What a place Cadet is. I hadn’t been back for some time, but was tipped off about Tominga’s sublime biscuits returning on their brunch menu, and so my Saturday afternoon plans were formed. It’s a damn crime that the place was about empty other than myself. The biscuits are back exactly as they were at The Hart & The Hunter, with the country honey butter and blackberry preserves. No pimento cheese, but I personally always preferred the blackberry preserves and honey butter. I’ll be a hog’s mama if there’s any better biscuits than these out there. God damn. Despit his recent snubbing of Cadet, J Gold once called these biscuits one of the best 10 dishes in all of Los Angeles, and I agree with that sentiment. I could die happy if I was shot dead in the middle of eating a plate of these biscuits. I don’t even know how to describe them, beyond buttery, laden with even more sumptuous butter, the sort of which I have never ahd anywhere else, slicked with just the right amount of honey to not be cloyingly sweet, and blackberry preserves that actually smack of the tartness of the berries with a supple full saccharinity… god damn… the biscuits are fluffy, and crispy, and bite-sized, and simply fucking perfect. When I eat each bite I am truly convinced there is nothing better I could possibly be eating.
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The best part is that they are back on the dinner menu as well. In fact, Cadet looks to have totally revamped the menu to focus on smoke, and Southern flavors. I had no idea. They scrapped the Korean-fusion element, and look to be focusing on stuff more like a more modern version of The Hart and The Hunter. I can’t wait to go back for dinner!
I also had a dutch baby, as I always chase them. Tominga nailed the texture and egginess one seeks in the pancake form, and the hand whipped cream and powdered sugar, as well as natural maple syrup are dynamite. The fresh thyme, blueberries nd blackberries are a delicate touch that works oddly well. However, the apple felt like too much to me, but my stomach also doesn’t handle apple so well, it’s probably fine for most. I tend to prefer dutch babies with minimal toppings, just powdered sugar and lemon is probably my favorite out at Plum’s Cafe in Newport Beach for reference.
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Cocktails were also really well done. And the service was super accommodating. I asked if they could use the cold brew I brought with me in their coffee cocktail with amaro, vermouth, etc… because I prefer my citrus-y, fruit-y flavored kyoto from Balconi over Stumptown’s standard brew, and they obliged! The 22 they make is a very delicate balance of pepper, ginger, egg whites, scotch, and lemon. A cocktail that has everything you need on the morning of a hangover to pair with soaking up your sorrows in those biscuits haha
What a truly spectacular place.
I should also mention, I burned myself on the super hot dutch baby pan, and the staff was super helpful in giving me band-aids and burn cream, and even comped the dutch baby for me, which was really going way beyond necessary since I was the one who accidentally bumped into the hot pan. Still, the incredible service mixed with the ineffably spectacular food makes me wonder why Cadet doesn’t have multiple hour long waits… I am almost hesitant to direct more people there to destroy the hidden gem, but I also REALLY want these people to stay in business.
Can’t wait to go back for dinner!