The Hart And The Hunter - Southern Food In L.A.

The Palihotel's new restaurant

There is a breed of Southern dining that follows the meat-and-three format: a protein accompanied by a trio of side dishes.

Filtered through the prism of produce-loving Southern California cuisine, that formula leans even more heavily on the sides' side. So when you order fried chicken livers ($10) at The Hart and the Hunter–the new, fixed version of the pop-up Wolf in Sheep's Clothing–the plate bears as much, if not more, radishes and arugula and apples as it does crisp, battered organ meat.

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Brian Dunsmoor and Kris Tominagas' restaurant, housed in the Palihotel, engages with Southern tradition without putting on a pandering drawl or being caught in the authenticity trap. Instead, the cooking is more of a dialogue between the respective Souths. Some dishes, like boiled peanuts ($3) or pimento cheese ($5), bear no distinct Californian tan. Others, like the smoked trout ($11), which is served with avocado-smeared pieces of toast, are undeniably native Angelenos. 

In a meal of many favorites, the fried green tomatoes ($12) stood out most. The cornmeal-crusted rounds are scattered with the kitchen's own chow-chow and drizzled with buttermilk-goat's milk dressing.

It's an exemplary Southern (Californian) dish.

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The Hart and the Hunter, 7950 Melrose Ave., Mid-City; 323-327-9702 or facebook.com/thehartandthehunter

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