This is the food I want the night before I go to the gas chamber.
Wow.
I’d heard about Waterloo and City about a month ago, and it really was that good.
Locavore decadence.
My last comparable dining experience was the first time I ate at Craft in Century City.
I started out with a five cheese plate (the medium-priced one) which turned out to be very tasty, with three exceptions:
1. Offer your guests descriptions of the nature of the selection they are tasting (name, region, and animal, if nothing more). The sheep deserve that much.
2. Supplement the standard cutlery. A butter knife will do the trick, but it’s not like we’re on a picnic.
3. A fromagiere (cheese monger) would serve thee well; he might also be a sommelier or a brewmeister. Ultimately, his presence will be felt be by all the kitchen staff, he’ll add boldness and complexity to your culinary DNA, and might just get you plus Etoiles Michelin when the time comes.
The complaints stop here.
The cheese flight was terrific and the bread (even the dinner rolls) was fantastic. I never found out what they were:
1. A firm cow’s milk cheese with a bold smokey flavor.
2. A bleu which I’m pretty sure was a Roquefort or Maytag (not Stilton) that hadn’t been stored properly (still tasty)
3. A buttery, white crusted brie or triple cream.
4. A chevre of some kind
5. Something tangy, maybe Manchego.
All-in-all, well-rounded flavors.
If you know what you’re doing, watch out for the Chicken Liver & Foie Gras Mousse ($12). I called the FDA after I was done and suggested they add this to the list of Schedule II narcotics.
I swear to God I saw trails after five minutes of eating this. The water in Tahiti is pretty much body temperature. This was the feeling my mouth experienced while I was eating the mousse.
The charcuterie plate of cured meats, cornichons, and pickled onions was fantastic, if only outshown by the foie gras mousse.
The tuna tartar was a nice way to slow down my gastronomic excesses: think of the parachutes on a top-fuel funnycar dragster.
After a meal like that, the tuna tartar is a nice way to slow down toward the end.
Lastly, the wine and beer selection was truly awesome. If there’s any mixup at the bar, the waiter will straighten it out toute de suite. Saying, “I poured this one myself,” will make your customers gush at how well-taken care of they are.
Drop a knife and just try to get it before it’s retrieved and you’re handed a replacement, even on the enclosed and heated patio.
Really, this place was beyond reproach.
For variety, opt for a filling tapas-style selection of appetizers. With drinksthe pre-tip check for a party of for two should come to around $100.
On-site valet parking is $2.25 on Thursdays.
A-Frame is across the street. Near McConnell, east of the 99 Cent Store on Washington in Mar Vista.
