Odys and Penelope

Fantastic! My wife and I enjoyed everything we ordered from the food to the drinks to the ambiance. Lots of small bites so a great place to share and pick a nice variety from the menu. We did not have a reservation but we showed up early (~6pm) and found a spot at the bar. Full service at the bar. The bartender was engaging and helped out with menu suggestions. We’ll be back so we can explore some more of the menu.

I have to say that I had no complaints about the food. It was a 3 – 3.5. The overall experience just felt like a 2. Factor in the cost ($ 00.+ with 2 drinks and no wine plus terrible tap/​sewer water) and it’s a solid 1 star.
First of all– parking is miserable and a reason not to go back for me. We had 6:00pm reservations and they open the doors at 6:00. We got there 4 minutes early and the ladies in our party were a little chilly. We weren’t invited in stand in the entry or at the bar. Instead, the 14 year old hostess made us wait outside for 4 minutes until 6:00pm exactly. Complete deal breaker– I stopped patronizing Mozza for the same reason. Just started the evening out leaving a bad taste in our mouths.
They include an 18% tip on your bill so naturally the service was perfectly acceptable but absolutely cold and completely uninspired. I learned something. When the tip system is communist, expect nothing but the minimum level of competence. I’ll be sure to check restaurants that include the tip and remind myself not to patronize them. Service is ALWAYS an important component of an great meal. The service was not poor in any way, just completely un-​engaging and impersonal. Think checking out at Costco.
The space is interesting and quite noisy. Great for checking your Facebook, terrible for conversation (yes– some people still do it)
The drinks were tasty but had maybe 3 oz of liquid and possibly a ¼ ounce of liquor. Very meager selection as well. At $ 14./per, I expected a bit better.
The fried wild mushrooms and warm cheese puff appetizers were very good. The Dungeness crab crostini was very pretty but devoid of any taste. The roasted spaghetti squash was good. The Kennebec fries were really outstanding. The skirt steak and it’s carrot ginger purée, Fresno chilies, cilantro, radish worked well, though the steak portion was very small. The Dry aged churrasco Sirloin cap, crispy onions, horseradish potatoes was very tasty but very light on meat. The choices were medium rare and well done which might not suit every taste.
The Olive oil upside-​down cake, banana, toffee, candied hazelnuts, vanilla malt ice cream was very good as was the Chocolate meringue pie, Hair Bender ice cream.
The food was good but hardly exceptional and definitely not a Zagat 26– maybe a 24. This seems like an example in the new trend in dining where they grace you with their culinary wonder and making you feel like you are the customer is old fashioned. They are the customer and it’s up to us to accept whatever they choose to service us with. Don’t even get me started on the $ 0.25 charge for condiments. The overall experience just left us feeling it was a night wasted.

I was excited to try chef Hatfield’s new venture since I was a fan of his previous restaurants. I sat at the bar and was served by a very friendly and attentive bartender. Before my date showed up, I mentioned to him that I am allergic to Canola oil and he said «Oh, I don’t think we use that much». I said that I hear that a lot and suggested he’d check with the kitchen to make sure. He actually did know about Canola oil and the fact that it is not a very good food product. So, 10 minutes later, he came back to me and said, «There are two items on the menu that you CAN eat» … 2!!! The creamy cauliflower and the bacon-​wrapped chicken thigh. Everything else involves Canola oil.
Yikes… that was definitely not the case at Hatfield’s. Canola is genetically modified rapeseed oil (name changed for the obvious marketing reasons), it is highly processed, usually bleached and then washed with hexane some of which remains in the oil. Here is the link of some proud narrator explaining all the nasty things done to this oil to make it fit for human consumption
.
But, is it? My stomach says otherwise, trust me. It is the biggest lie in the food industry since High Fructose Corn Syrup and that gave America en masse diabetes and obesity. This new plague comes to us courtesy of Canada.
Why does the chef use this nasty oil? It is the cheapest oil around, has no smell or flavor, can be heated to high levels so is widely used for deep-​frying. Very versatile. hell, rapeseed oil used to be an industrial lubricant in the 30s and 40s because it was unfit for human consumption.
The chicken thighs and the creamy cauliflower were amazing (I’d love the recipe for the cauliflower — out of this world)!!!
I’ll be back for those two, which are the only two items I can consume at this restaurant until Chef sees the light.
The red wines by the glass were all pretty lame and un-​distinguished.
As a last note, I was surprised to find an 18% gratuity automatically added to my bill.
Is this a new development … even for a party of two?
Also, there was no room on the credit card slip to add any additional tip had I felt inclined to do so since the bartender was thorough enough to really find out what happened in the kitchen. Kudos to him.
So, food and service were a 4 star experience … please say NO to Canola in the future!

I went here for New Years Eve and had a wonderful dinner and a beautiful bottle of Champagne. Was surprised to see that they only had two bottles of Champagne on the list, but what was so interesting was that they were both from very small, award winning vineyards. Had never heard of them before but was glad to have discovered them.
The food is always wonderful here, have been many times and love that the menu changes by what is fresh and in season. The atmosphere is warm and a bit loud, but very friendly. They could use some cushions in the booths, but hey, that is just me, i like it cozy! My servers have been professional and knowledgeable every time I’ve been and that’s something I really appreciate. I don’t want just a pretty face taking my order, I want someone to TELL ME ABOUT THE FOOD WHO HAS TASTED IT! And each time, the server was able to give me in depth descriptions. Bravo!

A quick note: the service here is stunning, but the food is even better.
A Lolla Rosa salad was glorious in its asphotic mammoth appearance. The mole roasted carrots, the incredibly fresh lolla rosa, savory goat cheese wisps, crunchy nuts, cool creamy avocado, and tangy grapefruit and pickled onions all came together in one of the most delicately bold salads I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Sweet, savory, bitter, vegetal, nutty, fermented, bitter, spicy, refreshing, crunchy, creamy… a mesmerizing symphony of tastes and textures unleashed upon the palate.
Moving onto larger courses, the Pork Belly Bolognese Pappardelle was absolutely tremendous. for $ 19, the size must be at least 2x what Bestia or Republique give out in terms of portion sizes, yet the pliant, al dente noodles were immaculately coated with the savory bolognese, and perfect. I usually do not like pappardelle because it is too thin, and the sauce never seems to fully immerse itself in the pasta, plus there is no chew factor. Here, the pappardelle is thick, and has the blissful bite that one craves from great fresh pasta done right. This may be the best value pasta dish in all of LA.
Skirt steak was recommended medium, which was surprising at first but worked out very well. There were roasted carrots, along with a huge amount of exceptionally smooth carrot ginger purée. The ginger added just the right kick to the sweetness of the carrot, especially in conjunction with the pickled onions and cilantro. The steak itself had a lovely beef tartness, and a ridiculously intense crust to it. The prep remained very faithful to churrascuria skirt, somewhat chewy, but in the best possible way. It felt incredibly rustic somehow, despite the bright, colorful plating.
The magical Cauliflower and Millet with Walnut Pesto is famous by now, and it is a prodigious little dish. It’s almost impossible to state what this is like; I’ve never had cauliflower, nor millet, nor pesto quite like any of these anywhere else. It’s like the porridge at Taco Maria had a wild night with the Mandilli di Setta at the Factory Kitchen, and somehow produced the most beautiful baby in the world.
Of course, one MUST save room for dessert here. I don’t see any room for not declaring them the best dessert restaurant in LA, I often bring people just for desserts here haha. Tonight we hewed light. With the new creeme brulee tartlette, which humbly said it came with lemon sorbet. The tartlette itself had the most delicately creamy, eggy crème atop a bit of Karen Hatfield’s impossibly buttery, savory crusts, and the lemon sorbet conveyed the pure essence of lemon tenderly over it, but there was also a candied slice of meyer lemon, and a slew of diced meyer lemon and kumquats adding bulbous textures. It was one of the most simple, yet complex desserts I have come across, displaying citrus in 4 different ways juxtaposed against a simple crème and crust backdrop. Each bite allowed the palate to discover a new perspective on the classic combination of citrus and cream; a tart explosion from kumquat here, a toasted saccharine from the candied slice there, a burst of orange juice suddenly, a lilting of delicate lemon sorbet on the end… subtle, yet showstopping.
And finally, my favorite dessert ever, the simple Cornmeal Ricotta Fritters. The most delicate, moist, yet crisp fritters I have ever tasted accompanied by the best, whipped crème fraîche and salted honey butter sauce I have ever tasted. The quality of the honey butter sauce reminds me of the butter sauce served alongside extremely aged persimmons at Saison. How utterly ridiculous to find such beauty in a little California churrascaria, and yet how incredilby splendid! To experience the immense sweet, salty, savory butter sauce, the viscous, cool cream that coats your delicate, puffy, crisped fritters is to leave one’s body and enter the astral plane of heaven, if only for a moment.
By now my effusive tone has conveyed my final thoughts hopefully: everything at Odys & Penelope is glorious. It’s the kind of place that makes you envious of the people who live in the neighborhood where it is located. Ah… I feel privileged that the staff remembers me when I come in. Dining here is dining at the best of Los Angeles to me, a truly remarkable gem.

Perhaps I ordered wrong, but I found the food to be mediocre. The cauliflower purée was really interesting but I did enjoy it. It had a strange paste-​like consistency but the flavor was great. The cheese puffs were ok because they were fried dough balls but I don’t think I would order them again. The chicken thigh wrapped in bacon would have been better if the bacon was crispy. The fried mushrooms tasted like calamari. They were good, and this portion size was pretty big compared to the other shares.
The drinks were awesome, I had the tequila cocktail, but it was definitely on the small side. The dessert was delicious — chocolate pie. It had a toasted meringue on top and a side of coffee ice cream.
Don’t be over 15 mins late or they will give up your table, even if you call and even if there are plenty of tables… It happened to multiple parties when I was there. At least they will offer to sit you at a communal table or the chefs table so you will still be seated!
I would go back if I wanted to go somewhere trendy but not necessarily because the food was amazing.

When I heard that this was a new Hatfield’s restaurant, I was quite excited to try because I remembered liking their original restaurant.
Thankfully, they didn’t let me down and I thoroughly enjoyed the food. We got the following:
— loll rosa salad: light yet tasty, i’m not a big fan of goat cheese but it wasn’t overpowering at all (for my fellow goat cheese-​haters)
— dungeness crab toast: really good and a huge portion! they didn’t skimp on the crab at all. definitely get it to share
— House made pappardelle w/​a pork belly bolognese: noodles were prepared perfectly, thin sheets of carb goodness covered in a delightful sauce
— Maple rosemary glazed pork ribs: the server wasn’t lying when he said these are one of the best in this town! full of flavor and so tender
— creamy cauliflower: it was like a cauliflower risotto. definitely creamy but a different take on cauliflower and done well.
We really liked everything we ordered and I’d definitely like to come back and try other items on the menu. Service was great and prices were reasonable.

Amazing! I made a reservation through Open Table — super easy. They called to remind me of our reservation.
If you have a 5:30 reservation — they don’t open until exactly 5:30, so you will have to wait on the street.
Valet $ 7
Their food is fantastic! The portions are normal — not huge.
I had the tuna tacos and the crab crostini. They were both yummy. The pappardelle was sweet and savory. Also, the brazellino (fish) was the best.
Their desserts are top notch too — upside down cake and the chocolate meringue pie.
They automatically add 18% tip — but no complaints on the service. He was knowledgeable, but not intrusive.
A must try!!!

Yum yum yummy! Wow. I was hesitant to go here because they only had 3.5 stars. This place really impressed me. We had a full dining experience at the bar and the bartender, Kyle was very attentive.

Wow, great food, great atmosphere .
I really enjoyed the ambiance and the creative food.
I wish I had the chance to try the short ribs but they run out. Coming back for sure.

Really enjoyed! The food was great, service was wonderful and the ambience was beautiful.
The restaurant is a lot bigger than it looks in pictures. We had a party of 8 and even so we got great service.
Delicious, quality food! Had the following;
Cauliflower (fresh take on an overdone dish! Great flavor and texture… I can see why this was one of Jonathan Gold’s favorite dishes of 2015)
Pork ribs (meat falls off the bone, delish)
Tri-​tip (great flavor, tender)
Various desserts (all great)

My fiancé and I chose to eat at Odys + Penelope on Christmas Eve because he received a gift card. This was one of the best meals I’ve had all year. The style and seasonal flavors reminded me of the neighborhood favorite, Republique, and Juniper and Ivy in San Diego. The flavors were balanced and delicious from the cocktails to the desserts. Every sip or bite was memorable.
Cheese Puffs (5 stars) — These were warm, light and airy that I could have eaten all four puffs on my own. The spreadable smoked tomato romesco complemented it well and didn’t overpower the cheese flavor.
Creamy Dungeness Crab Crostini (4 stars) — The flavors and textures of the lightly dressed crab, avocado, fennel, dill, and crisp bread created a scrumptious bite.
Tri-​Tip (5 stars) — The tri-​tip was the most tender tri-​tip I’ve ever had and was able to cut it with a butter knife. The broccolini was perfectly seasoned that I wanted more. Their béarnaise made me a béarnaise believer since it really paired well with the tri-​tip, broccolini and onions making it a well rounded dish.
Creamy Cauliflower (4 stars) — Although I was expecting a smooth purée, I liked the texture from the cauliflower and millet. I enjoyed the pesto, but I wish there was a little more.
Apple Wood Smoked Shortribs– 16 oz (4 stars) — It was fall off the bone tender that no steak knife was needed. It was smoky, but not too smoky. It was melt in your mouth with a slight chew from the yummy outside crust. I also liked the subtle flavors of BBQ sauce on the side. It’s served on the bone, which was probably half the weight.
Crème Brulee Tarlette, Tangerine, Pistachio and Mint Ice Cream (3 stars) — Don’t expect a typical crème brulee. It’s more like custard tart that only has half a bruleed topping. The citrus was too tart compared to the other sweet flavors.
Warm Brown Butter Crostata, Roasted Apple, Maple Syrup Ice Cream (5 stars) — I loved the flakiness, texture and sweetness of the crostata. I loved everything on the plate except for the cream. It was on the sour side that I prefer a lightly sweetened whipped cream.
Pear Spritz (4 stars) — It was a nicely scented, lightly sparkling cocktail with lovely pear flavor and hint of orange.
Cucumber Collins (5 stars) — I enjoyed this cucumber cocktail that’s both sweet and refreshing. I would definitely order this drink again.
Besides having an excellent meal, service was also excellent (5 stars). Everyone was very nice, and we didn’t wait too long for any of our dishes. The ambiance is nice and isn’t too big. Upon entering, it has a smoky smell with wooden tables and firewood that gives the place a cozy feeling especially on a cold, winter day. I will gladly come back since I enjoyed everything.

Great Service.
Great Cocktails.
Great Ambience.
LOVED the pasta dish with the pork belly. A bit rich but soo flavorful. I’d definitely get this again.
Everything else we ordered was good as well especially the meat dishes. Honestly, try whatever u feel like. You wouldn’t be disappointed.

Its been a while since I’ve gone to a restaurant and enjoyed it this much. I’ve been to the old Hatfield’s and even though its more upscale I would still choose Odys. The ambiance here is nice and the service was equally as good. I wouldn’t agree with my servers choice in food but thats a personal thing.
Do get:
Try tip
Crab on crostini
cheese poofs
cauiflower with millet
pappardelle with pork sausage
Pass:
Lamb lettuce cups
spaghetti squash

Good ol wood fire cooking! You can see the chefs working away, cast-​iron grates, and an easily accessible ceiling high woodpile, brick walls etc. 8pm reservations on a Monday night and the restaurant was completely packed, including the bar and the communal table for those w/​o reservations. Grab a drink at the bar while u wait for your table and on average dinner time here is about 2 hours. 3 girls — 6 dishes = Full. 18% gratuity automatically included.
Good and fast service, and the food portions were pretty decent as well. Former Hatfields chef did not disappoint with the main dishes, although the food was a bit salty for my taste; the cauliflower and fried mushrooms were especially salty and meh! Nothing special really, we left parched. Short ribs are super popular but they ran out so we didn’t get to try it, they are big on their meats so we got the trip tip and loved every bite of it.
Favorites:
Branzino
Trip tip
Pork Bolognese

This place is fantastic.
We went here for a family birthday, they sat us at this nice table in the front of the restaurant.
I have to say, it was great — the service, the restaurant look.
First, I had a mesquite tequila drink that was so tasty.
Then we had the famous cheese puffs and they were unique, and tasty – very puffy. The caulifllower was unique, tasty and rich.
The entrée’s were all good. I had sirloin caps, My dad and son shared the ribs. All perfectly cooked and tasty. The Branzino was citrus tinged and very very tasty.
The deserts were mind blowiing — we had 4 different ones — I had the olive oil banana cack with vanilla malt ice cream — I love olive oil cake — and it was the best yest.

Yum. Came here last night for a GNO dinner.
Had a glass of rose and my friends and I all shared the following
* fried mushrooms
* warm cheese puffs
* grilled squid
* spaghetti squash
* lamb lettuce leaf cups
* pork ribs
* brussel sprouts
* pork loin
* short rib
Everything was very good. My favs were the cheese puffs, spaghetti squash, lamb lettuce leaf cups (my favs of the night), pork ribs and pork loin. (I like eating pigs).
For dessert we tried the warm brown butter crostata, the cornmeal fritters and the chocolate meringue pie. The desserts are definitely worth it.
Service was good and predictable throughout the meal. I was bummed when Hatfields closed but this is a nice replacement and wasn’t as meat-​heavy as I’d feared (i.e. Bestia — which runs out of at least one of its two veggie options by 9PM, it seems). I’d definitely come back here.
FYI they add 18% gratuity to your bill and valet parking is around the corner by Sugarfish.

Out of the 7 of us I was the only one who thought this place deserved at least 3 stars. The rest said 2 and would never return again.
We were excited to try this place since its Number 22 on Jonathan Gold’s 101 Best Restaurants in the LA times but what we got was lackluster.
Upon arrival the server took a while to acknowledge us, when she finally came she offered us water but no cocktails. I asked her for a glass of wine and she immediately left w/​o getting the rest of our party’s drink orders. I had to flag her down. Then when we were settling in studying the menu we asked if we could order a bunch of appetizers while we decide on our entrée’s, she said NO because they prefer we order everything together to get the «FLOW» of the food right. Uhhh what?
Now we’re ready to order, appetizers and entrees. Our appetizers came and as we had almost finished them we waited for our entrees… and waited… and waited, by now we’ve ordered more appetizers because we’re starving! By now we’re finishing the second batch of appetizers our entrée’s still haven’t made it to the table.
I flag our server down asking her the status of our entrees. Her response was it was coming, that we came at a busy time and the «FLOW» she was talking of was slow in the kitchen. Half of the restaurant was empty, it was 9pm. By then we asked for the manager.
Susie came and listened and patiently explained to us that they don’t serve entrees until we’ve finished all of our appetizers. We had literally a few fries left on the table! We were so upset at this point that they would require us to finish all the appetizers, the one small dish of fries cleared before serving our entrée’s is ridiculous!
So cons: Terrible service (who would deny us to order appetizers), poor management and in-​efficient kitchen. 18% service charge already added.
Pros: Susie comped us some wine and two desserts and comfortable ambiance.
Was the food good? Yes but terrible management and service overshadowed the food.
I say skip this place.

CLIFF’S NOTES: One of my favorite new restaurants of 2015! Great space and amazing food that meat eaters and veggie eaters should both love!
FOOD: The Hatfields are running on all cylinders! They are putting a lot of love into their new place and it shows. The flavors were exciting without being overwhelming and every dish delighted my taste buds in new and different ways. The cheese puffs are one of my Top 10 dishes of all of 2015! I cannot get enough of these! Get them… and don’t be shy about ordering seconds!
Highlights: Creamy cauliflower + millet & walnut pesto (also vying for a spot in my 2015 top 10), Fried wild mushrooms, oak grilled branzino, pappardelle with pork belly bolognese. And did I mention the cheese puffs? Just checking.
Things to skip: Nothing. Everything we’ve had has been solid.
Dessert: In a town known for its stars, Karen’s dessert stardom takes the cake (sorry…couldn’t resist!). She is a special talent. DO.NOT.SKIP.DESSERT. The frozen yogurt pavlovas are particularly great, but just get 2 or 3 or 5 of whatever speaks to you!
AMBIENCE: Crazy sexy space. It is hands down the most stunning restaurant in LA! The old church has such beautifully dramatic bones. Love that nearly half the restaurant is outdoors… why why why don’t more LA restaurants have significant outdoor seating??? Insider Tip: When reserving, ask for a patio table… much nicer and better noise ratio.
STAFF: PERFECT! The staff is incredibly friendly, helpful and just attentive enough.
PRICES: It’s a little on the pricy side, but it feels worth the money for the quality of ingredients and preparation. Expect $ 50ish per person before alcohol.

***With Hatfield’s now closed, Odys + Penelope is the only way to experience the cuisine and desserts of Quinn and Karen Hatfield (excluding the excellent bakery and lunch café Sycamore Kitchen, located just south of this restaurant); the restaurant’s savory courses show promise while it is no surprise that Karen Hatfield’s desserts are exceptional***
Formal and semi-​formal fine dining restaurants really struggle in Los Angeles so it was no surprise that Hatfield’s (a white tablecloth fine dining restaurant near Pizzeria Mozza) is now closed. While Hatfield’s did not reach the creative and brilliant highs of fine dining in San Francisco or Chicago, the kitchen produced excellent food like their upscale take on the Croque Madame, where brioche was sauteed in a brown butter bath to deliver an almost deep-​fried crunchy crust and delicately salty prosciutto was layered with perfectly fresh, soft and moist hamachi to turn this classic French sandwich into something else. And Karen Hatfield’s desserts always shined at Hatfield’s with selections like made-​to-​order beignets and warm, moist and crusty pain perdu paired with seasonal fruit.
The husband and wife team behind Hatfield’s (Quinn and Karen) though have opened a new restaurant Odys + Penelope, which is more casual as well as more aligned with Los Angeles’ current dining scene. Odys + Penelope draws inspiration from Brazilian Churrasco cuisine so it is no surprise that the food at Odys + Penelope veer on the meaty and salty side.
Still, the kitchen here brings a certain refinement to meat and side dishes, which I noticed with each course. I started with the shaved Brussels sprouts salad. The Brussels sprouts were shaved to provide a cabbage-​like texture. Some of the Brussels sprouts were also smoked so that the edges had a great charred flavor and a crispy texture. I also liked how they did not over-​season the Brussels sprouts so that its natural flavor came out. Too often, restaurants drown Brussels sprouts in vinegar and salt to mask its uniquely bitter flavor.
The Brussels sprouts were paired with crunchy almonds as well as dried apricot. I wish the dried apricot cubes had more of a sweetness to them because that sweetness was needed to balance out the saltiness of the fried capers in the salad.
For my entrée, I had the Wagyu tri-​tip, which was served with charred broccolini, very sweet cipollini onions and a Bearnaise. This was definitely a dish from Quinn Hatfield as it combined the new (utilizing a high quality but lower priced cut of Wagyu beef) with the classic (a rich, buttery and traditional Bearnaise). The vegetables were nicely cooked as the broccolini had a enjoyable crispy and charred edge (like the Brussels sprouts) while the cipollini onions easily fell apart.
The beef featured a moist and very rich center that captured the marbled beef experience many come to expect with Wagyu or Kobe beef. The beef was tender though it was still very much a roast and definitely dry around the edges. While there were a lot of good things about this entrée, it was definitely too salty. The tri-​tip had a smoky and salty bark as to be expected but combined with the overly salty broccolini, this entrée really ended up just delivering one flavor.
Dessert was a high note as to be expected given Karen Hatfield is one of the best pastry chefs in the country. My dessert was a perfectly moist, warm and sweet sticky toffee pudding garnished with mildly sweet and juicy compressed apple and crunchy pecans, which had a consistently thin but noticeable candied shell. The only thing I did not like was the lime ice cream; while creamy, the lime in the ice cream was rather strong.
Service was good and quick.
Prices are high, but the ingredients are definitely top notch and the kitchen shows a great attention to detail.
Odys + Penelope features a casual and rustic dining room. The dining room is definitely contemporary though with the use of upscale wood and a simple but still sleek bar.
I thought the savory courses here were on the salty side, but the food here also showed a lot of potential and I would definitely be willing to give them another try. I am not sure if the cuisine at Odys + Penelope can match what the Hatfields are capable of, but hopefully the husband and wife team will find ways to create cuisine showcasing their talents while also maintaining competitive with Los Angeles’ upscale casual and trendy dining scene.
Parking can be hard to find in this area since a lot of street parking is not available due to weekday rush hour parking rules; in addition, parking in the nearby residential area is not allowed. There is a valet pay lot just north of Odys + Penelope.