Some meals feed you. This one converted us. We walked into…read moreThe Running Goose for an early lunch and left as devotees. Start with the "farm vegetables" carrots, yes, but carrots the way a poet means them. Sweet, blistered, singing. And then the aioli..... oh the aioli. I don't know what wizardry was in it and I've decided I don't want to. Some mysteries are better kept as mysteries you can drive back to. My wife and I looked at each other over that plate the way people do when they realize the afternoon has just changed shape. We are coming back for it. Every day. For the rest of our lives. Put a plaque on our table. .....The salmon belly burger was mine and I guarded it like family silver, rich, silky, the kind of fat that melts into everything around it. My wife had the smoked beet quesadilla, which arrived smelling like a good fire and tasted like someone had thought very hard about beets and finally gotten it right. She offered me a bite. She regretted offering me a bite...... And the owner served us himself. Warm, and present, the kind of host who tells you about a dish because he's proud of it, not because it's a script. That pride is all over the food. You can taste the years of devotion in it. Go. Sit down. Order the vegetables first. Let someone who cares about cooking feed you a real, considered, and generous plate. This is what a neighborhood restaurant is supposed to feel like.

What a great find in Hollywood…read more The Running Goose delivered from beginning to end. The kale salad was amazing, followed by the pork belly pincho with a beautiful char. The duck was exactly how I like it: crispy without being burnt and packed with flavor. And then there was the Gringo Burger for my gringa, which she loved. We finished with the Pavlova, which was the perfect ending. Great food, relaxed atmosphere, and the kind of place that makes you start thinking about what you'll order the next time before you've even left. We'll definitely be back.

No matter what we will return to LINDEN - this was a wonderful space and kind fun people like…read moreFERNANDO work here - As for our WAIT TIME - I will red flag this until further notice as the food was wonderful - mostly - the drinks were great but feel that for a chef from New York City there should have been a triple speed on the making of the food - we would look into the kitchen to see if someone had quit or there was no one working and it seemed the staff that was on the clock simply had their mouths open and staring back at us. The food was wonderful - we loved the steak the ceaser salad dressing was amazing but the fish item - the Nagril item was too deep fried and instead of sending it back - we were starving after our 1 hour and 45 minutes for it to arrive. in the end we did what FERNANDO asked us to - write a review - but in LA : We leave places like this and while smart dishes like 'The Parkway' or a 'Knuckle Sandwich' are ready to be presented - we would have cashed out asap if we had known that the non-action in the kitchen was a thing. The Chef might have been from New York - but he was no where to be found - much like his kitchen staff staring back into the dining room - with. their. mouths. open. Give this place time. They are creating unnecessary obstacles and dont have enough staff to justify the dead silence for the hours you will wait to receive anything - nothing is bussed - nothing is cleaned and nothing will be addressed during the times you could easily leave without paying for the bill. We will be back but will need to plan for a small meal before as this spot cannot handle the high demands of a very very very small seating footprint.

My friends, wife, and I had been looking forward to trying Linden for quite some time, so we made a…read moreFriday night reservation with high expectations. Unfortunately, we left feeling more disappointed than impressed. To start on a positive note, we were seated on time, and all four of our cocktails were well-made and enjoyable. Unfortunately, that's where the positives mostly ended. Our overall dining experience lasted over 2.5 hours, which was simply excessive. We were seated outside, and for most of the evening we appeared to be the only table outside being served. Despite that, everything moved at an incredibly slow pace. Several items we ordered were either never entered or never brought out, which only added to the frustration. For appetizers, the Caesar Brûlée was the biggest disappointment. It honestly tasted spoiled and had an unpleasant aftertaste that made it difficult to enjoy. The Curry Corn "Ribs" had a nice flavor, and the Lemon Pepper Brussels Sprouts were easily the favorite dish of the night. The $23 bread basket, consisting of two fish-shaped pieces of cornbread and four small pieces of focaccia, felt very overpriced for what was served. For our entrees, we ordered the For Goodness Steak and the Bama Smoke smoked chicken. The steak itself was cooked to the requested temperature and had good flavor, but it arrived only lukewarm, which took away from the experience. The smoked chicken breast was tender but lacked seasoning, and the Alabama white sauce wasn't what we'd expect from authentic Southern-style Bama sauce. We were also excited to try the restaurant's famous oxtail pot pie, but unfortunately it had already sold out by the time we arrived. What made the evening even more disappointing was the lack of hospitality. When we expressed our frustration about the long waits, we were told they were busy inside--as if sitting outside somehow explained or justified the delays. Had we been informed that outside service would be significantly slower, we could have made an informed decision or at least adjusted our expectations. Even more surprising, during a meal that lasted over two and a half hours, not one manager or member of leadership stopped by to apologize, check on our experience, or acknowledge the obvious service issues. Overall, the food was average at best, with a couple of standout appetizers, but nothing that justified the lengthy wait or made us eager to return. Service and hospitality are just as important as the food, and unfortunately both fell well short of expectations. Based on this experience, it's highly unlikely that we'll be back.

Nice quiet spot for after work drinks. Came on a Thursday and it was pretty dead but that might…read morehave just been because of the World Cup. Unfortunately my friend does not drink as much wine as I do so we opted for a couple of glasses instead of a bottle. Well, EYE had a couple of glasses to her 1. I wasn't incredibly impressed with the by-the-glass selection considering this is a whole wine bar but I found a few that I enjoyed. The bread & honey butter as well as the asparagus were both great. Asparagus was lemony and delicious, in particular. The crispy weiser potatoes were also good -- could have been a little crispier I thought! Service was great and very quick but mind you we were pretty much the only people in the room

Food was delicious, I had the branzino and it was **chefs kiss**…read moreThey had many wine choices, you could have anything your pallet desires! The waitstaff were sooo friendly, I was with a friend who accidentally ordered something sweet due to a language barrier and basically they switched it no problem and found her something she loved at no extra charge. Actually I'd have to say it was all reasonably priced. Please note that gratuity is already included. So, why four stars? Well, the ambiance was beautiful, sure, however if you're meeting up to try and have a conversation please keep in mind that you will not be able to hear each other and will be shouting "WHAT" at each other until the check comes and you decide to go to a quiet coffee shop to share the stories you're dying to share.

It was a lively Tuesday morning with a great mix of friends catching up and solo people working…read more The service was fast and friendly, and the space itself is surprisingly large, with bar-style seating and plenty of tables. The star of the show was definitely the food. I ordered the mushroom scramble and OMG, a pile of perfectly fluffy eggs with spinach and mushrooms. The side salad had just the right amount of dressing, and the sourdough was perfectly crunchy. Everything was simple but done really well. The green juice was also delicious and tasted incredibly fresh. I would honestly come back for that alone. Overall, such a hidden gem tucked away in the corner of Sunset. Great atmosphere, great service, and even better food. Definitely coming back!

I was super bummed to see that most of their stuff was already sold, but hey, it was noon, and it's…read morejust proof that they make great stuff! The Morning Bun is the best! A crispy shell housing so many layers of chewy croissant-like dough. The Raspberry Fairy is light and lovely, and I enjoyed the muffins and a cookie as well. All delicious, but I think they truly excel at pastry, with all those beautiful layers. I can hardly ever drive to Hollywood, and I'm so happy to have had a chance to stop here. This bakery is clearly among the better ones in a city with a deep pool of talent, and I'd add that morning bun to my best-breakfast list.

We had such a great experience at The Hollywood Rooftop Restaurant & Bar. The food was delicious,…read moreand the portion sizes were incredibly generous. I ordered the American breakfast, which was filling, flavorful, and a great value. The tiki flight was also a highlight and such a fun way to explore the different drinks and discover what you like. The colada was by far my favorite! The rooftop itself has a wonderful atmosphere--it feels open and lively while still offering a relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood Boulevard. The celebrity wax figures placed around the rooftop add a playful, uniquely Hollywood touch and make for some fun photo opportunities. Great food, creative drinks, generous portions, and a memorable setting. I would definitely recommend stopping by for brunch or drinks while exploring Hollywood.

(This experience occurred on 05/08/26. This review was mistakenly posted for the Madame Tussaud Wax…read moreMuseum.) I've dined at the Rooftop restaurant several times, and I've noticed a general trend: extremely slow service, but tasty food. My most recent visit on Friday, May 8, however, permanently changed my opinion of this restaurant. (I dined in a group of four for a 6:00 PM reservation.) At the start of meal, everything seemed as good as usual: extremely slow service, but tasty food. I ordered the Sea Bass as my main entree and the Garlic Cheese Puffs as my appetizer. Another person in my party also ordered the same entree. After 40 minutes--yes, 40 minutes--the staff begins dropping off our food. They brought everything except my sea bass, but they brought my friend's. After 5 minutes, when it seemed apparent that our waiter wasn't going to check in on us, we signal him over and ask about my sea bass. He quickly says he'll "check on it." Then, 5 minutes later, he returns saying the dish would be right out. At this point, I've been waiting almost 55 mins for a sea bass dish. The restaurant wasn't particularly busy, so this started to become frustrating, especially with the lack of attentive service. Finally, my dish arrives. My partner noticed that the color of my sea bass didn't match the golden brown, crispness of my friend's sea bass. I then cut directly into the center of the fish and discover it's purple and raw. Inedible. Now, it's 7:00 PM. I've waited 1 hour for raw fish? We quickly wave down our waiter and show him the raw fish, which he takes back to the kitchen for a re-fire. Because I was seeing John Mulaney at the Hollywood Bowl at 7:30 PM, I requested the order to be canceled. The manager visits our table and tries to offer me another dish "on the house," but given the time and the fact that I was served raw food, I declined. I didn't want to rush eating my food and quite frankly didn't trust the kitchen to cook more food for me. Flash forward to receiving the check. The manager gave us a 50% discount, which only did two things: 1. It removed the sea bass--but why not just void that dish? Oh, they said they can't do that. That seems odd to me, given the type of restaurant the Rooftop purports itself to be. 2. It gave us $20 off a $200+ bill. By the way, the restaurant still charged an automatic gratuity charge of 20%. I understand that's the Rooftop's policy, which they do state on their website and their menu. But why should the staff receive an automatic gratuity when they clearly forgot to put in my sea bass, then served it raw, and didn't bother to refill our water or check in on us throughout the meal. Again, the restaurant has extremely slow service, but, this time, inedible food. After we pay, the waiter brings my party free shots, which we all politely declined. None of us ordered shots in the first place, drinks yes, but we weren't in that kind of mood. I don't believe the Rooftop did all that they could to make the situation right, and the manager didn't even bother to check in on us at the end of the meal. Her lack of urgency was appalling and, quite frankly, disturbing. I highly doubt she would be okay with this kind of service if she were in my position. I will never dine here again, and will never recommend it. What a shame. This place was starting to become a regular spot for me.

I came here with a friend due to him moving out of state soon. Attention was top-notch from the…read moreget go. Shoutout to McAllister, the hostess. She was pleasant, friendly and professional. Our server, Kimi V. was also great. We tried the Shrimp Pasta (10/10, highly recommended), the Crispy Chicken Wings (10/10. They make these in a particular way, please ask them to explain it to you: the end result is fantastic), fish tacos (7/10, they're good, but I am neither a fish nor a taco person (however, I do like some good shrimp tacos). These ones in particular were plated and served so well ( they use blue corn tortilla: top-notch ingredient) and the ingredients were fresh, but maybe it was the type of fish? I don't really know, they were good, but I definitely would not order them again). Also, my friend had a coconut cold brew which he really enjoyed. Service was all around great. Ambiance was fantastic, the whole restaurant has a very upscale, chic vibe while also being unique in its own way. Even the restroom, that was super clean and well-maintained, has a very unique and interesting setup for what is the sink. All around great place, highly recommended. 10/10. UPDATE: Added names and more clarification on the fish tacos. Thank you to the GM in leaving a response. Your whole team is fantastic. I'll definitely be back.

Food: the ceviche is a must try! We had the pizza and chicken kabobs which were very good…read more Service: it was okay, attentive. Ambiance: you have to sit outside, specially on a summer night

Darling was on my list to try ever since I read about it on Eater. It eventually became one of 2…read morerestaurants that were the focus of my recent staycation in the West Hollywood/Beverly Grove area, the other was perennial favourite A.O.C. I was familiar with chef/owner (and James Beard Award winner) Sean Brock, having dined at two of his Husk restaurants (Charleston and Nashville), where he first gained fame and accolades. He is no longer affiliated with Husk or some other Nashville restaurants, but still has a pizza place there, so he is still bi-coastal. I can't say what drew him to SoCal, but is clearly enamored of our bountiful produce and purveyors, which he integrates into his "Heritage Southern", often live-fire, cooking. He's apparently quite a music lover also, hence the live DJ all-vinyl booth in the bar/lounge. Darling is on the northern end of Robertson between Melrose and Sunset. Many restaurants of note are nearby, including The Abbey, Craig's, SushiSamba. Many, including Darling, do not have valet parking, so that can be an endeavor you should allow time for. Darling is a pretty large, gorgeous and airy space, divided into an open-air-ish lounge/bar and a dining room towards the rear, which in turn is divided into 2 sections. The space used be the restaurant Soulmate, and looking at old pics still up on Yelp, it is clear many of the design features were repurposed for Darling, including the beautiful wood-beamed ceiling and booths in the dining room, the olive tree and retractable roof in the lounge, and the exterior. The impressive mural in the dining room appears new, as is the DJ booth. The weather was in the 90's during my visits, so the more A/C-controlled dining room was my choice for seating. Darling serves dinner Wed-Sat and brunch Sundays, so of course I had to try both. There's also a small Happy Hour menu Wed-Sat in the lounge/bar. Here's the lowdown: Dinner 1) Deviled eggs. A classic Southern snack, bougied up with bluefin tuna belly. Delish, with a slight kick, but just 2 per order. 2) Abalone and rice stew. Another winner (and smallish portion). Earthy, yet light, topped with a confit egg yolk. 3) The Darling dry-aged steak burger. Just 24 served per day. The stellar meat is a blend of 3 types of beef, mostly dry-aged prime, cooked over the live-fire grill. It was served simply with ketchup, cheese, raw onion and Dijonnaise , allowing the beef to shine. Served without accompaniments. 4) Sliced tomatoes with buttermilk dressing and tomato vine vinegar. A simple and refreshing taste of summer. 5) Blackberry sorbet Eton mess. Delish sorbet that was the perfect blend of sweet and tart. Eton mess is whipped cream and meringue shards. The Texas deer skewers and Anson Mills cornbread were also of interest to me; another time. Brunch 1) Sonora wheat pancakes. Pretty classic, with crispy edges, fancy Maison Bordier butter and maple syrup. 2) 5-fat fried chicken. Also available on the Happy Hour menu. I was told the chicken was heavily spiced, but not heat-spicy. Its red-orange hue made me pause with fear, but it was exactly as described. The seasoning is quite chili powder-forward (Ancho chili?). The chicken is boneless thigh meat (my fave chicken part), just like the Spanish fried chicken at A.O.C. Served with a vinegary hot sauce (didn't use), honey (used it all) and an assortment of pickles. The 5 fats used are chicken fat, lard, country ham, bacon fat and smoked butter. Quite different from A.O.C.'s version; apples and oranges. Try them both. 3) Watermelon sorbet with Bonny melon and lemon verbena. Another sorbet winner, even more refreshing with the melon. Their cocktail and wine offerings seem pretty extensive. My zero-proof pineapple concoction was fine and delish; I had it at both meals. Service and staff was excellent and oh so friendly--hostess, servers, busboys, manager. I wish I remembered the names of my servers for shout-outs; their names didn't appear on my checks. Speaking of checks, you have the option of paying via QR code or with a traditional paper check and table-side hand-held gizmo. I did both and recommend the traditional method to avoid the $3.99 "Platform Fee" for using the QR code. Lastly, I found the music pleasant and mostly retro (the DJ usually puts the album currently spinning on display), but very loud. Guests were yelling in order to converse. Hope to return, and maybe see Chef Sean DJ-ing.

We came here on a suggestion from a friend who is a fan of Sean Brock. The setup is really cool -…read morethe front half of the restaurant is a lounge/bar area with a partially open air roof that gives way to a tree growing in the middle of the lounge. The back half is a more traditional seating area with booths and beautiful murals. The restaurant has an interesting and creative cocktail list that was difficult to choose from. We tried the Paradis and Marigny No. 2. I preferred the Paradis - it was reminiscent of a tropical tiki drink. The Marigny No. 2 was also nice, floral, and refreshing, but strong. Our waitress recommended 2-3 dishes per person, so we opted for the deviled eggs (snack), cornbread (app), dry-aged steak burger (main), and rockfish with clams and grits (main). The deviled eggs and rockfish were my favorite. The eggs had a really rich flavor, and the tuna added a unique twist on an otherwise familiar dish. The rockfish had a perfectly spicy, buttery sauce, and the grits were the perfect accompaniment. I wasn't a fan of the cornbread; the predominant taste was of being burned, and the bread was flat and dense, rather than being fluffy. The tomato jam was definitely the surprisingly sweet star of that dish. Without the jam, the cornbread isn't very pleasant to eat. I also thought the burger was just ok, nothing standout, but solid. They only make 24 burgers a night, so ask your server if they're still available if that's what you're ordering. For dessert, we ordered the profiteroles with brown butter ice cream, pecan sauce, and dates. It was a perfect ending to the night - the dessert was super rich and decadent. Parking is limited to metered street parking or nearby parking lots. Service is warm and friendly without being overbearing, but can take a while. Overall, the experience was pleasant with some hits and some misses. The menu is certainly unique and overall worth trying if you're feeling a bit adventurous.

Went here with my parents and partner on Saturday around 11AM, and I have both good and bad things…read moreto say. Sadly, our experience started off very poorly. The bad: The host was extremely unprofessional and un-accommodating of my family's request. She has black hair with a streak of grey/silver hair I believe. While we had 2 different 2 person reservations, we asked if we could sit together since I don't get to see my parents often now that I live out of state and it was my birthday. We understand this isn't a request that can be always accommodated, but we were willing to wait to sit together. The host said this was not possible and we accepted sitting at 2 different tables. When my parents were sat, we noticed an empty table next to them. My father then asked the host if we could move and she refused, saying she isn't sure if rid totally sanitized and it would take a very long time for it to be cleaned by staff. She then walked away from us while rolling her eyes and cussing under her breath while walking right past my table. Even my father noticed this!! We understood, but a minute later a staff came and fully cleaned the table. Our waitress came to introduce herself and we requested to be moved once more, and she said of course and had us move immediately to be next to my parents :) Big shoutout to her! Again, I'd understand if the restaurant was busy and packed, but after us I saw no one sat at the 2 person table we were initially sitting at and the entire restaurant was slowly emptying out with not many new parties coming in... The host seemed to have extreme anger issues and lack of professionalism that I would expect from someone who knows the availability of tables. Now, for the good: The restaurant itself is amazing with great ambiance. I want to thank our awesome waitress and other people working at the restaurant, truly everyone else was great! They were funny, welcoming, and very patient. The food was tasty and we loved the lemonades we ordered. I recommend the pastrami dish from their brunch menu :) I would definitely recommend coming here, but the host at the front who is supposed to "welcome" guests is clearly not doing her job well. It truly left a sour taste in my mouth and I'd likely turn back from the restaurant if I saw her as the host again.

Steak frites- 5 stars (A) Cacío Pepe- 5 stars…read more Service- 3 stars- the people are attentive but don't smile or engage much. It's feels passive aggressive.