Located in the newish Vox development on La Cienega, I was looking forward to trying out Picala. Quality Spanish restaurants are underrepresented and Picala is vying to fill the void. The space is large, very comfortable, with an open floor plan, high ceiling and a variety of 2 tops and booths. There’s a bar with seating. Noise level was comfortable, though the sound track was barely audible.
Foodwise, the dishes were good, but nothing really grabbed us and there were no ahhh moments. As a comparison, Otono (a favorite), had much better food, both in flavor and creativity. Picala’s menu has many of the classics. We had pan con tomate, croquettas with cauliflower and blue cheese, shaved asparagus salad and the fidoes with shell fish and prawns. It’s not cheap and portions are on the small side. Sadly, I don’t think this will fill the void.
I think a good Spanish restaurant would do well w/ those of us on FTC. But I wonder if Spanish here is underrepresented for the reasons suggested Marcus Jernmark in that interview.
@Grog: have you tried Xuntos in Santa Monica? I thought it was quite good based on my one visit, but I have never visited Spain and don’t know much about its cuisine.
I’ve been to Xuntos. I thought it was…fine to good. IMO Manchego down the street is a better quality/price option. But neither spot in my mind, no Spanish restaurant in LA really, ever reaches excellence. Tapas often have relatively few ingredients, it’s really about showcasing simple ingredients with skilled technique, and I’ve found the technique at Spanish restaurants in LA to be lacking. Not that this would ever happen, but I would love to see a place that excels in cooking local produce simply but with precise technique, like Gjelina or Rustic Canyon, take a stab at Spanish tapas.
LA is full of “don’t give a shit,” that the food (or ambiance?) needs be more “vibe-y” and “accessible” and “easy-going,” and how eateries get talked about (or don’t) here (not sure if he provided more info about that later in the interview).
Not yet. Otono was my favorite of the genre. I haven’t had anything close, not that I’ve been actively pursuing a replacement. The reason we went to Picala was to take a test drive, looking for an event venue.
I think both Xuntos and Manchego are good examples of Spanish Tapas though. They scratch the itch and have not found them to be disappointing. The dishes are like what you would get in Spain even if technique isn’t as strong as really good places in Spain. Spanish wine selection at Xuntos is quite nice too. Had modestly high hopes for Casa Dani, but doesn’t seem like folks here really like them.
It might be worth giving PICALA another visit. Last minute dinner. Service very good and knowledgeable. Food was delicious and described as Spanish with a California twist. They’re definitely not claiming a pure line on Spanish/Basque/Catalonian cuisine. Beautiful space, has the feel of a corporate restaurant, but it’s not.
The quality of the ingredients was excellent: Munak tomatoes , Finley Family Farms produce, Cantabrian anchovies, Almond Cake made from Yemetz Almonds, pan de Cristal from Jyan Isaac, Nordes gin.
Excellent Clasico martini and presentation complete with a sidecar and gin tonicas. I didn’t get a look-see at the wine list. Our meal was very good.
Gilda (CiaoBob was right about these, just like SS)
Croquetas de Jamon (traditional, very good)
Tomato Salad (like a Spanish panzanella with Cantabrian anchovies and JI pan de Cristal croutons)
Patatas Bravas (good)
Bilbao Sausages (very good)
Scallop & Corn Pintxa (good, scallop perfectly cooked, but was hoping for corn and not just jus of corn )
Arroz Negra (excellent, perfect texture, cuttlefish were a wee bit overseasoned, but I should have probably been eating it with the arroz)
Mango sorbet
Brown butter ice cream
Tarta de Santiago (almond cake) with blueberries
Too full for mains, but looking forward to returning to try the Shaved Mango with smoked bone marrow & Santa Barbara uni, fried eggplant, smoked fig leaf butter, paella (current vegetarian version sports Chanterelles ), Rockfish with Almond Gazpacho and pluots, rack of lamb with gigantes.
, Finley Family Farms produce, Cantabrian anchovies, Almond Cake made from Yemetz Almonds, pan de Cristal from Jyan Isaac, Nordes gin.
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), Rockfish with Almond Gazpacho and pluots, rack of lamb with gigantes.