#15 - The Gorbals Dill Fries

It was the second Thursday of the month, which means only one thing…no I was not at home watching reruns of “Extreme Couponing” on Tivo. (I’m out of episodes on my DVR) I had the chance to check out Art Walk: Los Angeles. For you non-Angelinos, Art Walk is a monthly street party in the heart of Downtown LA. Gallery owners open their doors, food trucks compete for prime real estate and hundreds of hipsters/wanna-be hipsters hit the streets in an effort to inject some culture into their lives.

I’d love to be able to say I was moved by the dramatic artistic expressions of the next great generation of modern thinkers in a post-21^st century space…but let’s be honest…I didn’t step foot in one single gallery. I was there for the food. Specifically, Top Chef winner Ilan Hall’s The Gorbals restaurant.

Tucked in the back of an old arts building on 5^th and Spring, this meat-centric restaurant serves up a mixture of Scottish and Jewish cuisine. The menu is broken down by protein: Pig, Cow, Sea, Bird, Lamb and Herbivore.

“Well we have to get the Bacon Wrapped Matzah Balls,” said Kelly. “I’ve decided that any pLAte experience I am a part of has to have bacon.” Kelly, who you might remember from the origins of 99 pLAtes, was out for her FIFTH visit to LA in just two years. (Not that I’m counting Mom).

“Michael, did you remember to print the Blackboard Eats code?!?” asked John. In somewhat related news…I think we’ve found our first subject for my newest reality hit, “Extreme Grouponing”.

After ordering our round of drinks, It’s Bourbon Honey, a French Cowboy, and a Desperate Housewife (I’ll let you guess who ordered what…), we started deciding on some small plates to share.

What follow is a picture of what was ordered and a one liner of what we thought about the dish:

Fried Squash Blossoms

Kelly – “This tastes like leftover Chinese food”.

Not off to a great start…

Warm Broccoli Hearts with Soy, Chilies and Vinegar

John – “I love sesame seeds and the crunch on outside of the garbanzo beans!”

Bacon Wrapped Matzoh Balls

Michael – “I LOVE these, but am I the only one that thinks this borders on anti-Semitism.”

John – “Somewhere Peter is shaking his head disapprovingly.”

Burger Onion Six Ways

(sautéed, fried, roasted…I lost track of the other three ways…)

Kelly – “The menu says: Every time we cut a burger in half an angel loses its wings. So just take a bite and pass it along.”

John – “So we’ll cut it into thirds? No harm, no foul!”

Banh Mi Poutine

Kelly – “I would describe these as nachos, but with French fries instead of chips.”

Michael – “I would describe these as DELICIOUS!”

And finally…the pLAte we came to try:

Dill Fries served with Aioli

 John – “I dunno about these…”

Kelly – “Just wait, they have a complex aftertaste. You need to settle in. Wait for it to get there.”

It’s true, the chips (or fries as we’d call them) were insanely addictive after the first few bites. Paired with a dab of the aioli, I couldn’t help but reach for more and more and more…until...

Kelly – “Michael, do you want to just stick your head in their and lick the bowl.”

John – “If he doesn’t I will!”

Finally a pLAte that doesn’t disappoint! The Gorbals is well worth the trip. I’m already looking forward to returning to try the Half Cut Roasted Pig’s Head!

Kelly – “Umm, I said I’d eat the side of the pig. Not the EYE of the pig!”

The Gorbals

501 S. Spring St.

Los Angeles, CA 90013