restaurant review: the hart and the hunter

(Los Angeles, California).  The Hart and the Hunter is a quaint and quirky restaurant located in the Palihotel on Melrose Avenue.  Their food is consistently inventive, homey and delicious.  I particularly enjoy their biscuits (layers and layers of buttery, flaky goodness) and other pastries, but that is not to say their salads, small plates, and entrees aren't also yummy - it's just that the biscuits are so damn amazing!  The restaurant has been consistently named one of the best restaurants in Los Angeles since it opened, and it's a great place to bring out-of-town visitors for a leisurely brunch or a happening dinner.

Recently when a friend (who previously lived in LA) was visiting, I decided to bring him there since he loves good food and I figured he would want to try something new.

The Hart and the Hunter doesn't take reservations but it wasn't an issue on Wednesday night.  We arrived around 7:30 p.m. and were able to get a cute little table.  My friend could not help notice the odd contrast of the homey english country decor (i.e., lots of grandma floral prints) mixed with the hipster servers (who all seemed to be tattooed, as if it were a job requirement), but that all added to the charm of the restaurant.  Service was friendly and casual.  But the highlight was definitely the food!


We had:

• biscuits (of course) served with honey butter, berries and a pimento cheese spread - absolutely divine!
• crab claws - tiny little claws in a garlicky buttery sauce - just enough to whet our taste buds.  we had to ask for extra bread to soak up the butter sauce.
  
• kale salad with peaches, pecans and cheese - delicious and sort of healthy
• shrimp boil with sausage, fingerling potatoes and corn ... mmmm
• corn bread & butter - good, but I still prefer the biscuits
• lemon ice box pie - tastes like something grandma would make (if she could bake)

As usual, everything was delicious and we had a great time.  It was even greater after 2 bottles of wine.

But in all seriousness - this is a lovely restaurant for a casual date night or to bring visitors.