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May 26, 2010 There is an epidemic in Los Angeles. This epidemic is plaguing Southland restaurants and it does not seem like there is any end in sight. What is this plague that I speak of? Small Plates. It has taken over our food culture in this town and we don’t have a lot of culture to spare. While Los Angeles is a very culturally diversified town, it is not the food Mecca that some of us would like. I mean there is no Little Italy in Los Angeles for cryin out loud, how can that be? Be that as it may, as a former night club promoter I used to get calls from ailing venues, asking me to book live music in their rooms as a last ditch attempt to keep their business afloat. Historically, every one of these places eventually folded. In my estimation, the “small plates” trend is akin to live music in places that you would not normally see liver music. It is a last ditch effort to jack the consumer for some extra cash, while serving tiny portions of food at an escalated price and suggesting that they are to be shared with the table. And while no one can fault them for trying, we can at least not buy in to it. There is a place however, for small plates. Certain foods and cultures do the small plate things better then others. For foodies, eating this way can be fun and enjoyable. Everyone at the table eating the same thing, talking about each dish, comparing notes, and in the end you all had about the same experience. Lazy Ox is amongst the more recent restaurants to open in Los Angeles, serving small plates and being heralded as the next big thing. As much as I would love to jump on the bandwagon and say that what they are doing at Lazy Ox is innovative, exciting, experimental, and so on, I just can’t. Sometime experiments go wrong, but that is somewhat the point of experimenting, to find out what works and what does not. Personally however, I don’t care to be part of the experiment. But let me at least say this, the food at Lazy Ox is not bad, not bad at all, it’s just not on point. The cauliflower was great and possibly the best dish of the night. The beets were fine, the radishes were fine, the cheese plate was disappointing, the mussels were good if not above average, the beef was solid, the anchovies were below average as were the ham hocks. We tried many dishes, ordered a $35 bottle of beer that was bizarre at best, the sake was fine but the waitress did not know anything about it or any of the other beers on tap. Here is the best way I can summarize this review, Lazy Ox is far from bad, but it is equally as distant from amazing. To call it one of the ten best new restaurants in Los Angeles is a huge misstep. It easy to be allured by the trend of small plates, unique ingredients, and foreign beer on tap. But don’t let that seduction take you away from the reality of what you are being served. I think you will find going to Lazy Ox an enjoyable experience but one you don’t care to rush back and do again. Lazy Ox Canteen – 241 South San Pedro – 213-626-5299 Get Ham on Rye for Free >> Email us with your food or wine suggestions |
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