The Hungry Cat - Feeding Frenzy Worthy to Repeat Over Nine Lifetimes

The Hungry Cat had me at 'seafood' and 'Suzanne Goin'.  Already a fan of Lucques' Sunday Suppers, with its market fresh, clean but boundlessly inventive flavors, I couldn't wait to check out this seafood focused part of her franchise, helmed by her husband Chef David Lentz.  So I was excited when my friend "Teach" suggested the place for dinner a few weeks back.

As if inspired by its name, The Hungry Cat is appropriately hidden away in an alley-like part of the Sunset & Vine Building.  With no prominent signage from the street or around the entrance, those who have not already been there could easily pass by without ever getting to know the gems to be found within.  It was only with Teach's directions (look for Jersey Mike's and turn into that courtyard next to it, go to the end) that I was able to get my bearings. 

With a secluded small patio with tables on one side and rows of wooden countertops and barstools on the other (which incidentally remind me of the setup in retro arcade game 'Tapper'), then a dozen or so tables inside radiating from the corner counter - The Hungry Cat is a cozy nook of a place that serves up amazingly fresh seafood in a comfortable, casual environment.

The menu is arranged by shellfish, seafood platters simply listed by size ('trust-me' style), caviar, raw dishes, entrees and cheese.

We started with a plate of Diver scallop, sea urchin, sea beans, pickled peppers, white soy, yuzu ($14) - I loved the scallops that were thinly sliced, incredibly sweet, tender and smooth, served sashimi style.  But, for me there was a little too much texture layered on top so that the scallops got just a little lost among the sea beans, peppers and radish rounds.  Overall a great dish though with original pairing with briny sea urchin and yuzu.

Knowing we had a seafood feast ahead, to mix things up for our other starter Teach ordered a salad of Heirloom tomato, burrata, arugula, red onion, rustic croutons, red wine vinaigrette ($13) - I'm not usually into salads, but enjoyed the elements of creamy burrata and lovely heirloom tomatoes. 


Then came the piece de resistance we couldn't wait to get our paws on: Seafood Platter - Small ($45) which was actually pretty giant, occupying a good 2/3 of our table, and one of the best seafood platters I've ever had in LA, because each piece tasted so incredibly pure and fresh.  The platter featured oysters (tasting of deep, clean, cold, ocean), clams (perfect texture, not too firm/chewy), shrimp with incredibly sweet, perfectly cooked meat (and head on for those so inclined to suck its delicious brains and organs out. I loved this - the most flavorful part of the shrimp. Since Teach didn't want hers I got to hog both heads!), lobster tail as well as two giant crab legs.

Unlike so many other places that will just give you standard mignonette, horseradish and/or cocktail sauce for dipping (which I usually ignore, as I do with soy sauce at sushi restaurants - why cover the natural flavors of fresh seafood? Sort of defeating the point.) - The Hungry Cat serves up an interesting plate of five different dips.  I couldn't remember what they were (sorry, it was supposed to be a blog-free dinner, so much for that ;P) but pretty much loved them all and made the exception to actually dip some of the crab in the sauces. 

Next up were gigantic Alaskan King Crab Legs in the most incredible butter based sauce that we both wanted to pick up and lap right off the bowl. But we managed to restrain ourselves and use the bread to soak some up instead.

All in all, a great time at The Hungry Cat - the best seafood I've had in recent memory in LA, raw and cooked.  And at under $25 a person for the seafood platter, for the quality and quantity included (volume-wise there was enough for two of us to feel full) it's a pretty good deal.

Even if we had nine lifetimes to live I would definitely want to spend time in each of them here. 

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 5.5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100%
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The Hungry Cat
1535 North Vine St, Hollywood, CA 90028
Ph: 323.462.2155

Parking: Sunset & Vine Parking Facility: entrance on Morningside Court off of Sunset one block west of Vine.  Or park in Trader Joe's lot on Vine - 1 hour validation with purchase.

Website: thehungrycat.com
Look for reservations: opentable.com/the-hungry-cat-hollywood

Twitter: twitter.com/thehungrycat
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Magnolia - Best Mac and Cheese / Beet Salad in LA

Deceptively simple, but abundantly satisfying - Mac and Cheese is a comfort food that brings out my not-so-well-hidden inner kid.  This is a dish that doesn't need to be complicated to be amazing - Magnolia understands this and has worked its magic to serve up a grown-up version that doesn't feel like it's trying too hard.

Magnolia's Baked Mac and Cheese ($10) has the perfect consistency and weight - thick enough to satisfy, but not so dense that it sinks to the pit of your stomach like a mushy anvil.  My favorite part of the dish - and in my humble opinion - the secret to its success, is in the top layer - Magnolia crisps the top layer of cheese, to offer an abfab combination of crunchy/crisp to creamy smooth in every spoonful.  The portion size is also just right - the Mac and Cheese with a salad is great for a light meal before catching the latest flick at the Arclight (more on that later) - this way I won't be in danger of falling into a food coma while trying to keep up with a movie!

Which brings me of course to the topic of my other favorite dish at Magnolia - the Beet and Avocado Salad ($11) - which consists of roasted multi-colored baby beets tossed with balsamic vinaigrette and roasted pistachios.  I have to start by saying that I am not a 'salad person' - and until recently, have been a bit of a snob about it:  where is the art in chopping and tossing a bunch of raw vegetables together?  But I quickly became a convert after two milestone tastings:  Petrossian's Foie Gras Haricots Verts, and Magnolia's Beet and Avocado salads.  The skill of the chef lies in his/her ability to select ingredients at their optimum state, that complement or bring out the best in each other in texture and taste, and include them at the right proportions.  The artistry reveals itself in the balance of colors, and the delicacy with which the chef casts brush strokes of flavor across the canvas of the plate.  In this case, all elements are picture perfect (though of course I get so intoxicated with this dish that I always forget to document it with a photo!).  The golden and red beets are at just the right consistency, and tossed in at perfect bite-sized pieces among the fresh mesclun.  The pistachios add a nice crunch, counterbalanced by the buttery creaminess of perfectly ripened avocado.  Have I already (over)used the word perfect to describe this salad?!!

My fellow diners will usually order the mac and cheese or a grilled artichoke as a starter and an organic homemade Turkey Burger ($12) - which they attest to being very tasty. Other entrees run from $16 (Market Vegetable Plate) to $28 (Steak Frites).

As I mentioned earlier, we do always end up grabbing a quick, light bite here before a movie at the Arclight Hollywood, which is just a block or so down the street - totally within walking distance (and you can conveniently park in the structure next to the theater!).  The Arclight is my favorite cinema chain - though I don't love the higher prices, it does tend to draw a less rowdy crowd - everyone here is of course willing to pay a bit more for a respectful environment where you can truly enjoy a movie without obnoxious phones going off, late-comers disrupting your view of the screen, or people who feel most comfortable conversing in the dark while everyone else is silent.  Magnolia fits in nicely with this theme - the atmosphere is 'relaxed upscale'.

The other perk of dining at Magnolia is that it is a great place for a "spot the star" game - though not a place frequented by A-listers, we've run into 'is that really...or just someone who looks like...' celebrities every time we've come in, from Gabriel Aubry (of Halle Berry baby daddy fame) to Topher Grace to David Henrie from Disney Channel. 

All these things combine to make Magnolia a great pit stop in a low-key night out in Hollywood - I highly recommend it!

On a 7 point scale:

Flavor - 6.5 bites
Presentation - 5.5 bites
Originality - 5 bites
Ambience - 5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100%
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Magnolia Hollywood
6266 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028
Ph: 323.467.0660
Website: magnoliala.com
OpenTable: Look for reservations
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