Son of a Gun Restaurant
8370 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048
323.782.9033
www.sonofagunrestaurant.com
Sun 10/02/2016, 07:50p-09:15p
It's been a long while since I reported on Son of a Gun. In fact, the last time I wrote about the place was for its opening night back in February 2011. Given that it'd been over five years, I figured a check up was in order, so we stopped by the restaurant recently for a quick Sunday dinner.
![Son of a Gun Menu]()
![Son of a Gun Cocktail List]()
![Son of a Gun Wine List: Champagne & Sparkling / White Wine]()
![Son of a Gun Wine List: Rosé / Red / Magnum]()
The menu reads similarly to what we've seen in the past, and in fact, there are a number of standbys that never left, e.g. the lobster roll, linguine & clams, mahi dip, and so on. Prices have certainly crept up, unsurprisingly. Drink-wise, the cocktail list is a bit larger, while the wine list has been significantly expanded. Click for larger versions.
![Hamachi, Galbi Vinaigrette, Pink Lady Apple, Radish Sprout]()
Hamachi, Galbi Vinaigrette, Pink Lady Apple, Radish Sprout [$17.00]
First came the hamachi, a standout for me. The fish arrived fatty, firm, its ocean-y flavors well-matched to the sweet-sour vinaigrette. The crux of the dish, though, was the radish sprout, which imparted a fantastic astringency on the close.
![Shrimp Toast Sandwich, Hoisin, Herbs, Sriracha Mayo]()
Shrimp Toast Sandwich, Hoisin, Herbs, Sriracha Mayo [$13.00]
Son of a Gun's signature prawn toast delivered, just as it always has. I was definitely into the robust, savory flavors of the shrimp-hoisin combo and how that played with the creamy-hot mayo and all the bright, herby notes present. Nice crunch from the toast, too.
![Caipirinha]()
Caipirinha [$14.00] | lime, squeeze it and OLE!
Infante [$14.00] | lime, orgeat, rose water
In terms of cocktails, we enjoyed a textbook caipirinha and a pleasantly nutty-sweet Infante, with its delightful fragrant notes from the rose water.
![Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Turnip, Cinnamon, Peanut, Egg]()
Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Turnip, Cinnamon, Peanut, Egg [$16.00]
Brussels could've been a touch crispier, though taste-wise they had all the bitter, smoky flavors I wanted, tinged by a pinch of sweet spice from the cinnamon. Of course, that runny egg gave the dish an enveloping sort of richness, and I much appreciated the nutty, crunchy contribution from the peanuts as well.
![Lobster Roll, Celery, Lemon Aioli]()
Lobster Roll, Celery, Lemon Aioli [$11.00]
SoaG's mini lobster roll managed to show off some sweet, briny flavors, perked up by the use of lemon while the buttery bun worked as a contrast. Nice crunch from the potato chips to boot.
![Octopus Salad, Mirepoix, Chili]()
Octopus Salad, Mirepoix, Chili [$18.00]
Octopus came out properly tender, with a great bit of charring to it, and had its slightly sweet, slightly smoky flavors paired with a number of zesty accompaniments, the fennel being especially apparent.
![Son of a Gun Dessert Menu]()
Here we see Son of a Gun's dessert menu, which has also grown in scope. Click for a larger version.
![Frozen Lime Yogurt, Graham Crumble, Toasted Meringue]()
Frozen Lime Yogurt, Graham Crumble, Toasted Meringue [$9.00]
Dessert duties were handled by the restaurant's reconstructed key lime pie. Classic flavors of tart lime meshed with sweet, smoky meringue, the graham cracker crumble serving as a sugary base to the dish.
Since this place debuted in 2011, Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook have gone on to open a number of other restaurants, i.e. Trois Mec, Petit Trois, Jon & Vinny's, Trois Familia. Fortunately though, that doesn't seem to have affected things too much, and Son of a Gun looks to be holding up pretty well. I believe they even lost their Chef de Cuisine recently, but it was still business as usual, at least from a diner's perspective.
![Mariska & Rye]()
Mariska & Rye [$15.00] | Cedar Ridge Rye, Lemon, Sugar, Passion Fruit Puree, Rekorderlig Passionfruit Cider
After dinner, we made a quick stop at Pot Lobby Bar for a couple drinks. I ordered this surprisingly sweet concoction, which could've stood to have its passion fruit dialed back a bit.
![Oi Jangajji]()
![Musaengchae]()
![Baechu Kimchi]()
![Geom-Eun Kong]()
![Saengseon Twigim]()
![Ojingeojeot]()
![Seafood Soon Tofu]()
![Hot-Stone Bibimbap]()
Seafood Soon Tofu [$10.45] | Shrimp, Clam, Oyster
Hot-Stone Bibimbap [$14.99] | Rice with Mixed Vegetables (Beef)
Sam-cha brought us to BCD Tofu House just up the street from The Line, where we enjoyed some late night haemul sundubu jjigae and dolsot bibimbap. It'd been years since I last dined at BCD, but the food hit the spot.
8370 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90048
323.782.9033
www.sonofagunrestaurant.com
Sun 10/02/2016, 07:50p-09:15p
It's been a long while since I reported on Son of a Gun. In fact, the last time I wrote about the place was for its opening night back in February 2011. Given that it'd been over five years, I figured a check up was in order, so we stopped by the restaurant recently for a quick Sunday dinner.
The menu reads similarly to what we've seen in the past, and in fact, there are a number of standbys that never left, e.g. the lobster roll, linguine & clams, mahi dip, and so on. Prices have certainly crept up, unsurprisingly. Drink-wise, the cocktail list is a bit larger, while the wine list has been significantly expanded. Click for larger versions.
Hamachi, Galbi Vinaigrette, Pink Lady Apple, Radish Sprout [$17.00]
First came the hamachi, a standout for me. The fish arrived fatty, firm, its ocean-y flavors well-matched to the sweet-sour vinaigrette. The crux of the dish, though, was the radish sprout, which imparted a fantastic astringency on the close.
Shrimp Toast Sandwich, Hoisin, Herbs, Sriracha Mayo [$13.00]
Son of a Gun's signature prawn toast delivered, just as it always has. I was definitely into the robust, savory flavors of the shrimp-hoisin combo and how that played with the creamy-hot mayo and all the bright, herby notes present. Nice crunch from the toast, too.
Caipirinha [$14.00] | lime, squeeze it and OLE!
Infante [$14.00] | lime, orgeat, rose water
In terms of cocktails, we enjoyed a textbook caipirinha and a pleasantly nutty-sweet Infante, with its delightful fragrant notes from the rose water.
Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Turnip, Cinnamon, Peanut, Egg [$16.00]
Brussels could've been a touch crispier, though taste-wise they had all the bitter, smoky flavors I wanted, tinged by a pinch of sweet spice from the cinnamon. Of course, that runny egg gave the dish an enveloping sort of richness, and I much appreciated the nutty, crunchy contribution from the peanuts as well.
Lobster Roll, Celery, Lemon Aioli [$11.00]
SoaG's mini lobster roll managed to show off some sweet, briny flavors, perked up by the use of lemon while the buttery bun worked as a contrast. Nice crunch from the potato chips to boot.
Octopus Salad, Mirepoix, Chili [$18.00]
Octopus came out properly tender, with a great bit of charring to it, and had its slightly sweet, slightly smoky flavors paired with a number of zesty accompaniments, the fennel being especially apparent.
Here we see Son of a Gun's dessert menu, which has also grown in scope. Click for a larger version.
Frozen Lime Yogurt, Graham Crumble, Toasted Meringue [$9.00]
Dessert duties were handled by the restaurant's reconstructed key lime pie. Classic flavors of tart lime meshed with sweet, smoky meringue, the graham cracker crumble serving as a sugary base to the dish.
Since this place debuted in 2011, Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook have gone on to open a number of other restaurants, i.e. Trois Mec, Petit Trois, Jon & Vinny's, Trois Familia. Fortunately though, that doesn't seem to have affected things too much, and Son of a Gun looks to be holding up pretty well. I believe they even lost their Chef de Cuisine recently, but it was still business as usual, at least from a diner's perspective.
Mariska & Rye [$15.00] | Cedar Ridge Rye, Lemon, Sugar, Passion Fruit Puree, Rekorderlig Passionfruit Cider
After dinner, we made a quick stop at Pot Lobby Bar for a couple drinks. I ordered this surprisingly sweet concoction, which could've stood to have its passion fruit dialed back a bit.
Seafood Soon Tofu [$10.45] | Shrimp, Clam, Oyster
Hot-Stone Bibimbap [$14.99] | Rice with Mixed Vegetables (Beef)
Sam-cha brought us to BCD Tofu House just up the street from The Line, where we enjoyed some late night haemul sundubu jjigae and dolsot bibimbap. It'd been years since I last dined at BCD, but the food hit the spot.