Animal. This Carnivore's Dream Actualized

Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo are the primal chefs who founded the catering company Carmelized Productions, stars of the Food Network show, "Two Dudes Catering," and creators of the restaurant that goes by the name Animal. So I was a little hesitant and turned off by the quirky name but my curiosity got the best of me. After reading mostly good reviews I opted to check out the restaurant know as Animal. The waiter Jon was amazing and led me in all the right directions. I placed the order and Jon sent the items out in pairings. My selections for the evening were:
1) young kale salad, lemon vinaigrette, pecorino- I was not excited about this until I tasted it and my taste buds exploded. Very simple and subtly layered with flavor.
2) poutine, ox-tail gravy, Vermont cheddar- the rich man's chili cheese fries. The chunks of meat were so tender, the fries were blazing hot and crisp...definitely a top contender for a post-midnight indulgence. (We had to order it just for the name alone. I mean who doesn't like a little Poutine in the late night hours? I know crass and very 9th grade of me. Ces't la vie.)
3) pork belly, kimchi, peanuts, chili soy, scallion-so crisp, so flavorful and surprisingly light. Hands down the winner for the evening. The kimchi was not traditional but was "off the chain"...ummm so good. I could seriously eat this morning, noon and night. Pig love!

4) melted petit basque, chorizo, garlic bread-A fondue served with perfectly toasted bread. It had a flavoring similar to French Onion Soup. Comfort food sinfulness.
5) balsamic pork ribs, sunchoke, artichoke & English pea hash- The meat was so tender that I was able to eat them with a fork and knife. The flavor of the meat was a little gamey but the sauce was luscious.

6) joe’s doughnuts, caramel- Crisp on the outside, lightly cakey on the inside. A satisfying sweet "somethin, somethin" to follow up and evening of savory tastiness.
They have a nice wine list and of course I indulged there too. Meat is a featured item in each dish but the balance is appropriate so there is no over powering awareness of meat meat meat! I walked out full and not feeling like I was going to have a heart attack, to my surprise. Each dish is a small plate...so think tapas. I will definitely be going back and hosting a party there. Check out their food and wine menus http://animalmenu.wordpress.com/
Animal Restaurant
435 N. Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90036.
(323) 782-9225.
Open Seven Days A Week. Sunday - Thursday. 6pm-11pm. Friday - Saturday. 6pm-2am
www.animalrestaurant.com