Animal

Animal Review

When foodies in Los Angeles need a culinary thrill, they come to this minimalist restaurant in the Fairfax District, which is light on the flash but heavy on serious food. The James Beard award-winning restaurant is owned by Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, two young chefs who shot to fame with a stint on Iron Chef and later with their own Food Network show, Two Dudes Catering. With a closing time of 1 am, the small restaurant is an L.A. anomaly. That assessment is also true for the restaurant's diverse clientele, which ranges from neighborhood dwellers to young Hollywood celebrities to food snobs in search of their new favorite dish. The changing daily menu consists of small plates and entrées that make it easy to explore many items, like barbecue pork belly sandwiches, poutine with oxtail gravy, foie gras loco moco (a hamburger topped with foie gras, quail egg, and Spam), and grilled quail served with plum char-siu. For dessert, the house specialty is a multilayered bacon-chocolate crunch bar.