A2 Rating Scale (out of 5):
THE BASICS:
WHAT: Farm to table modern American cuisine in a train car
WHERE: Sunset Blvd in Hollywood (@ Gardner – duh).
WHEN: Open daily for dinner at 6PM; but just go for drinks and maybe a bite, before your actual dinner.
THE DISH:
WHAT TO KNOW: Our pictures are actually a bit misleading because the objects appear larger than they are. They tell you “everything is meant to be shared” and suggest 3 items person. While we definitely agree with the number per person (normally places exaggerate), we can’t fully get on board with their whole “sharing” concept. First off, ONLY share with 1 person, no more. And second, if there is something you really want or like; just get it for yourself or order 2 because it will probably only be like 2 bites per person. If barely eating is your thing this might be your new spot (and congrats you’re skinnier than us). Rumor has it the menu is seasonal and will change every 6 weeks; and we hope with the impending Fall and Winter the portions double in size. I mean hi, it’s sweater weather after all.
WHAT TO ORDER: Everything was pretty good, just let us reiterate, SMALL (is this a sample you are giving us here?). We loved how the Ceviche ($13) had the crispy tortilla bites within it, giving it a delightful crunch alongside the distinctive mashed avocado. The Agnolotti’s ($14) flavor profile was divine; but only 5 little pillows — by the time you decide you LOVE this, it’s all gone. Also, the Fried Chicken ($17) had these little heavenly nuggets that paired with smoked heirloom jam, corn, cranberry beans, brussels and kimchi, offering both sweet and savory notes. Healthy nuggets? Yes please — now can we please order some to-go because they would be delectable dipped in Ranch (wait – does that make them unhealthy?)
WHAT TO SKIP: The charcuterie plate ($15), unnecessarily listed as “venison salami, country pate, country ham, mustards, pickles, crostini” was just meh. And they give you like 4 measly THIIIIIINLY sliced meager pieces of bread. Before even tasting anything we asked for more bread…and they brought us another 4 measly pieces. Like we know you’re a healthy farm to table restaurant but get a girl some baguette. Anyway, you can find many more exciting and delicious charcuterie plates around town; if you want to know where just refer to the EDDR insta — like every 5th pic is a meat and cheese plate (it’s an addiction). Also the Peaches dessert ($9) was legit 3 skinny slices of a very tiny peach. What is this? A dessert for ants? Yes it was yummy, but seriously not even a full peach, or even a half?! Hoping they just ran out or something because if they are encouraging sharing, then they should encourage every two people to share 5 servings of this.
WHERE TO SIT: Just at the bar or in the outside bar area. The “inside” is pretty small and sad.
WHO TO BRING: One other person if you plan on eating. If you actually want to fill up, eat alone. Unless you rent the place out, then you can bring like 60 others…which by the way, NOTED Would be great to host a party…love when we have good ideas!
IT’S NOT ALL BAD… THE BEST PART: The owner and Chef, Steve Brown, is HOTT!! And besides the obvious (the company, duh), the other best part about the night was the short drive home.
EDDR LIFE LESSON: As Aaliyah (RIP) once sang “if at first you don’t succeed, dust yourself off and try again”. People need to leave satisfied to come back for more. Whether it’s your meal or in other aspects of your life (ahem, ahem) satisfaction is key and attention spans are short…especially at those prices.
A2 FINAL THOUGHT: While the ingredients, style and concept have some serious potential, we can’t fathom spending another $75 (say what? we didn’t even order drinks) to go home hungry. There is no doubt Chef Steve is a serious talent with innovative ideas and we hope in the future this spot/his next project is a little more customer (and tummy) friendly.
but maybe we’ll come back to flirt with the chef though…
A2
Gardner Junction ↔ 1451 N. Gardner St, LA, CA, 90046 ↔ 323-450-9021
