All Hail The Hatchet Hall!

The wait is over ... Hatchet Hall opens tomorrow! We celebrated that fact over the holiday weekend with a friends and family dinner that was one for the ages. We ate. We drank. And there was no way to not be merry.

Co-owners Louie and Netty Ryan (of Temple Bar, Townhouse, Menotti's fame), and Owners/partners from the beginning, Jonathan Strader and Chef Brian Dunsmoor took over the old Waterloo & City space, and it has been beautifully transformed into the place that we're going to constantly be hanging out at. I was in there just about a month ago when it was completely gutted inside, and the incredible amount of hard work, elbow grease, and evident labor of love that has happened is truly impressive. The place is simply gorgeous.

From the airy entrance and outdoor patio that greets you, all the way to the back bar (our new headquarters) where the wooden walls and floors are so cozy and inviting, you will never want to leave. And that's without even talking about the food yet.

The FOOD. Chef Brian Dunsmoor is back with his Southern home cooking, and it's seriously ridiculous. Plate after plate of delights would show up, and disappear before I could even do that foodie take a picture of your food thing. We ate so many perfect and delicious oysters that one in my party said, "Uh oh, this is going to make me randy." Ha! True though.

As it was the friends and family opening, we just kind of sat back and let the kitchen bring out whatever they wanted to. The menu is big, and every last thing sounds eye-rollingly delectable, so we could not go wrong. In fact, in the partying that ensued in the back bar after dinner, when comparing notes with our fellow diners, almost all of us had a different favorite. Some other peoples' favorites were things I hadn't even tried, so there will be more than enough to keep each visit interesting to the palate. Oh my goodness, is it all so good.

Highlights for me that night were the dandelion salad, super flavorful and not at all just a boring salad. The chopped steak on grilled bread ... delish. The grilled octopus was one of the best things I've ever tasted, right up there with the ridgeback prawns with carolina gold rice, oyster mushrooms and bacon. WHAT?! Yep.

The skillet rainbow trout was perfection and made you feel like you were truly in the hunting lodge that the back bar feels like, complete with antler and taxidermy decor. The grilled carrots were among the best carrots I've had prepared, and the roasted game hen with bread salad was top shelf. That already sounds like so much food (we were sharing) but we hadn't even scratched the surface.

Other friends' faves were the lamb sausage ("My favorite thing BY FAR" - Nicely), the tea smoked duck, and the beef fat potatoes (simply an ecstatic groan from our friend who had them). Maybe the top best thing I had though was when Dunsmoor came out of the hectic first night kitchen to greet us, and bestow upon us thin, delectable, melt in your mouth like cotton candy slabs of country ham, followed with a bourbon chaser. Ham and bourbon! It was pretty decadent, and I instantly felt like a smooth old man ... in the best possible way. YUM! There is even a cocktail on the impressive drink program that is called the In Fashioned, and that one has ham bourbon and pecans going on, about as Southern as you can get.

Then we got to drinking ... and forgot about dessert (But I heard the blueberry peach crisp was Summer itself). Oh well, another among a million other reasons to go back. This is going to be our SPOT.

It's just so great, I can't say enough about how wonderful it all turned out, and how happy I am for the Ryans, Dunsmoor, Strader, and all the excellent Hatchet Hall staff (many of whom have come along from other the Dunsmoor collabs: Wolf In Sheep's Clothing, Hart and the Hunter, and The Ladies Gunboat Society). It's a hot spot before it even opens tomorrow!

Lacey Kay Cowden is also back with her exceptional art, adorning the walls, menus and the sign out front. Her whimsical animals are seen fishing and hunting and wielding their hatchets, all the better for us to eat with.

As the night wound down in the wooden bar, we all just went nuts. Laughing and celebrating and rejoicing in the fact that Hatchet Hall is open, and couldn't be more awesome. There is soul in this place, from the old tile ceilings laid in the walls from Menotti's, the taxidermy from The Townhouse, and the hearts of all the longtime Venice residents who all came together to make this a clubhouse for great food and great times, for years to come.

All Hail Hatchet Hall!!!

It all starts tomorrow.


Hatchet Hall
12517 Washington Boulevard
Los Angeles, 90066
310-391-4222

Birthday Bliss Weekend

I just had an extra great birthday weekend, full of sunshine, laughter, love and friends. It was awesome.

Gone was the morning gloom we've been having at the beach, and bright blue skies were happening all weekend long. Which meant I was firmly in place at Playa de los Amigos all day, both days. The water was super warm, and you could already feel the rip pulling from Hurricane Maria (which is now causing our coast to be pumping!), so my annual re-birth baptism in the sea was a little less dreamy and floaty than most years, and a bit more about just survival ... metaphor? Anyway, it was a complete joy.

Venice was showing off all weekend, with the perfect weather, tons of people out, and the Summer Music Festival was happening on Saturday, which created a nice, groovy atmosphere and had the locals and tourists all dancing together.

Little kids and Grandmas were out there learning to hula hoop, bikes were everywhere, it really was exactly the kind of day you expect to find when you come here to visit.

 

As the music and the growing waves competed with the skaters at the park for who could be loudest, I got to close out another year, complete with a magical sunset.

I pretty much got to do it all over again on Sunday, my birthday. A whole day of swimming and sun, and then it was time to celebrate with friends at The Ladies' Gunboat Society.

I cannot say enough how very delicious this joint is, and I'm so very lucky to have its Chef, Brian Dunsmoor, as one of my favorite homies.

Brian hooked us up with a family style feast of favorites like their ridiculously good fried chicken, shrimp and grits, whole trout, and all the sides that make this one of the most talked about food destinations in town right now. For great reason.

So we ate, drank, and laughed our faces off, and I kicked off another year, feeling loved and beyond grateful for the people and places that make up my life.

 

 It's gonna be a great year, I can feel it. I so look forward to telling its stories ...

Thank you, one and all. Thank you, Venice. Thank you, Mom! Thank you, LIFE!

The Ladies' Gunboat Society at Flores - Starring Brian Dunsmoor

Ohhhhh, boy! The Ladies' Gunboat Society is about to set sail at the Flores site on Sawtelle Avenue, and that area just got a whole lot more delicious. The new restaurant from Brian Dunsmoor (of the Wolf In Sheep's Clothing pop up and Hart and The Hunter) opens to the public tomorrow, and we friends and family got to have a sneak peek the other night as they prepared to open for service.

It feels different and special even before you walk in, as the old-timey boat mural (painted by Dunsmoor's lady, the super-talented Lacey Cowden) lets you know that it's also going to be creative and fun once you step inside.

We were greeted by our friend, Jonathan Strader, the charming and friendly man in charge of the front of the house (and with Dunsmoor through both previous eateries), who set us up with the beer or wine of our choice in the candle-lit bar before we were sat down at our cozy patio table.

The dining room is gorgeous and homey at the same time, but very dark, so none of those pictures really turned out, so you'll have to trust me or see for yourself. We liked the patio, watching the action go by on Sawtelle, which we now have much more of a reason to leave Venice to head for. As soon as we sat down, the free for all began. We wanted to try everything ... and pretty much did, aside from things not available until the official opening tomorrow.

We were so busy eating that I didn't really pause much to photograph things, and/or they were devoured too quickly to capture. These are all brand new dishes to The Gunboat (which in my head I've shortened their name too). You won't find the famous biscuits from the first two places, but you will find the excellent Southern flavors and flair that Dunsmoor is known for.

Like the country ham appetizer from the "Pantry" section of the menu, served with lemon ricotta, spring peas, mint salsa verde and grilled bread. Or the Anson Mills Johnny cakes, with squaw candy, clabbered cream and topped with jewel looking salmon caviar. I've never really given a second thought to boring radishes, but this night, served with Santa Barbara sea urchin butter and sea salt ... I fiended for them. Who knew? Dunsmoor has done a lot to mature my palate throughout our friendship, and I'm sure my Mom wishes he was around when we were little. YUM.

"Field" brought us one fresh and tasty salad after another, all sourced locally and up to the minute seasonal. The Spring vegetable salad was truly Spring itself, with all its bounty, topped off with a goat cheese dressing that created the urge for plate licking ... though we refrained. It was not as civil with the Ricotte polenta with peas and asparagus and snails that was so much a favorite that it nearly stirred up a fork riot, as we all tried to scoop up as much as possible into our own mouths. Sublime.

We had beautiful fish, a pan-fried brook trout, the entire thing, that was just delicate bones on the plate two seconds after it was set down. Served with fiddlehead ferns and a bacon mustard vinaigrette, we couldn't get enough. Same with the blue prawns, doused in chili butter ... we all wanted more for sure. Scottish salmon collars were good too (I love just about everything from the sea), but a little oily for me, which salmon just is.

Speaking of those plates, Miss Lacey drew the design for the custom pieces created at Venice's own Luna Garcia pottery. Delicate flowers set the country table and go beautifully with the other mismatched antique dishes that this wonderful food is set upon. She also did the art for the menu and pieces hanging around the place, so it's a real friends and family endeavor, from top to bottom.

Every restaurant seems to have a signature dish that people tell people to NOT MISS. At The Ladies' Gunboat Society, I'm here to tell you DO NOT MISS the country fried rabbit. Rabbit! A day after Easter, we ate that bunny with no regrets and every one of us wanted a second order instead of dessert. I'm still salivating about that rabbit right now. Seasoned and cooked perfectly, and simply accompanied with spiced local honey and flowering coriander ... it was a total standout. Exceptionally delicious on a whole new rabbit level. The foodiest among us said it was the best he'd ever had, and I believed him. It's never even occurred to me to order it, and now I wouldn't miss it. Reserve your rabbit now.

We also shared the most giant steak I've ever seen, a 28 oz. rib eye, with its roasted marrow, grilled bread, and a warm mushroom and asparagus herb salad. We ate it like cave people, laughing at how good it all was. I mean, Wow.

There was only one dessert on offer this night, a Sweet Anson Mills cornbread with buttermilk ice cream and strawberries romanoff. Certainly Southern, but a bit dry for my/our taste, and again, we all thought about trading it for more rabbit. After all that gorgeous food, you didn't really need dessert anyway.

 The wine and beer flowed and friends clinked glasses and laughed our heads off. It already felt like a usual hang, and the warmth and welcoming, awesome service (even on the first night out!) was exceptional.

I peeked into the vastly larger kitchen that Dusnmoor has been set loose within, to find my friend cooking up a storm, while smiling from ear to ear.

It's so great when you get to see people really doing what they love to do, under optimal conditions. That's when you get food like this, both incredibly creative and stimulating (educational, even), but also so comforting that you could be dining in Dunsmoor's home (which you basically are, these days).

 His cooks and staff have his back, and if the first night was any indication of how things are going to go, you should probably get on the old opentable.com and get your reservation set in stone now.

I'm now a proud member of The Ladies' Gunboat Society at Flores ... where everyone is welcome.


The Ladies' Gunboat Society at Flores
2024 Sawtelle Blvd.
L.A. 90025
424.273.6469