Hollywood: Dinner and Drinks at Spoonfed and Bar Joe

 

I recently visited the new Spoonfed and its bar, Bar Joe. The space is enormous! I love all the different feelings of the spaces. It’s a casual restaurant so you’d order and find a seat. However, it’s full service at the bar.

We started our night with a couple of the cocktails on tap; the Paloma and the Pimm’s Cup. I discovered the grapefruit tonic was a (new to me) grapefruit liqeur with tonic water. How perfect! You don’t have to use Squirt or whatever. This seemed much more healthy. I’m not one for Pimm’s Cups usually because I always felt they were a cheater’s way of getting drunk. Bar Joe however has a wonderful one that’s more than just the ready to drink Pimm’s. I suspect it’s the Chartreuse that really jazzed up the drink.

Paloma – Arette blanco tequila, grapefruit tonic

Draft Pimm’s Cup – Pimm’s, Chartreuse, ginger, cucumber

 

When I was a kid, I would buy a packed of onion soup mix and a tub of sour cream. Plus chips, gotta have chips. I’d have a party with the neighborhood kids and they all thought I was such a wonderful cook. I don’t remember how I knew to mix soup mix with sour cream but my family did have all sorts of funny parties with the usual American party food like sherbet punch and oddly salad with Thousand Island dressing. The neighborhood kids taught me you can sprinkle ramen seasoning on broken (uncooked ramen) and shake it up as a snack. I much prefer chips and dip.

And the clam dip is this memory but more beautiful and delicious because it’s a much better dip with housemade chips. Remember, you gotta have chips!

 

I felt like if I didn’t order the crispy chicken wings, I would regret it until next week. Or something. These are named after the famed Naha Restaurant in Chicago. They made me think of my favorite time of year, the Superbowl because that’s when I can eat lots of wings and no one would question it. **

** please note I only like the Superbowl for the wings

 

Two of the best drinks at Bar Joe were It’s an Old Fashioned and Coco Tranquilo. I’m a big brown, bitter, stirred fan so you would think my favorite would be the Old Fashioned whiskey cocktail but I really was in love with the Coco Tranquilo. To mix songs, cross metaphors, whatever, Coco, do you love me?

It’s an Old Fashioned – Rittenhouse rye whiskey, wormwood demerara, Jamaican bitters

Coco Tranquilo – Bacardi Havana Club rum, pineapple gum, coconut water

 

When we saw the cheesy potato puffs were made with Humbolt Fog cheese, I knew we had to order them. They’re awesome potato-cheese balls and they went well with the chunky green charmoula with ras el hanout roasted cauliflower.

 

 

We also had the Greekish flatbread with oven dried tomatoes, spinach, arugula, smoked goat cheese and finished with extra virgin olive oil. This would be a great lunch if you want to get something simple.

 

Spoonfed and Bar Joe  also have mocktails and me being me, ordered two tonics and then added booze to them. Scotch goes great with the chamomile honey tonic and I loved mezcal with the turmeric ginger lemonade.

Chamomile-honey tonic – chamomile, lemongrass, honey

Turmeric ginger lemonade –  turmeric, ginger, lemon

I love, love, love Italian beef sandwiches. Yes, I grew up eating French dips but in Chicago, my heart longs for Italian beef! They are a mighty sandwich that keeps you full all day. I did question the wisdom of eating one late at night but what the heck, YOLO!

Also, I love crinkle cut fries.

 

 

We also perused the cold case at Spoonfed and chose a trio of salads; broccolini, lipstick peppers and beets with farro salad. My favorite was the broccolini which also came with mushrooms. The lipstick peppers made a good snack the next day!

 

 

We ended our big meal with dessert, I mean, another drink. That’s dessert to me! I got the High Chai which reminded me of my Bailey’s guzzling college days… but more refined, of course.

Spoonfed is a nice location for both breakfast and lunch. I’d love to spend more time at the bar, Bar Joe at night with snacks, of course.

 

High Chai – Maison Rouge cognac, moscatel, Bailey’s Irish Cream, chai, seltzer

Spoonfed / Bar Joe

959 Seward St., Los Angeles, CA 90038  —  (323) 347-7000

 

 

© 2018 The Minty