Having never had the ribs at Majordomo, I can’t speak to the obvious comparisons between the two.
But, the APL ribs from tonight didn’t seem to be dry and tasteless to me. Very beefy and fatty. It was also decently tender to the point of only needing a fork to cut off bite-size pieces.
Also got a ribeye. It was the first dry-aged steak I’ve ever had where the aging was obvious…when it was brought to the table, the air was perfumed with the scent of aging meat. Perfectly medium rare and intensely beefy with the familiar funk of the mold growing on natural salami casings.
And we didn’t really have any issues with the service as was detailed in that yelp review that @robert linked to. Everything came out in a timely manner (actually since we didn’t order any appetizers, all of our food came out within 15 minutes of us ordering.
Don’t want to come off as a shill, but I think that declaring APL to be a failure and that all FTCers should avoid it is a bit of an overreaction to one bad night. I’m sure we’ve all had disappointing meals at restaurants that are well-regarded on this board. Then again, without having the Majordomo ribs as a reference point, maybe these really are “dry [and] insipid” by comparison. My only question is that since these are just straight up Texas-style BBQ, isn’t it kind of unfair to compare flavor with David Chang’s marinated version?
QPR is a valid topic as this is served with only a small bowl of pickles whereas Majordomo comes with fried rice, and an assortment of condiments for only $15 more.
I’m sorry @Ns1. Your dinner did seem better. But @PorkyBelly’s was super weird. Maybe a FTC boycott is extreme, but I’m certainly not rushing over to APL.
We went on Day 4. Our experience was similar to @yangster777’s. Service is still finding its footing but the restaurant is by no means a failure.
What they got right
The porterhouse was beautifully cooked, perfectly aged with the right amount of lactic tang. APL’s version is unenhanced1. Just minimal seasoning, high heat and skill. And it was delicious.
They serve a decent version of Robuchon’s potato/butter emulsion which is best experienced as a small dollop on the plate. It’s over-the-top for a full side dish.
Steak prices are not unreasonable for a L.A. restaurant. I’m usually a “steak is best when cooked at home” guy but I’m happy to have a new, reliable option. I intend to return in a couple of months after the staff settles in.
General Concerns
APL is not a traditional steakhouse. The menu is eclectic and short. This isn’t a problem for an “I’m here for the meat” spot (e.g. Luger, Doe’s) but this is a high-end location and buildout. They’ll need top notch hospitality and a widely appealing menu in order to achieve long term success.
APL is not a brasserie, either. The restaurant design and tableware suggest Lipp or one of its American imitators but the best aspects of a bistro/brasserie – convivial atmosphere, fleshed-out menu, free-flowing booze – don’t seem to be in the restaurant’s DNA.
They need to find the right formula. In my opinion the problem is one of tone - one of the most difficult things to get right. I respect APL’s rejection of the traditional steakhouse but they should be thinking - at least abstractly - about what appeals to L.A.'s high end steakhouse audience. Steak nerds like me aren’t going to be enough to sustain this effort.
Many steakhouses (including Peter Luger, Mastro’s, Ruth’s Chris, ) finish with butter and/or seasoned salt as a crutch. Even Chi Spacca’s Fiorentina is finished with olive oil (in the Tuscan tradition).
I have trouble reconciling the Hollywood & Vine location with Lang’s comments about wanting to be a neighborhood restaurant. I’m sure people live in that neighborhood, but they’re greatly outnumbered by the swarms of tourists.
I suspect Lang wants to build a base of regular customers. He’d like APL to feel like a neighborhood restaurant. But there’s no neighborhood there.
I don’t want to seem overly negative. They’ve just opened and they’re already at or very close to the top of the L.A. steak pyramid. Lang is absolutely the real deal. They deserve the chance to find their stride.
Note: Take the Metro if you can. Restaurant is adjacent to the Hollywood/Vine Station. The valet parking is pricey.
