Mud Hen Tavern (Hollywood)

Ever since Feniger decided to reinvent Street into Mud Hen Tavern, I’ve been meaning to go, but never quite got around to it.

Well today was the day. At least for brunch it was.

Kaya Toast. This I think was a carry-over item from Street, and I can see why she kept it on the menu at Mud Hen. Toasted bread, coconut jam, sunny side up egg, and soy sauce. It was sweet savory and rich at the same time. Reminded me of when my grandmother would make me a fried egg, she would always drizzle some soy sauce over it. And no matter how I tried to do it myself, it was always better when she did it.

Biscuits and Gravy. This came with pork and biscuits, with a side of scrapple, and mushroom gravy. Sounds good, no? Well, it didn’t taste nearly as good as it sounds. Everything was plated separately, so there was no cohesiveness to the whole shebang.

Bacon and cheddar biscuits. Good, very flaky, and savory.

Anyone else been? Or to the side Blue Window take-out window?

Mud Hen Tavern
http://www.mudhentavern.com/

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Sort of. I went for a nightcap after a late dinner at Petit Trois or Osteria Mozza or Chi Spacca and thought it was a friendly and comfortable bar.

I haven’t been there since the conversion (I’ve heard some good reports re brunch). I think that the new take-out window concept sounds interesting (saw the press release on Eater when they opened it up). I work @ Cahuenga/Melrose so I’ll see if I can rally the troops for some pick up next week and report back.

No - I was so off put by Feniger’s attempt at pan-Asian fare with street, that I have avoided it. Even though I really admire her enthusiasm and that she shows up at all sorts of charity food-events. I have not read much in the way of good food; your experience sounds, well, iffy at best.

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I’m the same as CiaoBob: I also hated Street that much that I didn’t bother trying.

Deconstructed comfort never seems to go over well.

I stopped by the Blue Window at around noon today after a doctor’s appointment. I was the only person in line. The cashier was very friendly and efficient. I waited for about 10 minutes for my order. During that time, a couple of customers joined the queue.

It’s definitely a take-out operation. There is a very narrow, cramped counter adjacent to the window for “dining-in,” but I wouldn’t advise it. Not a chair to be had.

It’s cash only, and the mains are $7 each. The side dishes are $5.

Since I’m pescatarian, I ended up ordering the vegan potstickers, jackfruit bao, and the non-vegan poke. Although I wasn’t expected fusion food, I ended up liking the potstickers and the poke quite a bit. The jackfruit bao was in a pool of sickly sweet hoisin sauce that overwhelmed the dish. The vegan potstickers were surprisingly crispy even after my drive home to the Westside. They were nicely flavored with ponzu, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. As an Asian-American, I was quite surprised by the sweet potato puree underneath the potstickers, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. The poke was definitely the star of the show - perfectly light and fresh. Although I’m not a fan of sprouts, they added a welcomed bitterness to the dish.

I would go back to try the watermelon side salad. It sounds great for this summerish weather we’ve been having.

Interesting. Thanks for the report.

Thanks, ipsedixit. I wouldn’t necessarily say that I’d go out of my way to try the Blue Window, but it was a fun experience. I would go back for the poke though.

Interesting. Especially given the fact that it seems nowadays there are more poke places than there are Starbucks.

No snark. Just found that interesting.

Didn’t take it as snark at all. It’s true that poke joints are a dime a dozen right now. But what set the Blue Window’s poke apart were the sprouts. I thought there was a lot of finesse in the dish. The onions were diced finely, and the soy-based sauce/marinade wasn’t too overpowering. There was also a very,very light drizzle of vegan mayo - maybe Vegenaise

Because of our conversation about the ubiquity of poke, I decided to try Sweetfin Poké in Santa Monica today. The spicy yuzu salmon wasn’t spicy or plentiful. It was mostly a bowl of bamboo rice. It was pleasant, but I feel the Blue Window’s poke has more finesse - greater flavor contrasts, better balance, and damned if those sprouts didn’t add an extra depth, which took my husband by surprise because I normally HATE sprouts, but they just added the perfect bitter counterpoint.