The Tar Pit

A few weeks ago I wandered into opening night at The Tar Pit on La Brea Ave. From the moment I walked in I liked the place. The atmosphere instantly swept me from the vacant LA streets and brought me to a livelier space and time – 1940s cocktail den to be specific. The room in set up to really facilitate a relaxed experience. If you want to dine, there are booths around the perimeter that make for a private, sultry evening. If you want a more social setting, the lounge area, which connects directly to the bar but offers waitress service might be the best bet – I sat at the far corner table, in my opinion the best seat in the house.

Cocktails are pro – helmed by Audrey Sanders and the Cuff and Buttons gang. I went for the cucumber mint Creole and was not disappointed with the smooth but unexpected combination of gin, aquavit and sherry. Somehow the cucumbers, mint and lemon juice masked any trace of alcohol. Other elixirs on the line up that I’ll try next time include the lil jig – tequila, chartreuse, Thai basil and simple syrup – and the champion – campari, vermouth, lemon and champagne.

The food program is just as tantalizing. There’s a bar menu and a dinner menu. I ordered only off the bar menu this go around. But there are plenty of options. Dive into the fried oysters no later that five minutes after being seated – they go quick and you’ll want another round. The tuna tartare is more nuanced than most with hints of mustard seed, ginger and plum leaf, which tastes a little like shiso.

Looking at the dinner menu, shaved octopus salad perks my interest, with celery hearts and black cabbage. Oh and gnocchi with escargots, won’t that be a treat! I bet the roast chicken with preserved lemon, cumin, sumac and radish salad with parsley and olives is killer.

For those looking for something heartier, you might want to go for the braised pork cheeks and ears though I must admit it’s not my cup of tea.

Then again, with Mark Peel fromCampanile cooking, I bet everything on the menu is worth a try. But if you arrive and there’s really nothing you want (impossible), you could always sit at the bar, drink an expertly made hot toddy and dive into a daily-made cookie plate. Not bad.