went here again tonight after the line was too long at Saffy’s/Found. My hot take is that Eszett is what HLAY wishes it could be. Starting to think that this part of SL is a deathtrap for restaurants that serve good food. Eszett was frustratingly empty tonight and Needle obvi kinda died. (Excited for their resurrection.)
Eggplant and jimmy nardello dish was new to me and tasty.
I feel like Eszett is doing pretty well. It’s not hard to get reservations, but I’ve never seen it depressingly empty. For whatever reason it has never gotten media buzz. Perhaps their biggest issue is no full bar and only obscure natural wines. Combine Eszett’s food with HLAY’s alcohol and you have a winning combination. (Though I miss the pre-pandemic HLAY bartenders.). But Eszett is already a winner for us as we go every two months or so.
I had the eggplant dish too last week and really like going every month to see what’s new on the menu.
I’m a bit worried about Eszett too, but yeah I’ve never seen it empty. It’s also great that it’s one of the fewer places open on Monday and Tuesday nights, which is when I usually go. So that might be why it always seems full when I’m there.
Yeah — one of the big virtues of Eszett is they continually update the menu. So we continually go back.
Their new fish is luscious.
We liked the eggplant / pepper dish also.
Grilled watermelon was good.
It’s all good. But the biggest draw for me every time is the big French fries with a selection of all their hot sauces. I love their hot sauces!
I have to confess I’m an Eszett agnostic. Been more than five times in the last year, and it’s not not good, but for me there’s nothing on the menu that compels returns (end up going when I can’t get in elsewhere and need to sit outside). I do like the shrimp toast and mushroom dip, but the filet o fish is frequently overcooked, and the wings are one note. It’s fine but feels like eating at an Animal/HLAY derivative. Maybe I’m falling victim to chef hype, but I don’t get a strong perspective/pov from Eszett. At the price point/neighborhood, I’d rather Kismet, Alimento, Botanica, Found Oyster, Needle (RIP), Night Market. All have anchor dishes that bring me back, and I’ll fill out a meal with new things etc. Maybe I’ve just had some off experiences with their hits idk.
Anyway, just my opinion, but I do think that’s why it’s not connecting. And I may not like neighborhood restaurants as a category.
Totally get that experience—I’ve had some dishes at Eszett that just didn’t work. But I appreciate them taking shots! The shrimp toast is something that I simply adore (because I for some reason can’t find it easily other places).
To me, Eszett fills a very specific role in my regular rotation, and sitting at the bar is a pretty good time.
The big fries and chicken wings are anchor dishes for me!
I sometimes question: is Eszett truly as good as I claim? And then I ask Peony—Majordomo or Eszett?—and she responds Eszett without hesitation. Just talking into account the food, I agree, though it’s close for me. For example, there’s no question in my mind that the seabass on Eszett’s current menu is tastier than the striped bass on Majordomo’s menu. I would choose Majordomo for the overall experience (including oysters and great wine).
Hmm, I’m obvi an Eszett apologist haha but I truly like it more than any restaurant you named other than Needle (RIP) and maybe Found, but the line for Found was two hours hahahaha. I do think you named the six best spots in Silver Lake though. My thoughts on HLAY are very clear…
I think part of what I like is there isn’t really an anchor dish. Like if i go to night market i’ll probs grab the fried chicken and the crispy rice and maybe the khao soi, whereas with Eszett I will truly just order what I’m in the mood for! In winter, my favorite dish in the menu is probably the tartare. I didn’t even look at it the other night… which speaks to how seasonal their menu is. It’s also why I liked Lasa so much back in the day. They’d retool their menu every 6 weeks or so. Eszett feels similar to me in that way.
*Lol side note @ShadrackToussaint : you’ve just ignited a discussion in my household about what restaurants are super successful without anchor dishes! Are anchor dishes necessary for long term success?!?!
Needle is not RIP, they’re reopening at their same location.
All right temporarily RIP
Appreciate the replies @set0312, @rlw, and @PeonyWarrior. I’ll go back again soon before litigating this any further lol.
In terms of anchor dishes, I’ve been thinking about that and more broadly what makes restaurants successful right now. Might do a dedicated threat or menace style post.
If you like spicy, definitely ask for all their hot sauces, and eat them with the fries!
I also totally understand why Eszett won’t appeal to everyone. The flavors are bold, pungent, and sometimes aggressive. For comparison, I love Jitlada’s “fish kidney” curry, but I wouldn’t expect anyone else to like it.
Respectfully, this is not my criticism of Eszett. Did you read my post? Maybe I was too circumspect, but my issue certainly isn’t that I think the cooking is too bold or aggressive…
Wasn’t directed at you in particular!
Ugh infatuation just gave them a good review which means my taste buds have been tricking me. Shame on me haha.
A lot depends on age and life experiences. I think Infatuation probably correlates pretty well with my tastes when I was ~25 (which seems to be around the age of the reviewers in their photos). Over the years, I’ve come to value ingredient quality and execution more than any other factors. When I was ~25, I placed more value on bold, exciting flavors.
In LA you don’t have to choose between bold, exciting flavors and carefully cooked quality ingredients.
Has anyone tried the corn dog? I love a good corn dog. I guess generally the place is good at frying.
I had a visit week between Christmas and New Years for a somewhat early 6PM dinner. The hour gave me a parking spot in the tiny parking lot - and access to their Happy Hour menu!
Did you all know they sell corn dogs? And this was a pretty great corn dog with a little cornmeal + spicy pepper in the batter. If you’re thinking about it, go try it. I think it was one full sized dog for $8. I don’t remember the wine deals, and I believe the HH hours were 5-7.
Nooooooo this and Konbi in one week