After Mr. Mari and I found our new home in West Hollywood, we walked around our new neighborhood to get a sense for what was in store for us. Unlike New York, the way shops are laid out in Los Angeles seems completely random to me. What do an optometrist, pet hospital, tanning salon, and candle shop share in common with a moderately priced, stylish restaurant? Oh, just a city block.
Mr. Mari and I were told by a potential landlord that Laurel Hardware is a hopping bar at night. Looking around the room at the club chairs and long leather sofa, I can imagine all sorts of nighttime shenanigans to occur. We were there for brunch and lunch so the most riotous it got was when a toddler waddled away from his mom.
What I liked about the place was how many spaces were within its walls. The front room looked industrial-chic with an exposed kitchen as a backdrop; the space towards the back right was more intime with its booths and decorative wallpaper; the section behind the bar looked appropriately lounge-y; and the garden felt Napa-charming.
The food seemed like a lot of what I’m going to encounter in LA, “new American with global influences, focused on local and seasonal organic produce, hormone free and free range proteins, and shared food”. Which isn’t a bad thing, especially when the restaurant’s located in sunny Southern California.
The staff was solicitous and friendly; the food was delicious and reasonable - the fried chicken with pancetta gravy on a homemade biscuit was ridunkerously delicious. It’s even walking distance away from our new home, making it a go-to spot for potentially indulgent imbibing dinners. What more can we ask for? Not much.