Sneak peek tasting events are one of the perks of writing a lot about food. It’s almost as if the mere act of pretending you know about food is enough to make people think they should invite YOU to try out their new menu — or new restaurant — before officially opening. Because, the theory is, if you’re impressed (and maybe even if you’re not impressed) you’re going to write about it, thereby generating buzz, thereby bringing more paying customers through the door. I remember when I started this little series of posts the idea was that I had limited experience eating foods of any kind and even less experience writing about food. The very act of tasting and critiquing something as simple as a croque-monsieur was supposed to be uproarious. Unfortunately for my audience, the joke turned serious when I realized I actually like food. I mean, I really like food. So I started trying more adventurous things, more haute cuisine, and lo-and-behold I write about food sometimes now. And then I get invited to events like last night’s sneak peek at the new Tom’s Urban at LA Live in Downtown Los Angeles.
The little press kit we received before our tasting describes Tom’s Urban as “a modern casual dining restaurant featuring multi-ethnic urban cuisine with a differentiated approach to fun, shareable food, big drinks, and small plates.” I would take that a step further in saying that the easily-replicable format is perfect for densely populated urban areas (like a downtown LA, for example) where people are constantly looking for that place to duck in and out of before a sporting event, movie, or concert. Or maybe they’re looking for a bite to eat after said engagement. When restauranteur (and owner) Tom Ryan spoke about the concept, he mentioned that the average wait between ordering and food service is between six and eight minutes at Tom’s Urban. That makes it super-convenient for those who are looking for some wings or a pizza just before their 8:30 showtime, or following a concert. It’s kind of ingenious in theory. Whether it’ll actually take to LA Live remains to be seen. So kind of ingenious but, then again, what else would you expect from the guy who started one of the country’s best fast-casual burger joints, Smashburger.
The event featured an open bar with probably 12-15 beers on tap (not all that creative a selection), an equal number of bottles (slightly more creative), and a menu filled with specialty cocktails. I had a beer (Angel CityAngelino IPA) and three of the cocktails. The first up was one recommended by bartender Jenny (from Queens) and it was a peach-flavored cosmopolitan. It was very sweet but decent. The second cocktail was recommended by another server, which was a Fireball-based drink that kind of tasted like those “Red Hot” spicy/cinnamon candies we used to eat as kids. Again, a little sweet for my taste but okay. The third cocktail I tried was one with tequila and jalapeño (by this point I was just asking all the servers who passed by the table what their favorite cocktail was, and I intended to try as many as I could because…you know…free booze) that was probably the best of the evening. Lastly I tried one called a “Darker and Stormier” that was recommended by a redhead. Contrary to popular/cultural belief, always trust redheads. They won’t ALL steal your soul while you’re sleeping. Just some of ’em…
Here’s a photo rundown of the menu with some captions.
Buffalo Wings. Tom’s Buffalo Sauce. Bleu Cheese. Greek Yogurt Dressing. I like that they strayed from the standard Frank’s and incorporated some sriracha into the wing sauce. That said, I like my wings to be a little on the crispier side (think Kyochon), so if they could find a way to merge that Asian-style cripsy wing with a spicy American-ized sauce it’d be even better. I don’t like bleu cheese dressing so I can’t judge theirs.
White Bean Humus. Lemon. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Rosemary Flatbread. The humus was really, really good. A perfect bar bite I could see myself ordering if I wanted to nosh on something hearty and warm in a short amount of time. The bread was toasted perfectly and provided a great vessel for the humus.
All American Cheeseburger Sliders. Mustard. Ketchup. Pickle. Butter-toasted brioche bun. I thought this was the biggest miss of the night. The beef patty was cooked beyond well-done and had a minerally, sour taste that was unappealing. I expected a lot more from the guy responsible for Smashburger. If that wasn’t enough, the poor, desiccated patty came on a totally dry, bready brioche, which I still think is the worst possible bun for a burger. And trust me, I know burgers. They’re kind of my thing.
Grilled Croatian Fig Jam + 3 Cheese. Fontina. Brie. Havarti. Brioche. Now this, on the other hand, was a widely-beloved dish. It was intensely gooey with enough fig jam to balance out the fattiness of the cheeses. Here, the buttery brioche was a compliment, not a hinderance. I could see myself ordering one of these and keeping it to myself on my next visit. That strawberry was totally superfluous, but whatever.
San Marzano Meatball Marinara + Sonoma Goat Cheese. All natural beef and pork meatballs slow cooked in San Marzano sauce with goat cheese. These were really good, but I can’t see myself just ordering a dish of meatballs. It should have another component to the dish, whether it be some kind of additional protein, or maybe put it all on a sandwich…I just can’t see myself going out and ordering a bowl of meatballs.
Ginger Chicken Pot Stickers. Seoul dipping sauce. Look at all those pepper flakes. These were good. The sauce was great and had solid spice/sweet interplay. Of course, any conversation about dumplings/pot stickers immediately shifts to Din Tai Fung, which is what the conversation at my table quickly progressed to. I liked these. I could see ordering them again. They were a better option than the meatballs but still not as good as that grilled cheese sandwich.
Edamame Falafel. Tzatziki. Arugula. Parsley. Tomato. These were little finger-food bites that although not boldly flavored, were still tasty. I would have liked to taste something that POPPED a little more, but I’m not sure what kind of ingredient goes with both tzatziki and edamame…they come from kinda disparate cuisines, and I’m no chef. So, these were good, but it just felt like they were lacking one crucial element.
Sticky Belly Taco. Chipotle aioli. Pork belly. Cole slaw. Cliantro. Fresh orange. I liked this guy a lot. I was also starting to feel a little buzzed at this point so my memory is a bit hazy. I don’t know how many come to an order when you’re not just having one placed in front of you to sample, but if there were two or three (or maybe a platter of three different kinds) I could see this being a really successful menu item. Seemingly easy preparation, good flavors, and having a few would make for a substantial/hearty portion.
Baby Kale + White Bean Urban Pizza. Asadero cheese. Sonoma Goat Cheese. This was another one that stood out among the different plates I tried. Again, it’s a really simple concept that was well executed. Definitely more of a flatbread than a pizza, but a good one at that. An easily shareable and somewhat filling dish with unique ingredients (white beans, kale, goat cheese) that’s just funky enough to make it a more desirable option than…say…bbq chicken or ham and pineapple.
In the end, I was happy with how the sneak peek tasting event progressed. I would have liked for them to slip in (at the outset would have been best) one of their breakfast items, since I think they serve breakfast all day. The breakfast cocktails are different for AM and PM customers, but I don’t see on the menu whether the food items are AM only. Other than that, I think we got a good sampling of the menu. I liked how groups of three were presented to highlight different facets of the menu (traditional small plates, interesting small plates, adventurous small plates), and I most certainly liked all the free booze that came along with the food.
At the end of the night I could help myself from approaching Tom Ryan and thanking him for hosting the event and being on hand to describe the raison d’etre of his new venture as well as all the food we were served. He asked whether or not I had a good time and I was honest, telling him that I had a good feeling about the place, and the vibe was way more welcoming and poised for success than the previous establishment that held the location (ESPN Zone. Yuck). Of course I then steered the conversation to Smashburger, telling him that I was a huge fan of the chain — compared it favorably to Five Guys and In-N-Out — and told him that ever since he opened up in New Jersey I’d been stopping in for a burger whenever I visit home. He asked where I was from, to which I replied, “Livingston — right next to Florham Park.”
“That was our first ever location in New Jersey!” he exclaimed, happily.
“And it’s awesome!” I responded. Then we laughed and shook hands and I left. Aren’t I a mensch!
… God I hate myself. I’m like my father, except instead of excitedly approaching and talking to football players and movie stars I excitedly approach and talk to restauranteurs or chefs no one else has ever heard of. Sigh.
Be Forest – Totem [MP3]
