the skip, skip, hit game at allston yacht club

when sinosoul contacted my people (my people being my gmail addy), and invited me to break bread with his chinese self, his lovely wife, daily gluttony, and weezermonkey, i was all over it. not only do i get to check out a new neighborhood eatery, allston yacht club (ayc), i also get to meet some fellow food bloggers. methinks it's a great way to celebrate the end of hump day wednesday! booyah!

so i flew down sunset blvd not exactly knowing where ayc was located, but once i made a left onto echo park blvd, i figured out ayc had taken over restaurant 15. although the exterior looks the same, ayc has changed the interior considerably, taking the dark walls and infusing it with color and even a hokusai inspired art piece at the other end of their dining area. interesting.

ayc currently has an extremely irresistable wicked wednesdays promotion in which every food item on their menu is priced at $5. this meant we HAD to order almost everything. oh yeah, BRING IT baby.....

the arancini. deep fried risotto balls served on tomatillo salsa. i liked this one and loved the crunchy texture inside and outside of the balls...mmm....crunchy balls :0 a hit.

mussels cuz every place has them so why not here. i found them to be a tad dried out. the flavors were alright but nothing special. skip.

the frico which are parmesan cheese crisps topped with tomato relish. i am a lover of cheese crisps and this combo did not disappoint. eat with caution though because they are rather addicting. another hit.

shrimp and feta gratin. i thought the shrimp was extremely overcooked to the point of chewy. bleh...and the feta gratin did nothing for me other than remind me why i'm still fat. skip.

beef skewers with chimichurri sauce. i found them to be little nuggets of overcooked meat. skip.

duck confit on goat cheese toasts with roasted figs. by far, my FAVORITE dish of the night. nice balance of flavors and wonderfully tender meat. i might have taken more than my fair share on this one. a hit! wowzas!

pork belly. i'm normally a fan of fatty pork belly, but i didn't find the sear to be consistent which meant blobs of unseared, untreated fat which is kinda ewww. skip.

braised short rib on a root veggie puree (probably mashies). tender and flavorful, but spectacular it was not.

polenta disks with gorgonzola and greens. EXTREMELY BLAND. skip

merguez sausage with smoked corn succotash. i found the sausage to be a tad overcooked, but the flavors were strong in a good way. i enjoyed this dish and would order it again...methinks perfect if paired with beer. a hit.

shishito peppers. i suggest you get these at a japanese yakitori and save your $5 for something else...like girl scouts cookies. skip.

last but not least, the controversial sweet potato fritters. they don't have much of a sweet potato presence and has the density of cakey donuts. definitely a dessert tasting item even though there's yogurt sauce under it, possibly tricking you into thinking it's a savory dish. i think i was the only one at the table that enjoyed them and WHOO HOO cuz it meant i got the lion's share of it. i liked the salty spices on top of these cakey orbs.

everything was washed down with a nice alcoholic concoction that was conceptualized right before our arrival. if i had a name for it, i would call it "fizzy with a touch of nail polish remover." something in the list of ingredients did not sit well with my tastebuds, though i downed that shit like i was parched. yay alcohol.

it was great to see this place bustling with activity especially since echo park definitely has limited dining choices at this point. allston yacht club is a nice addition to the hood and i suggest that you take advantage of their wicked wednesdays to try their menu on the cheaps. although inconsistent in taste and flavors, the broad range of foods there will probably mean you'll hit on SOMETHING enticing. i sure did and the name is duck confit with a plate of sweet potato fritters. besides, their uniform price point is pretty awesome don't you think with a fun ambience to boot.

thanks tony for the invite and it was my pleasure to yak and eat with you, daily gluttony, weezermonkey, and your lovely wife (lucky bastard). till we eat again.

Allston Yacht Club
1320 Echo Park Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 481-0454
allstonyachtclub.com

price: $$
verdict: tasty, try it!