Dakota Restaurant
at the Roosevelt Hotel
words by Evan Fowler
Inescapably bound to the American Zeitgeist, Hollywood - in all its prestige - stands proudly at the epicenter of the next best thing.
But with great power comes great responsibility, and Hollywood the trend-setting superhero must drag the glamour of old school stardom into the shock and awe of new millennium entertainment. Of the few relics left standing among the ruins, the Roosevelt Hotel remains the A-list apparition of past, present, and future.
Home to Marilyn Monroe and the birthplace of the Academy Awards, and now host to a long line of scantily-clad twenty-something’s anxiously waiting outside any one of its exclusive venues, this iconic hotel is not one to be outdone. Its newest reinvention? Dakota: a post-modern take on an already contemporary steakhouse.
The latest brainchild of esteemed restaurateurs Tim and Liza Goodell, Dakota sits comfortably behind an illuminated labyrinth of leather day beds and giant vaulted ceilings. The restaurant itself looks something like an ultra-hip hunting lodge with an edge: There is leather everywhere (including the tablecloths), mixed with dark wood paneling, giant black drapes, and amazingly comfortable suede-covered chairs. The ambiance is very at ease, catering to a diverse patronage of tourists and business types, dates and friendly gatherings, all dining to the backdrop of ambient down-tempo techno-rock.
A word to the wise: Dakota is not for the indecisive. Upon arrival, we were greeted, quite literally, with a cornucopia of bread choices, from bacon rolls to baguettes. And after a quick perusal of the a la cart menu that featured more appetizers than entrees, sides grouped by genre, and 11 personalized options for choice of butter or sauce, we quickly moved on to the wine list, which was not nearly as intimidating. Luckily, the service was fantastic - like a choreographed dance led by constantly refilled water, bread, and wine.
The second our forks hit the plates, they were cleared in one swoop and immediately replaced with super-human precision. Our server was more than sufficiently knowledgeable about both the wine list and the dinner menu – and without a single note of pretension.
Most impressive was the inventiveness and presentation of the dishes, featuring an unconventional amalgam of flavors and textures - even the appetizers were daring. The Heirloom Tomato seemed a simple choice, but arrived as a towering inferno of tomatoes and sliced watermelon over fromage blanc, lightly dressed in a tomato vinaigrette. Nothing among the starters could compare however, to the Frisée Lardon, a crispy pork belly in a pomegranate glaze with fried quail eggs. Naturally, the menu offered a handful of options in the steak department, from a 6 oz. filet to an $84 Côte de Boeuf (32 oz. for two!), I opted for the smaller portion (in a Black Truffle Cream sauce at the welcomed request of my server) and shared the Duck à l’Orange, a breast and leg braised in a Grand Marnier. The steak was great, the duck, good but a little overdone. The sides were simple and a great contrast to many of the more flamboyant options, especially the Mac & Cheese - when in doubt, stick to the basics! As for dessert, the chocolate malt bars were indescribable, so go ahead, forget the L.A. diet for a moment, and just indulge. The prices are not for the miserly but not ridiculous and, in some ways, worth witnessing what’s left of Hollywood’s Golden Era -
without that pesky prohibition!
7000 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028
Phone: (323) 769-8888
dakota-restaurant.com
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