Republique: Power to the (Food Loving) People

With the pedigree that comes from working in the kitchens of some of the world's greatest chefs, from Alain Ducasse to Ferran Adria, and rising to fame locally with Patina, Bastide, and Church & State, AND the longstanding community connection that comes with one of the most beloved, beautiful and historic venues in LA, Walter Manzke had the burden of great expectations riding on his shoulders in opening République.

The bistro with a focus on 'casual elegance', highlighting local ingredients elevated with a global approach, took over the space that once housed Charlie Chaplin's office, then the original La Brea Bakery, and Campanile: and we were glad to see that the breath-taking rustic grandeur of the space is preserved, with just the right amount of personal touches by the Manzke husband and wife team to make it their own (black and white floor tiles, furniture built by chef Manzke's father...).  They even kept the lovely fountain from the La Brea Bakery/Campanile era, but moved it appropriately outdoors.  A night out at Republique still feels like an intimate event, in some neighborhood gem of a restaurant in some off-the-beaten-path, yet ever so familiar venue that could just as well be in Italy/Spain/France.

Mims, not usually a fan of sea urchin, was so enthralled by the place that she agreed to check out the Eggs on Toast ($16) Santa Barbara uni, soft-scrambled eggs, with me.  Perfect tongues of fresh Santa Barbara sea urchin laid gently over fluffy chicken eggs scrambled with chives, which in turn sat atop crisp, freshly baked slices of baguette*.  The concept of egg on egg is not groundbreaking, but it's an absolute stroke of genius to pair uni (sea urchin gonads) with scrambled eggs - why didn't everyone do this?! Simple, yet brilliant. The dish also definitely turned Mims into a believer in one bite.

*Oh, don't miss out on Margarita Manzke's awesome bread - to avoid food waste Republique has a policy to only bring the complimentary bread to your table on request.  Whatever you do, if you're a lover of a good pre-dinner carb-loading - make sure you request this!

We can never resist a good beef tartare, and jumped when we saw one on the menu: Grass-Fed Beef Tartare ($18) tarragon aioli, pickled red onion, potato chips.  While this isn't the only place in LA to serve beef tartare with potato chips (Flores does it too), it's pretty much the best iteration we've tasted, with the crispy, fresh fried chips the perfect foil for the tender, velvety bites of beef - barely dressed to let the lovely natural flavors shine.  Also loved the plating: the way they stood the potato chips up made them look like some fantastical underwater forest.

Every dish so far had gotten our vote for some of the best things we've ever tasted...and then came the Charcuterie Board ($24) - which simply says "serves one to four" but with the generous portion sizes, we were convinced would actually feed 6 average sized adults.

We got pretty 'food-drunk' on the delirium-inducing deliciousness of every single element on this board - all house made - so much so that we couldn't even remember what the server said each item was - I only vaguely recall venison and liver somewhere in the charcuterie.  Trust me though, every single bite on this board was amazing.

If I had to choose a best of meal, however, my pick would be hands down the Duck Liver Mousse with pickled asian pear.  I don't think I've ever encountered this pairing - and it's absolute genius. This may be as close to the richness of foie that we can get in the city after the ban.  And loved how the soft juicy crunch of the asian pear balanced perfectly with the earthiness of the mousse - and how that ever so slight element of acidity helped to cut through it all without overwhelming the delicate flavors of the pear and duck liver.
 

We didn't want the charcuterie board to end, and seriously stuffed ourselves to the outer limits of human stomach capacity.

Yet we still had coming up: Risotto Nero ($19) with aquerello carnaroli, mediterrenean octopus, manila and razor clam.  This was a gorgeous presentation of vibrant pops of seafood against a stark backdrop of black rice.  The octopus, clams all tasted as if they were just recently plucked from the ocean.  Our only reservation about this one, was that it wasn't as full of flavor as we had expected - though it may have something to do with this being overshadowed by the flavors of the incredible charcuterie.  If we had had the risotto first it might have been possible that this would have also made our list of favorites.

All in all, République lived up to the hype for us: they have our vote as a great new place for 'special occasion dining' without the stuffiness. 

I also loved the bakery counter, where you can just get some of Margarita Manzke's pastries or delicious desserts (the ones that don't come with ice cream anyway) to go.  That's what I opted for one night when it became apparent that there wouldn't even be room for a single diner to slide up to the bar (but GM Christian was incredibly nice and apologetic about it, a rarity for a LA 'hotspot' - a manager who actually cares about every customer! After hearing that I'd driven from West LA in the rain, he did his best to accommodate, personally packing my dessert to go, and even throwing in a free baguette - and no, I absolutely never once mentioned the blog and never asked for anything extra.  This level of care made me even a bigger fan of Republique than I was after the first visit!).

***Much has been made about the 3% "Healthy LA" surcharge tagged onto every bill - which will go towards health care coverage for restaurant staff.  Whether it would have been more customer friendly to work that into food prices, versus bringing something that's usually 'behind the scenes' into front of house, will likely continue to be a topic for debate - but suffice to say here that you can, if you feel strongly about it, as stated by the restaurant take the 3% into account when calculating your tip (taking it out of your total tip).

On a 7 point scale:

Flavor - 6 bites  
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 6 bites
Ambience -  6.5 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 
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République

624 S La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036

Ph:  323.938.1447

Website: republiquela.com

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Freddy Smalls Bar & Kitchen: Bedeviled, and the Addictive New Menu

It's such a great time for food lovers to be in LA. There are new and exciting restaurants opening every week - it makes it easy to overlook reliable neighborhood gems that deserve just as much attention, like Freddy Smalls. When I first fell in love with the place, it involved giant splits of bone marrow with a carnivore's dream platter of fixings called Reuben's Gluttony.  But, like the aggravating Keith in Some Kind of Wonderful, totally got sidetracked by other distractions and forgot about the one who'd always been there, Watts.  Recently, when I was invited in to Freddy Smalls to check out their new Winter menu, it was like rediscovering an old friend and seeing them with eyes anew.

My first bites reminded me why I need to put Freddy Smalls back into my restaurant rotation asap: Buffalo Deviled Eggs ($4) crisp chicken skin, point reyes blue cheese, CP's hot sauce, celery.  These were easily the best deviled eggs I've had in LA that I can remember.  The egg yolks had a whipped, super creamy yet lovely, light consistency, balanced by the crunch of crisp chicken skin, punctuated by flaming dots of chef Charlie Parker's instantly addictive housemade hot sauce (which may just be our salvation from #srirachapocalypse), and lent a light, delicious funk with the point reyes blue cheese.  At $4, these signature (available year round, not just on seasonal menu) perfect bite-sized bar grub are ones I could easily eat dozens of at one sitting.

Fried Brussel Sprouts ($8) smoked goat cheese, apple cider glaze - as you know, dearest reader, like a child still at heart, I no like vegetables.  However, these brussel sprouts (also available year round) struck a great balance between savory, smoky, sweet, and sour.

Daily Special: Short Rib Terrine with romanesco, burrata, pine nuts, radish. Chef Charlie Parker is really into charcuterie, and makes his own in house. Once in a while, you'll find his creations worked into daily special plates.  The short rib terrine somehow reminded me of the texture of corned beef.  But for me somehow the sides upstaged the main attraction: the accompaniments were to me, food art: the alien/microbiology experiment-looking romanesco always make for fascinating points of visual interest, and added a nice crunch here in perfect counterbalance to the creamy burrata underneath all the greenery. I usually hate the shape and texture of pine nuts but they worked really well here.

Along with charcuterie, chef Parker makes his own pickled veggies, and those fresh, delicious juices made it into an unusual cocktail: The Brine ($ ) vodka, house pickle juice, olive. A cure for the case of common cocktail boredom, for West LA folks.

Aside from charcuterie, there are seafood plates to be had as well on the focused but well curated menu: Seared Scallops ($15) sunchokes, cara cara orange, green olive. Loved the sunchoke cream especially here with the cara caras adding sweet juicy acidity to cut through it all.
 

To finish: Rocky Road Namelaka ($8) toasted meringue, almond praline, murray river salt. In a mason jar.  Loved this dessert, kind of a study in contrasts: rocky road would have suggested rough hewn / bumpiness while namelaka is a Japanese term for creamy texture. Essentially it's a light, chocolate ganache crowned by deliciously toasted meringue, and bit of saltiness to add dimension to the sweet.

The rediscovery of Freddy Smalls reminded me that this level of care and craftsmanship with bar fare is a rarity in this particular stretch of West LA, and I'm making a mental note to make my way back again soon (especially for those deviled eggs!!!).

 *Disclaimer: This meal was hosted.

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Freddy Smalls Bar and Kitchen

11520 W Pico Blvd Los Angeles, CA 

Ph:  310.479.3000

Website: freddysmalls.com

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Gorge: Fighting the Good (Food) Fight

A while back, Beauty Jones and I stopped by Gorge on Sunset.

It's got that perfect storm of elements that appeal to us: cozy, off the beaten path, unpretentious, stacking their investment where it really counts - in the kitchen, with owner/chefs of impressive pedigree - Elia Aboumrad (Joel Robuchon Paris & Las Vegas), and Uyen Nguyen (Guy Savoy, Le Cirque, Fleur de Lys). And it had a name with meaning: Gorge apparently comes from the old war expression, “A la gorge!”,  once an exclamation by French soldiers hurtling into battle, which literally means, “To the throat!”.  The expression was adopted by militant kitchen brigades preparing to give themselves to service. To us that read: thoughtful chefs in the kitchen, good food ahead!

As usual - I tried not to do too much more research beforehand so as to get an as unbiased experience as possible. So we were kind of surprised to step into a cozy little nook that felt in decor a bit like an Irish rural neighborhood pub meets mom & pop diner.  Loved it all the more for offering a casual, relaxed setting for the food that would not be out of place in the finest white-tableclothed, silver-utensiled, multi-award-winning restaurants in the city.

We were greeted by Master Sommelier Darius Allyn, who gave us a tour of the menu along with his recommendations, including wine pairings with each dish. I'm not usually into wine, but Beauty Jones takes annual trips to Italy's wine regions, was just about to leave for the Loire valley, and had just filled my head with visions of lush vineyards and liquid sun/ terroir captured in radiant bottles. And Darius made us feel at home right away, like we were his best customers here for our weekly meal, though it was really our first. There was none of the pretentiousness you may expect from other master sommeliers.  

So we started off with Chicken Liver Parfait ($10) accompanied by cornichons and country bread.  This was an incredibly light, smooth yet flavor rich spread that we didn't want to stop eating, ever.

This was paired (if memory serves correctly) perfectly with a pinot gris.

Then, because we couldn't, and didn't want to, limit our choices on charcuterie/cheese - we went for the platter: Saucisson Sec & Cheese ($29) House dried saucisson sec, Frommage de tete, House pickles, Country bread & GORGE Cheese selection

This was possibly the best charcuterie and cheese platter I've had in LA. Every bite was foodgasm inducing including the sides of pickled romanesco (a veggie that looks like some alien microbe lifeform under the magnifying lens of a microscope), almonds, and housemade strawberry preserves. And yes, you can tell our visit was a while ago, since we were able to get Mimolette on the board. 

For a change of pace, and honestly only because Beauty Jones wanted to try it:
Belgian Endives ($14) Poached in aromatic broth, Served warm, Vanilla bean sauce, Toasted almonds

This was food art - a gorgeous plate that tasted as great as it looks.  I didn't miss my proteins one bit.

Then a terrine for good measure (and because they had me at truffles): Pheasant Terrine ($25) Wild pheasant, Black truffles, Pecans, Potato puree, Organic baby kale salad

This also, like every bite we had before it, was perfect in flavor, texture, temperature, presentation. Taken to the next level with a pairing of Vouvray.

For dessert, there was a choice of different flavors of St. Honore. We went for the Pistachio St. Honore ($10) Pistachio pastry cream, Vanilla chantilly, Pistachio macaron

So deliciously light, with macarons in the true Parisian style - ones that have a crispy shell that yield to airy interiors, that do not collapse into a sticky mess on contact. And if we hadn't both been raised right, would have fought each other for the last bite. 

With the superstar team of women at its helm, it would be so easy and trite, to make this a 'Go Girls!' story - but that would be doing Gorge and its amazing team a disservice. Gorge is simply, the product of true passion and dedication by a trifecta of chefs and sommelier - an amazing still somewhat hidden gem that everyone who loves food and wine needs to experience, asap.

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6.5 bites  
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience -  5.5 stars
Service - 6.5 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$$ (3 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% 

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Gorge

8917 West Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA 90069

Ph: 310.657.6328

Parking: Meters on Sunset Blvd.

Website: gorgela.com

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Wallys Cheese Box - Foodies Booty

Wally's is best known for their wine store, and their annual tent sale, on Westwood Boulevard mid-block north of Olympic. Not much of a wine drinker, I stumbled on the real motherlode for me - a lesser known and fairly new part of Wally's that was far more exciting to me - when I happened to drive past the area at lunch one day: Wally's Cheese Box.

An adorable, compact cottage-like extension in the tiny parking lot next to Wally's Wine Store, Wally's Cheese Box is dedicated appropriately to all the beautiful edibles that you would want to enjoy with a good bottle of wine that you've purchased next door (or in my case, enjoy instead of / more than wine!). 

The minute you enter, you are greeted by a treasure trove of fantastic cheeses in and out of the glass case that runs the length of the store - pretty much everywhere. 

It was like discovering pirate's booty in the desert island of gourmet goods around the Westside Pavilion area - I wanted to dive in, dance and throw everything up in the air from sheer joy, while shouting "it's mine, all mine!" while found gold showers down around me.  Aside from cheese-gold there was also a selection of charcuterie and packaged artisanal salami and most importantly...

...FOIE GRAS!!!   I can't even name another store in LA where I've seen this accessible to the general public. Sadly I didn't have a cooler that day so didn't get any to take home.  But I'd bought some to pan sear this past holiday while in Hong Kong and loved it.  I need to come back to Wally's a LOT before July, when California starts to enforce a ridiculous ban on this proof-of-divine-design.

As for cheeses, it was hard to pick just three!  But the Wally's staff was super friendly, knowledgeable and helpful - and at their recommendation I went with a cute palm-sized Epoisses en Cru (baby epoisses) $7.99, Fourme D'Ambert (on sale for $14/lb, normally $17/lb), and Truffled Gouda.  All gorgeously strong cheeses, the way I like 'em.   Loved all three.

(Picture taken after I got home - Wally's Cheese Box is tiny and there isn't any place to sit for a cheese tasting or anything)

To accompany cheeses, there is a very small but eclectic and mouthwatering selection of dry goods you can buy from tubs of marcona almonds, to this fig almond cake from Spain. 

Of course crisps / flatbreads / crostinis are also on offer. Rustic Bakery baked goods especially got my attention, including flatbreads with flavors like olive oil & sel gris, sweet onion and creme fraiche. But the MUST GET item from this line is their Tart Cherry Handmade Pan Forte Crostini ($6.49) baked with dried tart bing cherries, natural almonds & Valrhona cacao nibs, flax seed and pumpkin seed in a gorgeous whole wheat cracker - an insane explosion of sour, sweet, earthy, and all kinds of crunchy pure luscious deliciousness in your mouth. From an artisan baker in Marin County.  The best crackers I've ever had in my life. These deserve to be served in the bread baskets of the finest restaurants in the city.  I finished the whole box in one sitting (with my fourme d'ambert and by itself) and had to go back to Wally's to stock up on more boxes.

Along with all kinds of fruit jams and preserves, there is also a selection of truffle honeys (black and white truffle ones!!!) imported from Italy with beautiful packaging.  The giant jar is $29.99, and out of my budget, but the smaller TartufLanghe jar of white truffle honey was more affordable to try (though lower value given volume) at $14.99.  Can't wait to try it over a camembert or toast! 

Also loved the beautiful jars of artisan salts, some of which I've never heard of either.  And there are dried pastas and arborios including ones pre-mixed with porcini mushrooms or truffle!!!  (This truffle hog was definitely in heaven at the store) 

Another 'best ever' item that I will be returning again for, is their amazing Vermont Cultured Butter, which comes in a cute little palm sized wooden basket and is the perfect balance of sweet and savory, creamy and light - all topped by fleur de sel crystals that add an awesome crunch and bursts of saltiness on the finish. Loved and have become instantly addicted to this butter. Not sure if I can go back to 'normal' kinds...

And last butnot least, I almost forgot - Wally's Cheese Box also serves a small selection of cheese sandwiches To Go.  Guess which one I went with?  Yep, Grilled Truffled Cheese ($7.99).  I didn't catch the name of the cheese they used, but remembered being told it was a variation on Boschetto, a mixed cow & sheep's milk cheese with black and white truffles.  Ah-mazing.  The only note I had on the sandwich was about the bread - would have loved for there to be more options, but will wait to try the other sandwiches to see if different breads are used.  I think what they used was sliced brioche bread - nicely toasted but not super exciting.  The cheese was fantastic though - perfectly melted, smooth and creamy and light, and does not congeal quickly into a rubbery, chewy mess like most other grilled cheeses do.

A nice gourmet sandwich option for those who work in the area and want to pick up something quick and easy to eat at their desk, and for under $10.  And you get to shop for mind-blowingly delicious snacks too while waiting for your food.

Joan's of Third may have the marketplace cornered, with a much larger selection of imported goods, cafe / deli fare in a lovely setting.  But when it comes to a hidden gem of a neighborhood gourmet marketplace for foodies in West LA - Wally's hits the spot.

Update April 2012:  They also have this AMAZING black truffle butter (from Savory Farm)!!!  Can it be any more gorgeous? (Also, fresh baked baguettes are now available!)

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Wally's Cheese Box
2107 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025
Ph: 310.475.0606
Website: wallywine.com
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Wood and Vine: Against the Grain in LalaLand

I think I've found another favorite spot to eat in Hollywood. 

In the land of 'hotspots', where to 'see and be seen' and gimmicky setups too often sadly takes precedence over good food and setting for great conversation - Wood and Vine goes against the grain with a venue that not only looks amazing, but has character - sans cliches - AND a menu built around substance, authenticity and craftsmanship.

Located in the historic Taft Building, which is steeped in Hollywood history dating back to the 20's - and housed offices of Hollywood icons from Charlie Chaplin to Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to The Hollywood Reporter - Wood and Vine has a unique decor and indoor/outdoor/bar/lounge/upstairs/downstairs space that makes you feel as if you've stepped into another time and place.  Notice I didn't say movie set - it doesn't give off that forced, false, touristy vibe in a theme park, Planet Hollywood kind of way - but in a way that feels authentic and transportative, and makes you forget that you're just a short but treacherous walk away from the kitsch of "superheroes", "aliens", "stormtroopers" and shops blasting sound and fury, peddling plastic "best mother/father/brother/sister of the year" academy award statuettes.  

There wasn't any sense of snootiness that you would come to expect in the nicer dining venues in Hollywood, either, from any of the staff - they were all very accommodating and genuine as far as we could tell - even on a busy Friday night.  I was glad, because it was my birthday, and when 'Lindyhopper' asked where I wanted to go, I kind of took a risk with this one - to try a place we hadn't been before.

I didn't need to worry at all as I fell in love with the place instantly.  Since I arrived uncharacteristically early, I went to the beautiful, soaring two-story backlit bar to grab a cocktail while waiting for Lindyhopper to arrive.  At the bartender's recommendation, I decided to try Aviation ($12) made with gin, maraschino, creme de violette and lemon juice.  The citrus and lightness of the drink overall was refreshing, but I thought the alcohol was a bit heavy-handed for my taste. Though in a way that was a good thing as my brother's wife went into labor that night, and so the entire family - spread out over 3 countries - was stressing out waiting for updates from the hospital. 

Luckily, there was a comfortable space at the front - with a leather sofa and armchairs nestled in an alcove by the stairs, and some bar tables next to them - where I could sit and get quick updates on the cell without bothering other customers. 

(They didn't end up giving birth til that Sunday)

When Lindyhopper arrived, we decided to take a table outside on the 'patio'.  It's a 3-walled, open-aired, breath-taking, charming and unique space that feels like a hidden gem - like someone took the backyard from an interior designer's home from upstate New York and dropped it in between highrises in Manhattan. 

Loved the wood panelling, trees, strung lights and heat lamps that cast a warm glow over the space.  And the fire pit table.  Yes, you read that right - there's a communal table in the middle of the patio, and in the center of that table - a fire pit.  Form and function in one, for meals in the winter - it does get chilly outdoors in LA for a few months of the year.

Wood and Vine has built a lot of buzz for their main attraction - housemade charcuterie - and I couldn't wait to try.  But my eyes lit up when they briefly detoured to Creamy Grits ($5) on the menu.  It's one of those foods that seem so simple, but can be amazing when well executed.  And you don't see polenta / grits everywhere - at $5, I had to have a taste.  And I LOVED it - the texture was pretty perfect: true to its name, the dish was creamy yet riddled with distinct, 'gritty' bits, served at just the right temperature and flavor intensity.  And a fairly generous portion too, for Hollywood prices.

After devouring that pre-show entertainment whole, it was time for the marquee act: Charcuterie & Cheese Selection - there was a great list of different meats, pates and cheeses to choose from and pricing was the same for any of the items which is fantastic for those of us who love the higher end stuff (3 for $12, 5 for $16, 7 for $21).  I of course immediately sprung for the Potted Foie Gras, Duck and Madeira Pate and Chicken Liver Mousse.  They arrived on a wooden board with bread, two dips (mustard - with real mustard seeds! and honey) and a side of pickled veggie slices.

I started with the heavy hitter first, as I wanted to leave the foie for last to let it linger on the palate: Chicken Liver Mousse - this was incredibly fresh, smooth, substantial yet light, with rich but perfectly controlled chicken liver flavors so as not to be overly pungent.  Loved the sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper on top as well for bit of crunch and slightest bit of heat.

Next up: Duck & Madeira Pate I was so excited when the platter arrived that I missed the waitress' explanation of what Madeira was, unfortunately, but I think it's a Portugese wine that's used to make this pate, which is simply amazing.  The consistency reminds me of SPAM (as in the canned lunch meat, not sludge of junk email) except much less greasy, and containing pleasing chunks of what I think are solid fat that breaks up the 'background' meat nicely.  This one was also so fresh tasting that I wouldn't be shocked if someone were to tell me they keep a farm in the back.

Saving the best for last: the gorgeous Potted Foie Gras - this was basically foie mashed and whipped up into a light, most incredibly divine consistency imaginable.  In density, I would say it's somewhere between real whipped cream and creme fraiche   With all the lovely savory livery flavors of foie.  In a glass jar.  I would probably add this to the list of things I would want for my last meal.

If you've read previous posts, you may know that Lindyhopper is not a fan of 'weird stuff' when it comes to food - she was kind enough to go along for my sake, but skipped the charcuterie and on the small plates menu went for the Chicken & Waffles house-made waffle, maple glaze, sage butter ($16) which pre-dinner research had revealed was a crowd fav at Wood and Vine.   And the chicken didn't disappoint (though the waffle could have been served at much hotter temperature). 

Because one can never have too much liver in their diet - for my 'main' I got the Grilled Liver market sherry gastrique, potato puree ($14) our server had let me know that this was going to be a pork liver. 

I knew from having pork liver in congee (Chinese rice porridge) that when cooked, this liver would become stiff and chewy, and is not at all close to the lush livers that come from their two-legged, web-footed and winged distant cousins.  But I love the intense and unique flavor of pork liver, and I'd never had it grilled before, so thought I would give it a try.  While grilling added a nice smokey char that really brought out its natural flavors nicely, the organ 'meat' did end up being a bit tough to eat.  I couldn't finish this one and took it home.

We were too full to get dessert, which is rare as we both have incurable sweet tooths!  Anyways, our total bill came to just over $60 including drinks (cocktail for me, soda for Lindyhopper) - really not bad at all for Hollywood!

Wood and Vine's menu rotates frequently, and I can't wait to go back to see what they serve up next, and to have a lot more of their charcuterie.  Also on Mondays, they serve a prix fixe menu that seems like a fantastic deal at $18 per person for 3 courses!  Looks like their Facebook page or Twitter are the best places to see the menu of the week.  Will definitely need to go back soon for this.  And next time I may need to sit by the firepit.

Also of note, Wood and Vine is close to the Pantages theater so great for pre- or post- theater drinks and small bites.

All in all, a wonderful time at Wood and Vine, to mark an otherwise would-have-been painful passage to yet another addition to The Number (that is all age is, right?).  For me it decidedly has all the makings of a new favorite in Hollywood, joining the ranks of Library Bar, Public Kitchen + Bar, and Komida.

On a 7 point scale:
Flavor - 6 bites
Presentation - 6 bites
Originality - 5.5 bites
Ambience - 6 stars
Service - 6 stars
Overall experience - 6 bites
Price - $$ (2 bite marks)
Probability of return visit - 100% ___________________________________________________________

Wood and Vine
The Taft Building, 6280 Hollywood Blvd (at Vine Street), Hollywood, CA
Ph: 323.334.3360

Parking: Valet (really best option in area) $10 for up to 4 hours, Mon-Sat
$7 for up to 2.5 hours Sun

Website: woodandvine.com
OpenTable: Look for reservations (and points!)

Twitter: @woodandvine ______________________________________________________________________