CleverRoot

2 6 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t NAME ANY WELL-KNOWN RESTAURANT in Los Angeles, and Chef Sydney Hunter III has probably spent time in its kitchen. Hollywood hotspot Petit Trois? Check. Well-loved local Venice hangout Superba Snack Bar? Check. Former legendary French restaurant L'Orangerie? Also check. And now he's running the kitchen at Kettle Black, opened late last year next to its sister restaurant, Sawyer, on a hip stretch of Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake. The restaurant is gorgeous, with a floor-to-ceiling gold bar and a bright, open space. The position of the open kitchen at the end of the dining room allows Hunter to see all the tables, a purposeful decision. "At Petit Trois, I was essentially both the general manager and chef de cuisine, and while it took me out of my comfort zone, I really enjoyed the small space and intimate relationship it allowed me to have with our guests, and I wanted to continue that at Kettle Black," Hunter explains. "It's nice to talk to everyone and not hide in the back of the kitchen. In the same way you would recognize a bartender that took care of you last time you visited, I want people to say that about the chefs." The food may be fine dining, but the atmosphere says casual neighborhood joint. Hunter's own style of cooking—which he defines as, "I majored in French and minored in Italian [cuisine] and I grew up in California"—is evident in the eclectic dishes on Kettle Black's menu, from perfectly cooked agnolotti filled with kombucha squash to orata (sea bream) crudo that really pops from the addition of pink pep- percorns. The eclectic theme continues on in the cocktail menu, which features plant-based ingredients such as the peach-pluot cordial in the Scotch Cocktail or an heirloom citrus vermouth. While the food may have a European influence, Hunter sources most of his ingredients from the United States. "Food quality in the U.S. is really catching up to the E.U.," Hunter notes. "You can get really amazing cheeses here that you wouldn't have been able to find years ago. We'll source meat from Smoking Goose in Indiana or West Coast Prime Meats, and vegetables often come from the Hollywood or Santa Monica farmers markets. You can start with a safe menu as a base, but it should always have its own evolution so that it can grow and change." Hunter is hoping one day to make the entire menu red meat –free, focusing on more sustainable proteins like chicken, pork and fish, as well as more vegetables, which shine in dishes like the patata pizza with broccolini, Yukon potato, crème fraîche and a sunny-side- up egg. All the pastas, pizza dough and bread are made in house, allowing Hunter to have total control of the product from start to finish and make adjustments as needed. "I don't really write recipes down," Hunter admits. "My palate has evolved, and so have my recipes. Every time I want to look for something better. It also allows me some fluidity regarding menu changes. Mother Nature happens! Sometimes something you want won't be available and you can't always pre-plan. You have to work with what you're given." CHEF PROFILE Back in Black Chef Sydney Hunter of Kettle Black in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. PHOTOS COURTESY OF KETTLE BLACK VETERAN CHEF SYDNEY HUNTER III BRINGS WELL- EXECUTED ECLECTIC CUISINE TO KETTLE BLACK IN LOS ANGELES by Jesse Hom-Dawson Vegetables shine in dishes like the patata pizza made from housemade dough with broccoli, Yukon potato, crème fraîche and a sunny-side-up egg. ■cr

• Cover