Filthy Animal

[honartvandelay]

Went here recently. The space was buzzing and very much seemed to cater to the Instagram crowd. But the menu itself also seemed interesting and it felt like someone put a lot of thought into it so I went in very hopeful. We got several appetizers (milk bread, elote and kimchi fritters), the lamb chops, grilled cabbage and the tomahawk with a table side finish of beef tallow and aromatics. I really wanted to love this place because it makes for a fun experience but I just didn’t.

Nothing was bad but nothing stood out either. It just felt like the actual execution on the food was an afterthought. Like by the time they got through designing the restaurant and coming up with interesting ways to describe the dishes they had run out of gas and how the food tasted was less of the focus. One of our friends remarked that she felt like it belonged in a Vegas casino, which I thought was pretty apt.

Anyone else try this out yet?

[exit2lef]

I've been there. Like other restaurants run by Pretty Decent Concepts, including Wren & Wolf and Cleaverman, there is a strong emphasis on the visual. That said, there were no items I disliked, and these two stood out for me.

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Skewers of shrimp and oyster mushrooms over fried rice. The latter were sliced thin and interlaced with pineapple to add a bit of flavor remiscient of al pastor pork.

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Tiradito. This dish was made more vibrant with the inclusion of peaches and an avocado crema, along with a little bit of habanero for spice and crisp quinoa reinforcing the dish's South American heritage and providing another textural sensation.

My visit was shortly after the restaurant first opened, and service at that point was well-meaning but clumsy and awkward. I hope to return soon to see if that aspect has improved.