Great name, right?

Hart is an archaic word for Stag or Deer.

Hart and the Hunter sounds like a sweeping, romance novel. Possibly involving bestiality. Certainly one with a lot of tasty foods.

H & H is part of the PaliHotel, a tiny and eclectic new boutique hotel near Melrose and Fairfax.

There are no reservations accepted (unless you’re a group of 6 or more) which can prove challenging to a Bun Boy who dislikes waiting for a table.

I don’t mind waiting, in general. I’m fine with lines. An hour wait at Splash Mountain? Fine. Just give me a churro to munch on.

But waiting for a table at a restaurant is a different animal. I find it a ruse to boost bar sales.

“If you’d like to wait in the bar, we’ll let you know….”

You can’t NOT drink at the bar. And then you’re forced to wait in tight spaces, constantly readjusting to the barrage of obstacles coming at you. Wondering if you just heard the waitress call your name or not?

“Shoot, did she say Bryan or Ryan??”

Panic ensues.

Sorry, where was I?

Well, the stars must have aligned for us, cuz on a Friday night at 7 pm, there was no waiting!

We ordered pretty much all the favorites. All the waiters recomendations and things I had read about on Yelp.

I loved everything but two items.

Biscuits were heavenly. Flakey, buttery. All the accoutrements were delish.

The Brussels sprout salad is my new favorite thing. I have to make that at home somehow! I wonder if I need a chainsaw?

Chicken cracklin’s scared me at first but they’re a must order. Don’t skimp on the spicy vinegar.

The fried green tomatoes were just ok as well as the melted raclette. It was kind of an awkward dish, didn’t really know which direction it was trying to go.

I almost didn’t get dessert but I would have been a fool otherwise!

The lemon icebox pie was PERFECTION!

“I don’t really like lemon” Chesty Morgan warned the table. Thank God we didn’t listen to her.

7950 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 424-3055
http://thehartandthehunter.com/