Every January, I face an important decision, where should I go for DineLA?! This year, I decided to go to Odys + Penelope. I went to Hatfield's a couple years ago before it was closed, and I absolutely loved it. The owner of the place decided to open up a new restaurant and I have been curious to try it, and dineLA seemed like the perfect opportunity.
I have noticed this trend of half casual half fancy dining in LA, and I really like this happy balance between the two. I love the open kitchen, high ceiling and rustic décor of this place. It is a perfect spot for small group gathering.
The DineLA menu has 3 courses($50/person), and there are two choices for each course. Guai lo and I decided to try everything out.
Appetizer:
Roasted Squash Salad, arugula, pomegranate, walnut, labneh - Love the different texture from the different ingredients, and the addition of pomegranate was quite perfect
Raw Hamachi, salsa verde, green olive, fried shallot - this is good but expected, it's something that I have had in a lot of other places
Entrée:
Oak Grilled Salmon, salsify puree, kale brown butter - Crispy skin, pink center, perfectly seasoned
House made Pappardelle, pork belly Bolognese, fried sage - this is one of my favorite dishes of the night, al dente home-made pasta and the pork belly Bolognese was just amazing!
Dessert:
Creamy Chocolate Parfait - Delicious but again, expected
Warm Caramel Cake, apple compote, cinnamon ice milk - This dessert, on the other hand was something I would want to come back for. The caramel cake was warm and moist, not too sweet, and paired perfectly with the cold ice-cream.
Having been to Hatfield's, it is no surprise that the food at Odys + Penelope was delicious. This is definitely a more affordable place compared to Hatfield's, and highly recommend if you are looking for a higher end casual dinner place to go.