A casual, churrasco & grill by husband and wife team Chefs Quinn & Karen Hatfield. The build out of Odys & Penelope is very simple with a little modern twist. Spacious, high ceilings, but warm enough to be inviting. The food is simply prepared, yet still flavorful. Their food is locally sourced and an emphasis on sustainable meats, seafood, and seasonal vegetables. Quinn Hatfield takes care of the dining courses, as Karen beautifully executes all desserts & pastries. LA parking is quite terrible, however if you plan on eating early there is a self park structure around the corner, and also valet parking for $7.00 if you get your ticket validated from your hostess.
Now let’s get to the food 🙂
We started off with the warm cheese puffs, served with a smoked tomato romesco sauce. These were delicious, hot, and flavorful. A perfect crisp on the outside as the soft, fluffy, and chewy texture with cheese was so balanced. The smoked tomato sauce paired so well reminding me of a grilled cheese and tomato soup just on a whole different level. Next we tried the grilled local squid, which was stuffed with an andouille potato hash, and roasted tomato sauce. The squid was beyond tender, the andouille filling was smokey and filling from the potato.
The smoked tomato sauce add just the right amount of acidity this dish needed. Our main entree was the skirt steak with a carrot ginger puree and fresno chills. The steak was very succulent, however the flavor of it reminded me of a Chinese Char siu except in steak form rather than pork. The carrot ginger puree was so smooth and appealing. Personally if this steak were just grilled with salt and pepper I would’ve been more ecstatic as the carrot ginger purees flavorful was prominent as is. Brussels sprouts with Napa, raisins, and a pesto. This dish took me by surprise as the flavors all complimented one another very well.
The pesto was light but enough to dress the items, everything still had a nice crisp, and the golden raisins added that hint of sweetness that was just right. This one will most definitely take you by surprise. Bacon wrapped chicken thigh, with a lemon date sauce. Keep in mind this is very small so order accordingly. The chicken was very moist and of course the bacon added that right amount of saltiness.
I have to say I was not a fan of the lemon date sauce, this is just a personal preference as my friend enjoyed it. Freshly grilled from their open grill and wood fired smoker. Maple rosemary glazed niman ranch pork ribs. I admit it, I have a pork problem, but you should not be surprised I ordered this. Four ribs to be exact and I’m between a dry rub and sauce. The ribs were not necessarily fall off the bone. But they were juicy and cooked just right. The glaze was really nice and quite addicting, the flavor had just the right amount of smoke to make you think this was cooked for quite some time.
Last but not least, dessert, Karen Hatfield is a genius when it comes to desserts and I can’t say that about many people besides Bestia’s pastry chef as well. We went with the cornmeal fritters, which was served with a blueberry marmalade, and buttermilk ice cream. To be honest what sold me was the buttermilk ice cream. The fritters were amazing! Light, airey, fluffy, not oily whatsoever yet they were deep fried.
The blueberry marmalade added that subtle sweetness with a little tartness to it. And the buttermilk ice cream was outstanding, had I had access to their kitchen I probably would’ve considered running out with the gallon they had prepared. Service was great and attentive, friendly, no pretentious vibes here. The food is legit and that’s all you need to know, give Odys & Penelope a try, let me know your experience.
Restaurant - Odys & Penelope Location - 127 S La Brea, Los Angeles, CA 90036 Contact - (323) 433-1057 Cuisine - American Fusion, Churrasco & Grill