Last week's vacation means this week I'm working late. When I stay at the office past 8, if I ask J nicely, he'll come pick me up and we'll visit somewhere nearby for dinner. Last night we decided to sample Ford's Filling Station, a new spot that already has Angelenos talking (See here and here).
We followed our usual method and grabbed a couple stools at the bar--these were precious commodities, as the host explained they're still waiting on a shipment of stools--hence a few of the tables in the bar are currently chair-less.
The menu begins with an interesting list of cured meats. We decided to share a mix of sweet sopprasetta, smoked paprika sausage and proscuitto. All were excellent, particularly the proscuitto (a good reminder that not all proscuittos are equal--why do we ever buy the junk at Albertson's??). However, the large serving of meat came with merely three small slices of french bread. I like my meat as much as the next Wisconsin girl, but particularly with the proscuitto, I like a little starch with it too.
For main courses, I settled on the walleye pike with fennel mash and leek cream, two of my favorite veggies. J hemmed and hawed, vascillating between the steak or leg of lamb, but finally kept it simple and went for the chopped sirloin burger, with blue cheese and carmelized onions. The walleye, a fish you don't see often in restaurants, came with the top skin intact and nicely grilled. The creamy flesh matched well with the spicy fennel and sweet leeks. According to J, the burger wasn't as good as the Hungry Cat's or even Nick and Stef's, but it satisfied. The fries received high praise, crispy, potato-y, and sprinkled with chopped herbs.
J was sucked in by the butterscotch pudding for dessert (one of his favorite flavors from childhood, I now know). I shared a few bites, but it didn't do much for me--too sweet.
One final note, they have a great wine list. It's a bit pricey, but we had some excellent glasses. I started with a Paige 23 Syrah from Santa Barbara, and the bartender paired a nice glass of Sancerre with my fish.
Ford's fits nicely in the neighborhood, and I'm always happy to have new places near my office. It was already packed last night, and I'm sure once the inevitable LA Times review hits the stands, strolling in for a seat at the bar will be difficult, so sneak in while ya can.
Ford's Filling Station
9531 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA 90230
(310) 202-1470
4 comments:
Mmm ... sounds delish! I've never had walleye, but will keep my eye(ha ha!) out for it. Nice job with the review, Erin!
Great post & pics! Sounds like a fun place to try ... I'll add it to my LA list!
Been twice now, with slow service still a big complaint. The salami course was huge, I took half of it home and for snacking.
Good Job! :)
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