Lazy Ox Canteen - Brunch

Enjoyed my dinner experience here, so I was excited for brunch. Brought a group of friends, all first timers. It was carmageddon weekend so I didn't think there would be a need for reservations. Took the Metro Red line and a short stint on the Gold line.



The brunch menu was impressive. A nice variety of small plates and entrees. We had a party of six, so getting a taste of several dishes would not be a problem. We ordered the following:











fried eggs with crumbled sausage, semolina & salsa verde
bellwether farms ricotta fritters with saffron honey
turkey and pork belly sandwich with bacon & yuzu aioli
8 oz lazy ox burger with cantal cheese & green peppercorn mustard
roasted shell on fava beans with mint
pig ear "chicharon" with pickles, radish & horseradish
crispy surf clams with caper & pickle aioli
grilled green cabbage salad with piquillo pepper, caper & shrimp
roasted cauliflower with chile, mint & pine nuts
pork & beef ragu with egg pasta & fried egg
butterscotch pudding

There were several highlights in this list. But the pig ear "chicharon" was my favorite. The crispy exterior and the slightly chewy interior, the horseradish and pickles add a nice acid and heat.







My entree was the turkey and pork belly sandwich. The sandwich itself was a bit dry and bland, more aioli would have helped. But the worst part about the sandwich was the fact that it arrived 10 mins after we had eaten all of the other dishes.

Overall brunch was delicious, besides a few execution issues.

Lazy Ox Canteen

Voted best new restaurant for 2010 by Los Angeles magazine, it had been on my radar for awhile and I was really excited for my first meal.

We had reservations for 6:30PM, Saturday Night, for a party of four. We arrived about ten minutes early, but we were seated immediately. The restaurant is not big, it's cozy with a nice outdoor patio. The noise level is a bit high, but I thought it was appropriate. Our table was located near the pass and we could see Chef Josef Centeno, seasoning and tasting all of the dishes as the went out.



We decided to order two entrees and share five small plates, between the four of us.

We ordered the following small plates:
Fried Rabbit Livers
Crispy Bone Marrow and Lentil Salad
Lamb Neck Hash with Quinoa and a Fried Jidori Egg
Charcuterie Plate
Brussels Sprouts



Our Entrees:
7oz Lazy Ox Burger
Pappardelle with Shaved Black Truffle



Desserts:
Butterscotch Pudding
Chocolate Pate



The highlights were the Pork Rillette, Chicken Liver Mousse, both were part of the charcuterie plate, the Fried Rabbit Livers and the burger. The rillette was meaty and rich, as good as the version at AOC. The chicken liver mousse was so airy and smooth, both items on grilled toast were delicious. The rabbit livers were perfectly fried and not greasy at all. I just took a bite of the burger, but it was very tasty. My only gripe about the burger is that it seemed very small, like a bigger slider.



The rest of the dishes had execution problems. The lamb neck hash was over salted and could have used some more starch. The crispy bone marrow was not texturally pleasing. My love for bone marrow comes when it's paired with some crusty bread. You would think because it's fried it would have texture, but it was just "mushy". The pasta with black truffle was good, but the shaved truffle was flavorless and considering how much the dish costs, we were expecting more.



But the surprise of the night was the Butterscotch Pudding, it was amazing. I'm not exaggerating, it was one the best desserts I have ever eaten. I would go to Lazy Ox just for that dish. Not too sweet, great flavor and balance.



The service overall was decent, except we were never served our brussels sprouts. The prices are a bit high, but you get some very interesting dishes in a very cool environment. Besides Animal, there are not many restaurants doing this kind of food in LA. Looking forward to dining in the outdoor patio on a beautiful summer night.