Uni, Acid & the Oyster Luge at Tipple & Brine

Photos by Elizabeth Daniels

If Tipple & Brine's woody interior, complete with filament bulbs and lots of shadows, seems specifically designed to fall in line with so many other restaurants in town, that's because it was. Owner Richard DiSisto, who sits on the Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce, wanted to craft a restaurant that seemed familiar but worthy of the drive, a destination for the neighborhood where seafood and cocktails (courtesy of Daniel Zacharczuk, formerly of Honeycut and The Varnish) could come together nicely.

The kitchen is helmed by a familiar pair, exec Mike Williams and chef de cuisine Logan Jones, who previously spent time at Casey Lane's now-shuttered Parish. So what does it all add up to? Depends on who you ask. The space is a winner, if predictable, while the kitschy oyster luge doesn't add up. Acidic dishes shine brightly, but sea urchin toast fails to impress. Here now, the good, the bad and the otherwise at Tipple & Brine. —Farley Elliott

Rodell Weighs In: The LA Weekly reviewer pinned two stars on Tipple & Brine, while poking good-natured fun at the pre-fab nature of the name and small plates spiel from the servers. "The restaurant is crowded with as many trendy touchstones as you could possibly cram into a concept," she notes, while ultimately noting that "Tipple & Brine is an easy restaurant to love, an attractive pirate ship for swank Valley dining." [LA Weekly]

The Crowd Scene: "Valley girls and guys tired of driving over the hill (or even downtown) for a hip watering hole and good grub." [LA Times]

A Point of Price: "I'd rather spend the $150 or so elsewhere. Way too much money for this type of meal. Not bad, just not worth it." [Chow]

The Cocktail News: "Cocktails represent the classics and you can't go wrong with the refreshing ginger and Bourbon buck, or the smooth gin- and Champagne-filled Queen Bee." [Zagat]

"I attended the pre-opening party last week and had a chance to sample oysters that were being passed around. Those were quite good — as were the cocktails, so I look forward to sitting down for dinner." [Our Ventura Blvd.]

"The Ford Cocktail, made with gin, dry vermouth, Benedictine, bitters, and an orange twist, is very refreshing. It's perfect for day drinking." [LA Dine-n-Club]

Uni Issues: "Sea Urchin Toast was just OK. I am a huge Uni fan. This dish though, not worth it, in my opinion." [Yelp]

On the Oyster Luge: Not everyone is enamored with the notion that oysters and a shot of Scotch work well together. "It's a deconstructed oyster shooter that involves one briny bivalve, a shot of Bowmore scotch and instructions on what to do. It's fun and all, but we prefer our oysters and scotch served separately." [Zagat]

"I tried it. It was fine, but I'd rather not waste either an oyster or good scotch on doing it again." [LA Weekly]

"The result is a creation that will win over those averse to the peatiest malt and the briniest oyster." [LA Mag]
· All Good News/Bad News Coverage [~ELA~]
· All Tipple & Brine Coverage [~ELA~]