Waterloo & City

Post by Mark.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly what kind of restaurant Waterloo & City is considering all of its components. And when each of those components is as good as they are here, that's not a bad thing. A British gastropub makes for the easiest description, though the menu isn't all blood pudding and shepard's pie - also present on Chef Brendan Collins' menu are artisan pizzas and pasta dishes that exemplify regions of Europe well beyond Great Britain. 

The Culver City restaurant is a recently opened collaboration of Chef Collins and GM Caralos Tomazos. Between the two, their resumes include stints at Per Se, Le Bernardin and Mellisse. But the spirit of this venture aims less for Michelin stars and more for a casual, comforting experience. The decor certainly isn't the focus. The space looks like it may have been a Denny's in a past life, though it's since been reasonably dressed up. But don't assume for a second that the low-key atmosphere prevents them from producing some pretty compelling cuisine.

When our platoon arrived for an early Sunday night feast, Waterloo & City was able to accommodate our party of 9 on the patio. Gathered around the table was a mini reunion of sorts from our fantastic Wolvesden dinner. That intense dining experience seems to have forged our platoon into a band of brothers, bravely storming the beaches of offal and sweetbreads.

Experiences with the cocktail menu were hit or miss, but the impressive beer list more than made up for it. A few baskets of bread made the table more than happy. A few tasty varieties, all baked in house, were spotted with seeds of poppy or fennel - a fitting precursor to the charcuterie that was about to hit the table in a big way. 

About that charcuterie? Waterloo & City's wild charcuterie menu had us salivating. We couldn't decide on just one or two, so we went with the ambitious 'Prince' selection which had us partying like it was 1999 2099. Let's take a look at the board, class picture style (Below, Left to Right): Cured meats and cornichons, chicken liver & foie gras mousse, jarred beef drippings, head cheese with cherry tomato salad, pig trotters and sweetbreads topped with salsa verde, and finally a rabbit and pistachio terrine crowned with soused peaches. The head cheese was a runaway favorite. I hope the stunningly rich and flavorful chicken liver and foie gras mousse understands. We could have ended the meal happy right here, but our platoon pressed on.

The biggest surprise may have been the pizza. The braised short rib is topped with arugula and a generous dollop of chimichuri. This pizza is really about the few intense bites slathered with thick chimichuri sauce and its powerful bite of raw garlic that for lack of better wording: punches you square in the face. The short rib takes a back seat on this one. The garlic is so powerful, I actually forgot there was meat on this pizza at all until confirming with @jreedmiller who had ordered it. Polarizing, at its worst, I found the pizza's boldness rather refreshing - I'm a garlic guy - but perhaps this is a pie best suited for sharing. 

Angela took the opportunity to go with a British classic- the Beef Wellington (left). When in a British Gastropub, right? Veiled in its flaky phyllo dough crust, the thick slab of beef inside (right) was cooked to a perfect medium rare. While she's not really a Wellington fan generally, this hearty dish had her ready to fall into a food coma.

Sir Wellington came with a side of perfectly competent, nicely seasoned (if a little staid) roasted vegetables. We also threw in some a la carte broccolini flavored with a touch of garlic and ginger chili. 

For my entree I travelled down the pasta road. The ricotta ravioli (below) came with sweetbreads and walnuts. The rich and savory ravioli dish was some of the best I've tasted in recent memory. 

After dinner we were treated to some sweet and sticky beignets on the house. We left Waterloo & City full and satisfied. Not only do these guys know what they're doing with their eccentric terrines, pates and charcuterie but they impressed us with pastas and pizzas, too. No matter where you are in LA, Waterloo & City is worth the drive to Culver City for the food. Or just head in for their happy hour. The gastropub has many faces, and each of them suits it well. 

Againn

*Post by Angela.

Last night Mark and I attended our very first food blogger happy hour at Againn, a "contemporary British Isles Bistro," at 1099 New York Avenue, NW.  Walking into the restaurant, I noted that the owners had done a great job recreating the feeling of a pub, all dark wood and dim lighting - a very cozy space.  We had a great time, chatting with fellow DC foodies and sipping some of Againn's creative (and cheap, at $5) happy hour drink offerings - I particularly enjoyed my "Coup d'etat," a refreshing, not-to-sweet concoction with pineau des cherentes, cava, lemon, cinnamon tincture.  Afterwards, we decided to stay for dinner with two of my close friends who, coincidentally, had come to Againn to unwind after work. The food was really solid, the service was excellent, and the company was even better - all in all, a pretty great night.

Now, onto specifics.  I started out with the Corned Lamb's Tongue, with warm fingerling potatoes, puntarelle (a salad green which tastes like endive, chicory and arugula somehow had a love child), and green sauce.  I liked the flavor profiles, which were bright and warm at the same time, and loved the soft and almost creamy texture of the potatoes.  The lamb's tongue was a little tough - I'm used to tongue being cooked until extremely tender.  Even so, the meat was very flavorful.

 Corned Lamb's Tongue

Mark started with the Caramelized Belgium Endive Salad, with poached d'anjou pear, stilton, and roasted pecans.  I don't remember too much about this dish (remember, I had just been at happy hour before the meal!), but Mark seemed to like it. 

 

 Caramelized Belgium Endive Salad

Given the frosty weather outside, for my entree I chose Grandmother's Braised Chicken, with roasted root vegetables, bacon, pork sausage, marjoram, butterball potatoes, as it sounded fantastically warming.  The presentation was outstanding, with our friendly server bringing the small dutch oven in which the chicken had been cooked to the table, and spooning it onto my waiting plate as the warm rich scents of the dish wafted around me.  The chicken melted in my mouth (giving me the texture that I had been looking for with the lamb), and the braised root vegetables and potatoes did just the trick in warming me up - I could almost picture someone's Grandmother back in the kitchen, preparing this meal just for me. 

Grandmother's Braised Chicken

  Mark went with the Tamworth Pork Belly (whenever a restaurant offers pork belly, nine times out of ten, one of us will order it), with Anson Mill's white grits, baby mizuna, and a smoked tomato jus.  I liked the crispy skin of the pork, with all of its salty, fatty goodness, although both Mark and I would have liked the meat to be a little more tender.  I don't remember much about the grits and the jus, which I guess says something.  Mark thought it was a solid dish overall.   

Tamworth Pork Belly

For dessert, I had a great after-dinner cocktail, but sadly, don't remember what it was called.  I do remember that I liked it a lot.  Mark had the Banoffee Pie, with bananas, caramelized milk, graham biscuit, and cream, ganache.  He thought it was okay, but didn't seem to love it.*  It was presented very prettily, though.

Banoffee Pie

I do want to take the time to say that the service was really phenomenal, both at the bar and at the table.  Despite the craziness of have some 50 food bloggers milling about the restaurant, the staff at Againn was so friendly, warm and attentive, it really did make me feel like I was sitting down at my neighborhood pub instead of an upscale DC restaurant.  I would recommend it on the service alone, but the good food and drink offerings are worth a try as well. 

*Update:  Mark just informed me that he did like the dessert.  Sigh - another memory falls casualty to alcohol...