Thanks to a canceled reservation, my friends and I scored a pre-opening tasting at Larkin’s Joint, the hotly anticipated Eagle Rock soul fooder. Having lived in Nashville for four years, and with a rack full of family ties in the South, Southern food is particularly meaningful to me. I was excited about the prospect of promising Southern food so close to home, but also a little skeptical. Still, after speaking to chef-owner Larkin Mackey, and hearing him describe the variations on his family’s recipes, I had a good feeling.
Mackey and partner Joshua McBride have done an incredible job in restoring a 1911 Craftsman house to its former glory. Its recent history as a used car dealership a bad memory, the space is amazing, with lush wood, original stained glass windows, and the original doors cleverly cut in half and used as tabletops.
Larkin’s doled out an original down South take on chips and salsa: black-eyed pea caviar with tortilla chips. I could have done with fresh biscuits and preserves, but the “caviar” was interesting.
Larkin’s house salad was the only dish of the night that could appear on any Cal-Med menu, pairing mixed Spring lettuces with red onion, pear slices, candied walnuts and crumbled goat cheese and pomegranate vinaigrette. It was fine, but not Southern enough.
Salmon croquettes show up pretty frequently at Southern meat-and-threes. Larkin’s version is called Alaskan salmon cakes. The trio could have been moister, but they had pretty good flavor, bound with trace amounts of breadcrumbs and cheese. The topping: dabs of house-made garlic mayo.
They came a little late, but the overflowing basket of miniature cornbread muffins were subtly sweet, warm and satisfying.
Crisp cornmeal-crusted catfish fillet came topped with kick-ass collard greens, not bitter in the least, with spicy bite.
Smothered pork chops were ridiculously tender, served with Cajun-influenced red beans and rice. I never got a taste of the red beans, but they must have been good, since they were instantly devoured.
Candied yam ravioli was a sweet improvement on the ubiquitous pumpkin-stuffed pasta, bathed in a rich butter cream sauce. A candied yam lover, I fell hard for this creative dish.
Good Ole’ Fried Chicken featured crisp golden skin and juicy meat. Paired with gravy-soaked baby red mashed potatoes, it was a serious plate of food. My only complaint: there could have been more fried chicken. Hopefully the portion will increase once Larkin’s opens at full-force.
No, the Black & Blue cobbler didn’t suffer a savage beating from the banana pudding. It’s named for its primary ingredients: blackberries and blueberries. The berries were simmered in cinnamon and brown sugar, then baked with a flaky crust.
Mama’s Banana Pudding was cool, rich and delicious, creamy vanilla custard holding plenty of trademark Nilla wafers. Mama got it right.
Larkin’s dark chocolate ganache tart was their only non-Southern dessert. I didn’t get a taste, but it seemed to satisfy. Dark chocolate filling, chocolate whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings. What’s not to like?
After we placed our dessert orders, to our collective horror, we realized nobody ordered the strawberry short red velvet cake. Happily, Mr. McBride treated us to a an additional dessert. Even better, the dessert was one of the best of the evening, a hybrid of red velvet cake and shortbread, incorporating fresh strawberry coulis and vanilla cream.
Since it was a tasting, we had no idea what the check would amount to. Happily, the three-course meal, with beverage, commanded a minimum donation of $25, $35 with wine pairing. Expensive for Southern food, but I’m a long way from the South, and $25 is a bargain for a solid three-course meal in Los Angeles. The service was warm. And the space is truly special. It’s early yet, but if Larkin’s dials up the Southern flavor and offers sweet tea, Eagle Rock will finally have a destination restaurant.
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