Lifestyle, Restaurants
Nov 1, 2019

Dinner Diaries: Neighbor LA

Looking for a reason to head to Abbott Kinney in Venice? Look no further than Neighbor LA.

We stopped by recently to try the dinner selection at Neighbor on Abbott Kinney, and were surprised to find that the chic yet cozy restaurant boasts a romantic bar for date nights. While we knew the cocktails we’re fantastic from our last jaunt to Neighbor to investigate their brunch ( you can check that out HERE), we didn’t know it was also a posh sports bar. Take a look at their take on an Aperol cocktail and our favorite Gin cocktail from their autumn menu. Aren’t they gorgeous? We assure you the flavor ratios are also fantastic.

We kicked off our meal with Neighbor LA’s Autumn Beetroot and Nduja Salumi as our appetizers. The Autumn Beetroot was a personal favorite. If you are not a fan of beets, we assure you, you will be converted. The dish comes with an assortment of beets with pecans, mission figs, vadouvan and labneh. There are subtle middle eastern touches in the dish selections throughout the meal, and they are delightful. Meanwhile, the Nduja Salumi is much like a bread, cheese and meat platter. However, it is not traditional in its taste or appearance. If you like to venture outside of your “normal” dish orders we highly recommend giving this appetizer a shot. It also comes with an actual honey comb, which we found made of a nice palette cleanser.

For the main meal we requested Neighbor LA’s Diver Scallop. This meal was divine. The scallops are cooked to perfection and served in a stew like selection for dinner, which seems perfect for Autumn. The scallops are served with white beans, chorizo, smoked mussels, octopus and california. The resulting flavor profile is delectable and a must try for any seafood lovers.

To round out our dinner selections we decided on their Lamb Saddle cooked medium rare. The meat was so tender and flavorful with just a hint of spiciness, which left you wanting more. The lamb comes with sun choke, a green goddess home made drizzle, fennel pollen and mustard. Meatlovers will not be disappointed.

As a side to add a hint of greens to our meal we asked for their Charred Leak. It’s always a good idea to incorporate more greens into your diet, and these leaks were just the ticket. Flavorful and full of vitamins, it is a perfect side dish to round out a rich dinner selection.

For desert we finished off by sharing one of their cinnamon waffles. We did however request the blue cheese on the side. While we are adventurous, it is the one cheese we haven’t been able to hop on board for just yet. We keep trying, alas as devout cheese lovers the pleasure of bleu cheese still evades out palette.