"It's.. across from
Baller Hardware.. somewhere.." I squinted for a sign whilst scanning the street for parking. I felt pretty silly, I know this stretch of
riverwinding Hyperion like the ceiling above my bed, yet could not visualize which structure must house newest Silver Lake hot spot
Barbrix. We parked easily on this quiet curve before the final congested drag down toward Trader Joe's, and after passing a tall hedge found ourselves smack dab in the middle of a packed parking lot neither of us could recall existing, leading to a set-back cottage, a bustling front patio strewn with strings of white bulbs.
This was a
scene. Or rather a strange amalgamation of one. Admittedly not exactly the Silver Lake I am used to, but also very much what Silver Lake is becoming. Neither good or bad, just different. We were led past the packed bar and back outside to a tiny two-top at the corner of the small patio, beside a table of
sunglass-wearing (at 8:30pm) angular-hair-styled rocker types downing glasses of red wine. On the other side of the patio, a pair of elder couples laughed over dessert. In between these tables, two suited men sat with bulbous over-sized Bordeaux glasses, staring intently into the beyond, wine lists twitching in their hands.
Claudio
Blotta just upped the
anty, and as wonky as Silver Lake's sea legs looked tonight, the undying crowd and waiting list were also proving to be game. A managing partner at Campanile for 11 years, previous Vice President of La
Brea Bakery, and co-founder (and wine director) of La Terza,
Blotta is no stranger to the 'scenes' of Los Angeles. With chef Don
Dickman (formerly of
Rocca) writing the ever-changing menu of Mediterranean-inspired small plates and hefty cheese/
charcuterie list,
Barbrix enters the race way ahead of the game.
So it comes as little surprise that the wine list is just short of jaw-dropping. "
Brix" after all refers to sugar measurements in wine, so goes without saying
Blotta means business. The initial impressive aspect is the entire first
page of glass-pours. My date was stuck on the cool beer list of small-batch American, Belgian and English ales (even carrying an ale from my favorite Canadian brewery
Unibroue) complete with tasting notes - So I knew wine by the glass was my road tonight, and a welcomed one with this list. Feeling the spirit of
Barbrix start to sink in, now officially entering my [dangerous] mode
bon vivant, I ordered the '06
Feraud-
Brunel Châteauneuf du Pape (a steal at $10 - which is also the most expensive pour on the list). Generally of my favorite
Rhône wines, this
Châteauneuf du Pape -though chock full of berry fruit and subtle spice- was less structured than I had anticipated. Keep in mind while tasting this my eyes were skimming the robust and luscious sounding meat entrees. I knew I would need a glass of something bigger a little later, especially once I read about the duck
confit and prime skirt steak
tagliata. My date opted for the
Abita Andygator helles doppelbock from Louisiana, a fragrant and rich malty lager which was very tasty.
Now there is something up front that needs to be said about this menu - It can be extremely affordable for such fare - A winning detail that
Blotta earns high marks for. Everything is served in small portions, but at $5-12 and pop for most, it becomes up to the diner to decide whether to splurge or simply enjoy a light inexpensive meal. Well, this particular Friday night after a long week, my date and decided to pull out the stops and enjoy it right.
We ordered three cheeses ($12) from the interesting list, settling on the
Gorroxta (Catalonia, Spain) natural rind goat's milk, the
Piave (
Veneto, Italy) hard cow's milk, and the
Epoisses (
Bourgogne, France)
marc-washed cow's milk, served with sliced baguette, dried figs, quince paste, and
marcona almonds.
Gorroxta is semi-firm and was the mildest in flavor - smooth with a hint of nuttiness. The
Piave is a hard cheese with a little more full-bodied flavor, reminiscent of
Parmigiano Reggiano - delicious with the sweet quince. The
Epoisses won the medal though. A soft and incredibly pungent tart 'stinky cheese' that puckered our mouths into smiles. We ordered the Rosette
de Lyon from the
charcuterie list, a French dry sausage flavored with spices and wine, but we didn't realize until days later that it never came! Sadly even worse, looking back at the receipt, we were charged for it.
Neither of us had planned on this early summer evening in LA to get
cold, but a crisp breeze was weaving through the hills and right past our corner table. A gas heater was even on behind my date, but so low it didn't seem to be emanating heat. A server (though not our own) came next with our vegetable course. When he set the plates down we asked if there was any way he could maybe just turn the knob up a tidbit. The server looked irritated with the request(!) and said no(!), scurrying quickly away. I looked at my date, smiling in awe "Well, I guess he's the food runner then!" Within minutes however a
busser came to turn up the heat. Attention was turned immediately to the dishes in front of us.
The first was the Farmers Plate ($6), a small sampling of simple roasted beets sweetened with
saba (a syrupy grape must), roasted carrots with honey & mint, eggplant moussaka and pickled ramps. Each small and tender bite was loaded with bursting sweet flavors, the complexity of the moussaka and delightful ramp perhaps my favorites. The crispy grilled
polenta with oyster &
shitake mushrooms and creamy
gorgonzola fonduta ($5) was another "crowd"-
pleaser. Creamy smooth, with delicate mushrooms and that
gorgonzola tang, I could have eaten five!
The next dish to arrive (at this point everything started coming out as the kitchen produced them, not formal courses) was the Roasted
Niman Ranch Pork Belly ($11) stuffed
alla '
porchetta' and topped with salsa
verde. I was looking forward to this dish perhaps most of all, but it was the disappointment of the evening. The thick slice was largely inedible, with a blubbery core and a rock hard skin (literally - we couldn't cut through it with our knives). We dissected out the soft flesh which was tender and flavor-rich, but with a
gamey funk that we simultaneously admitted turned both of us off.
As I could see our final two plates coming toward us, I looked around unable to locate our server, the near-empty wine glass in front of me on my mind. The one thing about the continuous courses that I found - well, really more difficult for the servers than anything, who often weren't running the food - was the lack of regular contact with their customers. Sure, we constantly had food in front of us so were more or less "set", and she would check in
occassionally at random to see if we were enjoying everything (which we were), but 90% of the time, if a diner needs something, they will realize it just after a course is dropped. Another drink, a condiment, a missing utensil. And we learned pretty quickly how helpful the food runners were... For myself, when a waiter, the 30 second rule was
always in full effect - Checking in no more than 30 seconds after a course is dropped. To our obviously overwhelmed server this Friday night, I understand constant courses makes that near-impossible, but I did notice that whenever we did need the love, she wasn't available. Call me particular about service (I am), and I'm not one of those diners that let's little things like this ruin and experience (for it did not), and I am
always gracious, but boy, looking down at the several bites of succulent prime steak and an empty wine glass..
Oy!
It was about halfway through our
entrées when our server did come by (slightly out of breath it even seemed), and for a larger wine to enjoy with my steak she suggested the '05
Raices de Aza Tempranillo ($7), to which I thanked her. I normally may have been slightly more grumpy at that point in the situation, but I began to notice our very sweet server was dealing with an extremely needy [read: rude] table of diners who I overheard were very late being seated (and by the glinting of all those jewels the type you know doesn't often have to wait). Hopelessly empathetic (GOD have I been there), the wine ceased to matter. Plus our spectacular
entrées were a lovely distraction.
The prime skirt steak "
tagliata" ($12) was seared and sliced, served over wild arugula with
parmegiano-
reggiano and
balsamico. We ordered medium-rare and boy did we get it, juicy and red, only the very outside seared dark and crispy. This was good steak, people.
But my favorite of the whole night may actually be the duck leg
confit with
pommes sardalaise and fig
vin cotto ($10). Wow. This was when
Blotta came by, delivering the wine. I shook his hand, thanking him for the incredible meal. He saw we had the duck and whispered that the secret is the potatoes, "they're cooked in the duck fat!" he glanced over both shoulders to make sure no one had eavesdropped. I have had duck
confit before, small legs of somewhat greasy meat that have never exceeded expectations. Until now, I suppose. The duck leg at
Barbrix was actually quite large, incredibly moist but nowhere near greasy, lightly savory and clean, the earthy sweet fig glaze a perfect foil... And
Blotta wasn't wrong, the buttery, garlicky crisp potatoes with succulent sweet onions were like comfort food of the gods. When the
busser came by to remove some plates, my date's hand shot protectively over the duck "oh we will pick at this one for a while, thank you!"
Feeling incredibly stuffed, and more than anything
happy, I doubted dessert was in the plan. But I am the type who is easily convinced. So when our server stole a moment to come by (the
gripey table just received a round of
prosecco and appetizers on the house), I was surprised to hear my date's "so what's good for dessert here?" Our server smiled, as if in on a secret. What I liked about her was that throughout the entire evening, she was very honest. Meaning, if we were debating between a couple of items, her disposition subtly guided us what to choose. By dessert though we had developed a trust, and she told us exactly what to get! (Note: I will always respect a server who is honest and wants you to actually ENJOY what you order).
Two glasses of '08
Oddero Moscato D'Asti were delivered (though I love
moscato, it is the
only dessert wine offered by the glass, a strong revision suggestion I have for a conscious
enoteca like
Barbrix). The
moscato was crisp and elegant, a perfect match for what came next, Adria’s Favorite Ginger Shortcakes ($6). The lightly crunchy shortcakes are baked with both fresh and candied ginger (pow! zing!) and come loaded with fresh whipped cream and tart-sweet berry compote. We loved this!
Our server also brought a red velvet item new to the menu that night, which was actually local bakeshop
Cakemonkey's Raspberry Red Velvet
Cakewich ($6) served with a drizzle of creme
anglaise. Initially slightly disappointed it wasn't house-made, the layered red velvet cake filled with a raspberry vanilla creme layer and coated in Bittersweet Chocolate was pretty darn tasty. Like a super fancy red velvet Ding Dong.
I left
Barbrix beyond satisfied. Sure there were a few loose bricks in the road, but only weeks out from opening things could go much worse. The tweaks I see needed are MINOR, the foundation of this little schoolhouse-turned-bistro pretty solid. Plus I can't recall the last time I enjoyed a three hour meal this much! The bar is officially raised for this sleepy little neighborhood, but most
importantly, the price is right.
2442 Hyperion Ave, Silver Lake; 323.662.2442
barbrix.com
