One of my favorite meals last year was at The Hart & The Hunter. First of all, how cool is the name? The menu and decor is equally intriguing.
Tucked inside the Palihotel on Melrose Avenue, the menu consists of a series of small plates, best meant for sharing with good friends or family. It was quite dim inside though, making photo taking a little difficult.
CHICKEN CRACKLINS AND HOT PEPPER VINEGAR
It’s hard to go wrong with crispy chicken skin. I do wish there was a little more seasoning on the skin itself, but this was still enjoyable, after sprinkling a lot of the hot pepper vinegar.
SMOKED TROUT, BOILED EGG, PICKLED ONION, CAPERS, AVOCADO TOAST
I’m already a fan of avocado toast, but it was made even better with the accompaniment of smoked trout and pickled onions and capers. I could eat this combination all day long.
CHEDDAR & CHIVE GRITS
The grits were super creamy and very cheesy and steaming hot. This was another one of my favorites.
CHOPPED STEAK SERVED WITH TRADITIONAL ACCOMPANIMENT, BONE MARROW, GRILLED TOAST
This one was really popular with our group. I liked the colorful pickle display.
BUTTER BISCUITS & CONDIMENTS
This was another favorite of mine. Yes, it’s just biscuits, but the biscuits came out piping hot and practically melted in my mouth, which is the best way to eat them.
FRIED CHICKEN LIVERS
The salad was light and refreshing, a nice cleanser for the palate and paired well with the heavier chicken livers.
ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS
After having the charred brussel sprouts at Uptown Tavern, these weren’t quite as amazing. I would have preferred a heavier seasoning.
LA QUERCIA COUNTRY HAM, BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES
I liked the thick pieces of toast and the thin slices of dry ham. It was a simple plate, but still very enjoyable to try all the different elements.
HANGER STEAK, SOFT GRITS, MUSHROOMS, SNAIL, HERB BUTTER
This was another favorite of mine. Loved the snails and mushrooms along with the creamy grits. The steak was well seasoned and tender.
SPROUTING BROCCOLI AND CHILI VIN
The chili vin added a nice kick to these broccolini.
There were four desserts offered that night and we ordered all four.
STICKY PUMPKIN CAKE
This was my favorite. Loved the spices and the dense and sticky texture.
CHOCOLATE & PEANUT CRUNCH CAKE
Between the chocolate and peanut butter, you can imagine how rich this cake was. Not one where I can eat a lot of, but still tasty.
APPLE DUMPLING, HOOKS CHEDDAR, ALA MODE
This was like an apple pie but with sprinkles of savory cheddar cheese. I personally didn’t really enjoy the combination of savory cheese with the sweet apple filling.
LEMON ICEBOX PIE
This was the most popular dessert for our group. I’m not a big lemon fan and the lemon flavor of this cake was really intense.
We really enjoyed our meal here and the group we ate with. We thought the prices were quite reasonable as well. It’s definitely best to come with a group so you can sample more of the menu. This place doesn’t take reservations and it’s a little small, so definitely come early on a busy night. You can view the current menus here.
The Hart and the Hunter
Inside the PaliHotel
7950 MELROSE AVE
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90046
https://thehartandthehunter.com/index.html
All of the dishes look great, but that chocolate peanut butter cake is definitely calling my name, haha.
That one was super rich but really good =)
I love the vintage plates and the wooden slabs! Definitely my kind of place =)
I love the plates and slabs too. hehe
When I saw the first photo in my rss feed I thought it was something drawn by DH! Haha. For a restaurant with the word “hunter” in its name, all the veggies looked so good! 🙂
Haha! He liked the artwork a lot. There is a good balance of veggies and meat but the meat parts were my favorite.
Wow, what a spread! Ha, they finally caught on to fried chicken skin in the upscale places! 🙂 Everything looks amazing especially the bone marrow and the deconstructed ham sandwich.
This was a really fun place and not all that expensive considering it’s LA. Every place needs to serve chicken skin. haha.
I love the rustic elegance of this place! The mix match plates and wood planks are totally endearing and the food looks fantastic.
Total kitchen inspiration!
I loved the decor too with the wood planks and mismatch plates. Writing this post made me so hungry. I need to go back