Township Saloon Restaurant L.A.

The red, white and blue sign behind the bar at the newly opened Township reads, "Continental cuisine of the United States, featuring territories old and new."

The statement acts as the binding thesis of the geographically sprawling menu. Dishes like Low Country Boil, Wisconsin Brat, and Pacific Northwest Cedar Plank Salmon are as great as they are disparate.

So if you're looking for a logical course to follow through Township's collection of yesteryear Americana, consider the oyster. The range of raw, fried, broiled and sautéed mollusks in the offing made oysters the main protein of our dinner–an unconventional meal we highly recommend.

After slurping raw oysters ($14 for six), we tackled the cooked preparations, which range from fried oysters ($11) with Cajun-spiced aioli and vinegar-heavy pickled vegetables, to the egg, bacon and oyster combination known as the Hangtown Fry ($13).

Then it was on to Oysters Rockefeller ($14), the creamy spinach and a crisp crust of Parmesan sealing in the shellfish's warm liquor. We're always taken by the combination of classy seafood and homey creamed spinach in this dish, and Township's version is no exception.

If the oysters don't fill you up, finish with an order of the Yankee Pot Roast ($16): It's one of the best in town.

Township Saloon, 6612 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood; 323-464-5700 or townshipsaloon.com