Late Night Animal
I was heading to Los Angeles for the weekend and after a long drive, I decided to stop by a restaurant I always wanted to try out, Animal (or for you Yelpers). The place might be a little hard to find having no sign, but if you look for people lining up on Fairfax, that might be it. Usually, you want to do reservations, but thank goodness they have bar seating. There are about seven seats, and sadly enough, I only needed one. Luckily though, they had exactly one open. Keep in mind it was 10:30PM. Really should have called my friends who live around the corner (Sorry E/T) but I had no idea what time I’d get in. This was Martin Luther King weekend after all.
Inside, the place was dark. The staff was quite attentive. My drinks were always filled and place settings constantly cleaned and set up. I started to wonder if bar seating got better treatment due to the proximity of the workers. Everyone was willing to help no matter who they were. Food came out as quick as they were cleaned up. Dishes didn’t come out right after another, but I wasn’t complaining relaxing with my beer.
I took recommendations from a waitress, who steered me away from their popular ox tail poutines, which I have to say, was a good idea after seeing it. Where are the cheese curds? Anyways, I picked two less than spectacular dishes and then went with her quail suggestion. bingo. I am now a fan of quail. I never thought I been. But after hearing the hype about State Bird Provisions and only experiencing less than spectacular quail at other restaurants, this place changed my mind. Could have done without all the condiments. A few worked, a few didn’t. Must be what the chef wants you to do, find the perfect combination.
Glad to have finally tried this place out. Ah Los Angeles, how you remind me of the good eats here.
It reminds me of Vietnamese papaya salad, but there’s no papaya, all cabbage. Maybe it’s the tangy and sweet fish sauce vinaigrette they use, maybe. They nailed it with the textures, with the crunchy peanuts and crispy tostada. Your mouth will be busy. However, I’m more a fan of using rare beef than hamachi for this dish. Almost there. Didn’t help my cuts of hamachi weren’t consistent. $15USD
A nicely split half of a bone topped with caramelized onions and chimichurri. Great tasting dish with the toasted bread. It’s a bit too tangy with the amount of chimichurri sauce they have on top. After skimming off about half the stuff, I was able to enjoy more of the marrow taste. $9USD
This was the best quail I’ve ever had. Not the best looking dish and of course not the big in portion, but a great tasting dish. Charred just enough to keep the meat juicy, the flavor was what you’d expect. Something close to duck yet distinct in its own right. And the best part was that you don’t have to pick through bones all the time. The quail was quite meaty. State Bird Provisions, you’re next! $19USD