02 Mar It’s a Plan…..Check!

I finally have a neighborhood cocktail spot – Plan Check Kitchen + Bar.  As I willingly drive all over Los Angeles for great cocktails, an easy 10 minute walk from my place makes this rather exciting!  The excitement might make me biased but the truth is the food and cocktails live up to the expectation.  One cannot expect anything less as Chef Ernesto Uchimura (Umami Burger) is behind the food and the cocktail program was designed by the powerhouse duo Steve Livigni and Pablo Moix, who are also responsible for La Descarga, Harvard and Stone and Black Market Liquor Bar. Plan Check is located adjacent to the Department of Building and Safety, the inspiration for the restaurant’s name and hip industrial decor.  Located on Sawtelle Boulevard in the Westside’s Little Osaka, this new gastropub is a great addition to the row of sushi bars and tempura houses, offering a menu of high-end American comfort food.  The cockatils, as Steve Livigni (photo above) explained to me, pay homage to the neighborhood through their names and ingredients.  With a large outdoor seating area, Plan Check is the Westside’s new meeting spot. Godzilla (pisco porton, midori, orgeat, lemon, lime) – how can you not love a green drink with melon balls and an umbrella?!?!  This may look “girlie” but it has great citrus notes, is tart and hits the palate up front. Spaghetti Western (vida mezcal, tapatio, red bell, pepper, lime, agave, beer) – like a michelada.  Perfect to go with an outside seat on the patio. Little Osaka Sour (woodford bourbon, plum wine, lemon, egg white, sugar) – this slightly sweet cocktail pairs well with the food.  It’s a tasty cocktail that will engage even the most novice of cocktailians. Bento Box (brugal rum, licor 43, nigori sake, bitters) Tropic Thunder (Jalapeno infused kanon vodka, mango, lemon juice, sugar) Ronin (sazerac rye, remy vs., benedictine, bitters) High & Low (zaya rum, fino sherry, cointreau, grenadine) – great caramel finish Chefs Favorite Burger (cheese two ways, bacon two ways, ketchup leather, fried egg, hot sauce) – oh that bun, made with Portuguese milk bread and panko bread crumbs! Smokey Fried Chicken (jidori chicken, smoked milk gravy, yam preserves, spicy pickled okra) – somehow there are no bones in the chicken, which is good because you will devour every crumb, leaving the plate empty. Stuffed Mushroom (roasted portobello, swiss cheese fondue, crispy kale, steak sauce) Fresh Cut Fries (skin on kennebecs, beef tallow, smoked salt, fresh ketchup) Plan Check Kitchen + Bar, 1800 Sawtelle Blvd., West LA