Heidi: Danielle! Guess what I got!
Me: Two tickets to paradise?
Heidi: No, I got—
Me: Hit on by a cop?
Heidi: Danielle, no. I—
Me: Oh god, you have webbed feet don’t you? Look, I’m sure they can cut little slices in between your toes and–
Heidi: DANIELLE!

Poor Heidi was eager to tell me her good news, and I, being the mature child that I am loved giving her a hard time. But as her cheeks quickly matched the color of her red hair, I quieted myself.

Heidi: I don’t have webbed feet. What I have is an invite to a dinner at Tom’s Urban at LA Live and a plus one. Wanna come with me?
Me: Nah, I’d rather go somewhere I actually like.

Sure it was a rude comment, but I meant it. I remember going to Tom’s Urban earlier this year and I really didn’t like it. The food was plated poorly and it was extremely distasteful. The idea of enduring a similar dining experience was not going to happen. That was until she persisted with the high-pitched whine we girls do when we really want something to go our way.

I gave in and a hour later we were at Tom’s. I was reluctant as we walked into the restaurant and to the event table, but then the organizer Paige had such a good energy that I decided to go into this dinner with an open mind. Once Heidi and I met the other foodies, Paige walked us through a sample of the revamped menu.

We started with a few small plates. The first was the Crispy Brussels Sprouts ($6). Solely as a side, this would be a nice addition. The bite-sized bowl of Brussels sprouts were topped with red peppers and Asian vinaigrette. My biggest concern when it comes to Brussels sprouts is that they might be too salty. These weren’t too bad as they balanced any potential bitterness with light seasoning and dressing.
The second of the small plates was the Colorado Calamari ($13). The chef took pieces of crispy calamari and fried them with Anaheim and Fresno chili and served them with remoulade and green chili ranch dipping sauce. What I appreciated about this plate was the calamari wasn’t too overly-breaded to the point that they tasted of nothing but fried batter. Rather, they were done lightly so I could enjoy both the fried portion and the squid equally. More importantly, they weren’t cooked too long so that the squid turned out tough. Not too shabby. I would have finished it, but then another dish arrived. I’m easily distracted by food, maybe it’s food ADD.

The next small plate was the Mini Mac n’ Cheese Pot ($6).  This plate completely made up for the poor plating Tom’s Urban did on my last visit. The white dishes were the perfect slate for such a colorful course, and surprisingly, it wasn’t that “mini”. A well-sized portion of coiled pasta noodles were submerged underneath melted cheese, pork green chili carnitas, and pico de gallo. After only a few bites, I definitely felt that this was a menu item that I would revisit with my spoon on more than one occasion.

After diving into those three small plates, I prepared myself for the entrees. The first to arrive was the Avocado Shrimp Salad ($13.50). It had roasted and chilled shrimp, baby spinach tomatoes, cucumbers, fried capers, avocado, and a hard-boiled egg topped with remoulade dressing. If this is what all salads could look like, I would probably weigh a lot less. Then again, this plate was completely stacked from rim-to-rim making weight loss impossible if someone finished it completely. Plus, it was full of jumbo fresh shrimp, tons of bright green avocado slices, and a whole egg. Maybe it wouldn’t be ideal for hitting a certain number on the scale, but if you’re looking to hit a certain number on taste, then this will exceed that.

The second of the entrees was the Braised Beef Short Rib and Grits ($26). The chef took half a pound of fork tender slow-roasted certified Angus Beef braised boneless short ribs and served them over rich cheddar polenta grits. To see three slices of short ribs sitting on top of a plentiful helping of grits, took me back to my school days in New Orleans. It looked like such hearty dish and once I tried it, it tasted exactly like that. Such juicy short ribs laid across a solid layer of grits would be enough to fill anyone up, but I knew there was one last dish to try. I did grab a few more forkfuls, but I didn’t get too crazy.

The final dish was the Asian Chicken Lollipops ($22). Twice-fried crispy Asian glazed chicken lollipops were tossed in a ginger peanut sauce. They were then served over pan fried egg noodles, cabbage, green onions, carrots, cilantro, and drizzled with an Asian BBQ sauce. This was my favorite dish because the chicken was cooked to a tender perfection, the BBQ sauce added a delightful sweetness, and the egg noodles brought it all together. This was probably the dish that changed my opinion about Tom’s from what it used to be.

From this dinner, I realize that I was wrong about Tom’s Urban. Well, kind of. I was completely justified in not liking the food for my initial visit, but I was wrong to hold that against the restaurant to this day without at least giving it a second chance. Now that I have, I can honestly say that I was very pleased with their revised menu. Their new dishes are plated beautifully, they are great portions, and best of all they taste delicious. You can see the effort and energy going into what comes out of the kitchen and it seems like they’re on a good path to a positive direction—one that I’ll gladly follow.

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Address: 1011 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Phone: (213) 746-8667
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