BLD

7450 Beverly Blvd

Los Angeles, CA

http://bldrestaurant.com/

BLD - breakfast, lunch and dinner. We've had BLD on our list of must-eats for a long time but never really found a reason to go until this installment of dineLA - Los Angeles' two week version of restaurant week. 

1. Cheese & Charcuterie Plate - Not surprisingly, this was our favorite dish of the night and was NOT on the dineLA menu. I must say, BLD does know how to put together an impressive meat and cheese plate - beautifully arranged, spot on pairings (quince paste, candied figs, fresh green apple slices, and two types of fresh bread, including a super yummy raisin walnut). We let the waiter do our bidding and he selected two yummy cheeses and meats for us.


2. Pumpkin Coconut Soup - My first dineLA course for the night. It was similar in taste and texture to a butternut squash except more exotically flavored with the coconut milk and heavy curry spice. The soup of a little on the thicker side - so a couple of bites was all you really needed to feel satisfied.


3. Pastrami Sandwich - Ray opted out of the dineLA menu and went for the Pastrami Sandwich. The meat was super moist and tender - pairing well with the tangy sauerkraut and dressing. The only complaint was that rye bread didn't hold up well against the rest of the sandwich. While delicious, the juices soaked right through and the bread broke apart after one bite.


4. Cavatelli, Wild Mushrooms, Fresh Ricotta, Walnut Sage Pesto - My dineLA entree, selected over braised short ribs and trout. It was decent - tasted very much like gnocchi. The starchiness of the dish was overpowering so I couldn't get past a couple of bites.

We also had a choice of dessert with the dineLA menu - we went with the S'mores pie thinking the milk chocolate mousse, toasted meringue and toffee peanuts would be a definite winner. Unfortunately, the dessert felt way short of expectations. Everything on the dish was overtly sweet, leaving a majority of the pie untouched.

The biggest hit of the night was the meat and cheese plate. Everything else was mediocre and did not leave us wanting to come back for dinner any time soon. However, I've heard their breakfast menu is quite delicious so if we ever come back, it would definitely be for breakfast. Ricotta blueberry pancakes and baked french toast stuffed with bacon sound super yummy. There are also a lot of nostalgic and fun items on the dessert menu including ice cream floats and ice cream sandwiches.