Hungry Cat or Magnolia
Going to a matinee in Hollywood on Sunday. Have not been to Hungry Cat or Magnolia. Any opinions?
-
-
I live in the hood and for a one shot deal I say probably Hungry Cat, but I find myself more regularly at Magnolia because Hungry Cat's menu and signature flavors can get old pretty quickly. BTW did anyone actually like that soft shell sandwich?
›2 Replies-
re: rezpeni
Didn't taste the sandwich, but I had the Santa Barbara shrimp and thought it was a shining example of "pan-Asian" gone wrong. You get two shrimp for a hefty price and the "egg-foo-yung"ish-chili sauce is a muddled mess of flavors. Throw in the skimpy "tempura" batter on the shrimp and I have to wonder what's the point.
The King Crab Claw in mustard butter broth, on the other hand, was a winner at our table. Could've easily eaten several bowls of these!
-
re: munchy
SauceSupreme
Jul 29, 2007 10:38 AM
I was only okay with the soft-shell crab "po boy" special they had. But one of the recent menu changes, a soft-shelled crab dish with black rice, is a real winner.
King crab claw is definitely one of my favorites there also. I could use that mustard butter for toothpaste.
There was another thread dating back to February regarding HC service. Yes, they did have a different manager back then, and they've added staff since also. Didn't try the shrimp, which was supposed to harken back to Chef Lentz's trip to Singapore, that most pan-Asian of cities.
But I don't want it to look like I'm a Hungry Cat apologist or anything like that, especially since I'm also choosing to defend them with my wallet. The po' boy was (relatively) a miss, and rezpeni's sentiment regarding the signature flavors is accurate as well. My palate and I mix things up by going to Sushi Ike, and the combination of the Ike and HC is morphing me into a pescetarian.
-
-
-
-
Depends on what you are looking for. Magnoila is not bad for standard American fare. I love their steak sandwich and mac 'n cheese. But Hungry Cat has that damn Pug Burger - yum! And those really tasty drinks made with the fresh squeezed juices - last time I had a sage lemonade that was outstanding. I think a lot of the seafood there is hit or miss - the moules frites is a winner - those really choice fries soaking in aioli and brine work for me big time. The Cat is more $, but Magnolia is a place I like to go late night with pals to hang and nosh in comfort.
›5 Replies-
-
-
re: djquinnc
SauceSupreme
Jul 25, 2007 11:24 PM
They make a really good caesar salad and a pretty decent burger too. I'm there mostly for their selection of whiskey.
-
re: djquinnc
The Bowery has a good burger, no doubt. The moules frites and the braised shortribs are good also...but the HC has really hit their stride of late; and if you know what to order, it doesn't have to be all that expensive. The menu changes frequently, but the crab soup has a lighter-than-you-would-expect, clear n' heady seafood broth with chunks of fresh crab claw and comes with a corn cake to make sure you're full. Wash it down with a Pimlico (Early Times Borbon, OJ, lime and mint) and you've got one Hell of a $ 18 meal (before tax and tip). It's only $ 9 bucks if you skip the cocktail, but...
...besides that, as messy as it is, the HC's Pug Burger is still the best I've had in town (though I admit to never having enjoyed Father's Office). Just plan on washing those hands before you leave,,,
-
re: porcinedream
SauceSupreme
Jul 25, 2007 11:37 PM
One of the recent summer menu changes at Hungry Cat includes a seabass dish served on a corn puree. I like seabass as much as the next seafood fan, but in my opinion that corn puree was the star of the plate. The pimlico is also my drink of choice there at the moment, though they recently had a drink special of kumquats and bourbon that was great also.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
SauceSupreme
Jul 25, 2007 02:51 PM
Hungry Cat by a mile. Not say that Magnolia is bad or anything like that, but it's just not in HC's league.
-
