Dine LA used to be an event that inspired excitement. What delicious new foods would I discover? What great deals would I get? After many a Dine LA has come and gone, I have just become very tired of the prix fixe snooze fests. I'd rather just pay the extra money to have the more interesting dishes of my choosing. Nonetheless, Dine LA still gets Angelenos all a buzz. I tried to go with a restaurant I've been meaning to try, but one that also had a little bit more of an interesting menu. I'm so tired of seeing some roasted chicken, braised short ribs, and broiled salmon as the 3 main entrees to choose from. Waterloo & City didn't have any of that. Grumpy Bear, Panda Bear and Little Bear all gathered to see what Waterloo & City had to offer.
Pan Fried Blood Cake fried organic egg, toasted pain poilane
Totally sounds unappetizing huh? Grumpy Bear and Panda Bear ordered this at the reassurance from our waitress that it would be delicious. It was in fact pretty tasty. It was very rich, meaty, and only had the slightest hint of an offal taste. It seems like slapping a sunny side up egg on anything makes it that much more fancy. I'm not quite sure it always adds flavor, like in this dish.
Potted Pork & Truffle Parfait toasted brioche, cornichons
I never thought I'd say it, but I think I might be getting tired of pate, terrine, galantines, etc. Despite that, this was still pretty good. It was perfectly smooth with more than just a salty livery flavor. I think the truffle part added something different, something slightly sweet. I didn't like the thin layer of solidified white fat on the top, and neither did Grumpy Bear who ate a big hunk of it.
Prime Beef & Bone Marrow Pie potato puree
I didn't expect this dish to have a chunk of bone marrow protruding out of the top of the pie, but it did as you can see. I didn't taste the bone marrow, but the rest of the pie was superb. It had tender succulent hunks of beef amidst a lovely rich gravy with peas and carrots. The potato puree was whipped to a smooth butteriness. It was the perfect homey dish to have on a cold wintery night.
House Merguez & Lamb Shoulder chickpeas
This fell a little short. While every component was cooked well, I had problems with a certain herb or seasoning that kept distracting me from truly enjoying the dish. Maybe it was dill? Again, another homey dish.
Tiramisu espresso meringue, espresso ice cream
I don't like tiramisu much, and this was certainly NO exception. The worst part was the espresso meringue. Ugh, I dislike the texture of meringue sometimes.
Sticky Toffee Pudding milk ice cream
The pudding part was sticky, sorta dry, and too caramely. I was trying to eat the ice cream before it melted because that was the only part I liked.
I didn't have very high expectations of this place because (1) it was Dine LA and (2) it served English pub fare. I don't know exactly what English food exactly entails, but it doesn't have the strongest reputation compared to things like Italian or French food. After my meal here, I can see how English food can actually be solid and unique in its own right. There aren't a lot of fresh vegetables, but if you're in the mood for rich homey flavors then this place hits the spot. The rest of the regular menu looks pretty good, so I think I'll have to come back one of these days.
Waterloo & City
12517 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90066
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skillet baked macaroni and cheese
1 day ago
3 comments:
that marrow seems worth trying
That pie was outstanding! I could barely get through half, and I didn't have room for the potatoes. You should give Waterloo & City another try, I like their charcuterie plate and their pastas
I agree about Dine about Town in SF. Although it seems like there is a nice selection of restaurants, most of the time, their menus are so bland and uninteresting.
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