Celebration dinner. A ginormous tent is setup in the garage and there are about 20 table total. But here’s a word of advice: Bring a jacket! There isn’t any heat lamps so it gets cold!
scallop, yuzu dashi, wasabi
radicchio with radicchio X.O.
embered oysters
sesame sourdough, seaweed butter
savoury clams
rapini
bluefin tuna
caramel sundae
no banana pancake 
the brunoise for those clams 
what came with the tuna? olives?
what’s the mosquito sitch?
Nope! 
Agreed. Steamed and finished with what I think is a mix of shallot, ginger, pepper, chive, mustard seeds in an acidic wine and butter broth.
Green olive, caper, EVOO. Should’ve asked them to give me the bluefin raw. 
#mosquitoseeker2020 will be satisfied.
I went Friday night and was disappointed compared to the visits during the before times. The service is nowhere near the level it was before; when I asked how some of the dishes were prepared the only answer I got repeatedly by our waitress was “it’s cooked over embers”. Waitress seemed like it was her first week in the hospitality industry. Not that I care that much, but I noticed they switched from button ups and ties to T-shirts. Moreover, some of the things like pickled Calabrian peppers are no longer part of the meal. While they did do their best, dining in the parking lot is exactly how it sounds- pretty depressing. The sake list by the glass is offensively over priced- the 88$ 150 ml pour of Nagurarayama is a $40 bottle over at True Sake and it only got worse from there. Food was good, but it’s just not the same experience as before and with their 20% required service charge, I just think it’s not worth the price right now. I do hope they are able to stay open long enough to go back to indoor dining. It is cold but mosquito situation is fine
Parking lot dining is bad enough, but parking structure dining is next level had pass.
Yeah my dinner was pretty meh also. Raddichio raddichio xo was the best of the bunch. Potatoes were sadly overcooked on the outside.
@moonboy403 how does your impression of Covid Angler compare to @formersushichef @hungryhungryhippos saying there is a noticeable difference to before times? And to the latter two, do you see this as reopening hiccups? The sake pricing issue kinda bugs me
I’m planning a company dinner and my coworker wants to go here, especially because I’ve told him about my visits pre-covid. But I don’t want an expensive “meh” meal on my shoulders lol.
Sucks to even be asking this as Angler was one of my favorite spots since opening.
Service was fine to me but I’ve never been a big stickler about service in general. My particular server was also able to articulate how each dish is prepped beyond the “cooked over embers” line.
One thing to watch out for is the fact that food gets cold very quickly given that we’re dining in the parking garage.
@Hungrydrunk and I discussed this very topic in great length a few days ago since we happened to have dined there on the same night.
Short answer: It’s not as dialed in as before.
Long answer: The food is still good by and large with some excellent bites like the embered oysters. However, nuisances like flavor balancing isn’t nearly as precise on that night. I suspect that the new crew is still trying to get their sea legs under them. For instance, the radicchio salad that night, IMO, needed more of the savory XO bits of fried garlic and shallot to balance out the sweetness of the vinaigrette, even though it still was quite good overall.
Unfortunately I personally don’t see it as a hiccup. Angler was my absolute favorite spot in LA pre-covid, so I hate to say that. Maybe I had the one new waitress who was still learning on the fly, but it was sad. Her explanations, attitude, and demeanor were more reminiscent of dining at an olive garden, no where even close to a Michelin level restaurant. It was honestly cringe-worthy. The sake thing really irritated me. Also, I forgot to mention, but for some reason the Eminem song he created for the movie “Venom” was blasting in the parking lot when I was paying attention to the music. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the movie, but that’s the last thing I want to be listening to while dining here…The food was great, like @moonboy403 said it’s not as dialed in, but if I’m going to a restaurant like this and spending this kind of money on a meal, I don’t want it to end in a way where I feel like I got robbed. Unfortunately that’s how it felt.
Thank you @moonboy403 and @formersushichef!!
A kitchen like Angler requires so much dialed in prep to run well. I cant imagine having to train a new crew or even a handful of people.
I’m really torn but especially with the wind picking up I could see @moonboy403 comment about the cold garage and food becoming even more prevalent.
Yeah I think food not being crazy dialed in is a big deal. At least at this price point.
Lol yeah Skenes has talked about purposely creating odd playlists
@butteredwaffles I would have to echo the above sentiments.
I’m not generally a huge stickler for service either but at some price points basic knowledge of the menu should be required. Can’t be like “this [vegetable] is over coals” . Further, I agree that the food prep was likely not a hiccup. I speculate that there has been high turnover in both kitchen and foh staff and that is sadly unfortunate and not likely to be remedied anytime soon.
If you’re doing a company/work dinner I would recommend not going to angler. Angler was one of our favorite restaurants prior to covid but that all had to do with execution and service which were both lacking during the visit. Also, you’re sitting in a valet circle that is cold as fuck so it’s a pretty big shock in comparison to the inside ambiance.
Other spots in the area that might be better mozzaplex(if you can sit in the back patio), republique (if you don’t mind the crowd), or tesse. My 2 cents
I’d kill for one of those oysters again.
Given how detail oriented they were and even providing cashmere blankets during the before times, I’m shocked they don’t have heat lamps. did they say why?
and them playing eminem instead of their usual shitty '80s music makes me wonder if skenes is even involved anymore.
i think their former gm, bryce, isn’t with the team anymore.
Thank you @hungryhungryhippos
Yeah you basically laid it all out there, sad as it might be to acknowledge.
@PorkyBelly I wonder if you’re right and Skenes is out. Sad because saison smokehouse was so damn good i couldnt wait for Angler to open again.
And thanks for the suggestions @hungryhungryhippos. Funny we did a company dinner last year at pizzeria mozza! Really great time.
I’m thinking citrin x melisse. I’ll call them tomorrow
@PorkyBelly too bad about Bryce he is awesome. He always remembered me lol.
same
Didn’t ask.
Skenes is mentioned in the current help-wanted ad for chefs de cuisine at both branches.
Maybe they thought 90s music was a better fit for dining en garage.
venom is from 2018
