Los Angeles, CA 90046
www.thefoundryonmelrose.com
The Foundry is located along the stretch of shoppes along the Western part of Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. We were lucky enough to find street parking but there's also valet available if you so choose. You enter into a somewhat cramped bar/lounge area. It's a bit darker here and feels a wee bit cramped. Business must be good as, on our way out, there were patrons having dinner in the lounge. A place that didn't seem ideal to enjoy a nice meal as the couches/seats and the table were about the same height; making the distance the food travels from plate to mouth a precarious one.
We were escorted to the back of the restaurant, passing a small opening to the kitchen, into a spacious outdoor patio, where we were seated to enjoy our meal. The weather was cool and it made for a nice scene to enjoy a summer meal.
1. tomato & watermelon salad, burrata, basil, soy vinaigrette - This was our second experence with this fruit pairing. The first was the mini-skewer of watermelon and tomato "hearts" at The Bazaar. This more rustic version was more palate-pleasing. The watermelons were incredibly sweet. The basil and tomatoes are a classic pairing and worked well with the melon. The burrata didn't contribute much, overall. There was the presence of another item, pickled radishes perhaps, that Ray quite enjoyed. It was tart and crunchy and added another layer of depth to this seemingly simple salad. The one disappointment with the dish was that the grape tomatoes were not very fresh. The skins were a bit wrinkly and their texture lacked the crispness of a freshly-ripened tomato.
2. Salad of Market Beans & Apricots, burrata cheese, prosciutto, salted almond brittle - Another starter that displayed multiple levels of flavor. The beans were crisp and provided the necessary weight. Sweet accents were provided by the apricots and brittled almonds. The burrata played a larger role here versus the tomato/watermelon salad above. And the proscuitto added a lovely level of savoriness.
3. Foundry “Tots" fried potato, cheese fondue, violet mustard - The much touted tater-tots. But this dish failed to impress. These tots had a thin crispy exterior that surrounded a creamy potato puree within. It was almost like eating deep fried mashed potatoes (think Porto's potato balls). The mustard was the better accompaniment here, as the cheese lacked a level of depth.
4. Grilled Cheese, taleggio, raisin bread, apricot-caper puree, short ribs - Another highly anticipated dish. The $3 supplement for short ribs was a must. The picture above potrays fairly well how this dish tasted, which is to say it was disappointing. The bread and cheese were the leads in this dish, as you'd expect with a grilled cheese. However, the short ribs were barely noticeable. Same goes for the apricot puree. Not necessarily a bad dish, just a disappointing one.
5. The "Patio Season" Burger - cheddar, hawaiian bread, summer condiments - The hamburger at the Foundry has been on the top of the list of foods to try in LA since reading this article in LA Weekly. So the anticipation had been nearly a year in the making. And quite honestly, that's probably too long to wait to try a burger. And perhaps that's why it was that this sandwich led to the biggest disappointment of the night. First off, the temperature of the burger was off. It came to our table a bit luke warm. A burger patty should be hot, with melty cheese nearly dripping off. There is a delicate balance to not overcook the meat, but this burger's execution seemed flawed.
The provisions of apple chutney, grilled onions and side of mayo were a nice touch, but at a place like this, I don't want to play too much with my food. Perhaps the necessity of additional application of condiments to the burger once it arrived contributed to it's inadequate temperature. The King's hawaiian bread was a nice substitute for the traditional hamburger bun, but with sweet notes contributed by the grilled onions and chutney, it felt a bit overkill.
6. Halibut - The best dish of the night. The flesh was soft and flakey and very well prepared. The accompanying cauliflower added smokey refinement to the dish. Absolutely wonderful.
7. Roasted Hanger Steak, roasted fingerling potatoes, onions, blue cheese - A simple dish. It was flavorful and meaty. It was texturally consistent with any typical hanger steak. Nothing good, nothing bad. The accompanying grilled onions were incredibly sweet and quite tasty.
8. Peanut Butter and Jelly Bread Pudding, peanut butter ice cream, grape sauce - A lovely dessert. The hot and cold of the ice cream and bread pudding is a traditional combination and doesn't fail to please in this iteration. The peanut butter was subtle and was a nice addition. The grape sauce declared its presense just enough to let you know it was there. A nice way to end a meal.
The service was very attentive. Our waiter was quite knowledgeable and friendly. It was also nice to catch up with J&J to discuss all their yummy experiences in Europe. Talking to them just made going to Spain more and more necessary. Always nice to share food experiences with good friends. A decent meal that was made more enjoyable by the presence of the BBE coupon and great company. Without either of which, we are not likely to return. Unless we're in the area, then probably a quick pit stop for the halibut and bread pudding isn't out of the question.