CHEF STACEY BETH: O BAR & KITCHEN

(The famous Waygu Beef Burger)

O BAR & KITCHEN

O Bar & Kitchen in the O Hotel in downtown LA's financial district is delicious and a great spot for a date. The menu offers tapas, large plates, desserts, a really long amazing list of cocktails and an extensive wine list. It is on the first floor of the trendy O Hotel. I went with a friend and sat at one of the tables. The restaurant is long and skinny with one long row of tables. My friend and I shared some appetizers and tapas and they just kept getting better and more delicious with each dish. There was no room for dessert, which is a shame. I will have to go back ASAP. We ordered the petite meatballs with spicy tomato sauce on grilled bread. It looked like a mini open face meatball sub. It was really good. Just that would have probably been filling enough for me. The broccolini was out of this world. I have never enjoyed it so much. It was prepared with garlic and chili, simple but packed with tons of flavor! We got the crispy calamari that was accompanied by two sauces; 1. a creamy spicy chili mayo and 2. a cilantro basalmic dip. It was really good and a huge portion. The spicy ahi salad served over mixed greens, shaved vegetables, with an avocado creme fraische on a papaya dam chip. It was really light and refreshing. I enjoyed it a lot. I also ordered myseld a cup of the tuscan white bean soup. It was so good!!! I'm not a soup person, but every time I am in LA and order soup somewhere it's always so great. I really do need to order some soups more. I think my problem is that more substantial dishes always sound so amazing and I don't want to waste my time and get full on soup. But apparently, I am wrong. The white bean soup had shaved crispy serrano ham and basil pesto in it. The meal was great, the service was so-so the energetic friendly bus boy made up for the dull and neglegent server and they played great music. I would definitely go back and recommend it.