ANGE July 2012 : Page 85
Life After Foie What can possibly top foie gras? Now that it’s banned in California, we wanted to see what our local chefs will use in its stead. “I think people look down on foie gras because it sounds exotic, but look at cattle. Most cattle in the States have growth hormones in their diets, synthetic hormones that aren’t even natural. I’ll probably run monk sh liver as a great alternative to foie.” —MATHEW WOOLF, WEST RESTAURANT & LOUNGE The New Rules e new spate of casual, meat-friendly spots that have popped up on the scene is one more indication that ne dining is dead. Every neighborhood has its ll of pork belly, pickles and craft beer. Freddy Smalls Bar + Kitchen (11520 W. Pico Blvd., L.A., 310.479.3000, freddysmalls.com) in West L.A. is pretty basic, just a few tables, some bar stools and lots of white subway tile. at’s all you need for the drop-in-friendly menu with dishes like Bu alo deviled eggs, housemade charcuterie and smoked ngerling potatoes that rede ne french fries. e Pikey (7617 W. Sunset Blvd., L.A., 323.850.5400) is the former Ye Coach & Horses with a new look that feels as old and weathered as the Sunset Strip. e pub food has an English beat: vinegar chicken with “thrice-cooked chips” and braised lamb shanks with mashed potatoes. Silver Lake’s Black Hogg (2852 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake, 323.953.2820, blackhogg.com) is awaiting a liquor license (expect it this summer), but that’s not stopping locals from waiting in line for the lamb burger, a fantastic pork chop or even fried bacon cubes. FREDDY SMALLS PHOTO COURTESY OF GARY COPELAND PHOTOGRAPHY; CHEF DAVID FÉAU PHOTO COURTESY OF PEDEN + MUNK; ROXANA JULLAPAT PHOTO BY ANDREA BRICCO BEST NEW DESIGN TOP TOQUE Chef David Féau Picca When a room conveys as much excitement as a menu, you know something’s right. At Picca, Ricardo Zarate’s fantastic Peruvian restaurant near Century City, the entire space is as layered and textured as the stews, causa sushi and skewered meats for which the chef is now known. Whether it’s the reclaimed-wood slatted walls, the abstract Andean village mural or the high and low tables throughout the space, there’s something dynamic happening in every corner, with people at every level chatting, sharing and eating. ere’s cowhide and chalk drawings and words on the mirror explaining the origins of ceviche. e chefs are hard at work in a shbowl kitchen in the heart of it all. It’s all so electric. 9575 W. Pico Blvd., L.A., 310.277.0133, piccaperu.com “ e whole point of the foie gras battle is to support sustainable farming practices and ‘the whole duck.’ If we can’t serve the liver, then we can’t serve duck! I will serve calf liver and animals that are not corn-fed, as there is much more suspicion about those products than there is about foie.” —DAVID FÉAU, THE ROYCE AT THE LANGHAM “It is not the de nition of Mélisse, but we’ll miss it as a fundamental ingredient of haute cuisine. As we always have, we’ll continue to discover new ways of expressing ourselves on the menu.” —JOSIAH CITRIN, MÉLISSE EGGED ON Brioche topped with pig ears and egg at Freddy Smalls Bar + Kitchen July 2012 | Angeleno | 85
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