Hatfield’s
Butter Roll
Dungeness Crab and Pickled Vegetables
Croque Madame with Yellowtail Sashimi, Prosciutto, Sunny Side Quail Egg, Grilled Brioche
Pan Seared Diver Scallop with Saffron Vanilla Emulsion and Roasted Artichoke puree
Mustard Green and Ricotta Ravioli, Parsnip Puree, Cinnamon Banyuls Buerre Fondue
Coriander Crusted Monterey Bay Squid with Butternut Squash, Roasted Maitakes, Green Mole
Local Cod En Croute with Ginger Carrot Puree, Brown Butter Soy Longbeans
Pan Roasted Duck Breast with Roasted Sweet Potato Sticks, Apple Braised Red Cabbage, Scallion Puree
Wild Mushroom and Buckwheat Crepe with Creamy Oat Groats and Marinated Beets
Sugar and Spice Beignets with Venezuelan Chocolate Fondue and Earl Grey Milkshake
Caramel and Peanut Nougat Semifreddo with Bitter Chocolate Sorbet
With two sets of friends on different schedules I ended up enjoying two birthday dinners on March 10th – the first at Quinn Hatfield’s eponymous Los Angeles restaurant on Melrose. Having never visited the original location but finding the new space (save for the Michel Rostang-style glass partitioned kitchen) as well as the service to be somewhat sterile it was with good fortune that the food was anything but, all but one of our nine selected plates proving the Chef and his team very capable of extracting the best out of myriad local ingredients, often times with a degree of subtlety and nuance reserved for restaurants carrying a much higher price tag.
Selecting each item off the seasonal prix fixe, plus the restaurant’s signature take on the croque madame the flavors on display during our visit to Hatfields ran the gamut from hearty Mexican inspired mole to rich French cream sauces to vegetal “California Cuisine” vegetable purees with ease and utilizing all that the local waters and markets have to offer flavors were invariably bright, complex, and balance – the only downfall being the cod where too much ginger and soy tilted the flavors too far East, burying the quality of the perfectly cooked fish.
With savories strong and desserts from Quinn’s wife, Karen, expectedly excellent considering my visit to Sycamore Kitchen it’s a shame it took me so long to make it to Hatfields and although I tend to agree with some who consider the restaurant to be ‘safe,’ I also think there are some surprises to be found the couple’s cuisine – a balance that speaks to the restaurant’s longevity in a market where so many restaurants come and go depending on the most recent trend.