One of my “new” favorite Los Angeles hideaways truly is the quintessential neighborhood joint. It’s cozy, in size and atmosphere, it has a local feel, it’s hip, and it’s just so darn friendly all the way around. I was recently looking for a new spot to try around my ‘hood, Culver City / West LA area, and last-minute on a Friday I decided Freddy Smalls seemed like the ideal different place to check out. I’d been ogling video posts and pictures taken at Freddy Smalls shared by my friends at Tastemade who uses their insanely awesome app to feature restaurants – it’s the better, foodie, version of Yelp made up of quick (totally easy to make and view) videos. I was sold at “great music, great bar, great food”, and with a stroke of luck I managed to snag the last table for two before the reservations of the night started filing in.
First and certainly the most charming thing to note about Freddy’s, which you will notice and catch on to soon enough, is the abundance of photographs of “Freddy’s” plastered to the walls – Classy Freddie Blassie, Fred Savage, Fred Astaire, Fred Biletnikoff, even Mr. Rodgers to name a few. It was decided then and there that me and especially my boyfriend had fallen in love – he has a creepy knack for facial recognition and spent a good portion of the evening figuring out all the “Freddy’s” like it was a trivia game. Note: I was only able to identify Fred Savage, he knew all the rest… men. Evidently after this discovery we were already on track to be grand friends with this clever Freddy Smalls but the fun and friendship making didn’t end there.
Freddy Smalls is quite frankly… small. Only in size, surely not in taste or personality, but it’s a squeeze at 7pm on a weekend, especially if you didn’t manage to snag a comfy booth. We were sat at a two top right next to a booth party of four and it felt slightly as if we’d just crashed their dinner… just a little bit. Normally that would kind of turn one off right? Especially being Americans, we really like our space and privacy, but in the special case of a place like Freddy Smalls… where everyone who enters must come in with the understanding that we’re all here to enjoy the delicious food, great company, a curiously content wait staff, and a neighborhood (like we’re not in LA) atmosphere…. this is most certainly not the case. Sure it was a little awkward at first noticing we were able to hear everything the other table was saying, but because of that we wound up making friends with our sociable table mates and chatting all night.
Fortunately, these people were not only simply nice people, but they were also regulars who excitedly gave us the low down on a few things we had to order. That being: the deviled eggs, the burrata, and the famous, award-winning, brussel sprouts. We ordered more than that, obviously, I don’t mess around in the food department, but these three items were most certainly the most note-worthy. My mouth is getting watery just thinking about those deviled eggs… MM!
The whole Freddy Smalls experience is absolutely worth having, and one worth coming back for again and again. It’s the place you wish you were a regular at – it’s just that small, cool yet understated feel that gives Freddy’s a whole lotta appeal. The food is right up there with the best of LA’s most popular and mobbed gastropubs, but the attitude remains unpretentious; their recognition hasn’t changed who they are as popular local business. I personally love this spot because I feel like if my boyfriend or I were to open up a restaurant/bar it would be just like Freddy Smalls – it would be easy-going, down to earth, welcoming, and fun. Complete with a charming yet cheeky undertone.
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