The Pikey Public House | West Hollywood, Los Angeles

British-born chef April Bloomfield didn't make her name by cooking English food. Her Manhattan restaurant, The Spotted Pig, has a decidedly globe-trotting palate.

Bloomfield's former chef de cuisine, Ralph Johnson, also a Brit, is heading up the kitchen at West Hollywood's new public house, The Pikey. And in contrast to The Spotted Pig, Johnson's menu flies the proverbial Union Jack.

Chefs like Bloomfield have helped obliterate the cliché of British food being horrid, and Johnson is furthering the case by arguing for the classics. At The Pikey, you'll find stalwarts like bronzed Welsh Rarebit ($5), which you can augment with a few dashes of HP Sauce.

Mostly, Johnson's dishes aren't wanting for tang, so don't go reaching for that condiment right away. If you order the chicken ($18), which you should, the pungent scent of its vinegar-rich sauce will reach your table before the bird does. Bonus: The "thrice-cooked" chips served with it are some of the best fries in L.A.

Johnson's take on L.A.'s most in-vogue off-cut, the pig ear, is another standout (pictured; $14): The fried slices are served in a simple salad studded with bracing pickled onions.

The Pikey, 7617 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood; 323-850-5400