Co-founding chef Kris Tominaga recently returned to The Hart & The Hunter, a Southern meets California café located inside L.A.’s Palihotel. The vibe is very similar to when he cooked alongside Brian Dunsmoor (Hatchet Hall). The homey dining room contains banquettes, communal wood tables, and a clear view into the little kitchen that could.

The Hart & The Hunter is featuring two collars on their current menu, a yellowtail collar and more unusual Grilled Pork Collar ($17) with escargot brown butter. Tominaga learned about collar through local pork provider Peads & Barnetts and opted for a “simple and rustic” preparation. The slab of collar features a fairly high fat content and rough texture, leading to a satisfying chew. Tominaga rubs the meat with black pepper and brown sugar “to help pull out the char.” Right before cooking on a workhorse Weber grill, he rubs with garlic and oil. The seared collar rests in sauce before serving. The chunky sauce stars earthy snails, a stock of browned chicken, bacon, and hocks, shallots, garlic, vermouth, brown butter, and a little flour to add a “different character.” Tominaga stays humble when describing the dish, calling it “meat in the middle of a plate with a complementing sauce,” but the plate packs serious flavor.

Dose of Vitamin P spotlights my favorite pork dish from the previous week.