had no way of knowing this was the case. I would have never ordered this particular salad if I had been able to see the item description from the online ordering menu.
I usually rave about this place, but this experience has left a really bad taste in my mouth.

Eat in only 5 stars eat in ordered out 1 star nothing came as I ordered it ie
Ordered their pressed coffee with cream they sent a bottle or gross closed coffee
I wouldn’t buy if you paid me to drink I wanted their fresh pressed coffee they didn’t get it
Cobb salad was all spinach ½ an egg 1 cherry tomato gross

fundamental LA knows how to make food right. I came for happy hour & dinner with my parents one evening, and everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. My personal favorite: brisket with «phở gravy». To be honest, I didn’t really get a phở vibe from the gravy, but the brisket itself was delicious. Tender and fatty, every bite just melted away in my mouth. :D
Everything else we ordered was also tasty and well-​executed. From the appetizer section, we tried the black pepper gougeres (savory balls of pastry dough) and the chickpea panisse. They weren’t kidding when they called it «bites», but they were still flavorful. To round out the meal, we split the burger — which was decently made and was well-​accompanied by the crispy fingerling potatoes.
All in all, I was pleased with how everything turned out, and hope to come back soon to try the lunch menu!

Amazing! Highly recommended! Unique food taste. I didn’t put 5 starts cause I believe that they need to work in a better service coordination.
The ambience is super hip.

So my Supervisor and I decided to try this for lunch today. Since it was our first time we decided we each try a different sandwich and maybe share. So he got the BLT and I got the chicken torta.
BLT: Decent size and very delicious. However I would have liked my bacon a little more crispy. But that’s just my preference.
Chicken Torta: Kinda small only half of the bolillo bread. The flavors were amazing though. The chicken was seasoned to perfection and the tomatillo salsa just right. Not to spicy and not to mild.
Overall the both sandwiches were great. Portion can be a bit bigger. The cookies are also really good. The food was delivered an hr later from being ordered and it was still warm and not soggy at all.

Fundemental LA is BEYOND delicious.
It is one of my 3 GO-​TOs for lunch.
My two faves are The Brisket Sandwich and the Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie!
To guarantee my faves I usually get the POWER LUNCH SPECIAL ($ 13)
The Brisket is to DIE FOR. It is tender, well seasoned and moist! So flavorful in the the sandwich and it works harmoniously with all of the ingredients. And they give you a huge cut in the sandwich.
The Cookie is a total FO’GET ABOUT IT! No other cookie in the ENTIRE WESTWOOD VILLAGE area can compare to this cookie– No, not even Didi Reece. It’s like, Fundemental LA went back in time and stole a moment out of my childhood and personified its magic into a cookie. A warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookie.
Don’t get me wrong, there are others on this menu that are equally as delicious, but these are the items I feel worth bragging about.
DELICIOUS!
Down side: Closed on Mondays :(

Ambiance: we have driven last this place so many times and never noticed it. After a few recommendations we decided to try it and were surprised how close it was. Street parking was easy on a Friday night but I think we just got lucky. The restaurant itself is small, reminds me of being in New York. We sat at the bar and it was fun seeing them prepare the food. The staff was super friendly.
Food: we started with the mushroom toast and the black mussels. Th black mussels were delicious. The chef said his favorite bite in the whole restaurant in the piece of bread that has been soaking in the broth while we are the mussels. He was right. It was delicious. I almost licked the bowl but I used the spoon to get every drop instead. The mushroom toast was also great. Very savory with bone marrow butter, mushrooms and an egg on top. At this point, we thought 5 stars.
The mains we ordered were the burger and fried chicken thigh. The chicken was super crispy. It paired well with the cornbread purée and bacon. Then we got to the burger and it was a little bit disappointing. We were pretty full by the time we started it, so we only took a couple of bites. Partly because we were full, partly because it just wasn’t anything that special. I came in craving a burger, so I was disappointed and it dropped it down to 4 stars.
The cream soda was delicious too.
Prices were reasonable, not cheap though.
Definitely coming back, getting those mussels again and trying other items from the menu.

A friend of mine booked a reservation at fundamental LA last Saturday night and it was great! They came out strong for DineLA with $ 39 dinner which included an appetizer, entrée, and dessert. Ambiance is intimate and simplistic, great spot for a small dinner party or date night. I wish we were able to mix and match DineLA with the regular menu, but we had to choose either/​or (not both). Obviously we were here for DineLA and the menu reflected the regular menu as well as some specialty dishes, so we opted for that option.
Starting off I tried the Crispy fingerlings with smoky mayo, served with asian pear, prosciutto, lettuce, fennel, citrus, and olive. It was a great dish, the fingerlings were awesome and the mix of flavors worked out well. I was pleasantly surprised at how large the dish was and tbh got pretty full off this first round.
For the entrée I chose the Salmon with beet gnocchi, horseradish, and bone marrow. The salmon was like butter, melt in your mouth awesome. Beet gnocchi was an interesting pairing but unique and had great texture.
Finally for dessert I got the Honey panna cotta with persimmon and almond granola. The honey panna cotta was so good. I also ordered the spiced cider wine cocktail which was delicious, loved the cinnamon+sugar rim, and it was surprisingly strong. Overall we had a great time.

Ordered delivery– first time trying this place and it was very reasonably priced, had perfect portions sizes, was very speedy, and tasted absolutely Delish! Had the orzo and the veggie wrap. Definitely suggest you try it out!

I’m still a fan; however, re: catering they’re extremely non-​responsive! If you’re looking for a caterer that’s attentive and responsive, look elsewhere.

I don’t know if I was starving or if the food was really that good. I ordered lunch delivery through EAT24 and it was GREAT!
I ordered the lunch special. I chose the BLT, fingerling potatoes, and cookie. I also ordered the brussel sprouts and an Arnold Palmer.
That sandwich was fabulous. The tomato jam was so good. I really prefer that over a real tomato any day. The bacon was that overcooked crispy to where it may turn to dust if the wind blows to hard kind of bacon either. It was good thick and had just the right amount of fat on it. Potatoes and sprouts were good also. I have more than enough food to fill up for dinner tonight.
The only problem I had was the Arnold Palmer could have used a little more sugar and they forgot my cookie. But that sandwich was so good I’m still giving five stars. Didn’t even miss the cookie until I happened to look at the receipt.
Will definitely be ordering again.

Overall: Writing this review makes me so sad. During my first year at UCLA, I made my first foodie friend here, and we came back at least once every year after. The food wasn’t always perfect, and there were highs and (a few) lows during each dinner. But they made up for the lack of execution with increasing creativity and more beautiful plating. I regarded the restaurant as Westwood’s hidden gem – a little taste of fine dining for the students. This time, I was sorely disappointed. Although their food was not bad, it was no longer what it had been. They had stopped taking chances. Instead, they churned out average food plated passably. I much preferred when they tried to bring something interesting to the table, even if it didn’t always work. Still, this rut is easily explained by the fact that Chef Nick Ervan may simply be settling in. Even more disappointing and most perplexing was the service. The wait staff hasn’t changed much, but their attention and concern has significantly decreased.
ESSENTIALLY, food went from interesting to meh, and service went from outstanding to ???
Food: 3
Gougeres are savory choux pastries. These are sprinkled with freshly shaved parmesan and black pepper. The flavors are well balanced, but the gougeres are much more biscuit-​like than I’m used to.
Olives with Burnt Orange and Thyme: I could not taste the burn orange at all. I wished they took the extra few seconds to pluck the leaves of thyme instead of simply laying sprigs of thyme on top of the olives. (Seriously, what am I supposed to do? Eat the thyme, sprig and all?)
Mussels McNuggets are battered and fried mussels with a tangy dipping sauce. It’s a good little bite to start the dinner.
Shrimp a la Plancha with Lardons, Popcorn Grits, Chili Butter, and Soft Egg: Overall, this was a much better version of their Shrimp & Grits dish in comparison to last time. However, the quality of the shrimp was drastically different. These were disappointingly small and similar to the frozen kind you get in a bag. Furthermore, the egg was overcooked. The yolk was barely runny.
Sauteed Mushroom Toast: The mushrooms were sauteed in bone marrow and butter, thrown on top of a big piece of toast, and topped off with a sunny side up egg. It was supremely simple, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It was rich and delicious… at first bite. After a few bites, it quickly became too much. I wish they made it in a smaller portion.
Brussel Sprouts with Tom Yum Vinaigrette: The flavors were perfectly balanced. I highly recommend this veggie dish as a side to any of your food.
Churros with Spiced Chocolate and Butterscotch: The churros were floppy rather than crunchy, and there was barely a sprinkle of cinnamon-​sugar. Also, it included an itty bitty fly (more on that later), so I can’t really give a fair assessment from one bite. Generally, I find that restaurants improve on staple dishes as time goes on. What’s happening here, fundamental LA?!
Cornmeal Poppy Seed Cake had a lemon curd, burnt meringue, and candied citrus peels. Together, it was a good bite, if a tad too sweet for my taste. My only complaint is that the citrus peel was not candied enough.
Service: 2
Overall, the service wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t as good as it used to be. Previously, they would come by to refill our glasses with water constantly, and the water bottle left on the table was never empty. Every time a plate of food was brought, each component was explained. Now, I poured water for myself, and I had to ask for a refill of the water bottle. The food was dropped off at our table with little explanation besides a mention of the main part of the dish or no explanation at all. Still, neither are that big of a deal to me. I do have to say that Chef Nick is really friendly, and he’s always open to conversation, which is nice. The real fault came when I found an itty bitty fly in the churros after my first bite. In all honesty, when something like that happens, I expect to be given a new plate (especially when I had only taken a single bite) or to be reimbursed. At the very least, I expect an apology. Nope. When we told the waiter, he picked it up and left without a word. There was no new plate and no apology. Simply a bill with the churros included.
Ambiance: 5
Same, as always. fundamental LA is still a great place to come for any type of affair despite it’s small size. It offers privacy in its back tables, but it’s also fun if you sit at the bar.

I’m a little late in discovering this spot, but glad I found it eventually! Despite the name, the service and menu here are anything but basic… would be more aptly named extraordinary LA (or along the same tangent)
Eileen L.‘s REFVIEW for fundamental LA
RELEVANT INFO
* An intimate, sophisticated dining spot in Westwood, South of Wilshire
* Weekday Happy Hours from 5:30−7:00
* Make reservations even on a weeknight — the place is relatively small and very popular
* The Tippler’s Club: an improvised wine shop at the front counter of the restaurant with an amazing wine selection —
* Parking in Westwood is never a walk in the park, even SOW
* Online ordering and delivery options
EXPECTATIONS GOING IN
* That I would get to try the happy hour menu — refer to point three in the Relevant Info section
FOOD
* Gougeres ($ 5): Peppery! It tastes like the Gruyère & Black Pepper Popovers at the Wallace, but has a slightly firmer shell and an airier, soft and cheesy core
* Shaved Apple Salad ($ 10): fresh, crunchy, and creamy!
* Black Mussels ($ 14): divine! There were at least a dozen savory black mussels, but the chorizo-​like topping carried this dish, and while the toast was the perfect texture, I kept fishing for the soggy toast swimming at the bottom of the deep bowl. so flavorful!
* Shrimp ‘à la Plancha’ ($ 14): a solid dish, but probably the least memorable; The shrimp was a smidgen overgrilled, but of course, you can never go wrong with adding a soft egg to any dish!
* Brussels Sprouts ($ 6): charred and paired with deviled eggs. a nice touch!
* Brisket ($ 22): the brisket was incredibly fatty (yum!!) and well-​marinated. «Fried Rice» stated on the menu is actually rice crisps, but amazing when soggy. during dinner, I didn’t taste the phở gravy, but the taste of the phở broth lingered in my mouth as I was driving home
VALUE
* Not cheap, but portion sizes are generously shareable, which justifies the price points
* Wines per glass are on the heavier side, but for good reason
IMPRESSION OVERALL
* The service here is incredible! — While we started the night off to a rough start by not making a reservation, the hostess kept us posted throughout the waiting process. While we were waiting, the young tall gentleman server came to take our drink order, and still recommended HH although there was one minute left. Unfortunately we missed the HH menu offering, but a few minutes later, the Manager/​Owner came up to us apologizing for the wait (when in reality, it was my fault for not making a reservation in the first place), and offered us a glass each of complimentary sparkling wine… an unnecessary peace offering, but I’ll take it! When we were seated, our waitress was so genuinely nice… I just kept catching myself saying «he/she’s so nice!» throughout the night.
* I’ve said it multiple times, and I’ll say it again. I’m a food purist, so I am very stingy when it comes to giving my approval to fusion cuisine — fundamental LA’s tastefully constructed fusion menu earns my stamp of approval (… for what little it’s worth)
ENVIRONMENT /​AMBIANCE
* Tastefully rustic and minimalist setting with neutral tones and wooden accents and an open kitchen
* Exuberant vibe felt throughout the tiny space
WOW FACTOR
* It’s been awhile since I’ve been blown away by stellar service at a non-​steakhouse. nor anywhere for that matter

Really great lunch combo for $ 13 and very accommodating for gluten free diners. The seared albacor salad was light and interesting with the tangerine and the dressing was awesome. The star of the show was the Brussels sprouts, the sauce was incredible. I would definitely want to try some of the sandwiches and soup!

The food here is 5 stars, however due to the fact the majority of the food items are «shared style» this makes you order a bunch of different food items and this place gets real expensive fast.
The $ 7 fingerlings are essentially awesome french fries. The dipping chili? Sauce is delicious too.
$ 8 for olives is way too pricey, but it was good. The small black olives are much better than the big fat green ones.
$ 3 corn bread was super yummy and reminds me of being back home in Indiana.
$ 9 kale salad was the best value on the menu and absolutely on par with Tender Greens or any upscale salad restaurant.
$ 23 pork lion was prepared like I’ve never seen before, but absolutely worth it.
$ 11 glass of wine is a rip off, and $ 6 beers is $ 2 too much.
The restaurant is small and the music is too loud for me, but the food is excellent. Overall, I spent $ 84 for 2 people. Way too much for the amount of food you receive.

Fundamental was a birthday adventure that I got roped into. A small little place on Westwood that is almost hard to drive by and miss. Its real small and they have a prepared menu.
It is a little bit on the pricey side and you need a reservation it seems, but when we sat down we did have prompt service. We needed a lot of service tho because the water cups are basically the size of shot glasses so one gulp and you’re sitting around waiting for another pour.
I got braised beef and springs. The pasta was fresh made but a little bit dry, and I really wish I had more meat in the dish. Kinda stung to pay $ 20 for an entire than still feel like you could eat more after dinner.

This is my second time. The first time I was unimpressed. But, I see the reviews and hear it’s great so I tried again with a group. They did not disappoint. This is a solid 4 star place. Open table made reservations easy.
We had a party of 5 and though the place was small we were not feeling crunched in. The table was nice and roomy.
Service is good. The servers were not sitting around– they were busy. I think 2 for the whole place tonight. And there were others running food. The service was not super fast but it was a bit delayed. We were not annoyed as we had a lot of catching up to do. They forgot a couple of things but nothing major and fixed it asap.
It was happy hr which was a surprise and some drinks and apps were on happy hr which was great!
The food was great. We all enjoyed our food.
Tri tip pasta– delicious surprisingly light
Scallops seared (I asked for mine well done) — good. The beans were delicious. Only 2 scallops– I see pics with 4 but I had 2
Gulf shrimp well made
Apple salad– good light
Cauliflower– my favorite
Fingerling potatoes– delicious
olives– plenty of olives and good
Cheese plate– good cheese and accompaniments
They need a better red wine. I think I tasted 3 before I found one I liked. I like a full body red and they failed in that category.
Everyone used the bathroom but me– I assume it was OK.
Street parking– metered
I’d come again esp for happy hr.

Came in at lunch and got pretty fast service. Got the BLT sandwich, which I really liked! Enjoyed the tomato jam instead of actual tomato, nice alternative. I also got the watermelon Fresca, which was thicker than I expected but still good and the little «bobas» (chia seeds) worked well.
Only thing I didn’t really care for was the s’mores dessert. I’m a big fan of s’mores, but it was a little dry and wasn’t anything special.

I came here for dinner with a few friends, and this place was surprisingly good. I wasn’t sure what to expect, so I was pleasantly surprised when we had such an amazing dinner.
They have an awesome 4 course tasting menu deal for $ 45. You basically get to choose 1 dish from each of their 4 courses on their menu. Since we were a party of 4, we basically tried 16 out of the 19 dishes on the menu. I left super full but also very happy with such a great meal.
We started off with some bread. It was basically plain thick texas toast, with some salted butter and garlic on the side. This was sooooo good! If I didn’t have to save room for the rest of our dishes, I would have probably stuffed myself happy with just the bread.
All the dishes were delicious! If you go with a group of 4 or 5 to order their 4 course tasting menu, you can basically try everything on the menu!
Parking: Valet or street metered parking. Meters stop running after 8pm.

Review is for Über Eats only.
Ordered a breakfast burrito. Nice driver, but for the price it was not worth it whatsoever.
$ 13 with fees, thank god for the $ 10 off promo code for trying Über Eats. Otherwise I would’ve been ripped off.
Burrito tasted like something from a school cafeteria. Literally no meat and the size of those $ 1.29 Taco Bell small burritos.
Potatoes were actually pretty tasty.
Would definitely pass on the Über Eats, but this place has good reviews so maybe I’ll go check it out in person.

Not good enough to give a 5 stars but the presentation is beautiful but some of the food is just OK.
Came here for dinela 2015 dinner. $ 40 for 4 items?! thats a steal! Every dish we had came out so beautiful! Some were good some were too over cooked and salty. OOOH but i do love their complementary bread and butter. The bread was so soft and light toasted with spread of butter already. Comes with extra butter on the side and spread some more. wow very good I ate all of it and wanted more! I love bread!
appetizers;
–shrimp ceivche: loved it! beautiful presentation. deep fried shrimp head right on top. But in a way it was too much water and it only had 3 – 4 pieces of shrimp in there.
–venison carpaccio: OMG now this was the BOMB! it was me and my BF first time having carpaccio and we didnt even know what was venison until we asked the server. ITS DEER! Tasted very good and the meat was lean, not as fatty as the regular beef carpaccio would be. This won over the ceivche.
main entrees:
–grilled lambchetta: this wasn’t that good. In my mind i was thinking lamp chops. It was too salty in my opinion and fried over too much.
–diver scallops: scallops was great! placed in a nice bowl but only to one side. the presentation looked very interesting and it was very good.
–braised short ribs: this was the least of our favorite. it was not flavorful and kinda dry.
–BBQ octopus: I did not like this as much either. It was kinda tough and grilled for too long because it was hard. But loved the pineapple pieces and decoration of course!
desserts: I think these dessert was the highlight of the dinner!
–angel food sponge cake: fluffy sponge cake mixed with the crème and fresh strawberries and also the berry sorbet is very yummy. we enjoyed every bite of this dish.
–olive old cake: this sounded not that appetizing at first but the server said it’s pretty popular so we decided to give it a try. Boy, we glad we did. It doesn’t actually have that oily taste because its «olive oil» which was what i was thinking. The cake had this unique good taste that is hard to describe. All i can say is that you should try it.

Hanging Edison bulbs and mason jars? Yes, we’ve got another hipster restaurant in Westwood. That aspect doesn’t bother me as much as how they’ve integrated their delivery service into their dine-​in experience. Their dineLA lunch menu seems like a phenomenal deal — $ 15 for a sandwich or soup, side, drink, and cookie, but you really only save $ 5. You have their entire regular lunch menu of sandwiches and salads to choose from — great. I place my order and they give me my dessert in a plastic to-​go box. For a restaurant that prides itself on aesthetics and looks on its website, this takes it down a notch, doesn’t it? Fundamentally… flawed one might say.
As for the actual lunch, I enjoyed the shrimp po’boy sandwich. The beer-​battered tiger shrimp were huge and went deliciously well with the aioli on toasted baguette. The smoked brisket sandwich was also a great bite with tender brisket combined with a garlic slaw, although I would have liked some kind of barbecue sauce to go with it. The brussels sprouts and dirty potato salad were portioned quite large and filling. I enjoyed my vanilla cream soda, although it could have used more carbonation. As for the in-​box s’more dessert? Delicious.
I know it may seem nitpicking, but when you advertise one thing and show off beautiful plating, it comes as a letdown to great food encased in plastic.

4 stars for the food, 3 stars for rushed service = 3.5 stars.
Fundamental LA has the potential to be a top-​notch restaurant, but it still needs work to become one of the best in LA.
Dishes are meant to be small plates/​tapas. Food can be ordered a la carte or from their 4 course tasting menu. We opted for the latter with the wine pairing for the first 3 courses. Most of the dishes were inventive and interesting and had good flavors.
We were excited for the meal as our first wines arrived shortly before the first course — sea bream crudo and spring salad. The crudo arrived first and looked amazing and vibrant. The lime sorbet ‘soup’ was amazing, but the sea bream was very chewy. The other first course arrived shortly thereafter. The spring salad with English peas and goat cheese was delicious and had a nice, tart dressing. Everything is going great.
However, as we were still enjoying our first course, the server then brings out our wines for the 2^nd AND 3^rd courses. Now we each have 3 glasses of wine on our little table + 2 plates. A minute or two later, the server brings out our 2^nd courses — now we have 4 plates of food and 6 wine glasses on the table. At that point we had to ask them to slow the service down. Timing was really off and quite annoying.
Our 2^nd courses, grilled octopus and local prawns, were now getting cold, as we still had to finish our first plates. Ok, which 2^nd wine went with the 2^nd course? Oh yeah, let me grab the glass and try not to knock over the other glasses or push food off the table inadvertently… Once some plates and glasses were cleared, it was much more pleasant. The octopus was nicely charred and tasty, but the prawns with poached egg, chorizo, chorizo butter, and grits was too busy of a dish and the flavors became muddled.
Thankfully, the server waited for us to finish before serving the 3^rd course. The striped bass was crispy on the outside and moist inside with subtle flavor, and the accompanying beans were perfect. The scallops (one whole one +2 halves) were delicious, and the trumpet mushrooms were meaty and tasty. For dessert, the yogurt panna cotta was strangely gelled into a roll/​tube and the dish lacked flavor overall.
It is apparent that the dishes are well-​conceived and unique, but service definitely needs to be reined in a bit. Slowing the pace down overall would go a long way, as this type of food needs to be savored and enjoyed leisurely.
parking — metered street or limited free residential street parking