restaurant review: tar & roses

The facade.

I have eaten a few times at Chef Andrew Kirschner's Tar & Roses restaurant in Santa Monica over the past few years. But, it has been a while since I have been there. So, on one warm (it's Southern California after all) evening in early November 2014, Mr. Sazy Rock and I decided to go back to T&R for a dinner meeting with a business associate. 

For the most part, I have always enjoyed my meals at T&R. This most recent visit was no different. 

On to the meal...


The Scene

A view from our table.

On a Thursday evening, the restaurant was full of diners. But, it was not loud. We could actually here ourselves converse in a normal voice. Don't get me wrong: it wasn't quiet. There was actually a nice low buzz, which I expected in a room full of people. The key thing though was that the acoustics allowed people to not have to yell at each other while eating. My mid life ears appreciated that.

The Food 

As a caveat, Mr. SR knows Chef Kirschner.  He has also graciously sent as a few complimentary dishes and drinks. But, his generosity has no impact on this review. The complimentary dishes that I reviewed are clearly identified below. We also paid for our meal (less the complimentary dishes and drinks) and tipped our server based on the full price of our meal (i.e., as if the complimentary dishes and drinks were included in the bill).

• Pork chicharron - Normally, when I read pork chicharron, I think of crunchy pork rinds. This dish was more of the meat of the pork. Despite the lack of crunchy rind, this dish was delicious. The arugula, which came from the nearby Santa Monica Farmer's Market, was peppery and tasted fresh. 

Pork Chicharron.

• Lamb belly - The belly was braised, which allowed for the fat to render down, and had a good crunch. The chutney was warm and spicy. Mr. SR wolfed this dish down.

Lamb belly.

• Bone marrow - I love bone marrow when prepared properly. The marrow was perfectly roasted and paired nicely with toasted sourdough, caramelized onions and a parsley salad with lemon zest - somewhat similar to a dish at St. John's in London. Although the marrow was deliciously rich, it was not evenly seasoned. Some parts had too much salt while other parts were perfectly seasoned. But, the parts that were perfectly seasoned felt like heaven in my mouth.

Bone marrow.

• Liver crostini (complimentary) - Chef Kirschner kindly sent us this delicious dish. The bread was toasted and had a nice crunch. The liver was rich. The tarragon on top was also fresh.

Liver crostini.

• Roast chicken - This dish reminded me of the famed roast chicken with bread salad at Zuni Cafe in San Francisco. At Zuni, they roast their chicken in a brick oven. At T&R, they roast their chicken in a wood fired oven (but I don't know if it's also made with bricks). Either way, the T&R chicken was succulent. I thought it was perfectly seasoned but Mr. SR thought it was just a tad bit too salty. The bread salad was perfectly portioned and had a nice crunch. 

Roast chicken.

• Wood fired baby carrots - I have ordered this very simple dish every single time I have dined at T&R. It's that good. The quality of the baby carrots, which was sweet, was exceptional. And, I appreciate that he knew not to overdress/overspice/overseason this ingredient and just make the carrots shine through.

Wood fired baby carrots.

• Strawberry Crostata (complimentary) - Chef Kirschner kindly sent us this dessert to try. The high quality of the strawberries and the nice flakiness of the pastry left me wanting more. 

Dessert.

The Service

Mr. SR and his brother used to eat out a lot in fine dining restaurants in London and they developed a "napkin test." They determined the quality of the service by what the servers/bussers did with their napkin when they left the table to go to the restroom. If someone came over and re-folded their napkin while they were gone, it showed that the staff kept an eye on tables and were making sure they anticipated diners' dining needs - a mark of good service. If nobody did anything to the napkin, it showed that the staff was not paying attention to the diner. The test may seem silly but it accurately predicted the kind of service they received.

Although T&R is not a fine dining restaurant, the staff provided fine dining service (albeit in casual attire instead of suits). They were friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. They also passed Mr. SR's napkin test with flying colors.

The Price

The check.

I love the tongue in cheek presentation of the check. That being said, a meal at T&R is not cheap. But, it is good value for the price we paid because of the quality of the ingredients and the execution of the dishes. We paid $135 including the bottle of wine we ordered, and excluding tax, tip and the complimentary dishes.

The Verdict

Chef Kirschner knows where to get quality ingredients. But, good ingredients alone do not make a dish palatable. Luckily, he is also very talented and more than well adept at making tasty dishes. Despite very minor flaws, I love his food and am happy to go back. We made a reservation through opentable.com but you may, if you prefer, give them a call at 310.587.0700 to make one.



Have you dined at Tar & Roses? Please share your experience below.