dineLA: BLD

Beer Braised Beef Short Rib

BLD is located along a stretch of Beverly with lots of competition. BLD is not phased. This Neal Fraser restaurant with Chef Diana Stavaridis at the helm is setting the bar. The cozy yet glamorous room invites lingering, with little touches like a collection of dollhouse stoves and a separate lounge area with a round couch for having a drink or taking pesky phone calls.

The dineLA menu did not pull any punches, and highlighted the restaurant’s best (well, maybe not best, that Cajun mac and cheese makes people apeshit).

The dark, rich mahogany-colored House Smoked Lamb with preserved lemon yogurt  I ordered for my starter fell away from the fork like brisket. Only the occasional hint of gaminess betrayed that this was not a huge hunk of something that was once known to moo rather than baa. Taking that into consideration, along with the more than generous serving size, it was only the triangle of filo perched jauntily atop the lamb that confirmed this was not accidentally my main dish.

It turned out I did not order wisely, for my main dish of shortribs was unsurprisingly similar in texture to the lamb. The jus was rich and multi-layered, making an excellent gravy for the mashed potatoes. The dandelion greens were too bitter for my palate, but my dining companion was astounded by them. Still, because of the similar preparations, I probably should have coughed up the extra $6 for the steak. I bet Chef D grills the hell out of a steak.

We were extremely curious about the monkey bread. It was already pulled apart into three perfect little doughy balls topped with banana caramel ice cream. I think the ice cream outshone the balls, but I do prefer ice cream over balls any day.