Larkin’s Contemporary Soul Food
Ξ December 4th, 2007 | → | ∇ 90041, Food |
Up yonder in Eagle Rock, Larkin’s Contemporary Soul Food has been getting a lot of attention as of late. So naturally, we at YORK BLVD. had to go check it out.The restaurant sits in a beautifully restored Craftsman house that dates back to 1911. Those who remember the sketchy used (stolen?) car lot that once resided there will be shocked at the transformation. A nice, simple patio surrounds the outside, while warm colors, local artwork and early 1900’s lighting fills the inside. Parking is slim in the back, and a sign warns not to park in the empty lot at Cindy’s across the way, so street parking is probably the best bet—not to worry though, this is the east side where street parking still exists.
Despite prior warnings, our table of four was seated promptly on a Friday night, regardless of a lack of reservations, which are only taken for parties of 6 or more. While the interior was an absolutely charming recreation of the Craftsman era, we immediately noticed a not-so-charming reproduction of the times. Reminiscent of the Great Depression, the inside of the restaurant was downright frigid. We all kept our coats or sweatshirts on, and a quick glance around revealed tables of patrons all huddling together for warmth. While soul food is certainly an enjoyable way to beat the cold, I still prefer to eat it in reasonable comfort.As soon as we sat down, the host let us in on the specials, and brought us a black eyed pea dip (more of a relish, maybe) with pita chips for a little starter. Bland and more than a bit dry, this was not the most inspiring beginning to a meal I’ve ever had. Quite thirsty on the heels of this, I was glad to get a nice glass (ok, jar) of homemade lemonade, of which I was soon happy to find had free refills.
Before long, dinner arrived piping hot. Steam rose off the “Good Ole’ Fried Chicken” as if it were smokestack—although this was probably more of a testament to how cold it was in the dining room than to how hot the food actually was. Three large pieces of classic cast iron fried chicken sat next to a healthy dollop of mashed potatoes, which were covered with a nice amount of gravy. Across the way, 5 BBQ Tiger Shrimp sat in a semi-circle around potato salad, and a good-sized pork chop swam in some gravy with red beans and rice looking on. Nicely presented, we were all eager to bite into chef Larkin Mackey’s “contemporary soul food.”
Ah, “contemporary soul food.” What is that exactly? Reportedly, it’s Southern cuisine influenced by the “Latin flavors of California” as well as the “artistry and presentation of French and Asian gastronomy.” Well, we didn’t find it to be that exactly, rather it seemed to be fairly standard soul food with a few small Californian touches. The fried chicken was good, especially if you want something different from deep fried variety that is ubiquitous here in L.A. But at $15, the chicken wasn’t truly spectacular, and the 3 pieces (all dark meat, by the way) were fatty and gristly. Meanwhile the pork chop was best described as “average” and the delicate flavor of shrimp was all but drowned out under thick barbecue sauce. At practically $4 a pop, that was a bit disappointing. It could have been anything under that sauce, and it certainly didn’t need to tiger shrimp. Additionally, the $5 side order of mac & cheese was good, but nothing to write back home about. Enough cheese mixed with pasta will always return a favorable result.
So more than anything it seems, the most contemporary aspect of the food was the price. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a cheapskate—just a few months ago I paid nearly $1000 for a dinner for two at the French Laundry. And naturally I don’t expect every meal to be on par with Thomas Keller—I relish in classic soul food and cheap Mexican on a regular basis. And that’s when it hit me… soul food is inherently supposed to be cheap. It’s beans and rice. It’s the food of South. It is not four-dollar shrimp and five-dollar mac & cheese. It’s like getting $15 “gourmet” carne asada. It’s not an improvement on the original, it’s just more expensive.So we were disappointed with Larkin’s. So disappointed, in fact, we skipped dessert and headed home. The atmosphere was great, the service certainly excellent, but the food just didn’t cut it. And it’s a tough call if we’re ever going back. I’m reluctant to write Larkin’s off for good, but every time I think of spending 50-60 bucks for dinner for two (pre-tip, and that’s excluding beer or wine since they’re still waiting on their liquor license) I can think of a lot of better places to go.
Info:
Larkin’s Restaurant
1496 Colorado Blvd.
www.larkinsjoint.com
on January 17th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Kinda kooky site you got with all of the adds and “corporate” feel. Especially for Highland Park!
But I enjoy your write ups And totally agree with you on Larkin’s. We wanted to love it so bad but it just came up short. Hope the owners luck though.