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Categories: Restaurants, Performing Arts, Venues & Event Spaces [Edit]
Neighborhood: Downtown"go watch anything and everything that EWP produces. you'll never be disappointed. get on their mailing list!"
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Kendall's fits the three star "A-OK" perfectly. I must admit, I haven't sampled too much of their traditional menu. For me, Kendall's is a meet up destination aprés Philharmonic. We have a friend who plays in the orchestra and we usually meet him there after the performances to catch up.
If you show up around 10PM on a performance night (Thurday through Sunday), the place is festooned with artists. Usually, you find members of the Phil, the LA Master Chorale, and other orchestras playing for performances around the music center. I'm hoping I'll run into Gustavo one of these nights.
So, as I've said (to be fair), I've never sat in the dining room. We always sit at the bar and enjoy a nice glass of wine and when they have them, the oysters. They didn't have them last night, so we had the Charcuterie. The bartenders are light hearted and attentive. Considering we only go in there a couple of times a month, I'm amazed that they remember me.
I really want to give this place 3 or more stars, I really do. I came to this area for jury duty and as I was circling around the building for 20+ minutes looking for parking, I couldn't get this place out of my mind. From the outside, it looks so nice, fancy, yummy, yet also like a decent neighborhood eatery.
My determination prevailed and I finally made it here for lunch on one of my jury duty days! Right when I walked in I was awed by the decor, so bright, so shiny, so pretty. My bf loved the bar. My second thought was, I should have looked at the menu/prices before I take a seat - and boy, was I right.
Their prices range from $10-20 for appetizers, $15+ for salads, and $18+ for entrees - yes, expensive, especially for lunch! But it would have been okay had their food been a tiny bit better. I ordered the pumpkin ravioli ($19) which I was fairly pleased with (the pumpkin was oh-so-sweet) except that it was drenched in oil and I felt like I barely ate anything after I was done with my plate. My bf ordered the rotisserie chicken ($20) which had a more substantial portion. The meat was very tender and delicious, the fries crispy and salted just enough, and the green beans soft and addictive. No complaints about the chicken. Oh and the complimentary bread was fresh out of the oven (or so it feels) and oh-melt-in-your-mouth good.
So what complaints do I have about this place? First, we waited by the door for what felt like 5 minutes (it was probably more like 1 minute) before we were greeted and seated. Second, we waited for what felt like another 5 minutes (it was probably truly 5 minutes) before someone came by to say hello and give us water. And third, we waited for what felt like yet another 5 minutes (it was probably like 3 minutes) for the waiter to come by to take our order. And fourth (yes there is a fourth), we got served bread after other tables that arrived much later than us did. My bf let the waiter know that I was in a hurry to get back to jury duty on time, but he didn't seem to care or acknowledge having heard him. Not once did our waiter look at us either. Throughout the meal, no one came to check up on us to see how we're doing. We had our water filled maybe once, if even that. I wonder if it had something to do with our casual attire and our younger appearance which was, to be honest, in stark contrast with the suited up 30+ year olds around us. Nevertheless, appearances deceived us, and this turned out to be a disappointment, mainly due to the lack of the expected level of service.
I would say... meh. I have had worse but I have had better too. I came here with my Grandma on our way to The Ahmenson Theater to see Dame Edna. We decided to have an early dinner before the show. So, we arrived on time and checked in with the host. He was sweet and was relatively quick to get us to our table. Upon sitting at our table, the waiter quickly stopped by to get our drink orders. After receiving our beverages, it was a while before our waiter came back. We each ordered an appetizer and an entree, mostly because my Grandma is the only person that I know that is actually more indecisive than me. Therefore, when we dine together, we usually have to order many items and share them to keep us from constantly changing our minds.
We had the duck terrine and fried calamari as our appetizers. I don't eat duck, but my Grandma was quite pleased with the dish. I was very surprised with the portion of the calamari... it was BIG. It is good for 2-4 people. It was pretty good too. As for the entrees, I got the pumpkin ravioli and she had the mussels in wine and garlic. Both were good, but nothing particularly special. The sauce on the mussels was good, but we did notice that there were several unopened mussels that they hid at the bottom of the bowl. The fries that came with the mussels were really good!
Overall, the food is not bad, but it is not particularly great either. The service was just okay, it seemed our waiter was a bit stuck up and one of those "I am an actor, not a waiter, I just do this to pay the bills" type of people. The inside of the restaurant is nice, but the tables are a bit too close. It felt like we could hear everyone's conversations and everyone could hear ours too. The restaurant is a bit overpriced. So in the end, it is a convenient place to grab a bit to eat before a show, but if you are on a budget or are looking for a unique dining experience, you should probably go somewhere else.
I ate here on a Tuesday night. Both my dining partner and I had the chateau steak. It was incredible, and a decent portion. Our server was professional and polite. Yes. This place is a little spendy, but as we were going to a show at the Taper, the convenience was worth it.
Again, I am writing this review based on my experience at the bar because looking at the menu, I wasn't particularly in the mood to pay $15 for a plate of calamari.
I would say the drinks (and pours) here are better than Pinot just right upstairs, but the bartenders are so rude. Forget about getting any sort of acknowledgment from them if a local or friend of theirs is sitting at the bar. Or maybe I'm just not approachable, of maybe I just want my drink fast and be left alone.....whatever the case is, I felt like I was more of a hindrance on these people than anything else. And again, the drinks are PRICEY! So don't come out here if you feel like going on a drinking binge in Downtown on a whim one random evening...you will break the bank.
Nothing to write home about here.
I have been here twice post-opera performances.
The prices are RIDICULOUS for what you get. Don't get me wrong--the food is good but not THAT good. Because of this, I have only ordered off the appetizers. I have had the tuna tartare, the calamari, and pommes frites-or as us commoners say: the french fries. Everything was good but don't even think about asking for a side of ranch dressing for your fries because apparently they don't serve any sauces that are mayo based.
UH, what?! Exactly.
The only cool factor about this place is that if you do go after the opera performances, you can see some of the performers there eating, drinking, hanging out. I saw Placido Domingo the first time I went there after he performed so that was kind of cool.
Ambiance is nice. It very classy and pretty.
If it wasn't for the fact that it's the closest restaurant to the opera and you can see some of the performers after the opera, I wouldn't bother with this place.
Nicely surprised. We just wanted to have something close to Disney Hall and came across Kendall. We had the shrimp and Tuna salads. Very tasty. Bread was very good, too. Chocolate bread pudding was so so.
Been here a few times and the prices are fair for the service and the convenience of being near so many theaters. The calamari appetizer is a large size and they were so soft and nicely fried. I love the mussels and it's a huuuge portion. There must have been over 30 mussels in there and it came with a whole cup of fries. I couldn't finish either of them. My mom has had the seafood bouillabaisse (average, not enough crab) and the pumpkin ravioli (her favorite). Every single time we've been there, the service has been top notch and the food comes out very quickly. I love the French bread that they give you and how you have to tear it apart with your hands! Make sure your hands are clean!
Music Center matinee= lunch here, if we're eating out. The lazy approach, I know... The online reservation system is great. The food is okay (croque-monsieur a C+ at the most: ham was pretty good, cheese just okay, bread so-so, bechamel tired; if you're going to offer this fairly inexpensive but tricky-to-assemble dish, every ingredient has to be top rate for it to succeed), blue cheese hamburger was very good, an A-, though they have a veryveryvery pink interpretation of "medium."
Serviceable creme brulee that didn't seem like the splurge it was meant to be (at $8, too), but at least the topping was freshly torched.
We were gasping for more iced tea mid-meal, but our server had gone into Witness Protection, apparently.
Beautiful bar, nice feel to the place--except there's a slightly automatic, only-game-in-town feel to the food. Bathroom was clean.
I agree with the other reviewers about the prices--it is over priced for what you are getting. Don't get me wrong, it is a nice place--very nice ambiance inside, food is good, although I feel like it misses the mark just a bit. Walked down here after a matinee performance at Disney Concert Hall. Ordered french onion soup and potato leek soup as starters. French Onion was much better than potato leek--it wasn't creamy at all and didn't have the greatest flavor. Ordered a steak and beef short ribs for main courses. Beef short rib tasted more like pot roast than bsr. It's a fine line, but I felt like I wasn't getting what I had asked for and the presentation was terrible for a restaurant of this caliber and price. There was a pile of green beans, brocolini and asparagus on top of the meat, which was sitting on top of a giant pile of mashed potatoes that were totally forgettable. BF's steak was good, but tough, in my opinion. Also shared a half bottle of Pinot--opted for the half bottle because a glass was $20, while a half bottle was $44. But seriously? A half bottle for $44??? It was an okay bottle of Pinot, but can we say mark up? After ordering it, I realized that I definitely should have stuck with either a martini or beer, but whatever. The wine was nice. It was a nice late lunch, early dinner. Lots of old folk eat there--probably because of the proximity to the Opera and Disney and the fact that they are the only people that can really afford it.
After going to see LA Opera's The Fly, we wandered down to Kendall's for a quick drink however the bar was full so we sat at a table. Which later turned out to be the closest table to Placido (as in Placido Domingo). However, that did not explain our extremely slow service.
We just had a terrible server. And that quick drink turned into a 2 hour long repast! I certainly didn't expect to get home at 1 a.m. on a Tuesday night just because it took forever to order, forever to get our food and forever to get our check.
There should really be an after-theatre menu here. Or perhaps there is one but we weren't offered one. Dinner prices range from $18 to $37 for entrees.
I didn't actually feel like a real drink so I got iced tea which was never refilled during the entire time I was there until I asked for a refill. Our friend was disturbed by that, the fact they didn't remove the bread basked when our meals came or my other friend's cappucino cup. The server also never came by to check to see if we liked our meals.
I ordered the short ribs "Sloppy Joe." The server did seem very anxious to make sure I understood it was a sandwich. He asked three times. Yes, I KNOW what a Sloppy Joe is. Thanks! It was kind of like a pulled pork sandwich but with beef. It came with pickles and coleslaw so I ate it like a pulled pork sandwich. The meat wasn't actually really that braised so although tender, I wouldn't call it a Sloppy Joe.
I didn't really hear comments about the others' food so perhaps it was good? We had a mix of two entrees, mussels and a dessert along with coffee, champagne and my iced tea. I was a bit too enthralled with the fact I was sitting less than 20 feet from the opera singer who played Brundlefly and thinking about how I just saw him naked an hour before.
Hmm, might want to rethink "Sloppy Joe" with that imagery.
Overall, the service is too slow and I wouldn't even dream of coming here BEFORE a show. You might miss curtain!
I have eaten here dozens of times and never had a bad meal. Unlike others, I have had wonderful service. When I let the server know we have tickets to a performance, there is never a problem with getting out on time. The pastas are wonderful as are the short ribs. Highly recommend this restaurant.
Shocking. I think the bad reviews are from people who were expecting something else or looking for a different experience.
The servers--I agree can be quite boring, lame, and inattentive. SERVICE NEEDS VAST IMPROVEMENT! Many of them stand around and talk to each other in front of a room filled with tables..........
But the food. The Hangar Steak is excellent. Garlic, Butter..........it is fantastic and a great value for the quality.
My agent had the mussels. This guy is hard to please as he has travelled the globe and his father is a five star chef (trust me--I dream about the meals made by his dad!). He loved his mussels and said he couldn't wait to return to try something else.
Even their appetizer salad is outrageously good. Mixed greens and a wonderful vinegarette sauce.
The clientelle can be--well--ready for the old age home or the cemetary. On my last visit I was waiting for the paramedics to rush in at any moment --YES--it was that bad. We were the only young people dining there--which always surprises me that these cronies can still manage to get around in downtown LA..............
Kendall's. Pretty damn good.
I know this is mean, but the two times I have ate at Kendall's...well...the dishes all sort of tasted as if I had regurgitated them before I had even consumed them. A bit on the acidic, soapy-herb side. Really bad escargot (which to me seems like a no-brainer). The scallops with lentils was deplorable (and sparse for the price-point - but isn't that the grand dichotomy: shitty food in such small portions!)
But the issue is that decent moderately priced, pre-show food at the Music Center is lacking. Waiting in line for hours to sit outside at the Pinot restaurant is a bit much, and the overpriced convenience store is just beyond the pale. It would be nice if some influence outside of Splichal would swoop in and cook up something exciting and affordable.
But if pressed, I suppose I could just eat an onion soup - they couldn't possibly f*ck that up? Could they?
Sunday, and my mother and I sought brunch...well my mother told me we were going to have brunch at a Brasserie d.b.a Kendall's. Patina Group. Couldn't be too bad. Splichel (sp?) is generally an alright purveyor of fine dining and hell, brunch at a Brasserie is generally a good thing.
Alas, my hopes and dreams--following a night of boozing with Sarah L., of course--were dashed in the murkiness of that hung over haze. There was no brunch at Kendall's, and that as they say was that.
To their benefit, Kendall's did not advertise brunch on Sunday--my mother just considers lunch brunch if lunch so happens to occur on Sunday in the early afternoon.
Anywho...aside from the fact that I'm rather certain Kendall's is the wrong name for a brasserie, and aside from the fact that Kendall's had barely any "french" food, and not counting the fact that this dining experience was the immediate activity prior to seeing the worst opera known to man (DO NOT SEE THE FLY)...Kendall's was alright. If alright leaves you completely wanting for taste, service, and some sort of creativity.
Steamed mussels were alright. Heirloom salad was alright. Bloody Mary was alright. Everything was alright. That sort of alright only Los Angeles can prescribe. That sanitary, safe, comfortable alright that has become the token quality of fine dining.
Pretty dishes, pretty dining room, pretty servers, shitty servers, pretentious, awful, annoying, "I hate you, I hate Los Angeles, I hate Kendall's and, just to be clear, I hate you," servers.
So yeah, Kendall's. Alright for a drink, I would conjecture ,prior to whatever gimmicky crap the Opera is producing. Alright for an overpriced salad. Alright for filling the yearning for "alright" that one is wont to feel on Sunday's after a night of boozing.
Excellent restaurant on the street level of the LA Music Center. Good food, great eclectic European and artistic decor, and frequented by the (often-famous) performers after their shows. Have covertly oogled famous ballet dancers here over coffee and dessert.
The service IS somewhat slow, disorganized, and slightly inefficient, but consider the context: we arrived with the post-opera crowd (50+ people), who all wanted drinks, water&bread and orders at the same time.
As for the food: The oysters are fabulous, a full mouthful (not like the teeny tiny Kumamotos). They sold out within 15 minutes of our arrival. The seafood in the bouillabaisse was fresh, abundant and delicious. The sorbet trio (raspberry, mango and pear) tasted like real fruit and the pear retained its grainy texture (still, a little too sweet for me...)
What could have been the mood-killer was the angry mob of LA locals/tourists. CHILL OUT. What is it about touristy places that sets everyone on the defense? Maybe football players should take a lesson from the Angelenos (*cough, Chargers?) JK.
Review: Breakfast before Opera matinee
Server was excellent. Mussels were great quality but the sauce was on the salty side. Frites were excellent. "Sloppy Joe" spare rib sandwich had the weirdest meat I've ever eaten -- tasted like paper after the first bite and had that texture too. The bun, however, was excellent. Heirloom tomato salad with mozz or burrata (can't remember which) was fine. The "kit kat" dessert was nice but the apple tart was overly sweet.
Interior is nice with lots of cute decorations all over the restaurant.
I'll divide this into the pro's and con's:
PRO
This place is great if you have theater tickets. The location is literally steps from the Music Center, the Ahmanson and the Mark Taper.
The food is fresh and there is a variety for everyone, whether you like seafood, meat, veggies, or french fries
The daily soup is usually spot on
If they have a daily special or a seasonal special, order those items instead of the usual menu items.
The staff will get you to the theatre on time!
Now.. THE CON.... SERVICE!!! The past 2 times its been... MISS!
Only once did I get the best service and food came out promptly.
The past 2 times I was wondering if the staff was chasing the food outside to kill it.
Heck your wait person figures you'll tip between 15 to 20% as long as he gets you to the theatre on time. Why bother giving you great service, as long as you get "good" service??
Step inside and it is as if you've been transported to Parisian Bistro. Dark rich wood and crystalline chandeliers, beautifully tiled floors gave much to be expected. And so may have been my error.
The menu is made up of classics: french onion soup, poulet roti, steak frittes, moules and an impressive seafood bar. As a test of culinary mastery, I ordered the roasted chicken. (Its a good restaurant if the chicken is prepared properly.) So imagine my surprise when I met a dried-out bird served alongside stale pommes. Perhaps I was being rash in judgment, so I try my friend's Chateau Steak. Not bad, although bland. It wasn't as disappointing as the chicken, but still disappointing.
I would revisit Kendall's but not for the food. Their wine list is extensive and fairly priced. A nice, although young Bordeaux would be about $50.
My goal was to dine at every Patina Group Restaurant in the Los Angeles area. Kendall's Brasserie was the last restaurant I had to try. Many people left mixed reviews for this restaurant on other sites. I thought the food was really good. The scallops and braised beef were tender and tasty. The wine selection was excellent.
Since my family and I were there only for dinner, the restaurant was empty by 8pm since most people eat there prior to seeing a show. The server was just okay. The first words that came out of his mouth were "hi, I am so and so. We do not have any specials tonight". Interesting...he wasn't that friendly. So, if anyone at this establishment is reading this review...train your employees. Who the hell wants to have a negative server after a long day or week of work!
The valet is on the opposite side of the restaurant or you can self park for a uber expensive fee of $8.00!
We arrived early and were seated promptly. Bread & butter along with our drinks were quick to be served. Our Watiress was busy but pleasant. My aunt order her meal, specially ordered a medium well done steak, that had to be sent back TWICE. Each time bloodly, not pink, but bloody. On the third time attempt, we said to have it well done and finally ,it came back well done an tough.(I know, I know). I understand the fine pallet of the Executive chef would object to sending food that he felt was not perfect, but, he is not eating it, my Aunt was!!! By this time the waitress's attitude was alittle "off" and frustrated with our requests.. Sorry - but i seem to remember customer is king and word of mouth speaks volumes!!!!!
I've been to Kendall's many times over many years as a long time Disney Hall subscriber. What I read here looks skewed by "revenge" reviews from disappointed folks who don't have the lie of the land. Hey, you're in Civic Center LA, and Patina aside, Disney-adjacent decent dining is scarce-to-nonexistent. You're at Kendall's because you can float out the door and be in your seats in less than 5 minutes. So chill, figure out your best options, and you may be pleasantly surprised.
First, Kendall's must be focused on cranking out a bunch of meals quickly. It does that every work day for the lawyers who crowd in for lunch from the adjacent courthouse, and it has to do that well or die. Then, along comes the pre-theater crowd with the same need-for-speed. So if you want haute cuisine, you're in the wrong place my friend.
Kendall's calls itself a brasserie, which is originally a place for 'a beer and a bite.' There's a clue; you want to be thinking in terms of a beer or glass of wine and a plate of oysters, or moules and frites, something Kendall's can do reliably and even brilliantly. (Brilliant was the word my last visit.)
Is it overpriced? It's not cheap, but not overpriced if you take convenience and location into account. Just approach it from the standpoint that this is Not the place to order an elaborate meal. I've had some of my best Kendall's meals at the bar-adjacent high tables. And as usual, a little civility and understanding of the demands on the servers goes a long way.
Went last night for a downtown locals mixer. From 6-7 pm they passed around free hors' douevres. Nice, but they kept passing our table. Those chocolate covered strawberries looked good as the tray passed my group and went to the outside patio. Well at least I got to sample the garlic fries. Then you had your old ladies wearing teeny bop clothing who insisted on grabbing 3 and 4 appetizers at one time. Who does that? I thought this was a classy joint? Oh well.
If a restaurant has a grimey bathroom, do you hold that against them? Kendall's had better be lucky I didn't run my white glove covered hand across the counter, or the mirror, or the chandeliers in the bathroom. There was enough dust there to drive my dirt bike through...if I had a dirt bike. I could barely see my reflection in the dirty ass mirror....scandalous. How am I supposed to take a picture of myself in the mirror, if my reflection doesn't show. "DAMN Kendall's Brasserie, you are messing with my pictures now! Errgghhh!
Once again I ask, should this influence my perception of the cleanliness of the kitchen. Ummm, maybe.
Old-world class epitomizes Kendall's. Considering it's right underneath the opera, I suppose that is appropos. Expect a crowd of concert/theatre-goers mixed with musicians still in tails and carrying instrument cases. Enter to the bar, with three dining rooms - two in front and one in back. The front ones usually close earlier.
Wine list is pricey. Food is equally expensive and, for the cost, not as good as it should be. Service is generally superb, though. I have met some really helpful, knowledgable waiters here and even the most disinterested are at least formally polite.
Classy place, it's just too bad that the quality of the food doesn't mirror the atmosphere.
The first time I came here my experience was well-captured by Yelp's pithy two-star "meh, I've had better" rating.
The only reason we went back is that nothing else is open on Saturday for lunch downtown before seeing a show at the Music Center.
And, it was okay. Okay enough that I am now resigned to just eating there every time I go see a show at the Music Center. I've seen two this year, but if we look at a rolling ten year average, I will basically eat there once every five years, and I think I can handle that.
They seem to specialize in cold seafood - with a lot of appetizers and combinations featuring oysters, mussels, clams, shrimp, lobster and dungeness crab. There are also a lot of salads and other fairly typical trendy restaurant food.
Should I try the seafood next time? It looked appealing but we were going to a show and didn't want to spill oysters all over ourselves.
I had the grilled chicken caesar, dressing on the side. The grilled chicken comes with skin and looks more fried than grilled, so I removed the skin. The capers were clearly fried but they're so tiny, how can a fried caper hurt you? I ate them - crunchy pickled fried goodness. The amount of chicken was satisfying. The lettuce was crisp and fresh.
One dining companion had the nicoise which looked fine. Another had the grilled ham and cheese which came with ham and gruyere inside and more cheese grilled on the outside of the bread.
When the doctors give me six months to live and I decide to spend it gaining back all the weight I've lost in the past year and a half, I am heading straight for the nearest grilled cheese sandwich that has cheese on the inside and the outside. In the meantime, we just debated how you eat it (I voted for with a knife and fork, but its owner went boldly for by hand, with lots of napkin use.)
Service was okay but not attentive after the meal was served - we needed more water, had to ask, never got it, had to flag down someone else to finally get it.
I can't imagine why anyone would go there unless you are going to the theater or working / visiting or possibly living really close and it's your local bar. There is so much better, more interesting food down town.
But it is perfectly located for the theater, being attached to the same set of buildings and parking structure and if you're going to the theater, you have to pay to park anyway. It beat going to McCormicks and Schmick and worrying the whole time about whether you're going to miss the start of the show.
Went down to LA for the Opera Tannhauser. Decided to make reservations at Kendall's since it was right at the Music Center. Ate there for lunch prior to a 2pm Opera start.
The decor is very classy. Many large paintings inside with splashed of brass and glass all over. Antique furniture and a handsome bar with solid wood. Very elegant.
We were seated immediately. Nice decorations all over the dining room which was to the right and up some short stairs from the entrance. Our party of four experience was very good.
We were greeted quickly by a very friendly server. Menu is varied with many appetizers, salads, sandwiches and main courses.
I had the french onion soup and the Chinese salad. Both were very tasty and totally consumed. One of my companions had the mixed salad and crusted salmon on mashed potatoes. He enjoyed every bite. Others ordered the Caesar salad and mussels and a fish based pasta. All had excellent reports for tasty food.
So, lunch at Kendall's certainly was a nice start to the afternoon before the Opera. From there, you just walk up the stairs and enter the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion.
Kendall's has the atmosphere, decor, food and service to merit 4 stars.
Not bad for downtown dining- we had a nice private room for our office dinner. The waiter was quite verbose in describing the specialties...and the wines...and the desserts....and well he was just verbose in general. I had the scallops with risotto, which wasn't the best I've had but decent. The homemade olives (which come from the owner's grandmother's recipe!) were delicious and went great with the wine. And you've gotta love a place that serves HUGE profiterols for dessert!!
Note on Profiterols: If you like deserts, you must have them at some point in your eating career! They are French cream puffs, filled with ice cream and drenched in chocolate sauce. Delicious!
Overall, Kendall's seems like a good place to eat if you're hungry before or after a show in the Music Center or the Disney Concert Hall.
Kendall's on Grand Avenue is, well, not so grand afterall. Neighbor to Disney Concert Hall and the legendary Patina Restaurant, it is elegant and refined inside with large paintings, glass and brass decor, and an opulently large bar.
Easy to get a table for two on a Saturday night. Went around 7:30pm and it was well attended and bustling. By 8pm, the restaurant cleared out and I could have sworn I saw tumbleweed blowing by at one point. Apparently the Brasserie caters to the show crowd and somewhat captive patron on their ways to some Grand Avenue venue like Disney Hall or Dorothy Chandler.
My beef chateau steak with bordelaise sauce came on a large plate sitting on a puree of squash which had uncanny resemblance to a charred turd sitting on a plume of regurgitated baby food. No prizes here for presentation. Unfortunately, it was tough and unremarkable even for medium well. The sweet potato gratin came on a separate ceramic dish that had a top layer crust of hardened cheese magma which was so solid (perhaps because it was room temperature) that it could not be sliced. Instead the cheesy toupee had to be peeled back to reveal the sweet potatoes which were decent. However one shouldn't have to perform a cranial peelback to access their food.
An appetizer of select oysters on the half shell which came with 3 dipping sauces was more than decent ($2.50 ea.). Although serving a tomato-based cocktail sauce as one of the three sauces seemed inappropriate.
My dining companion had the monkfish with bacon vinaigrette which seemed very adequate.
Dining in an empy restaurant can be private and great for conversation but you really felt the isolation once everyone evacuated and left only the din of a couple bar staff in their droll conversation. A star for decor and a star for their oysters and seafood selections as well as for their service. The food was mostly an afterthought.
My husband and I were walking over to the MOCA but needed to get some eats before perusing the museum for a couple of hours. We were too lazy to check out Yelp! Mobile for a good restaurant in the area, so we decided to take a gamble on Kendall's Brasserie.
Right off the bat, this place gets some props because they provided some over the top service. The restaurant was packed due to a matinee showing at the Music Center. The only seating available was out on the patio but it was a cloudy and somewhat chilly day. Ugh. The hostess saw the expression on my face when patio seating was mentioned and immediately put me at ease by saying there were heated lamps on the patio. Then she and a waiter moved our table to a location directly under one of the lamps. Well, the lamps really didn't provide THAT much extra heat as they are too high up, however, it was the thought that counted!
I started with the tomato and fennel soup while my husband had the french onion. He liked his soup, whereas mine was just okay. Then, my husband had the roast beef sandwich with french fries and I had the smoked salmon and asparagus quiche with a mushroom sauce. Here we flipped on our food opinions. My husband did not like his sandwich at all. It was cold and just wasn't appetizing. However, my quiche was amazing! The mushroom sauce was the perfect complement to the quiche. My only criticism is that the quiche could've been cooked another five minutes or so. I felt like they hurried it out of the oven a bit too soon.
The waiter noticed that my husband didn't eat much of his meal and offered to comp us dessert but we were pretty full and wanted to get out of the chilly weather. I think if the weather had been nicer, we would've taken him up on the offer!
Ok, Roland D. this is all your fault. What is this world you've sucked me into? Now I'm writing reviews just to write them...
Heretofore, my philosophy on reviewing anything was, why bother unless it's a rave or a bash?
But I suppose there is some value to knowing what you're walking into. I would not recommend making an evening of Kendall's unless in for the pre-opera-concert hall-theater or whatever dining option. But if your job requires you to frequent the downtown courthouse or anything in the vicinity, this is not the most horrible place to grab lunch or wait out traffic at the end of the day.
It does have a few French wines by the glass -- even a Bordeaux, which is not easy to come by in these parts.
It is what it is, folks. Downtown is no one's first choice for fine dining, but if you're stuck there for some reason Kendall's has a varied menu with typical brasserie faire. It's more palatable for lunch because of the prices. Example, the Moules Frites is 13.95 for lunch and 19.95 for dinner.
And it's pretty to sit in, if you like that art deco French brasserie style. Kinda reminds me of a Disney version of La Coupole.
This is one of those power dining places that looks better than it is. Everything feels upscale. The food even looks impressive. Unfortunately, it is a culinary bore. I felt as if the chef's goal were to offend as few people as possible, with as few flavors as possible.
The restaurant is right across from the courthouse in the Music Center. I would avoid, though 3 stars would be more appropriate if price were no object.
OK, first when I have been here in the past, price was no object --- I wasn't paying and I was with someone for whom price was no object. Great combination. Honestly, I have been able to go some great places and have some incredible bottles of wine because of that friend, but I digress.
The last time I was there was a night of opera. It was my first opera and my friend was doing his best to make the experience one I treasured. A great bottle of wine and seafood -- what more could I ask for. We had three courses, all were good. But the wine was incredible -- wish I was keeping track of my tastings at that time -- sorry, let's get back to the topic at hand.
Gets points for access. I remember going to the restaurant that was in this location prior, and I like Kendall's better.
"Only if it's a business lunch and only if you're not paying..."
As one of the members of the Endowment Committee of a charity, I was invited to have lunch at Kendall's Brasserie to discuss business matters. It only gets 2 stars because it is a good setting for lunch business meetings.
Some annoying things:
1.) They don't have valet parking so plan ahead to get there early at lunch time.
2.) The only parking is at the Chandler Pavilion which is $17. They trick you into thinking you might get a refund if you park for less time, but come on!! Who eats hella fast?
3.) Receptionist is snooty.
4.) The chairs for the tables are weird. They have really high arms so you either look like a stern bank president or you have to stick it on the table like a used car salesperson.
I had the nicoise tuna salad which was not bad. The tuna wasn't salty and the greens were healthy. I like the fact they include artichokes for a unique acid (instead of just lemon) and those weird tiny orange tomatoes. Ice tea is great too...
Overall, it's only good if you have business to do and you're not paying. It's also very bright and well-lit inside so that makes a big deal for business lunch places.
Yikes this place was not what I would have expected.
It gets two stars because we didn't have a reservation and they got us to our show on time.
Otherwise, the food was below average for the price. I had a seafood pasta that was near $30 and not worth it.
The wine prices were decent so that's a plus.
Otherwise if you can swing it eat somewhere else before the show and maybe just grab a drink here.
PS: Sweeney Todd was awesome! Go Check it out!
De Koninck Belgian amber ale on tap is my siren's song, and it's the only De Koninck tap I've seen. So while everyone else's vision of tree-lined Parisian boulevards and green-umbrellaed cafes comes crashing through the floor, you'll find me seated at the bar with a frosty chalice of De Koninck and a dozen fresh shucked oysters on the half shell, happy as a lark. This is how we do. Sometimes it's just about optimizing.
They have a fantastic cheese plate and you can request the number of sweet, snappy, jumbo shrimp you'd like in your shrimp cocktail.
The tables outside are lovely on a sunny, Downtown Saturday afternoon.
I don't feel totally justified giving Kendall's a 4 star rating for one keg of beer and a few oysters, but who am I kidding: 4 cheers for beer and the glass that's half full!
*Update 7/07*
Had dinner here this time, and while it was good, it just wasn't good enough to justify the amount of money we spent. I'll be permanently sticking to my original plan.
I had wanted to try this place for a really long time and when I finally did, I have to say that I was a little disappointed.
The food was just OK, not great, and not very memorable. The service was fine, and the decor was nice, cozy and upscale casual. Most of the entrees were under $30 so it wasn't too bad.
It just isn't one of those places that I'm dying to go back to again.
If you have a choice between Kendall's and Patina and money is not an issue---i think you already know the answer which place to go. The issue about this place are simple to understand:
1. Food is not that great, except their signature style salad, very yummy
2. Service is ordinary
3. People has attitude, give me a f***** break-why would i want to go to a place full of pretenders
4. The staff tries hard to make this place have an ambience-but it doesnt
The only good reason to stop at kendalls are quiet simple to see a performance at the music center or disney concert hall and if you dont want to spend the money at patina. You could say Kendalls is "covinient"-but it shouldnt be your number one choice
My Kendall's experience was very brief and unfulfilling. My buddy and I were driving from the lowly Valley to the Dorothy Chandler to see Edward Scissorhands the Musical and he was having a hell of a time navigating the one way streets while simultaneously being talked out of concentration by myself and my charming wit. I am very mesmerizing. Erm, anyway. We were late for our reservation before the show. By at least an hour, meaning we only had time for quick eats.
I opted for a pumpkin/squash soup and my pal had a bib lettuce salad. My soup was cold about three sophisticated, no I'm really not all that hungry (you know, despite being quite famished), slurps into it and was pureed to the point I could discern no distinct flavors and felt like I was eating squash flavored slop. My buddy's a wasp, so he ate his large leaves of lettuce gingerly and showed no desire for something more hearty or fulfilling, leaving me to act as if I was stuffed. He paid so I am not sure how much it was, but I do know it was overpriced for what it was, which was unimpressive.
It's your typical pre-performance over priced food.
If I were you, I would only eat here if you love french fries and wine together because nothing much on their menu is that good. For as famous as the owner is (Joacham Splichal), the restaurant is pretty poor.
Unfortunately for the convenience, i had to give it more than one star. They can do dinner quickly before the shows if you tell them you are on a tight timeframe, and they are friendly at the bar.
But, the horror, the food....
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