Rate-A-Restaurant, #159 in a series

Restaurant: Eat on Sunset

Location: 1448 N. Gower (Hollywood)

Type of restaurant: Modern American

We stipulated: On the final day of this year's DineLA restaurant week, we decided to give the event one more chance. Maria had a terrible experience earlier with Tiara Cafe...so we were, quite simply, looking for a good DineLA experience. At the same time, Maria was talking to our pal Pang-ni about meeting up. So they decided to bring along their significant others and make it a double date.


soup

What we ordered: Here was the $15 lunch menu: First course, butternut squash soup with cinnamon and sugar croutons OR bab greens salad with candied hazelnuts and orange-honey vinaigrette; main course, wild mushroom risotto with carmelized shallots and micro arugula OR herb marinated chicken with roasted fingerling potatoes, grilled asparagus and warm onion marmalade OR casarecci pasta with Spanish chorizo, tomatoes, basil and saffron emulsion; dessert, valrhona chocolate pudding with chantilly creme


salad

High point: I would have licked the bowl to my bowl of butternut squash soup, but we were with others. The cinnamon and sugar croutons were a nice touch. Also, unlike Maria's last DineLA experience, this one went smoothly. They immediately presented us with a DineLA menu and took our order without problem.


risotto

Low point: I know I'm supposedly on a diet, so it's a little ridiculous to complain about portion size, but the risotto portion was definitely on the small side. And the chocolate pudding was nice -- and don't get me wrong, we ate it all -- but unspectacular.


chicken

Overall impression: I always liked Joachim Splichal's old joint in the Sunset/Gower spot, Pinot Hollywood -- particularly the lounge in the back, which was a perfect meeting place for drinks. Eat on Sunset still has all of that, but offers a more comforting menu than Pinot did. I'm fine with that... even if the name "Eat. On Sunset." is a little too precious.


pudding

Chance we will go back: I'd be game for hitting Eat on Sunset again during a non-DineLA meal. But most likely, I'll be back to have drinks at the lounge.

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