PREMIUM CASUAL FOOD FOR THE CURIOUS APPETITE Turning Fire Restaurant in Eagle Rock

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Michael Hepworth

TURNING FIRE IN EAGLE ROCK

PREMIUM CASUAL FOOD FOR THE CURIOUS APPETITE

Eagle Rock (Perfect Meal Today)7/23/17/–Turning Fire restaurant in Eagle Rock is the creation of Mike Riboli. who is fourth generation member of the Riboli family, the folks behind the San Antonio Winery, a relative institution in downtown Los Angeles. He opened Turning Fire in November 2016, and was immediately faced with about three months of rain and cold weather and an election season that frankly the folks in Eagle Rock were not expecting. The room is very clean and spacious with the lighting just about perfect. All the tables and chairs are wood and there is plenty of parking out back.

All the food here is made in house as well as the in-house spices, and they are particularly good on the Roasted White Yams which is also helped by the cracked peppers and herbs. The salads here are impressive, especially the Marrakech, an homage to Moroccan cuisine w/goat cheese, beets, faro, basil, cilantro, roasted minted carrots (excellent), kalamato olives, grilled scallions, paprika lavash chips, spiced pistachios all topped off with a harissa dressing.

He has soldiered on however catering for the regulars who he also admits usually go for the same thing on their rather eclectic menu spearheaded by their well received Rotisserie Chicken. That includes the Jamaican Jerked Chicken that is augmented by the sweet-heat jerked spice, citrus and clove. Lemon Lavender Chicken has a lavender spice rub, thyme and herbs.

I felt like pork on my visit that night and went for the Braised Calabrian Pork which is slow braised with tomatoes, orange peel, Calabrian chile,peppers and olives. I also liked the pork and beef Meatballs served with ricotta, basil and grilled ciabatta toast. Ciabatta is the only bread served at Turning Fire incidentally. Roman Spiced Pork is hand stacked with Italian herbs, toasted fennel seed and garlic, but despite that it still seemed a little dry to me.

They have an item here called LA Street Fries ($10) which by all accounts are a popular item, but not for this writer. Too much of a reach with grilled chile corn, pickled red onion, cotija cheese crumble, grilled scallions and a thick creamy cilantro lime.

The wine list is super small and features ones from San Antonio or wines that they distribute. Beer gets a similar short shrift but at leastthey do have Allagash White and Old Speckled Hen English Ale ina nitro can.