Tar & Roses

I’d like to start by saying that I am remiss for letting this draft sit in my archive of pending posts for so long. I was lucky enough to enjoy a meal several weeks ago at chef and owner Andrew Kirschner’s Tar & Roses – and my timing was unwittingly fortunate, as shortly after, a fire stemming from one of the restaurant’s wood-burning ovens caused this Westside hot spot to initially – now indefinitely -- close for repairs. This truly is a culinary shame, as the meal I savored was one of the most start-to-finish delicious experiences I’d enjoyed in ages. Born and raised in Santa Monica, Chef Kirschner began his career in the kitchen with a summer job at age fifteen, ultimately graduating from California Culinary Academy and working in both San Francisco and Aspen, where he cultivated a passion for working with locally raised and sustainably produced ingredients. Having returned ton Los Angeles in 2000, Kirschner worked at exceptional restaurants around the city – from Venice, to Beverly Hills, to West Hollywood – before ultimately becoming Executive Chef and Partner at Wilshire in Santa Monica (where he garnered Angeleno Magazine’s acknowledgement as Best New Chef of 2008). With Tar & Roses, Kirschner’s take on farm-to-table small plate dishes with an immense focus on the ingredients themselves kept his restaurant packed on a nightly basis since its opening in 2012, with his philosophy and bold flavors bringing creativity and beauty to his craft.  With a menu ranging from Charcuterie, Snacks, Veggies, Small Plates, and Large dishes, I found myself enamored with the Popped corn with crisp bacon, brown sugar, and chili; over the moon with the Balsamic glazed ribs with aleppo pepper and fried basil; and clamoring for more of his curry-based shellfish pot with maitake mushrooms.  As full as I found myself, it was impossible to pass up the Strawberry ricotta crostata with LA Creamery honeycomb ice cream (which officially made anything with strawberry and ricotta my new favorite dessert).

A sign on Tar & Roses’ now-closed door encourages diners to enjoy their nearby sister restaurant, Santa Monica Yacht Club – so though I’m thrilled to have been able to experience Chef Kirschner’s first solo step in the culinary world, I can’t wait to see what his new endeavor has to offer as well.

Dress: (borrowed from) Laura Byrnes Lana Cocktail Dress in Melting Leopard Canvas
Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in American Doll
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW® Pomade in Soft Brown
Glasses: Bonlook Keiko frames in Tessa Tort
Bag: Kate Spade New York (old)

Popped corn, crisp bacon, brown sugar, chili.

Balsamic glazed ribs with aleppo pepper and fried basil.

Bone marrow with red onion marmalade, sea salt and sourdough.

Baby broccoli parmesan pudding breadcrumb chili flake.

Shellfish pot with scallops, clams, mussels, shrimp, maitake mushrooms and curry.

Strawberry ricotta crostata with LA Creamery honeycomb ice cream.