The Barish Los Angeles

The money you’ll throw down at The Barish Los Angeles is em-barishing; so here’s a look at what you should be ordering and where you might want to save your money.

What is The Barish Los Angeles

The Barish is Chef Nancy Silverton’s new Steakhouse located at the Iconic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. It replaced the old Public Kitchen & Bar space. The name Barish comes from Chef Nancy Silverton’s paternal grandmother’s side of the family which raised cattle in Saskatchewan, Canada in the late 1800s.

The food you’ll find is traditional steakhouse cuisine paired with the Italian meets Californian cuisine that you’ve come to love at her other restaurants like Osteria Mozza.

What are you Drinking?

It’s refreshing to see as many specialty beers on the menu as there are cocktails. These two are paired together on the first small menu, where you’ll find Classic Cocktails with an Italian twist and Beers from Inglewood to Italy that start as low as $8. The cocktails are $16 apiece and include options like The Barish Martini with a Finochietto finish that makes it taste like fennel as well as an Angeleno made that tastes of a bitter aperitif over soda.

The wine list is more red wine dominant and offers about 18 by the glass options and 120 by the bottle. You can find a bottle of red for less than $50 but the average price will be in the $60 to $80 range.

What are you Eating?

The menu is divided into Cicchetti, Antipasti, Insalate, Pasta al Forno, Contorni, Secondi, and Bistecca. Perhaps you should be eating one of each, but I’m not sure if that’s humanly possible for anyone’s stomach. If you’re looking to keep the meal under an hour, you’ll have to divide and conquer. As I visited with my two young children, this was mandatory.

Cicchetti

Although carbo-heavy, these were some of my favorite bites of the meal. The Barish Farmhouse Roll with butter from Normandy is a must ($8) and arrives warm. The Popover with 24-year-old Prosciutto di Parma was not what I expected, but still enjoyable ($16). It’s kind of like a crepe topped with prosciutto whereas I expected it to arrive looking like the Barish roll did.

Antipasti & Insalate

A very carnivorous antipasti section with menu highlights like Steak Tartare and Lamb Ribs ($22). In the Insalate section you’ll find three salads like a Chicory Caesar with anchovy and olive croutons ($16) as well as a Cauliflower bagna cauda style ($14).

Pasta al Forno

Although this is a steak restaurant, it’s hard to ignore the five kinds of pasta calling to you from the menu’s center as warm memories of Mozzas past fill your brain. The Rotolo resembles a crispy fried cheese with swiss chard and strained tomatoes buried underneath ($22). The Rigatoni with squash, goat cheese, and a vadouvan curry spice is served al detne with the rigatoni standing up like little fingers poking at you ($22). Once again, neither was what I expected. I’m not sure I would order the Rigatoni again but the Rotolo has my curiosity peaked to try the other three kinds of pasta on the menu.

Contorni & Secondi

The Contorni side-dish section is all vegetables. This includes enormous Salt Baked Fries with a thousand island dipping sauce ($10) and Leeks in lardo ($14). The Salt Baked Fries are a must if you’re dining with children. You might even find that one is enough for each adult. The leeks were sweet and delightful but felt lacking in portion size and probably should be renamed with the singular leek much like the Barish Roll.

The Secondi section ranges from fish like Sea Bream ($36) or a baked Salmone en Crosta ($62) all the way to a Short Rib with celery root and pinenuts ($48). I couldn’t imagine having a Short Rib before the main Bistecca, so this is where I assume one doesn’t have to enjoy something from every section on the menu.

Bistecca

Lastly, we’ve reached the meat of the meal. The steak is fire-roasted and includes a 40-ounce Porterhouse that has been aged for 40 days ($150); a 20-ounce dry-aged New York Steak ($95); a 6-ounce Wagyu Rib Cap ($60); and a 10-ounce Bavette ($38) among others. The 40-ounce Porterhouse is a great choice for larger groups, but if you’ve filled up on pasta and bread, you’ll be pleased to know that the 10-ounce Bavette is just perfect for two adults to share. All the meat is served with a side sauce of Cacio e Pepe, Horseradish Crème Fraiche, or Pickled Mustard Seed Vinaigrette.

Final Thoughts

The Barish Los Angeles is great for a night with out-of-town guests. The dining room is spacious and the service is attentive. Plus, you’re in a Hollywood landmark that is home to the first Academy Awards in 1929. Although I wasn’t blown away by any of the dishes, I’m still curious about the other kinds of pasta on the menu. I might even return to conquer the Porterhouse when I can gather a group of 10 friends together to split the bill.

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