THE BASICS:

WHAT: Paley.

WHERE:  The new NeueHouse center off Sunset Blvd. in Hollyweird (that new strip with a Sugarfish next door).

WHEN:  Brunch (Sat & Sun) 11AM-3PM, Lunch (M-F) 11:30AM-2:30PM, Dinner Daily 5:30PM-10:30PM (closes @ 9PM on Sundays). Liquid Happy Hour at the bar (M-F) 2:30PM-7PM.

THE DISH:

WHAT TO ORDER (FOOD): The Albacore ($15) with yuzu, avocado and marinated kombu was like an albacore tartare of deliciousness. Light and fluffy to start the meal. We didn’t order the Foie Gras Mousse ($12) with apricot, elderflower and pistachio but when it magically appeared at our table we had no choice but to try it. And let us just say the mistake was all ours because this should’ve been the first thing we ordered. The thinly sliced apricots offset the creaminess and heaviness of the foie gras and the pistachios added the perfect crunchiness.

WHAT TO ORDER (DRINKS): Our bestie was in town visiting so we’re not ashamed to say we were doing tequila and vodka on the rocks for the night (we fully embraced that it was going to be one of THOSE nights), but when Ben (than man in charge of all liquid courage) kindly brought over individual samples of the Summa Thyme (bourbon, black cherry, thyme, ginger and lemon) and the Fleur d’ete (calvados, aperol, lemon, honey and ginger beer) $15 each, we had no choice but to drink these as well…and our taste buds were happy we did. We’ll be back to try the other specialty and seasonal cocktails for sure.

WHAT TO SKIP: The Hamachi ($14) with shaved fennel, white soy, wasabi and market citrus was cut a bit too thick for our liking. And the Canoe Harvest Wild Rice ($18 – we know this dish is unlike us but we were trying to live up to our bestie’s healthy habits) with blue lake beans, sweetheart cabbage and ginger was a fancy and expensive way of saying simple ol’ RICE. Don’t get us wrong, it was good, just wouldn’t order it again as a main course to share among 3 (especially when you’re trying to coat your stomach for a tequila/water kinda night) and definitely not worth its steep price tag.

THAT VIBE THOUGH:  When we got to the restaurant for our 8PM rezzie, it was fairly dead. “It gets packed when it gets dark out — this is a late dining type of place” we were told. And by the time we left around 10PM, the place had definitely picked up. A huge space with an open kitchen and an Old Hollywood steakhouse vibe; Paley fits in perfectly with its location.

WHO TO BRING: Date night, group dinners, family dinner, work drinks — all your needs are pretty much covered here.  And the space can more than accommodate a big party.

WHO YOU’LL SEE: From locals checking out the new kid on the block, slutty girls in bandage dresses grabbing a bite before they hit da club, 21 year olds getting wined and dined by their sugar daddies, to people just trying to eat some good food, there’s a solid chance you’ll see it all.  We sure did.

WHAT TO WEAR: You can dress it up or dress it down — chances are you’re stopping here for a bite before your night continues so we would recommend dressing for your next destination.

WHERE TO PARK:  Valet or Uber – or you can park underground for a pretty penny.

EDDR LIFE LESSON:  Your alcohol of choice (vodka, tequila, whiskey, etc.) and water (simple H2O) is the new JAM.  By keeping you hydrated you wake up feeling not as horrible and ready for night 2.  Get on the bandwagon.

A² FINAL THOUGHT:  If our night takes us to Hollywood we’ll definitely give Paley another visit but we probably wouldn’t head East solely for the bites.  We are happy to have a non-trashy and actual tasty spot in the area when we need it though.  Paley, I have a feeling we will meet again.

 

Keep the drinks flowing Ben,

A²

Paley ↔ 65115 Sunset Blvd Ste. 100, LA, CA 90028 ↔ 323-544-9430