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| The front of restaurant Animal (via Eater.com) |
For weeks leading up to my first trip to Los Angeles I couldn't help but constantly think about Restaurant
Animal. It was first opened in 2008 by Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo. You may recognize these punk rockers from Food Network's "Two Dudes Catering". Soon after opening Animal and losing the catering business, they grew to national culinary fame with their small meat and offal-centric, 45-seat nondescript restaurant, even being awarded some of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs title of 2009.
I first met Jon and Vinny at
Meattopia 2011. By now I knew of their reputation, after watching them on Food Network and skimming through their cookbook from time to time. Although they don't match any type of contemporary look for chefs, one thing is for sure, these guys know how to cook, and they can cook pretty damn well.
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| Lamb Head Skull, the only decor on the walls |
Animal was inspired by trips to Martin Picard's
Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal, and Fergus Henderson's St. John in London. Their chicken hearts with burnt eggplant puree that I tasted at Meattopia was just a teaser for things to come. For now I am finally here in Los Angeles. Looking at the no-name restaurant with black beams, full wall-size windows, and the numbers 435 across the top from across the street, I became a giddy schoolboy. Come on Chef Floyd Cardoz, it's time to eat.
The decor of Animal is very minimal, with nothing more on the walls than a lamb head skull. A small bar in the back of the room provides the only color contrast to a small restaurant with wooden tables and beige walls. Forget about it, though, you're not here for tablecloth wine service. Take one look at Animal's menu and be prepared for the rich, fatty, spicy, fresh, well-balanced meal to come.
