When I think of the restaurants that I’ve tried during past dineLA Restaurant Weeks, I don’t recall ever having a fantastic experience at any one of them. My experiences have ranged from disappointing (Cube Marketplace, Grace) to average (Gordon Ramsay) and none have compelled me to make a return visit. In spite of this, I always get excited when dineLA comes around.
UPDATE: UM.. How could I forget about Petrossian?! Read my reviews, pre and post Ben Bailly departure.
The current dineLA ends Friday, Feb 3rd!
This past Friday, Henry and I made our way to the Westside for dineLA at Waterloo & City. When we arrived, the first thing that struck me was the size of the restaurant. I didn’t expect it to that big! There’s an outdoor patio area (where we were seated) and two indoor dining areas separated by a large bar.
In addition to the dineLA menu ($34/person), we couldn’t pass up the Indian Butter Chicken Pizza, Murgh Makahni Sauce, Mozzarella ($14) off of the regular menu. To pace ourselves, we followed our waiter’s suggestion of having the pizza come out first, eating a couple of slices and boxing up the rest to take home.
Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera. These phone pictures do not do the food justice.
The pizza was delicious! Although it would have been nice to have more chicken, the chicken that was on the pizza was incredibly tender. I liked the heat from the makhani sauce and raita (in the middle).
Next came the dineLA dishes…
Appetizers
Chicken Liver & Foie Gras Parfait, Toasted Brioche, Sweet Potato Jam
No complaints whatsoever. The toasted brioche provided the perfect canvas for the mousse and the jam cut the saltiness.
Tuna Tartare, Fried Piquillo Pepper, Avocado
AMAZING. The freshness of the tuna and cucumbers, the creaminess of the avocado, the spiciness of the sauce… everything just worked so well together. The fried piquillo pepper was icing on the cake.
Entrees
Roast Pork Chop, Fuji Apples, Pork Belly, Squash Puree, Onion Rings
As you can see, this thing was HUGE! The pork chop was tender and flavorful and there’s just something about the combination of pork and apples that I absolutely love.
Australian Bass, Ricotta & Truffle Gnocchi, Cara Cara Oranges, Celery Root
This was the only dish that was a little bit off. The bass and gnocchi were great by themselves and even paired together. The orange slices alone were refreshing. But bass + gnocchi + orange… hmmm, not so much – this combination just didn’t work for me. Also, the skin of the bass could have been crispier if not for the moisture from the oranges.
Desserts
Waterloo Doughnuts, Bavarian Creme, Rum Glaze, Raspberry Sorbet
The doughnuts weren’t as good as the goat cheese doughnuts from Napa Rose, but still solid. I loved the hot and cold pairing of doughnuts and raspberry sorbet.
Sticky Toffee Pudding, Salted Caramel, Vanilla Ice Cream
Whenever I see sticky toffee pudding on the menu, I order it. This one at Waterloo & City was, by far, the BEST I’ve ever had.
Thanks for breaking my DineLA rut, Waterloo & City. I will DEFINITELY come back and dine again.
Verdict: 4.5/5
Waterloo & City
12517 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90066
)! I spent the rest of Friday and the whole day Saturday drinking lots of water and stretching out my calf. By the time Sunday came around, I wasn’t 100%, but at least I was able to run. I tried to maintain my usual pace, but I had to slow down when I felt my calf tightening up. 
