Wow! Vegas has arrived, right here in West Hollywood. Don’t bother with the six-hour drive when all you have to pay is the $7 parking fee to feel as if you’ve been transported right onto the swankiest part of the strip!
REPUBLIC
650 N. La Cienega Blvd.
Cuisine: Vegas-style anything goes
The Scene: Fabulous, Chic and Elegant
Must Try: Lobster Corn Dogs
Star Rating: 3.5 of 4
Average Cost: $23-42 entrees
Republic is very democratic; free thinking and independent from the main stream; what a total knock out to experience. From the moment you arrive, a handsome and courteous (no attitude at this place, thank god) gent opens the door for you as a rain-shower waterfall drops from the ceiling behind him, immediately telling you you’re in for an event. Interior designer Margaret O’Brien appoints the foyer with deceivingly soft creamy couches next to a handsome bar, and one side of the room is dressed with red-beaded wallpaper that screams to be fondled (as do some of the wait-staff). Soon after checking in with the hostess, you are whisked into the jaw-dropping main dining room that is an explosion of excitement. It’s an enormous space, yet manages to feel cozy due to the four gi-normous chandeliers that are composed of long strands of string dropping half way down the height of the room. They’re all centered around a bizarrely incongruent grouping of animal antlers that center the room and remind you of the whimsical nature of dining out.
We were seated at an impeccably set table, adorned by a napkin rolled and tied with a sweet ribbon claiming it belonged to Republic. The cutlery was unique without being unusable, and as Michael viewed the action in this stunning room, Scott took in the abalone-textured walls that surrounded various Eric Orr-like water fountains sensuously dripping from the ceiling (which, admittedly, made him want to run to the bathroom on several occasions). Dramatic fireplaces with floor to ceiling chains warm the surroundings. Centered on one wall is a two story glass wine room (think Oriole in Vegas) that has been taken one step further by having a hot looking “angel” flying up and down for bottles, complete with a set of wings.
And the food is pretty fabulous too. Before you start, Executive Chef Gabriel Morales and Chef de Cuisine Mark Mittleman (both formerly from the Beverly Hills Hotel) serve up hot, homemade biscuits with whipped honey butter, as well as sweet jalapeño bread, both of which come piping hot to your table. Scott was working a glass of Snowden Lost Vineyard Napa 2002 Cabernet ($14) and was more than happy to make this his entire meal. That said, we both started with the Maine Lobster Corn Dogs that we couldn’t help but dunk into the accompanying sweet and hot mustard. It brought us back to summer days of corn dogs on the boardwalk, but this time for $21; don’t miss this grown-up taste treat (and speaking of treats, get either chiseled Adam or young Travis to run the food to you). Also devilishly tasty was the Mini Monte Cristo appetizer ($12) that came with strawberry rhubarb preserves and sweet potato fries. The fries were uneventful, but the Monte Cristo was light and scrumptious, and an extravagance for dinner. We enjoyed all the salads we tried, but particularly liked the Heirloom tomato salad with Texas Fry bread ($14).
The “Back Yard BBQ Style” Tasting Pork was our favorite entrée ($30), which offered a selection of pork belly pulled pork, pork loin and “six hour” baked beans; the latter sounded like something Michael’s mother may have made by mistake, if only she knew how to cook, but actually tasted pretty back-yard good. The pulled pork section was a taste selection that made us both happy we didn’t keep Kosher. The Colorado Lamb Rack ($34) was pretty average for a place this spectacular, and although it was a healthy portion, part of it came undercooked. The New England Lobster Bake came prepared with seaweed, corn clam chowder and Tabasco butter, making it a very interesting dish and worthy of it the daily market price ($55 when we ate it). Do accompany your food with some their interesting sides, such as Truffle-scented French fries, or their “world-famous” (at least so far in the world according to Republic) smoked cheddar mac n’ cheese—it will definitely knock your socks off.
The deserts are yummy, but basic. The Strawberry shortcake ($12) with honey and pine-applesauce is worthy of loosening your belts, while the Bourbon Glazed Doughnuts ($10) served with dipping sauces of liquid chocolate, sprinkles and almonds is worth loosening your pants. The chocolate soufflé with a dark chocolate truffle swirled inside the steaming hot pot of yet more chocolate, is worth tasting. The tea selection is elegantly served in Asian-style crockery, making the array of unusual teas taste even better.
The service provided to us on each occasion was warm and friendly, and although one of the runners did ask us “who got the lamb” (The Dining Duo’s personal pet peeve #1), they more than made up for it by swift and promptly cleaning up the nasty little mess Michael made when he catapulted his entire glass of champagne onto the table and Scott’s lap. And the glass was immediately replaced, no charge. Nice move Kyle Rodri (short for Rodriguez), the muy guapo waiter that hovered over our table with aplomb. Michelle, who waited on us previously at The Nook, also provided honest and great service.
After a tremendous meal, we inspected the rest of Republic and what it had to offer. The venue is massive and offers a variety of venues. Upstairs is a bar area where you can order up bottles of bubbly and take in the scene below. At 10pm the Disc Jockey spins unobtrusive music that fills the air above and below. The environment is cozy and welcoming, and the dramatically lit bar is an elegant backdrop. Around the corner is a “unisex” bathroom with mutual sinks that service both sexes, giving everyone a chance to democratically wash their hands together. Around that corner is a private room of extraordinary design. Coated in real Crocodile wall coverings that scream lavishness of unparalleled expense, the tables are set low for socializing and the bar is a focal point. A room with glass ceilings allows you view the moon, while at the end of the space a “fake” moon stares back at you with eerie reality. Yet another room (make sure to ask for table #302 which has a direct view into the dining room) offers up private cabanas where you can close the curtains and privately leaf through the back pages of Frontiers for the after party. There is a giant “ballroom” for special events, and a café on Melrose Place they call “Prana” that offers up it’s own special breakfast and lunch specialties.
Bottom line: you don’t have to be a Republican to have a great experience at Republic!
Tuesday
The Nook
11628 Santa Monica Blvd., West Los Angeles
310-207-5160
Sister restaurant
Bergamont Café
2525 Michigan Avenue
Santa Monica, Ca. 90404
310 828 4001
Everyone these days seem to have a great restaurant to share with The Dining Duo. When our new friend Susanne who is an international “foodie” told us her favorite restaurant in all of Los Angeles is probably THE NOOK, we just had to go. We packed our bags for a field trip west of the 405 freeway and met there for an early dinner on a Saturday evening. It was lucky we arrived at 6 PM because by 7 PM because there was already a line out the door.
Tucked into a corner of a nondescript strip mall in West Los Angeles, just east of Barrington, is a small storefront of no consequence from the outside; but inside we discovered a clean, modern look with a slight Asian sensibility. With only a few booths, several tables and a long, festival-seating elevated table at the restaurant’s center, we feasted on new traditional California comfort food, which Michael adores and Scott eats hesitantly due to his slightly expanding waistline. No matter, everyone knows that size 34 is the new 31.
The host and co owner Brian Frith-Smith, is always warm and welcoming, and quite a looker too. The three partners, Brian, Jeff Stupler and chef James Richardson also are the proprietors of The Bergamont Café, at Bergamont station, which offers a similar genre of food (and is a superb lunch spot while shopping for art).
The Nook’s dinner selections offer up a Grilled Skirt Steak, which arrived perfectly prepared at the requested medium rare. Life would not be complete without a side of their scrumptious Macaroni and Cheese, which was cooked with three different cheeses (parmesan, cheddar and gruyere) and is definitely not your Mom’s old Mac & Cheese (not that Michael’s Mom even knew where the kitchen was located). You’ve heard us use superlatives before, but this dish was truly the best Mac and Cheese we have ever tasted, (we loved Vibrato’s too, but this is even better) and remains one of the menu items which keeps bringing us back for more. During lunch, this is served with a delicious Caesar salad as an entrée for a very reasonable $9.
As we have said before, Michael is the burger aficionado and the Nook’s Sterling silver beef burger at $12 is accompanied by crispy slim fries, and if you like, even a homemade pickle that puckers just the right amount of sour. It would have made our top five list if we had tasted it prior to that review. A burger is so simple but requires a great deal of thought to prepare exceptionally and the Nook has it down pat(ty). Our pet peeve is when your hunk of meat (either the one on your plate or the one sitting across the table from you) arrives undercooked or overcooked. Michael demands his meat medium rare and on every visit, this burger with Gruyere cheese and fried onions was delivered perfectly. Scott demands his hunk of meat with big muscles and a tank top, but that wasn’t on this menu. Our best friend, “Kurt the Cyberguy”, asked for his burger medium well, and as if by magic, it was done just right.
Don’t overlook the desserts, particularly the Chocolate Pot de Crème with strawberries at $6; Scott the consummate chocoholic was in paradise as he moaned with pleasure over this densely chocolate finale. All this great food and moaning makes for a perfect recipe for a little after dinner nookie at the nook, and keeps us going back, for lunch or dinner, time after time.
KATE MANTILINI
9101 Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills
310 278 3699
Cuisine: Everything Goes
The Scene: The Whole Neighborhood
Must Try: Eggs Benedict with a Bloody Mary
Star Rating: 3 of 4
Average Cost: $12.95 - 38 Entree
Monday 7:30 a.m. – midnight
Tuesday – Thursday 7:30 a.m. – 1:00 a.m.
Friday 7:30 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Sunday 10:00 a.m. - midnight
Talk about an old favorite. Opened in 1987 (recently in Woodland Hills) this is our hangout for breakfast, lunch or dinner. In fact, it’s Scott’s lunchtime “commissary” with three visits a week. It’s the atmosphere, it’s the food, and of course it’s two of the most handsome waiters in Los Angeles: woofable Jason Smith with dimples big enough to get lost in, and Brian Timpani (who moved to Bastide, and has yet to resurface).
We don’t think there is another restaurant in Los Angeles that does so many things so well. Michael is all about the Bloody Mary’s and claims Kate’s to have the finest in town. They are hot but not eye watering and perfectly spiced; just like Jason the waiter. Their mix is their own and it shows. Kate’s Eggs Benedict are superlative; we have tried to find better but we never have; they come accompanied by tasty hash browns.
The menu is vast and was created by restaurateur visionaries (Hamburger Hamlets) Marilyn and Harry Lewis. A dashing couple, Harry the former star of “KEY LARGO” and Marilyn, author, producer and clothing designer (Cardinelli), made these restaurants a family affair with sons Adam and David running the show. Lunches, dinners and late evening snacks (what else good is open until 2 AM weekends?) all have things that make us hungry just speaking of them.
The Dining Duo loves Cole slaw and Kate’s has the correct combo of spices and mayo. Standouts consist of Marilyn’s own recipe for her extraordinary Chicken Pot Pie ($18.50). Kate’s had Mac n’ Cheese before it became chic in Los Angeles and theirs is amongst the best. The White Chili ($17.50) is amongst the best chili around. Healthy alternatives include the spicy Dominican Chicken Burrito (which is a total misconception as it’s clean and healthy and a “word of mouth” secret) for $16.50. The Life Rice Chicken is a diet conscious dish that still teases the palette with an assortment of light spices and onions ($17.50). And the wild Salmon is bursting with Omega 3s.
Forget healthy? Then go for it with the most sinful deep fried French toast triangle of yum you’ll ever taste. Scott’s favorite food group is “pancakes” and Kate’s serves up the best delicately thin crepe-like pancakes smothered in butter and syrup. It all makes the Dining Duo drool. Or was it Jason, the waiter?
The Hungry Cat
1555 N Vine St
Hollywood, CA 90028
3234622155
2.5 stars
Ambience: Urban casual
Must try: The Pug burger & Crab Soup
Price: Entrees range from $8 to $22
Scene: In and out kinda place
“The kitchen’s small, but the food’s good” – Charlie, the Waiter.
And so set the tone for our dinner. You won’t go hungry at the Hungry Cat…but where in this urban casual venue was the cat? The industrial setting felt like we were eating in a small noisy factory, including exposed insulation and wiring. The tables are on top of each other, so forget privacy, and if you want your food served at the same time as your guests…well, there’s that small kitchen problem, so forget about that.
Our adorable straight-but-not-narrow waiter welcomed us with gusto, explaining the menu at this new spot in the Sunset & Vine complex (parking’s a bitch, so go for the lot around back). We had heard wonderful things about the Cat, but found only some of them well founded.
Michael compensated for the atmosphere with one of the best Greyhounds. There aren’t appetizers at this restaurant, so we tried some small dishes to start, like the Peel N’ Eat Shrimp with a tasty sauce; we chose to have them pre-peeled, which they did for $16 per half-pound. The Crab soup “Cambridge Style” is unique, loaded with crab, quite spicy, and very flavorful. The price of $8 was reasonable as the portion was large enough to split with a friend. Another starter dish was the assorted cheese platter with honey and walnuts, weighing in at $14. The cheeses were flavorsome, although not remarkable; but the honey and walnuts were perfect for Scott’s insatiable sweet tooth.
Michael couldn’t resist the huge Pug burger, served loaded with smoked bacon and a generous amount of avocado and smothered with blue cheese, delivered perfectly prepared at the requested medium rare. The lobster roll at $22 was a bit pricey for the duo, yet full of flavor; but not better than City Bakery’s lobster which, even at Brentwood’s prices, rolled in at $12. Both were accompanied with a sensational gigantic mound of crispy, thin “Longely” French fries.
The Hungry Cat is not big on variety (remember, it’s the “small kitchen” issue, which shouldn’t really be imposed on the customers) and so if you’re jonesing for something sweet and lip-smacking, your choices are narrowed to only one; well, two, if you count Charlie the waiter. That said, it was pretty sensational, composed of a mixture of chocolate bread and butter pudding a la alloro, and served in a large bowl for $8.
Dominick's
8715 Beverly Blvd.
West Hollywood, Ca. 90048
310 652 2335
Dominick's has been around forever (established in 1948), but we've been hearing good things so we decided to try it out. Upon entering, we were not off to a good start. Although the hostess greeted us warmly, she didn’t want to seat us because our party was not “incomplete”; two others were parking with the valet, yet she was instructed to make us wait in the bar area. Upon a different visit, we received the same treatment. When are restaurants going to learn that we are the customers paying good money and that they should cater to us, instead of the other way around? Fortunately, it did get much better from there.
The restaurant consists of several spaces, all of which are warm and inviting. The semi outdoor patio is romantic (and kept warm by heaters), with ivy covered brick walls and a tree sprouting from the center of the room. A fireplace (sans real logs, unfortunately) further warms the atmosphere. Our waiter was well trained, and it certainly didn’t hurt that he was adorable to boot.
The specials were well explained and Michael decided to avail himself of the Goat Cheese and Beet Salad, a wonderful preparation with warmed goat cheese in center surrounded by beets. Also don't miss the baked Ricotta with roasted sweet peppers and Prosciutto, it is one of the tastiest appetizers we have had in a long time. One of our guests sampled the arugula and Parmesan salad, but felt that the chef had a heavy hand with the salt. The grilled artichoke was just delicious from bite to finger licking bite.
The Veal Parmesan was amongst the best we've had in the last few years, thinly sliced pounded veal, with perfect proportions of marinara and cheese, which is so often exaggerated, too much of one or the other. The temperature was just right and it was not over garlicky. Their classic Spaghetti & Meatballs is also a wise choice. The fish chosen by Scott was a wild snapper baked with sweet and sour peppers with a hint of orange and onion, for sweetness, and then resting on a bed of fried crispy polenta; yum. We paired our selections with a Multipulchiano Tres Roble Pino Noble, by the glass, which made for a double yum.
The menu is classic and loaded with traditional comfort foods, priced between $13 and $37 except for the Grilled Prime Bone-in Rib eye, which is marked at $41 dollars. For this range of prices, we were disappointed on all three visits when the runners stood at the table with plates in hand asking “who got the….”; also, the food did not arrive at the table at the same time, and so it sat there while we waited for the rest of our party to be served. Other than a low-end restaurant, this is a pet peeve of ours and shows that further training and attention to detail is needed.
Whatever you choose to eat, you MUST not leave without tasting the Chocolate Panacotta, which was a mouth watering taste treat, and one of the most fulfilling chocolate desserts we have ever encountered.
Dominick's is nearby if you live in West Hollywood, but the parking is difficult so walk or opt for valet parking. We will not hesitate to return again, and next time will be on a Sunday night when they offer a three-course meal for $15, seemingly a sensational deal.
UNEXPECTED SURPRISES…
“Do drop in…”
Eating out as much as we do, we love to find simple places where we can walk in without a reservation and kick up our feet. Two of our favorite spots are in Hollywood and in West Hollywood, both of which belie their modest exteriors. When you drive up to either storefronts, your expectations are limited; but when you drive away, you are left in awe. And your wallet is happy too.
The proprietors of both establishments, which are unrelated, have a dry charm and wit, which when dished out with the food, makes for a “homey” dining experience.
Hedley’s
640 North Robertson Boulevard
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310-659-2009
The Apter brothers have created Hedley’s. Jeffrey is in the front and Hedley and his wonderful wife Jen, are in the kitchen, serving up some of the best food in West Hollywood. Situated in the thick of things on Robertson just south of Santa Monica Blvd., if you haven’t yet tried this place, you must do so. When we lunch or dinner there, which is often, we get the chummy feeling of eating at a private club. The décor is simple, the chairs are a little hard, yet the food is just short of extraordinary! Everything is served with style, including cloth napkins and “down home” friendliness. Say hello to Raymond, one of our favorite (and adorable) waiters in town.
One of the best things about Hedley’s (other than the ridiculously low prices--entrees generally from $8-$15), is the fact that the menu changes weekly. Two of our all time favorites are the Macaroni and Cheese (beg them to prepare it, if it’s not listed that day) and the Turkey Sloppy Joes. If Michael’s mother had even remotely thought about cooking, this would have been the food of which he dreamt. They have one of the best hand formed, wonderfully spiced beef burgers in town, as well as scrumptious Turkey burgers, and Lamb burgers, on occasion. Their salmon (usually wild when in season and Scott’s personal favorite) is not to be missed, and there are always dishes for our weight conscious friends. But who cares about abdominals and waistlines when you can lust over their sensational bread pudding. This friendly little spot is a haven to hang out with old friends, or just met friends; run in for a quick bite.
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