Hatchet Hall
Though I don’t frequently make the trek from Hollywood to Culver City, I could comfortably see doing so on a regular basis in order to visit Hatchet Hall. Chef and Georgia native Brian Dunsmoor (formerly of the Hart and the Hunter at the Palihotel) is spectacularly talented when it comes to presenting his modern approach to Southern classics. Billed as “a wood fire cookery with an emphasis on ingredients and old American techniques,” Dunsmoor’s menu features local meats and produce utilized in a familiar-yet-elevated way. A standard dish of chicken liver on toast is transformed as sautéed liver morsels dressed with apple citer vinegar, which sit perched atop grilled thick-cut bread smeared with sweet onion jam. “Chop steak” tartare, too, is paired with the same delicious grilled bread, as well as green peppercorns, shallots, and aioli. A whole ruby trout is cast iron-roasted, then topped with turnips, arugula, and country ham vinaigrette. And the simple country ham plates themselves-- whether Kentucky, Virginia, or North Carolina -- let the their heralded protein shine in the form of thinly-sliced, melt-in-the-mouth, perfectly salty bites. The taxidermied décor of the restaurant would alone be enough to encourage my speedy return to Hatchet Hall, but the fact that I’m already salivating dreaming of indulging in their brunch menu (sign me up for a fried oyster omelet with chanterelle mushrooms!) can guarantee I’ll be making another reservation in the very near future!
Top: Deadly Dames Jailbird Top in Solid Black
Skirt: Deadly Dames Darling Dames Skirt In Venus Fly Trap
Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Blush
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer in Ebony
Bag: Kate Spade New York (old)
Seasonal Eggnog Cocktail.
Country Ham (Edwards, VA)
Chop steak, green peppercorn, shallot, aioli, grilled bread.
Chicken liver, onion jam, grilled bread, pickles, apple vinegar.
Cast iron-roasted ruby trout, roasted turnips, country ham vinagrette, arugula, walnut.
Grilled broccoli, calabrian chili, pickled garlic, mint.
Roasted brown cap mushrooms, charred herb salsa, mushroom aioli.
