A2 Rating Scale (out of 5):
THE BASICS:
WHAT: C.O.D. Seafood & Raw Bar
WHERE: West 3rd street district (and if you don’t know those parameters it’s W. 3rd St. between Fairfax and La Cienega… one of the safest strips in town to find a good spot for any meal of the day).
WHEN: Dinner nightly 5PM- 11PM. And we we’re told the happiest of hours coming soon…
THE DISH:
WHAT TO KNOW: C.O.D. stands for Catch Of the Day. So that explains that.
WHAT TO ORDER: Let’s begin with the RAW since it’s their forte. The Salmon with Yuzu Soy ($12) lightly seared with sizzling sesame oil, garlic and serrano chili was the best thing we had by far. It takes some serious skill to make something so delicate both warm on the outside and cold on the inside. And then the Crab Toast ($12) with avocado, citrus (our version had grapefruit), herb olive oil, pickled bell pepper and shallot was light, refreshing and easy on the eyes. Los Angles might as well be called the avocado toast capitol of the world and this seafood take is a positive addition to the craze. Soooo we probably should have stuck with the RAW section of the menu because what we recommend ends there.
WHAT TO SKIP: We love a good Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice ($9) just as much as the next person (who doesn’t), but this version had nothing special going on… in fact it didn’t taste like anything — the rice was barely crispy and the tuna lacked any flavor. The Crispy Calamari on the other hand can be described in a single word: SALT (like “did I really just drink 4 glasses of water in 5 minutes” salty – even the waiter agreed with us!). And then the Seafood Fried Rice ($16) with shrimp, fish, crab, egg and green onion was fine, only after we doused it with Sriracha. Like can we get some flavor up in here (besides salt; not trying to spend the whole next day in a sauna to debloat).
ABOUT THAT MENU: They call it “family style” like every other new opening these days and by “family” they must mean a family of 2 (or if you eat like us a family of 1) because the plates were miniature. “Small plates” would have been a better explanation because with these portions no one wanted to share #hangry. Sooo hungry/angry that we ended up across the street at D’Amore’s for a slice of pie afterwards (and you should try it there FYI because it was satisfying) #fatandhappy.
MAYBE THEY CAN PULL THEIR SHIT TOGETHER: It should be noted that we dined during their soft opening, so they have a week to get in better shape. Good luck to this little fish in a big sea of amazing eateries.
WHO YOU’LL SEE: We are going to assume the usual folk for that area which is mostly families of all sorts. But it’s way too soon to tell, so let us know…
WHERE TO SIT: The rooftop patio because it’s the only 2-story spot on that strip and something about being above everyone else just feels good… in the least bitchy way (ok maybe not the least).
WHAT ELSE: The upstairs bar will be a champagne and whiskey bar while the downstairs one will focus on mixology. Guess once they get their shit together we would be willing to give that a shot. Supes into the concept.
EDDR LIFE LESSON: Don’t try a new place when you’re starved. That’s what we did and then we ended up eating 2 dinners. You never know what to expect and in this day and age, your expectations will often fall short.
A2 FINAL THOUGHT: At this point we would ONLY head back for oysters and drinks on the upstairs patio during happy hour. And once that happy time ended we would go to a neighboring spot so we could actually get our serious grub on. Unless you’re on a date and your night ends with oysters and the champagne/whiskey room if you know what we mean (take note, fellas)…
Not trying to ghost on you so call us when you get it together C.O.D,
A2
C.O.D. ↔ 8408 W. 3rd St, LA, CA 90048 ↔ 323-658-9188
eat.drink.dish.repeat. 