Ladyhawk

It seems to be our time for getting out of Pasadena and trying new places (or going back to ones we haven't been to in ages).  San Laurel, Otium, Verse - recent efforts to leave our fair city have been successful.

The latest effort was another trip to West Hollywood.  A space that Van and I had visited 4.5 years ago, but now reimagined and reopened.  Friends, I give you Ladyhawk.

I have no idea about the name.  Van's friend, Nicole, whom we met for dinner was the one who recommended it.  I knew of it from Reddit and following Top Chef posts.  Ladyhawk is the creation of a chef on season 20, a man named Charbel.  I didn't see season 20, I admit - I gave myself a break from watching the show, and it is currently one of only two seasons since I started watching (season 3) that I haven't seen.

Ladyhawk is a hotel restaurant, and the hotel is cool and hip and sleek.  Everything that I am not.  We grabbed drinks from the hotel bar before the restaurant opened, and I have to say, I would go back for the hotel bar.  Nice place.

Things I liked about Ladyhawk:

• The service.  Our waiter, Jordan, was not the warmest, but he explained things well and checked in, and I appreciated that.
• The mezze platter.  Jeepers!  $110?  We should go back and make that our meal.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• The half chicken.  The right level of salty, plus mint, plus juicy meat.
  
  
  
• The Lebanese milk pudding with passionfruit.  Good!
  
  
  
• The Rye Not digestif cocktail, a blend of rye and cynar and bitters.
  
  
  
• The Lebanese rose.

Things I want them to do better:

• The flank steak.  Run of the mill, and crying out for corn tortillas to wrap around them.
  
  
  
• The charred cabbage.  Please, people, make the cabbage the star.
• The baklava.  Dry, not cohesive in the sense that it wasn't really possible to get a bite down through all the layers.  Pretty, but not worth having again.
  
  
  
• Conrad's glass of California pinot.  An adequate wine stored too warm.  If he's asking for ice cubes to put in his red wine, it's a problem.

A good space.  Loud.  But definitely things to like.  I'd cautiously recommend it, and eventually go back.