We’re halfway through dineLA’s two-week-long Restaurant Week which features fixed price lunch and dinner menus at locations from the Valley, down to Long Beach, and all points in between.
Along with other food-media types, I was invited to check out the menu line-up at The Standard Hotel in Downtown LA*. The kick off conversation included the notion that Restaurant Week was an opportunity to diners to check out old favorites or up-and-coming new spots, all on a discount.
Some groaned that Restaurant Week was also an opportunity for chefs to get lazy and crank out subpar meals with salmon, chicken, and cheesecakes being par for the course.
Oddly enough, the menu we sampled that night included a chicken dish as one of the entrées. Yes, it was a chicken dish on a restaurant menu. Par for the course, it was not.
The Roasted Baby Chicken at the Standard Hotel, Downtown Los Angeles. The crispy, herby skin and tender, flavorful meat make this a winner for a chicken dinner.
More pictures and details after the jump!
Chef Micah’s Roasted Baby Chicken
First, let’s take a look at who is in the kitchen. The Standard’s Executive Chef is Micah Fields, a competitor from Bravo’s Top Chef Season 10. He’s been lauded with all kinds of honors and loves cooking so much he named his kids Saffron and Sage. Say anything about this guy’s cooking but don’t say he’s not serious!
Try some of the items on his Restaurant Week menu and you’ll probably be saying this guy’s cooking is delicious.
Chef Micah Fields, the Executive Chef at the Standard Hotel, has competed on Bravo’s Top Chef and won numerous awards and comendations for his cooking.
Starting the menu there’s a choice of Salmon Sashimi and Braised Beef Tongue. The salmon stands out if only for its side dishes – wasabi avocado crema and sriracha soy foam – while the beef tongue is a superb stand in for the flavor and texture of short ribs. And this is just the appetizer! Oh you could get soup instead, but F that, go for the tongue!
The entrées get even more far out with Ahi and Charred Uni, Savory Pumpkin and Sage, Risotto, and a simply titled Roasted Baby Chicken. All of the dishes were great but oddly enough, I’m recommending the chicken.
The finish touch on the roasted poultry that makes the flavors and textures sing is the crispy, herb skinned. The meat underneath, though, is just as moist and tender as it can be. Its a nice touch on the otherwise average, everyday yard bird. The chicken flavors are amped up with a cream sauce of herbed mustard.
Dessert rounds out the meal with options of Cobbler with Rhubarb and Plum, Banana Chocolate Cake, and a Bacon Waffle with Chocolate Gelato. My choice here: bacon makes it better! Enough said.
The Bacon Waffle with Chocolate Gelato.
Kudos to Chef Micah and the team at The Standard for putting together a very adventurous menu that’s far from the ordinary but easy accessible at only $35 a plate.
Restaurant week is in session until Friday, February 1. For more details, follow this link to dineLA’s Website.
- dineLA’s Restaurant Week at The Standard Hotel, Downtown LA
550 S Flower St
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 892-8080
* Some items mentioned in this article were provided on a complimentary basis for the purpose of this review. Prices and menu items mentioned are subject to change without notice. This story was accurate when it was published and reflects the uninfluenced opinions of the reviewers.
