Gnaw: Poppy + Rose

The Stage: In the heart of the Flower District of Downtown Los Angeles, blocks from Skid Row, sits a quiet and unassuming restaurant. Inside, family-style seating abounds, and windowpanes serve as wall décor. You’re invited to order with the hostess, take a number, and then you are shown your seat. The pressure can build here if you are slow to order; there is a line forming behind you after all. Decision made! Butt meets seat and before you can string together a few lines of conversation, your food arrives, and the real fun begins. 

The Food: The food featured at Poppy + Rose is comfortable and familiar. As a kid who grew up in Oklahoma, I have had hundreds of breakfasts mirroring this one, except my mom can’t make a latte taste this good. The perfectly cooked bacon (get that crispy stuff out of here), homemade jam, sunny-side-up eggs with crispy edges, and some of the best hash browns I have ever had made me wish I was home. Perhaps, that’s the point. In a city where no one seems to originate from LA, maybe this restaurant exists to remind us kids from flyover country what we are missing. Now, go call your mother.

The Service: The servers should maybe think about entering the Los Angeles Marathon next year because they were so ridiculously quick.  

The Price: Are you sitting down? Good. $20 for one person! I know it is breakfast and breakfast is often the most affordable meal that you can find at a restaurant, but here $20 felt like a steal.

The Takeaway: Poppy + Rose is a near-perfect brunch spot in the heart of one of the most vibrant and bustling neighborhoods of Downtown Los Angeles. Based on the line outside the door when we left, I am not the only one who thinks so.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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Gnaw: Star Night

The Stage: Star Night is a hip patio spot in K-Town probably better known for karaoke than their food. Still, I find myself on an eternal hunt for out of this world Korean food. This meant an adventure out of the valley on a Friday night into Los Angeles to scratch an itch and try something new.

The Food: For my guest and I, the menu was slightly confusing. When we finally figured out that we could order a group meal or a la carte, it made sense. Eager to try a little bit of everything, we decided to order a bunch of small plates. Before we could finish our cocktails, bacon wrapped asparagus, dumplings, pork belly, and beef dishes started arriving.

Bacon being the king of the mountain complimented the asparagus well, but you could wrap bacon around almost anything and it would improve it tenfold. The dumplings were fried to perfection and deserved a second order, which we obliged. The pork belly was overcooked and missed the mark. Leave it to bacon to save the species. The beef dish was forgettable and didn’t leave a mark. Taken as a whole, I was neither wowed nor disappointed. I had my mind fixated on something out of this world. Shame on me for creating false expectations.

The Service: Our waiter wasn’t much help when it came to clearing up confusion related to the menu. We even asked, “What do parties of two usually order?” Our answer was a few jokes that didn’t land and an escape to check on our cocktails. Thanks for the help… I guess.

The Price: For two people, we paid $99. That price point in LA can often feel like a steal, but a drive around the corner would have revealed better tasting more authentic food at a lower price point.

The Takeaway: I’ve never been a big karaoke fan. I love being the center of attention just not in that way. I assume people visit Star Night for that experience and the food is a second thought. The only thing I can compare it to is the food you find at a bowling alley. It doesn’t distract from the experience and its only reason to exist is to make money. There is nothing wrong with this approach, but if you are looking for great Korean food in K-Town I suggest walking a little further down the street.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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Gnaw: Brew Kitchen Bar

The Stage: If you would have commanded me to find Monterey Park on a map showing LA suburbs before two weeks ago, I would have failed. Then, I visited Brew Kitchen Bar and everything changed. If you are struggling to figure out the specialty of this local spot, everything you need to know is in the name. This sometimes brewery, sometimes kitchen, sometimes bar is modern, clean, inviting, and charming. As soon as you enter the doors, you are invited to order from the counter, grab a cocktail or beer, and food to tide you over between drinks.

The Food: To start the evening, I ordered the “Apple Pie” cocktail. I have no idea what comprised the contents of this concoction. I do know this; it tasted like apple pie with a sweet mix of sugar, cinnamon, and enough alcohol to bring it all together. For my entrée, I ordered the “Hot Chix Sando.” It was a chicken sandwich on a brioche bun. The buttermilk chicken was fried with a tri-chile blend and featured pickles, slaw, and house aioli. It comes in three versions: mild, medium, and hot. Naturally, being a coward, I ordered the medium. If I were to use five words to describe the food, I would use crunchy, fall-apart, approachable, familiar, classic brewery food.

The Service: The service was on par with most breweries I have visited. They were quick, no-nonsense, and often checked in to see if you needed anything else. While I can always use more witty banter, I have no complaints about the service.

The Price: For two people, our total bill was $85. That price comprised two rounds of drinks and dinner for two. In today’s LA, that price point feels more and more like a steal.

The Takeaway: Brew Kitchen Bar is worth a return trip. The brewery world is getting more crowded in Southern California. Still, I can think of a couple of out of town guests who I will be taking to visit this place. I imagine we will come for the food but stay for the beers.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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Gnaw: Fundamental DTLA

The Stage

Fundamental DTLA sits off 7th and Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles. It’s quaint, compact, and Bohemian layout draw you inward to a modern and city-focused environment where you are invited to eat, drink, and listen to the nightlife of America’s second-largest city rumble to life.

The Food

If I were to use five words to describe the food of Fundamental DTLA, I would say imaginative, flavorful, familiar, wide-ranging, and eclectic. On our visit, we were treated to an Old Fashioned and white wine, as well as house-made cornbread, a salad featuring snow peas with grains, a short rib pappardelle with house-made pasta, chili flake, and parmesan, and we finished the evening with churros. Each dish was creative, yet ranged from classic cocktails, Asian inspired, Italian, and south of the border. On paper, it would seem this collection of dishes wouldn’t work well together, but in reality, the flow and differences in taste complemented the next with ease.

The Service

The service was exceptional. Our waiter was attentive, conversational, and responsive. In his eyes, our entrees took too long to arrive; something we hadn’t noticed. For this unspoken trouble, we were given a dessert on the house. It was an unexpected yet appreciated move on his part.

The Price

For two people, our total bill was $122. Glancing at the wine menu, we could have spent considerably more. This price point made this the perfect restaurant for a date night, which is what we were there to do.

The Takeaway

The LA food scene is crowded, and downtown is exploding with unexplored options. Of all the choices before you, Fundamental DTLA is worthy of your time and taste buds. It isn’t the riskiest thing you will ever eat, but it manages to do a whole bunch of things right which is more than I can say for all these spots that want to serve me burgers, burritos, and teriyaki.

Be good to each other,

-Nathan

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