Darling Is Sean Brock’s Love Letter to L.A. (and Vinyl)
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With the opening of Darling, Los Angeles is finally graced with the presence of one of the South’s most prominent chefs: Sean Brock. But while the James Beard Award winner’s name is synonymous with Southern cooking, we’re seeing a new side of Brock in the breezy, open air space on Robertson Blvd; one that feels distinctly Californian.
Brock sees his career as less of a pursuit of a singular type of cuisine and more in the interest of honing his own personal style; one rooted in a sense of place. “I have a formula that I use and that I teach [to my chefs],” Brock says. “It’s about slowly getting to know the place.” Here’s everything you need to know about how the chef is approaching his first L.A. venture.
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The wood-fired menu makes ample use of California’s finest.
Getting to know Los Angeles for Brock has resulted in a menu that’s soaked in sun and seaspray, all cooked over an open fire. Dishes like the tomato and stone fruit salad, dressed in tomato water infused with seaweed, screams Santa Monica farmers’ market. Local abalone and celtuce swim in a loose Koshihikari rice stew, a standout dish that in no way tastes of gumbo but nevertheless brings it to mind. The deer tartare, studded with pickled zucchini “cornichons” and offered up with a briny sheet of nori brings with it the sort of fun deliciousness that comes from a chef enthusiastically playing in a new sandbox. Oysters, too, are served alongside a big, juicy slice of Weiser Farms melon.
Plan accordingly for the burger.
Then, of course, there is the burger. Known for creating cult-status burgers at previous restaurants like Audrey, Brock’s iteration at Darling is a magnum opus. What starts as a dry aged steak put through the meat grinder is given the live fire treatment to achieve a perfectly pink rare, and comes adorned with a perfectly simple combination of cheese and onion. The catch: there are only 24 per day and they sell out fast. We suggest snagging an early reservation or trying your luck walking in and grabbing a seat at the bar to get your hands on one.
The all-vinyl soundtrack is as important the food.
Not just a restaurant, Darling is equal parts listening bar, inspired by Brock’s intense love of all things music, so much that the space boasts large swaths of Brock’s impressive personal collection. The DJ booth serves as the heart of the room, a beating box encased in blonde birch wood, bookended by floorstanding speakers that were specially designed by Darling’s music director, MaxV.
Like any obsessive creative, Brock has his own style when it comes to organizing his album collection. “I organize by BPMS (beats per minute),” Brock says. There are also color coded stickers on each album to designate Brock’s ranking of “good,” “very good,” and “great.” While guest DJs will be playing through the evenings on a rotating basis, you just might catch Brock spinning if you come in early from 5:30-6 p.m. or after 10, when he’s finished cooking. “It’s just like if you came to dinner at my house,” Brock explains. “I’d cook for you and then after I’d play you some vinyl.”
The artwork has something to say.
Having a DJ and music as such an intrinsic part of the Darling experience creates a vibe that makes the space feel like a slow rolling party as much as it does a restaurant (without it veering into clubstaurant territory, thankfully). That said, thoughtful food and a focus on design still reign supreme. This is clear in the centerpiece artwork, a 23-foot mural created by artist Narsiso Martinez, titled “Legal Tender.” A piece created out of tens of flattened produce boxes, it’s painted with the scenes and faces of the undocumented Mexican workers now so at risk in a pattern that closely resembles the American dollar bill. The striking piece implores the viewer to question where their food really comes from and at what cost.
The cocktails make use of some unexpected ingredients.
Though there are a handful of beers and non-alcoholic options, the main cocktail menu is highly creative, with drinks that are surprisingly vegetal in focus. An eggplant-based pina colada sounds like the devil’s work in theory but in practice is such a surprisingly good rum-laced number that you’ll forget you’re actually getting your vegetables in; while a blistered Jimmy Nardello vodka offering holds on to the last bits of summer. Let yourself be adventurous here and the reward pays out in full.
Whether it’s at the bar, in front of the DJ booth, or tucked away in a quiet corner of the sprawling space, there’s never been a better time to take part in the latest iteration of a chef’s evolution. And when said chef is Sean Brock, well, Los Angeles couldn’t be luckier.
