Finding Your Soul at Larkin's in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles
Chef Larkin Mackey gets right to the heart of the matter at his contemporary soul food joint. Dishes are all about comfort and home—the menu’s chock-full of family recipes, tweaked slightly by Mackey. Meals start with Texas caviar (black-eyed pea salsa and pita chips) and are accompanied by fluffy cornbread. Musts: fried chicken, okra, mac-n-cheese, spicy greens, and Larkin’s mama’s own sweet potato pie (this is a must-must-must). There’s always a weekly special, like shrimp and grits with crispy bacon or BBQ baby back ribs with cabbage/apple cole slaw and baked beans. The location is as homey as the food. Once an auto and lawnmower repair shop, the 1920s bungalow has been painstakingly restored by Mackey and his family. Comfy seating is available on the wide front porch, inside the “house,” or on the back patio. Open Wednesday through Saturday for lunch and dinner and Sundays for brunch.
By Apryl Lundsten | Photo: Hane C. Lee | Feedback