I Wish They All Could Be California Grills
Vilson. Say it with me. Say it like a German. Vil-shuun. It's fun to talk with a bad German accent, and it's fun to eat at Wilson. Wilson is the new modern, minimalist, museum-adjacent restaurant and stuff. Its the latest in the Invasion of Innovative Dining in Culver City. Which makes me a lucky guy, working there. Instead of going for lunch, I opted to make dinner reservations so I could, well, get drunk.
The MODAA building is a cool monument itself, and Wilson plays off the architectural theme well...almost too well. Ripped right from the pages of Philippe Starck's Antiseptic Guide To Plastic Modernism, the space may be a little cold or off-putting to some, but I like that stripped down look.
So, at first, you may feel you're eating in a museum cafeteria, but the warmth is derived from the rich flavors of the food, which is also served on bone white, square, plates. And yes, they will be poorly represented here because the pictures came out exceptionally crappy.
Since neither of us were starving, and I'm frankly going broke ordering extra food so I can write about it, we each got just one entree. One of Wilson's charms is the whimsically presented menu. Quick, to the point...minimalist. Unlike other Menus that read like fictionalized narrative, Wilson gives you the straightforward dope.
Nayan ordered the 1/2 jidori chicken crusted in cilantro pesto & wasabi mashed potatoes for $22, and I got the slowww roasted pork with african spices, fresh corn polenta & bbq fresh cherry sauce for $22. That's not a typo. Nothing is capitalized and it is, indeed, called slowww roasted pork. Even though Wilson has been open for a short time, I could tell my the reaction and eye-rolling of the waitress that saying "Slow-w-w-w" has already worn thin.
The bread assortment, as I alluded to in another post, is a mix. No longer are restaurants giving straight up dinner rolls with butter. There was a pliable sourdough, buttery brioche, and a few other assorted flavors (one, I could have sworn was Wonderbread). Accompanying this is the standard olive oil and balsamic vinegar...separated, not like the 70's oil pictures.
They also have a nice variety of wine, and best of all, some cheap bottles that clock in around $25. I am no wine drinker, but we worked out it would be more economical to split a bottle than pound beers all night.
Well, the food was fantastic. In your face and bold, my slowww roasted pork was fork tender and spiced to perfection. The little cherries offset the richness of spices, and they all balanced off the creamy polenta.
Nayan's chicken was a generous portion, slatered in sauce so every bite was dripping with flavor. I'm not a huge fan of horseradish flavored potatoes (they've run their course), but this balanced well against the chicken. The chicken was moist for being white meat, and we picked at the carcass like vultures until there was nothing left but dry bones.
The portion size was nice, but I did feel a little peckish at the end of the meal, so I'd suggest you go for the appetizer or salad to really fill you up. Overall, it is a welcome addition to the new wave of restaurants bringing vibrancy and diversity to Culver City. Next stop: Howdy's.
The MODAA building is a cool monument itself, and Wilson plays off the architectural theme well...almost too well. Ripped right from the pages of Philippe Starck's Antiseptic Guide To Plastic Modernism, the space may be a little cold or off-putting to some, but I like that stripped down look.
So, at first, you may feel you're eating in a museum cafeteria, but the warmth is derived from the rich flavors of the food, which is also served on bone white, square, plates. And yes, they will be poorly represented here because the pictures came out exceptionally crappy.
Since neither of us were starving, and I'm frankly going broke ordering extra food so I can write about it, we each got just one entree. One of Wilson's charms is the whimsically presented menu. Quick, to the point...minimalist. Unlike other Menus that read like fictionalized narrative, Wilson gives you the straightforward dope.
Nayan ordered the 1/2 jidori chicken crusted in cilantro pesto & wasabi mashed potatoes for $22, and I got the slowww roasted pork with african spices, fresh corn polenta & bbq fresh cherry sauce for $22. That's not a typo. Nothing is capitalized and it is, indeed, called slowww roasted pork. Even though Wilson has been open for a short time, I could tell my the reaction and eye-rolling of the waitress that saying "Slow-w-w-w" has already worn thin.
The bread assortment, as I alluded to in another post, is a mix. No longer are restaurants giving straight up dinner rolls with butter. There was a pliable sourdough, buttery brioche, and a few other assorted flavors (one, I could have sworn was Wonderbread). Accompanying this is the standard olive oil and balsamic vinegar...separated, not like the 70's oil pictures.
They also have a nice variety of wine, and best of all, some cheap bottles that clock in around $25. I am no wine drinker, but we worked out it would be more economical to split a bottle than pound beers all night.
Well, the food was fantastic. In your face and bold, my slowww roasted pork was fork tender and spiced to perfection. The little cherries offset the richness of spices, and they all balanced off the creamy polenta.
Nayan's chicken was a generous portion, slatered in sauce so every bite was dripping with flavor. I'm not a huge fan of horseradish flavored potatoes (they've run their course), but this balanced well against the chicken. The chicken was moist for being white meat, and we picked at the carcass like vultures until there was nothing left but dry bones.
The portion size was nice, but I did feel a little peckish at the end of the meal, so I'd suggest you go for the appetizer or salad to really fill you up. Overall, it is a welcome addition to the new wave of restaurants bringing vibrancy and diversity to Culver City. Next stop: Howdy's.
1 Comments:
I am glad you liked Wilson, I did too. I think he is trying to give us something a little different than the usual contemporary California fare. By the way, I would pass on Howdy's.
By
triplecreme, at 10:48 PM
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