Little Beast
A quaint neighborhood spot complete with all the charm and warmth you could ask for. If you’re familiar with Eagle Rock (On the eastside of LA between Glendale and Pasadena) you’ll know that there aren’t many restaurants like this in the neighborhood. A craftsman style bungalow converted into a restaurant on the corner of Colorado and Loleta Ave with chef-driven cuisine, Little Beast quickly became a favorite of mine. It was most glorious news hearing they were officially reopening for take-out and patio dining.
If you’re in a county that is on the watch list in California, you are most likely scrambling to find a restaurant with a great patio to get a night out. Since indoor dining has closed down, it’s a sad time for restaurants who aren’t able to offer outdoor dining. With Little Beast, not only do they offer patio dining, it’s what has taken me back to dine-in multiple times. Although the indoor craftsman-style dining area completes the experience, it has never been the main appeal for me. Most likely because apartment living in a city doesn’t usually offer a backyard, that outdoor, fresh air feel is a great way to escape your apartment and get outside to relax.
Going along with the small cottage theme, smaller front porch offers a few tables, giving you a private, Southern front porch feel. And the real magic, the ‘backyard’ lined with tables, under string lights, giving you an ‘under the stars’ feel. While the name may seem odd (as it probably should, who names a restaurant Little Beast) after hearing it’s the endearing nickname of their firstborn Miles, it just makes the place all the more charming.
With a desire to offer a great ‘foodie’ option on the Eastside that could rival those great spots in places like Silverlake or the Westside, husband and wife team Deborah Schwartz-Lowenthal and Chef Sean Lowenthal opened up Little Beast in 2014. The menu is progressive American comfort food, where you’ll find spin-offs on classics like Meatloaf but with Chipotle-glazed Turkey, to their French Lentil Risotto. Mark your calendars for Wednesday nights, where the ultimate comfort food, Southern Fried Chicken, is the special that one night only.
Delivery and take-out are still encouraged (With to-go cocktails!) but we all know how much we need time outside of the four walls of our home that we have been staring at for the past 5 months. Tip* Walkins are discouraged by the county, so make sure to call ahead and make your reservation and get some of that Little Beast enchantment any time between Wednesday-Sunday, from 5pm-9pm.