Two local guys try two Los Angeles restaurants in one day
By Myles George-Ghobrial and Levi Wagner
CELEBRATING GASTRONOMY are (from left) Myles George-Ghobrial, Chef David DK Kolender, and Levi Wagner.
Hermon’s is a neighborhood restaurant that sits in Hermon, 5800 Monterey Rd., a charming little half-square-mile neighborhood tucked below Highland Park in East Los Angeles. It serves classic New American cuisine with a few inventive twists, alongside an ice-cold martini (vodka or gin) poured straight from a bottle kept in the freezer and free refills on Diet Coke. The head chef, David “DK” Kolender, is a charismatic young guy. He told us this was his first time as a partner in a restaurant, and that he’s relished the control that comes with it.
We started with the shrimp cocktail, which was solid. Every piece was fresh and generously sized, four to an order. The loaded 1,000-layer potatoes were miraculous and paired beautifully with the steak tartare. The garlic bread, which resembled a hot cross bun, and the market salad were decent; the salad was fresh but nothing to write home about, and we prefer cheese on our garlic bread, but that’s just us. My (Myles) favorite appetizer, which Levi didn’t care for, was the zucchini burrata: a blanket of thinly sliced zucchini draped over pistachio pesto and rows of generous anchovies with a core of burrata.
The branzino, dressed in Calabrian chili, roasted tomatoes, and creamy toum (a whipped Lebanese garlic sauce) was fantastic.
The acidity of the tomatoes cut through the toum and lent the fish a bright finish. The steak frites came correct: the 8-ounce hanger was juicy and tender, and the poivre sauce a decadent addition. That said, if your party is bigger than two, be wary of the small kitchen, as your date’s entrée delay might make those seven minutes you find yourself staring at your entrée feel like hell. The burger, too, was one to write home about. Our friend, Lucas George-Ghobrial (something of a connoisseur of the L.A. burger scene) calls it a force to be reckoned with, taken aback by the interplay between horseradish mayo and caramelized onions.
HERMON’S steak tartare.
We finished completely stuffed, capped by a cookie skillet with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The vibe and lighting were excellent, and the service accommodating throughout. We’ve already made arrangements to return. Thanks, Chef DK!
Now onto our second meal, eaten—yes—that very same day. We headed across the county to Broad Street Oyster Co., and specifically the original location at 23359 Pacific Coast Hwy. in Malibu, which is the whole point of going.
Who doesn’t love oysters, a warm lobster roll, and a tallboy or three of Modelo? But the sleeper cell here is the lobster Caesar salad wrap. The lobster roll, served warm, is reliably excellent, though it runs small; order a side of fries to keep it company. We ate the second half straight from the fridge a day later and found it had improved overnight. It’s a rare dish that rewards procrastination. The oysters are consistently pristine, briny and clean, and the clam chowder is perfectly fine. Insist on the original location of this restaurant: we’ve eaten at two other outposts, and while each was good, neither carried the taste of the flagship. A concept can be franchised, but a sense of place cannot.
So why do these two spots, separated by a huge city, belong in the same breath? We don’t really have a reason. But eat both in a single day and you’re promised 12 uninterrupted hours of sleep. We’ll be back to both regardless, whether for a beer and a dozen oysters at the bar, or for nine different plates at once that leave us in a lucid, mercury-tinged haze. Until then: thanks, Broad Street. Join us next month for another wicked combination of two different restaurants!
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Category: Entertainment
