This past spring break my boyfriend and I decided to treat ourselves to a nice meal before going back to the drudgery of responsibilities and routine the following Monday. Our first choice was Lucky Belly but they were booked for the evening. Our next choice was someplace I’ve heard great reviews about but neither of us had ever been there and so we weren’t sure what to expect. Coincidentally, the owners of Lucky Belly were also the owners of Livestock, a clear sign that we were in for a culinary journey. Yet, I couldn’t help but wonder, would this place live up to the hype or be a wasteful let-down like other popular restaurants I’ve been suckered in to trying? Would the price range fit our broke college student budget or would we be handing over this week’s check for a few meager morsels that only the upper crust of society indulge in? After looking over their menu prices and looking at pictures of food that customers have taken on Yelp, I got excited to try something new. 

I made reservations that afternoon for 9:30 pm. They said if we could find parking on the street that would be cheapest but there are also tons of parking lot options scattered around the block. We parked a few streets away and briskly walked to the restaurant. Once inside we were unsure what to do. Our hostess momentarily stepped away from her stand and a waiter was caught between helping us and waiting on his section. That moment was brief and our hostess reappeared with a friendly smile and showed us to our table. 

The ambience was cozy and romantic with an underground-hipster-French vibe which I felt really set the mood for the food that we were about to eat. Our waitress was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, drink pairings and specials. I already had an idea of what I wanted to order and how. I wanted to try several of the small plates which ranged from $15-$25, I kept within the $15 dollar range so I could order more than one thing. Jesse, my boyfriend, zeroed in on the lamb loin and I went with the grilled octopus, duck ravioli and bone marrow stuffed with escargot. While we waited nearly a full hour for our food (I’m guessing it took so long because we ordered so much), we sipped on our alcoholic beverages. I ordered a glass of Rose but since the bottle was almost done she left the rest with me and Jesse went through two bottles of Lagunitas which he now claims was just “alright.” I thought it packed a flavorful punch with a fruity after taste. 

We also ordered two bowls of lobster bisque which arrived with our drinks. Without having the slice chunk of lobster meat in the soup it was able to capture the essence of lobster in rich and creamy tomato soup. We cleaned our bowls and patiently waited for the next round of flavor packed dishes.

Finally, our food arrives and it is everything I have been waiting for. The grilled octopus on fennel with slices of orange, chive yogurt and chorizo oil blew my palette away. Jesse thought the octopus could’ve been beaten more as the piece he got was a little too chewy. The duck ravioli with stone fruit and pinot demi – I have no idea what that means but I was swimming in a world of flavors that my tongue had been waiting all its life to taste. My final dish was the bone marrow and escargot with herb butter and spicy green slaw. This has only been my second time eating escargot and I wasn’t into the whole drowning it in cheese and butter thing – not that I’m interested in knowing what unflavored snail tastes like but it wasn’t anything special to me. In between mouthfuls of the food I ordered, of course I had to taste Jesse’s lamb loin with root vegetables. It did not disappoint at all, the lamb was buttery and drenched in a flavorful broth of its own drippings. The fingerling potatoes and Kalamata olives weren’t too hard to mess up but also paired nicely with the meat.

At this point I have enjoyed nearly every bite of my food and ask for the bone marrow and escargot to be put in a to-go plate (with no intention of finishing it). Our tummies and palettes were extremely satisfied which made the bill not seem so dreadful when it got to us. All in all this was a wonderful experience and I will happily go back for their summer menu. Did I mention that their menu changes seasonally? Well there, I said it, now go out and explore flavors beyond your shoyu and wasabi dipped sushi from Genki. Your mouth and your stomach will thank you for it.