The Divine Dish

Dinner at JAR

JAR restaurant

Last weekend after visiting Campanile, I headed out the next night for dinner at Mark Peel’s other restaurant (with co-owner chef Suzanne Tracht) JAR.  I had heard great things about the eatery for a long time and decided to try it out.

It is one of LA’s best for dishing up familiar comforting food.  The minamilist decor of browns and pastel green and yellows with orange hanging globe track lights creates a romantic retro-modish ambiance, where steaks and chops are featured heavily on the menu.   The crab deviled eggs, juicy pot roast, lemongrass chicken and marinated skirt steak are served with creamed spinach, duck fried rice, and mashed potato sides.  Desserts are also delicious, with chocolate mousse, banana cream pie and other faves to choose from.  Here is what we sampled, all fabulous.

Lobster tomato soup

we started with the special appetizer, the lobster tomato soup, rich in lobster flavor but light because it has no cream.   Very tasty.

crab deviled eggs

I love deviled eggs, so these crab deviled eggs were a real treat.  My fave of the night.

Butter lettuce salad

The butter lettuce salad was served with radishes, parmesan and a tangy lemon garlic vinaigrette.

Lemongrass chicken

Our main courses were the lemongrass chicken with kaffir lime leaf sauce, very good, and the marinated skirt steak (which comes with a side sauce, choices include bearnaise, lobster bearnaise, tamarind, peppercorn and creamy horseradish).  I had the lobster bearnaise sauce.

Strip steak

lobster bearnaise sauce

We also ordered some great side items, mashed potatoes and a medley of roasted mushrooms.  Both paired perfectly with our dishes.

mashed potatoes

mushrooms

We ended the meal with a mouth watering chocolate mousse (my favorite dessert).  If you crave your grandma’s classic comfort food but can’t cook it or get to nanna’s house, head to JAR for some tasty home cooked fare.  JAR is located at 8225 Beverly Boulevard, call 323-655-6566 for reservations.

chocolate mousse