My trip last weekend to LA had me enjoying the tourist side of Hollywood from the Hollywood Walk of Fame to the Chinese and Dolby Theaters to a very fun Universal Studios VIP Tour. In addition to be being a crazy tourist with any new place I visit, the biggest attraction for me is finding the best places to eat and boy did we find some fantastic dining in LA, some of which I will be sharing in the coming weeks. For now let’s talk about Cliff’s Edge on Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake, LA.
Garden Patio at Cliff’s Edge
My friend, Stacey had heard good things about this restaurant and upon doing a little googling of reviews and their menu, I was definitely up for the dining experience.
Located a little further away from our hotel than we expected we finally arrived at the address about 30 minutes late for my friend and LA work colleague, Bill. I really don’t like being late for people. What didn’t help was that we were dropped off at a dark door on a dark street with no sign of the restaurant. I tentatively pushed open a suspicious looking, creaky wooden door to a deserted restaurant that I honestly thought was closed. It turns out it was the right address but my friend was nowhere to be seen! It seems there was also a side/back door or perhaps the real front door that made it a more obvious that we were at Cliff’s Edge, where Bill was waiting. Finally, we were all together and I can start my review.
It was a little chilly so we decided to sit inside the empty restaurant, which was a real shame as the outside garden patio is what truly makes this restaurant something special.
We sat at the back of the main dining room facing the long bar. The space is urban chic with dim gothic lighting, wooden tables and walls, wicker chairs and a casual, cool air. In one corner they had a movie being projected onto the wall and quiet music playing in the background.
Indoor restaurant seating
First and foremost, our waiter(ess) was absolutely lovely, attentive and thoughtful throughout the whole evening. I ordered a bottle of the Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc, one of my favorites and she immediately shared the idea of another bottle similar in taste, which was much cheaper and part of a happy hour special. I tasted it and while I did like it we still opted for the Duckhorn for the three of us.
We chatted for quite a while as a few more customers were seated around us and talked for a long time about what we were going to order. The menu is eclectic, rustic and mouthwatering. To start we ordered the fresh, warm and salted Parker House Rolls, which we all slathered with creamy butter.
We each picked an appetizer for the table to share. A creamy rich Chicken Liver Terrine spread onto crispy bread, actually even better on Parker House rolls perfected by the addition of grainy biting mustard.
CHICKEN LIVER TERRINE
preserved kumquats, grainy mustard, port gellee – $12
Potato fritters, crispy on the outside, gooey cheese on the inside rolled in a lightly critused aioli.
POTATO FRITTERS
3 cheeses, herbs, lemon aioli, chili – $7
The pièce de résistance was without doubt the Brussels Sprouts. These are outstanding bites of roasted and caramelized joy. We could not get enough of them.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
almonds, sweet garlic, lemon, balsamic, mint, lebni – $9
With choices of Lobster, Ocean Trout, Pheasant and Suckling Pig, deciding on our mains was tough.
Both Bill and I settled on the Ocean Trout, which I had never tried before. Upon arrival we did both stare at it a little, smile and say “this is salmon.” It was pink, looked like salmon, tasted like salmon so we asked our waiter. She agreed, it looked like salmon and brought it back to the chef. She spoke to the chef and came back saying it does look like salmon but it is in fact Ocean Trout. We did secretly go online just to confirm and yes indeed it looks exactly like salmon ;). That all said, this dish is wonderful. A lighter tasting, beautifully mild fish with a crispy, salty skin.
OCEAN TROUT
crisp skin, fennel, preserved kumquat, marcona almonds, meyer lemon – $24
Stacey picked the Lobster. She said it tasted delightfully fresh with a great sauce and delicate gnocchi.
LOBSTER
winter squash navarin, tarragon gnocchi chestnut, tomato, pumpkin greens – $27
Our over indulgent evening ended with a dessert to share, which unfortunately I cannot remember the name of. I think it was “Shelly Custard.” I can tell you it is a rich, tasty, caramel custard dessert atopped with salted cream. I do love the taste of caramel and salt together.
Shelly Custard
After dinner we did go and take look at the patio so I could take some photos. This part of the restaurant is truly beautiful centered by a large tree, which branches reach across the gardens and over the tables. A surprising amount of customers were dining outside comforted by warming heat lamps. I do wish we had braved the cold a little and enjoyed this part of the restaurant. Perhaps next time.
Garden Patio
More Garden Patio shots – these do not do it justice
I highly recommend making a visit to Cliff’s Edge if you are visiting LA.
