Great report.
Is there a bar area that caters to walk-in/dine-in like Hatchet/Bestia etc?
Thereâs a six-stool counter at the back but no walk-ins at busy times except maybe for a solo diner.
Yeah, but way smaller than the bar at Bestia, or Hatchet Hall. Looks like 6 seats at the back of the restaurant. Also, itâs one of those âlow barsâ that seem to be the new style of bar people are into (LXSO in HB has the same type of low bar). Maybe itâs just because I am fairly tall, but it makes eating a sort of odd experience for me, and I donât really get the design of it. However, I doubt it would bother most people. It looked like the bar was entirely open the whole time we were there, but I was glad to have a table personally.
We got the table by walking in around 9:45, though admittedly there was only one open table, on a Wednesday night.
thanks
I will wait for the popularity to taper a bit, or go on a slow night.
By that point in the evening service was super spottyâŚno one was really around to answer such questions. It simply had the taste and texture of a rice-based ice cream Iâve had at Sweet Rose more than dairy-based buckwheat ice creams Iâve had at other restaurants. The vegetarian, who also mostly avoids dairy, in my group ate it and seemed to also feel like it wasnât dairy-based. ButâŚperhaps it was just an odd fluke.
Your experience with the service mirrors my ownâŚI thought it was an issue of the restaurant being new, but looks like not. Our dishes came out rapid fire but otherwise we hardly saw our server. I think we spent about $165 for 2 with tax and tip. Got a pitcher of
Re the âbarâ: When we went, there were people sitting there for dinner, so it wasnât a viable option to hang out for a drink. About 6 people were just standing in the area behind the bar stools having a drink and waiting for a table (including us, even though we had a reservation), so on a busy night, it could get a bit crowded there. Youâll have to flag someone down to help you order a drink because otherwise youâll be leaning over the people seated at the bar eating dinner.
the most surprising aspect of your review is that you eat out with vegetarians. Wouldnât have expected that 
Great review, thanks!
Well, itâs rather extremely common in LA. Unavoidable lol
And I canât really help who my best friend dates. Also, I actually really like vegetables when theyâre prepared well haha
But lately I have been wondering if there are women in LA that still eat meat. Iâve been thinking of starting a dating website for the city for meat eaters to meet. Itâs actually a real issue. But maybe there are already foodie dating sites that serve that function?
And even that small hope is removed if you say below 30 lol
1 Like
i know im going to regret asking this, but how is it a real issue?
are there people who wont date u be ause u eat meat?
has someone actually said this to you or anyone you know?
That has happened to me, absolutely lol I have literally been on coffee or alcohol dates that ended because of the dietary issues haha
But itâs also tough on the other side since dining is super restricted when someone is vegetarian. Itâs ok at Kismet but forget adventuring to the SGV or a taco truck or Korean food or a million other things.
If youâre just trying to do a one night stand itâs ok but personally I would like something more long term. And an incompatibility of eating habits makes it genuinely difficult.
1 Like
I canât imagine dating someone who wouldnât help me eat at 45-ounce rib-eye and finish off the nth bottle of wine.
2 Likes
Me either. Hence the problem. Lol
1 Like
well iâve been out of the dating loop for some time. frankly, iâm not sure i was ever in it.
i cannot imagine someone speaking the words, âwell, no thanks, i donât want to go out with you,
because youâre (not) a vegetarian.â
i guess iâve often not ordered meat around vegetarians, because i think it makes them more âcomfortable.â
about all of them have said, âgo ahead, order what you want.â
1 Like
Absolutely, no on is that polite in real life lol
Being friends with vegetarians, or just being forced into social situations with them is entirely different from dating.
well, at my age, this doesnât apply so much. when i was younger, i wish i had the sand and the smarts
to know going anywhere socially i didnât want to be isnât doing anyone any favours.
(atmosphere gets foggy)
back in the day, a much more confident fellow than i was confronted by a proto-SJW about his brand of beverage.
he replied something along the lines of, i donât give a fuck, this is a good beer.
Thatâs is undoubtedly true.
Iâm one of the few people in my 20s on there I thinkâŚitâs a different world, unfortunately.
Iâve never gotten too upset about these encounters because I wouldnât want to date someone that wouldnât date someone over something like that anyhow haha Itâs more of a large scale problem.
Took the love here last night. We had the freekeh fritters, the cucumbers, the potatoes, the squid, the lamb belly, and the buckwheat ice cream/date/chocolate dessert.
For drinks, weâre too restless to commit to a bottle so we sampled a few different glasses. Between us we had the orange wine from Utah, a wonderfully earthy cab franc/can sauv blend, the Grenache blend from Corsica, and pineau dâaunis. I had the very bizarre Madeira/sherry bend from Texas(?!?) with dessert.
Service was super attentive and came from a number of different people. It made it seem like a family was taking care of us.
Everything was prepared wonderfully. Iâm so happy a place like this exists in LA. These are flavors and ingredients I had last summer while visiting Israel for work and Iâve been craving them ever since. The wines are interesting and well-priced, if a little young.
I might skip the squid since it lacked any caramelization and the flavor combinations maybe didnât exactly fit in with the menu as a whole. Still good, but less cravable and didnât feel necessary.
We got out under $250 with everything included â even tip, which felt fair to include as a mandatory 20% before tax. Yes, youâre paying tax on that tip, but I usually tip out at 20% of the total including tax so I am fine with this arrangement. All that is to say that I think Besha Rodel is pretty off-base to focus so much of her review on value. There is value at Kismet.
Iâll sum up my review by quoting my love:
âThis is good food!â
âWhen are we coming back for the rabbit feast?â
2 Likes