Carnivorous Bliss

Vinny Dotolo and Jon Shook are rockstars of the Los Angeles food scene. The chefs co-own and operate two of LA’s most exciting eateries – Animal, where meat is the main course, and Son of a Gun where they channel their Floridian roots and focus on seafood (they also recently opened Trois Mec with Ludo Lefebvre and have a new project in the works). Located in LA’s old Jewish district, Animal is a sparsely decorated small space filled with unadorned tables (that are never empty), allowing the food to take center stage. Their focus has always been on the food, which is rooted in comfort and is often described as “upscale munchies,” or “expertly prepared junk food.” For me, it certainly is satisfying, probably because pig appears in all of its various porky iterations on the menu (buffalo-style pigs’ tails, barbecue pork belly sandwiches, crispy pig head, and bacon chocolate crunch bar for dessert). Other meaty creations include fried rabbit legs, veal tongue with steelhead roe, smoked turkey leg with celery root and oxtail poutine.

Contact

435 N. Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
323.782.9225
animalrestaurant.com