Steak Frites, Prime Rib & Liver Mousse at Freddy Smalls Bar & Kitchen: Sign Me Up

I was lured to Freddy Smalls Bar & Kitchen by its dineLA menu first that featured steak frites. I couldn't wait until dineLA and was devastated to learn it doesn't normally serve steak frites. The night's special was prime rib roast with mashed potatoes. I was hesitant because I don't usually like prime rib or mashed potatoes. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised. I returned for the dineLA menu a few days later and actually liked the steak less than the prime rib, primarily because the meat wasn't as tender and served cold (not to mention skimpy portions -- six lousy slices?! Come on!). The smoked fingerling potato fries, however, were excellent if not a bit on the over-salted side. I loved that they came out piping hot and it was a nice take on traditional frites. The dipping sauce for the potatoes that tasted of horseradish was amazing. The stellar sauce drizzled over the sliced meat pieces was similar to the one over the prime rib, a mix of green onions and butter. The menu said it was bordelaise sauce from classic French cooking. The rustic presentation didn't hurt either -- check out the cool wooden cutting board used as the serving plate.

Twice in a row, I had the chicken liver mousse goodness spread on crusty bread with a caper berry marmalade that wasn't too sweet and overpowering and topped with fresh frisee and razor-thin sliced radishes. I absolutely loved this appetizer. It went well with the glass of house red wine. I tried the house Pinot on the second visit and despite its nearly double price tag, I liked the $6 house red better. Note to self: stick to the house red next time.

I tried the deviled eggs on my second visit that while on the creamy side, they didn't disappoint either. They were, deviled eggs, after all, so I should expect them to be creamy, right? They looked so dainty and beautiful we couldn't get ourselves to eat them but eventually managed. The nice surprise was the crispy chicken skin that gave the eggs such a great crunchiness and punch of fried chicken flavor that it over-rode all the side trimmings like fresh celery leaves, hot sauce dotted around the plate and the blue cheese mixed into the egg yolks that made it so creamy. Thumbs up!

This image of the majestic prime rib roast over a bed of the creamiest mashed potatoes doesn't begin to do this fantastic piece of meat justice. Like I said, I usually prefer browned and seared meat with a bloody red inside but this prime rib was so incredibly tender. Yes, it was fatty and that's what made it so tender and juicy but we didn't care. We totaled the entire piece without any problem. As for the mashed potatoes, I guess I was expecting some kind of mush without much flavor and again, I was pleasantly surprised to instead find a creamy, garlicky mound of deliciousness that complemented the meat perfectly. Made me want to sign up for their e-updates so I know to return whenever they have this prime rib special again.

Let's talk dessert. The so-called Rocky Road Namelaka was, in a word, ridiculous. Namelaka means 'creamy' in Japanese and creamy it was. It starts with a layer of creamy chocolate mousse in the bottom of the cutest jar container, followed by some almond praline pieces and topped by the fluffiest toasted meringue, all sprinkled with some special fancy salt. I liked this dessert because the mousse wasn't too sweet and while its chocolate flavor could have been more intense, it paired well with the crunch from the praline and the savory layer from the salt, all brought together with the creamy meringue with a hint of smokiness from the nicely browned tops.

I don't love the cramped space, uncomfortable chairs and flat screen over the bar. But I will still be returning to this bar restaurant that serves good food.