Back in May I posted about a place in L.A. called the Edison. I said in the post that I was sure to visit when I was going to be out there later in the summer. The next day (seriously the next day) I received an email from their PR guy (Dan) saying, "Thanks for the Edison post! Let me know when you’re in town, and ready to check out our space. We’ll make sure you have a great time!" Last week I did, and they did.
Out of total coincidence, my blog co-writer Midtown Food Guy (MFG) was out in L.A. on a family vacation. Weird. I asked MFG if he would join me on my visit to the Edison, we agreed on Wednesday. I totally spaced off notifying Dan about our visit until about 3pm the day of. I texted Dan and let him know that we would like to come out that night and experience the Edison. Within like 4 minutes he texted back and said that we were set for reservations at 7:30 and the evening was on him! Man, this guy is good. If you ever need a PR guy, Dan is the man.
MFG, his lovely wife, and I arrived on time and were quickly escorted to our reserved table. We sat for 10-15 minutes (seemed longer) before we saw anyone that resembled waitstaff. When we did spot someone, she walked passed us to a table next to ours. With their order she strolled by again. She then walked passed us a third time several minutes later to attend to the table next to ours. I stopped her (Jacquie (sp?) pronounced Jackie) this time and asked if we could start off with some drinks. She stated, "I'm sorry, I didn't see you guys". I said , "You walk passed us three times, how did you not see us?" "What can I get you to drink?", she says, and then under her breath, "This is going to be fun." WTF? What kind of shit was that?
After the initial glitch in the evening, everything was great.
The Edison is stunning! I've never seen any place like it. They spared no expense taking an old power plant and converting it into a beautiful bar and restaurant. It was like stepping back in time. The space is very dark and classy with attention to every detail. Check out the virtual tour here.
The menu is small and unpretentious, good solid bar fare. We shared several appetizers including; Blue Dates, Deviled Eggs, Bavarian Pretzel, Shrimp Cocktail, Squid, Singapore Wings and a Charcuterie Platter. All of the food was very good and perfectly prepared. Yes, the food was good, but looking at the Edison's menu it is easy to discern that this place is all about the the tasty booze!
The Edison has over 50 types of gin. Are you kidding? Right on! First, I had an awesome specialty drink prepared with gin called Southside Fizz. I don't remember the order of the next five, but I know there were some Manhattans and Old Fashions in there somewhere. Super classic mixology at it's finest! Since I had never tried Absinthe, and they had several choices, I ended with it. I woke up naked in an alley near Silver Lake. I'm kidding, everything was fine.
To summarize, the Edison is a must visit in L.A. (rumor is that they are planing one in NYC). The atmosphere, food, drinks and attention to detail are brought together in a manner rarely seen. I would like to thank manager John Bakalar for being attentive, classy and genuinely interested in our experience and the circumstances that brought us there. Also I can't say enough about Dan Cox. Thank you Dan for the unforgettable evening, you truly did make sure we had a great time!
1 comment:
Great review. As I was also there I would just point out a few opinions I had of the place.
First of all, the reason that the initial service was so derelict was because they sat us at a table that had not been cleared. The last party's check and empty glasses still resided on the table. Not only did that cause some initial service confusion but it was also a little gross from such a high-brow joint.
However, the food was great and it was also reasonably priced. The drinks are clearly the money maker at the Edison as the basic mixed drink prices were $13 a piece. But it's LA, so the sticker shock was to be expected.
As an equal opportunity drinker I also sampled their beer list and it was not only fairly extensive, but it was also very well priced.
If in LA I would definitely recommend the Edison for its fantastic decor and setup as well as its tasty menu.
I too thank the staff and P.R. guru for giving us the opportunity to try out this model establishment.
I would also add that my review was not influenced by the "free stuff" and in the interest of full disclosure, expect to spend between 50-60 bucks per person for a light meal and moderate amount of drinks at the Edison.
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