Wood & Vine: Small plates dining in Hollywood

We decided to grab a bite at Wood and Vine before the Fleet Foxes concert at the Hollywood Palladium. Located in the historic Taft building, the newbie restaurant is housed in a pretty cool space. The restaurant has two levels, soaring ceilings with dark walls and furniture. It's sleek, trendy, bustling yet warm in a very "non-clubby Hollywood" way.

Their dishes, prepared by English chef Gavin Mills, are meant to be shared so we ordered a couple dishes for the two of us.

Their Charcuterie is an absolute must. It's made in-house and is quite affordable at 3 for $8, 5 for $12 or 7 for $16. You can include cheeses to the selection. We went with the chicken liver mousse, pork and cherry pate and Tallegio cheese. The silky liver mousse was my favorite as it was creamy and easy to spread. It had the right amount of sweetness to it. The pate had an intense porkiness with chunks of rich liver. The Tallegio was rich with a strong aroma. I liked the nice setup of the dish with the meats and cheese served alongside the honey, pickled vegetables and mustard. I also appreciated the ample serving of crostini toasted with olive oil.

Their grilled scallop was cooked with such perfection. It had a nice sear outside but was supple inside. The large scallops were paired with creamy truffled grits and artichokes. The grits were really flavorful and decadent.

The braised lamb and ricotta ravioli was perhaps my least favorite of the lot. I thought the lamb had a gamy flavor. The butter did not seem sufficiently browned, hence it lacked that nutty flavor. I did like the citrus of the preserved lemon and the crunchy stalks of broccolini.

Their fried chicken and waffle is a crowd favorite. The white meat was surprisingly juicy and succulent. It had a nice breading and crispy skin. The house made waffle was fluffy and not soggy. I thought it held together quite well. Instead of having syrup drizzled on the waffle, they topped the dish with a sweet maple roasted squash.

In a town that's filled with too many uber-trendy and sceney restaurants, I really enjoyed dinner at this sophisticated yet approachable dining spot. The decor is quite impressive with a lovely outdoor patio area and retro bar area. The food was also good and very satisfying.

Hits: chicken & waffles, charcuterie, scallops
Misses: pasta was ok
Rating: ***

Wood & Vine
6280 Hollywood Blvd.,
Los Angeles, CA 90028
(323) 334-3360
http://www.woodandvine.com/