Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

You Haven’t Had Meat ‘Til You’ve Eaten at Animal

By

inside animal restaurant foie gras
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Being obsessed with kale and tofu and whatever the hell veganism is, Los Angeles seems like an unlikely place for the meat mecca that is Animal restaurant, but people are glad it exists. The inventive, bold, always-flavorful menu earned Animal a 2016 James Beard Foundation Award for Excellence.

Opened by chefs-and-restaurateurs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, Animal is another in their long line of gastronomical successes, including Son of a Gun, Jon & Vinny’s, and Trois Familia just to name a few. The two men met in culinary school in Florida and eventually found themselves on the West Coast, feeding the grateful carnivorous Angeleno population. Animal is small, seating for only about 40 guests at a time, and is in keeping with their minimalist design scheme, which keeps your attention fully on the meal. Not that you could really be distracted from it.

Recommended Videos

The cuts offered at Animal aren’t your regular fare, so this is a place for only gluttonous adventurers. Take their “Mongolian” sweetbreads, served with Shiitake mushrooms, scallions and Kochukaru, a hot Korean spice. Sweetbreads, if you’re not familiar, are somewhat sweet but are assuredly not bread. It’s the thymus gland and pancreas of, traditionally, lamb or veal. Speaking of veal, they offer veal tongue served with salmon roe and black mustard. Not exciting enough for you? Go for the Veal Brains, served with Indian spices and apricot puree. There’s even a pig’s head– yes, you read that correctly: they serve their twist on the classic British dish, Pig’s Head Terrine. They have a pig’s ear if you’re not ready for the whole hog (head). Their roasted bone marrow is served with healthy dollops of chimichurri sauce, which really livens it up. Other animals that make an appearance on the dinner menu include rabbit, Albacore Tuna, pork ribs, a richly smoked turkey leg, and a bone-in Ribeye, swimming in bone marrow butter. You really haven’t had butter until you’ve had bone marrow butter.

animal restaurant los angeles
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The meat heaven also offers brunch, and it’s no doubt the most exciting brunch menu you’ll come across. Still featuring heavily on meat, Animal offers interesting twists on classics. Their Pastrami Reuben Benedict makes for a very happy mid-morning meal. If you’re looking for less breakfast and more lunch, go for their Barbeque Pork Belly sandwiches.

Let’s not forget the supporting dishes because Animal certainly hasn’t. Make sure to order the Poutine, which is made with oxtail gravy and topped with cheddar. And if you’ve still got room after your meal, order the Tres Leches cake, which is so light and creamy and simple, it’ll blow your mind.

Elizabeth Dahl
Elizabeth Dahl
Elizabeth Dahl is a southern girl in the heart of Los Angeles who lived far too long before learning what an incredible food…
A series of whiskies distilled using techniques from the 1920s
The James Eadie series includes contributions from six Scottish distilleries
james eadie project 1927 dsc00004 prw

Although humans have been making whisky for hundreds of years, with whisky production in Scotland recorded as far back as the 1400s, the techniques used in terms of distillation and aging have evolved significantly in that time. While historical records are murky on the exact origin of the spirit, a guide from Scotland in the 1920s clearly lays out traditional practices in its production. Now, a group of Scottish distilleries has produced a series of whiskies based on these techniques.

The independent bottler James Eadie is releasing the Project 1927 series based on the book The Distillation of Whisky, 1927-1931. The distilleries Ardnamurchan, Dornoch, Holyrood, InchDairnie, Lochlea, and "An Unnamed Farm Distillery in the Heart of the Kingdom of Fife" have contributed to the project, each offering a spirit using techniques from the book as overseen by whisky expert Dave Broom and former Master Distiller at The Glenlivet, Alan Winchester.

Read more
The best Oktoberfests in the U.S. – this is where you should celebrate
You don't have to fly to Germany to enjoy Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest beer steins

There are a handful of drinking-centric holidays celebrated throughout the world. Like St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo, Oktoberfest is not only a popular drinking holiday, but its origins are also a mystery to most of us hoisting frosty brews and eating schnitzel, sauerkraut, and currywurst. While we’ll get into the other holidays in later articles, today is all about Oktoberfest.

For those unaware, Oktoberfest is the biggest beer festival in the world. But it’s so much more than that. There's a giant carnival as well as multiple tents featuring food, music, and beer (Spaten, Paulaner, Augustiner, and more). Usually celebrated in late September through early October every year (except for a handful of years off for wars and COVID), more than 6 million beer fans descend on Theresienwiese (Theresa’s meadow) in Munich, Germany.

Read more
Sub mezcal in for tequila in these cocktail recipes
The brand Dos Hombres Mezcal offers its cocktail suggestions
dos hombres cocktail recipes ap bc 1

It seems like everyone is getting into mezcal these days, from the spirit popping up at local bars to big celebrity names getting in on the mezcal action. The latter is the case with Dos Hombres Mezcal, from Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, who shared a love of cocktails while working on the series.

If you're just getting into mezcal, though, you might wonder how to best make of it. While high-end mezcals are typically sipped, they can also make for great cocktails. And though there aren't all that many classic cocktail recipes which feature mezcal, one great tip is to try subbing mezcal in for tequila in your favorite mixed drinks.

Read more