Not super expensive, but I adore the roast chicken and salsa verde at Barbuto in NYC.
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Dear janes open now. I loved dear Johnās so hoping to try this soon!
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No availability until 10/03! And no prime time availability until mid-Oct!
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Yeah I have a reservation for Oct 15
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Ooh, I expect a report. 
I also really liked Dear Johnās, the 1 or 2 times I went, so I hope Dear Janeās is great.
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In the mean time donāt forget to check out the bar at Melisse for happy hour!
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Oh, right!!! Thanks for the reminder.
Tonight, I will be trying Willie Maeāsā¦ Will report in a fewā¦
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Chaumont, moments before I dumped a scalding hot cafe au lait all over my pants. The croissants were top notch though
Cococane from Cococane competitor Mia
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Your cafe au lait incident is something I would do. I hope you are okay!
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Is this in Los Angeles?
Unrelated: Willie Maeās is resoundinglyā¦ okay? I think itās not entirely fair to judge any deep fried product based on take out, and, for whatever reason, I think itās especially unfair to judge by a ghost kitchen take out that is making stuff for, like, 10 diff eateries.
Having said all that, what I got last night was not amazing.
The 2 pieces of chicken (+ $2 for dark meat) was more like fries w/ a side of chicken. The meat itself in all of the pieces was well cooked while still being juicy. The few parts of the crust that were not soft had a nice crunch. There was some subtle heat in the crust, which was nice. There was really no other discernible flavors in the chicken.
The only parts of the crust that were crunchy were the parts that werenāt on top of the meat, unappealing dark, and pretty greasy overall, so I donāt know if itās just steaming in the box, or if thereās more of a technique/temp issue here.
The fries are of the steak variety and were nicely seasoned. The red beans were (not pictured) very nicely spiced, but I wish the rice portion was a bit more generous (there was a good amt of beans, though).
Cornbread was okay and mainly worked as a vehicle to deliver the butter w/ a bit of a sweet note.
Partner said that the fries reminded him of Shakeyās Mojo Potatoes and that the whole thing reminded him of a 1960s/70s dinner youād make at home. I agree that this is a ādown homeā style, and something that would work in a pinch, if you were super desperate for fried chicken. I think I liked the beans the best (even compared to the chicken).
I think thereās some promise hereā¦ for the brick and mortar store. Iām actually not a big fried chicken eater (I love it, but I donāt have it much for the obvious health reasons). This didnāt seem worth the calories, TBH.
Regarding pricingā¦ The breast is huge. Anything w/ the breast would probably be a decent value, but those 2 pieces of dark meat + side + cornbread (which was like the size of a Souplantation muffin) felt like a poor value for $19. Iām hoping the omakase choice does not allow for 2 wings b/c that wouldāve felt like a COMPLETE rip off.
The $25 for 4 pieces (you canāt choose the meat) + side + cornbread seemed quite reasonable.
I donāt think comparisons w/ HR or Daybird make any sense. Yes, they both involve deep fried chicken, some form of carbs, and a similar price point, andā¦ thatās about where the similarities end.
If youāre curious and very close by, I guess itās worth a try. But I still just canāt w/ the Colony b/c I feel like itās where ride-share drivers go to die.
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I think so. Itās from Carl Stoneās Facebook feed and he has a show in LA tonight.
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boulevard restaurant
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Thanks, good for future reference that his Instagram feed is more informative.
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Thanks for taking one for the team! Iāve been reluctant to order because I swore I would never go to the Colony again because I feel like itās being in purgatory. Will have to patiently wait for the brick-and-mortar.
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Go w/ that feeling. This was the first time I had stepped inside (weāve only gotten delivery b/f) andā¦ yeah, no. Not going there again for anything. I was trying to think about what the Colony vaguely reminded me of, and I just realizedā¦ Menās Central Jail (where I spent a little of time professionally).
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Ouch! Not necessarily a good comparison is you are a restaurant
At least you can get a spread at LA Central Jail. Looks better than that chicken anyway 
19 mins??? I donāt have time for that!!! 
The thing about the Colony is that it doesnāt feel like a restaurant. It barely feels like a pick-up counter. Next to what is apparently the main door (poorly marked), thereās a very industrial looking gate that has a taped sign stating that ride-share drivers should head to the back (and has an arrow). Is that the path to Hell??? And then you enter, and there are 2 random people who just stare and smile at you. Uh, do I interact w/ you to get my order? Apparently, you do. And then they literally just reach around a swinging door behind them to grab your order. The whole thing feels very dystopian creepy, but instead of the revolutionary set design and atmospheric conditions of the original Blade Runner, you just get something that feels lazy, dumpy, and depressing.
Unrelated: in keeping w/ the theme of totally healthy eating, partner and I walked over to Upper Crust yesterday night. Ran into a neighbor there who said itās supposed to be Boston-style pizza?
I really enjoyed it. This is not a Bianca or an Apollonia or whatever other artisanal pizza you want to mention. Itās not even a Milo and Olive (which I love, BTW). And, at ~$5 a slice, you shouldnāt expect it to be. Having said that, I think this mightāve been a revelation for LA, say, 10 yrs ago.
First, the slices are ENOROMOUSLY wide. You could easily split each slice we got into 2 nice portions and, if youāre not hungry, you could split it into 3 in a pinch.
Cracker thin, crispy crust. The crust is rather salty, but not unpleasantly so. Toppings are fine. The cheese one was quite good. I liked the pesto, but it was a bit busy (the tomatoes are seasoned wedges, which was not super compatible in terms of taste/texture w/ the pesto).
Quick, polite service. Good QPR. Tasty enough. Solid neighborhood joint. I was pretty satisfied.
On a side note, it does kill me to walk into the place since I loved Belle Vie so much. And the lighting is HORRIFIC in there. If you want to see every pore on your face, bring a mirror b/c thereās enough lighting to power a city. But Iām glad the place replacing Belle Vie seems to have something worth eating.
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That pizza looks 10000x better than what was served at DiVitaās 
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