Hatfield's

Hatfield's initially opened it doors in 2006 to a series of awards and accolades including a Michelin star, and best new restaurant. It is no wonder then, that the restaurant (that gets its name from the husband-wife team in the kitchen, Quinn and Karen Hatfield) outgrew it's tiny starter place on Beverly Boulevard and temporarily closed its doors in August 2009. When the restaurant finally premiered its new Melrose Avenue incarnation in February 2010, all of LA's foodie community came out to celebrate. Me? I'm only a few months behind.

Last Friday evening, I finally got my foodie behind into gear and made my way down to Hatfield's to have dinner with an old friend from Singapore and an old friend from High School. It was weird having a "mixed worlds" dining party (I typically do not like to mix my friends) but it worked out great!

The new Hatfield's space at Melrose is minimalist yet warm, understated yet glamorous. The main dining room comes complete with a glass-fronted open kitchen and dramatic molecular honeycomb light fixture that sheds soft rays onto the diners below. What I appreciated the most was that the atmosphere at Hatfield's was welcoming and foodie, rather than Hollywood and pretentious.

For my appetizer, I had to get the Croque Madam- Yellowtail Sashimi with Prosciutto on grilled brioche with a sunny side Quail Egg on top. With their unique surf (Yellowtail) and turf (Prosciutto) spin on this classic french dish, it's no surprise that the Croque Madam at Hatfield's has become a popular signature dish. Flavorful without being overwhelming, this Croque Madam perfectly balances the clean flavors of the Yellowtail and saltiness of the Prosciutto--divine. Meanwhile, the combination of the grilled brioche and the soft meats was simply delightful. My one HUGE complaint is that they did not clean the Yellowtail completely and I found 2 fish scales in my dish. Not good Hatfield's, not good.

For my main dish, I was tempted to order their other signature dish- the date and mint crusted lamb. However, I knew I should be "good" and order something lighter and therefore opted for their Loup de mer, with haricot vert, red onion soubise, fried capers with an almond dried apricot crunch on top. While the fish and haricot vert were cooked to perfection, and the almond dried apricot toppings added a sweet crunchy dimension to the dish, the Loup de mer was a little too polite for my taste. I will say though, that the soubise really was quite beautiful and velvety.

My Singaporean dining companion manned up and ordered the lamb dish that I had been eyeballing. He was kind enough to allow me to sneak a bite (or two). Tender and juicy, the lamb was scrumptious and sang deliciously of the mint and dates that it was crusted in. My favorite thing on the plate however, was the potato chive puree. Dense and light at the same time, the puree was a delicious way to get a starch on the plate in a restrained fashion.

Lastly, to keep with the being "good" theme, I ordered the tangerine semifreddo bombe (honey almond nougat clacé, fresh citrus compote) instead of the chocolate souffle tart. Citrus and tangy, the semifreddo bombe had a lovely combination of chewy nougat, buttery tart and cold sorbet. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Details:
Hatfield's
6703 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90038
323-935-2977