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Black Hogg is a beguiling new entry on the Silver Lake scene with exuberant rustic-urban cooking from chef-owner Eric Park, who slips a lot of flavor and a little heat into almost every dish.
If you walked in without knowing a thing about Park, you'd be wondering, where did this guy learn to cook? And where has he been all my life? ...You won't find a wimpy dish here. Flavor leads every time. Dishes come out fast — and correctly executed, except for the over-salted Brussels sprouts one night. Prices are moderate and plates are generous.SIV is most taken by the brioche "box" with mushrooms, brioche bread toasted and topped with sauteed wild mushrooms "in a rich, expressive sauce." Simply put, "There's really nothing quite like Black Hogg in L.A." [LAT]
Jonathan Gold digs into Mexican gastropub Bizarra Capital in Uptown Whittier in search of huazontle. He raves about the offerings, from esoteric to mundane: "Anyway, that huazontle? Excellent, even months after Easter: dipped in beaten eggs, fried like chiles rellenos until crisp, and slashed with a vivid red stripe of chiles simmered with onions and pungent Mexican herbs...The guacamole is among the best I've ever had in a restaurant, less a dip than a salad of chopped, dead-ripe avocado with herbs and citrus, almost too special to be used as a condiment." [LAT]
The Elsewhere: LAmag talks about UMAMIcatessen, CoC drinks at Melisse, Eat: LA hits Luscious Dumplings, Food GPS dives into Mariscos El Compa Chava, kevinEats at The Royce, Midtown Lunch discusses Joe’s Falafel, and Refined Palate picks Spago.