Larchmont Grill

Last night we let Larchmont Grill do the grillin'. My mission was to scope it out for this year's company holiday party. Sean greeted us as we entered the restaurant, which was a craftsman home once upon a time. The staff was very friendly, attentive and efficient. Makes a difference. It kind of does feel like you're a guest at someone's home for a dinner party. I had the recommended Chardonnay from Tom & Joes Very Fine Wines and Will a Red Stripe beer. Larchmont Grill has a nice American menu with dishes like Grilled Chicken, Flat Iron Steak and Baked Trout.

I started with the Endive Salad with candied walnuts, blue cheese, apples and vinaigrette. I don't usually care too much for the smelly cheeses, but this blue was really creamy and mild and the endive crisp and fresh. Excellent salad. Will had the fried calamari, a dish that is so easy to over cook and until it's rubbery, it was perfectly battered and really really tender. I eeny-meeny-miny-moe'd between the Baked Trout and the Pork Chop, and got the Pork Chop, which came with a fig sauce, scalloped potatoes and Swiss chard. The potatoes were super thinly sliced and tender while the Swiss chard was just a little underdone for me. Larchmont Grill certainly doesn't over-season its dishes and I could taste the freshness of the ingredients. It was crisp when it sould be, creamy where it was supposed to be, tender as it could get.

We ended the meal with a shared Lemon Meringue Cake and coffee. Then Sean showed us the upstairs room that can seat 35-40 people with a private balcony. Nice space, nice food, nice people. Looks like a good candidate for our holiday party this year.

Now we're off for a bike ride along the Los Angeles River.