Dinner at Fundamental LA

(complimentary chips to munch on)

Just returned from a fun and delicious dinner at the new eatery Fundamental LA in Westwood. The restaurant is minimalist in decor and maintains a concise menu of sandwiches, salads, sides, and sweets with an international wine and beer list.

The owners are two guys who used to work corporate jobs but left their desks to fulfill their passion for food. With their business background, both have great people skills. They're wonderful to talk to, truly appreciate of your business, and great at recommending a good wine.

The food highlights...

(bruleed white figs with tallegio, balsamic, fennel arugula salad)

The combination of the sweet, luscious figs with the funky tallegio cheese was perfectly balanced. The salad adds a crunch and bitterness. This is a side dish, but maybe with just one more fig and I could have seriously eaten this as my dinner.

(hush puppies with parmesan, scallions, lemon juice, roasted garlic aioli)

Tasty fried goodness. The aioli is wonderfully rich and was multipurposed as a dipping sauce for other sandwiches.

(porchetta sandwich, brioche bread, whole grain mustard, sauerkraut)

The sandwich came with a thick piece of buttery porchetta. The meat was spiced just right and slightly crispy around the edges. Combined with the pungent with mustard and soft bread, this was the winner of the evening.

(roast chicken sandwich, potato bread, pickled asparagus and onion, heirloom tomato, tallegio, roasted garlic aioli)

I usually avoid ordering chicken out, just because it seems so ordinary. This was anything but. The strong cheese, pickled vegetables, and garlicky aioli all melded together for a rich and satisfying flavor, which, when combined with the moist chicken and potato bread, made for a pretty awesome sandwich.

(churros with butterscotch)

Even though we were already stuffed, the owner was kind enough to bring us out these churros to try. Oh my goodness. The cinnamon sugar coating is just right and the butterscotch is to die for. In my mind, the doughy consistency was closer to a beignet. But, call it whatever you want, the dessert was fantastic.

Throughout dinner we sipped on Domaine de Ruilly (clean, springy white) and Michel Tete (fruit forward red), which complimented all of dishes.

Fundamental LA

M-Sa, Lunch and Dinner

1303 Westwood Blvd.

Dishes range $2 - $13, Beer and wine range $4 - $15