Ellen in Lalaland: Atwater Village Voyage!

Neighborhoodism abounds in Los Angeles: We have our famed MVPs, such as Venice, West Hollywood, Koreatown, Silver Lake, Beverly Hills and, as of late, downtown (aka DTLA). And then we have some of the lesser-known neighborhoods. Atwater Village is nearly Glendale, but not yet. I go there for that hipsters-settling-into-a-family + friends-so-close-they’re-family vibe. It is home to a brilliant assortment of bars: we all love Bigfoot Lodge, the Roost, Tam O’Shanter, and the Morrison—so many places to fill your belly and get smashed there. However, if you want drinks that say party, food that could fill you up on smelling it alone, and chill vibes on the airy patio, Momed fills all the bills. Plus, you can get the most fascinating (but also delicious) wine on earth there. Know that Momed is a maximalist. Don’t go if you are afraid of flavor. Every dish is a rabbit hole of flavor and texture (tangy and creamy!), giving way to undiscovered sensations and tastes (sour-sweet and nutty!). But the maximalist ethos goes beyond flavor. You can order mocktails topped with smoke bubbles and cocktails that arrive glowing—you have to sip to the bottom to discover the source of the glow. And the dishes are treasure troves, each bite more nuanced yet complicated than the next—sauces and garnishes hiding here and there, making each bite a new sensation. And yet! The environs are easy-breezy Mediterranean-squeezy, full of plants and soothed with Mediterranean blue and white motifs in plates and glasses. A small, more indoor bar with a smattering of tables does overlook the patio, but the patio seating makes up the majority—less patio, more dining en plein air, with shading, of course. The music may get a touch louder later in the evening, but never so loud as you won’t need to raise your voice to communicate across a four-top. Seeing as it is outside, the lighting may dim as time goes on, but it remains light enough. You will only require your phone flashlight to take good pictures of food and drink, which you WILL want to do. Okay, so the maximalist of it all—I must start with the cocktails. The glowing Neptune had everything from gin to velvet falernum and glowy accessories that brought the mysterious blue glow. My other friend’s booze-free ‘Amoxicillin’ had a smoke bubble blown at the table and left for her to pop. I don’t understand how it works, but it’s a fun tableside trick, and the cocktail, rich in ginger, was delicious. None of these came off as gimmicky. Then the dishes! While your table decides what to get—you could order individual dishes, but the menu leans toward sharing—you can nosh on the complimentary pot of za’atar-spiked tortilla chips. The menu begins with shareable dishes, toplined by ones that come with the house-made sourdough pitas. One. Must. PITA. These are thicker, fluffier, and, moreover, tangier than average, and you will dream of taking home a bushel. They come with the likes of whipped feta topped with blistered tomatoes underlain with cured basil seed. I thought the latter was passion fruit until I inquired. And, if you eat this too fast, you may not clock the seeds, as they hide beneath the feta and tomatoes. Pay attention as they add a slight crunch counterbalancing the cream of the cheese and the juice of the tomato. Then there is the pita with avocado hummus, a mashup you didn’t know you wanted or needed, silky smooth, bringing avocado’s richness to the distinctly earthy garbanzos. Or you can get a pita with muhammara, a thick dip of walnuts and peppers topped with pomegranate deeds—spicy, crunchy, scoopable. On my first visit, the day's special was a salad of lemon, cucumber, and watermelon topped with an assortment of herbs like mint and, oh yes, za’atar, a frequent flyer here. It was so cooling on the summer night when none of us had appetites we all still wanted. The next time I visited, it was on the menu. I love the spirit of experimentation and trial before committing an item to the menu (so long as it’s in season). The broccolini was beyond richly satisfying—a BIG bowl of broccolini wedges over a textured sauce (black garlic tahini, Urfa furikake, pickled golden raisins, crispy shallots), and half a lime, which we were instructed to squeeze, then to toss the lot of it. Each smoky, nutty, spicy bite kept me guessing. While the tossing integrated the broccolini and sauce, more or less, you could construct bites with less or more of all the components to your liking. I actually saved a bit of pita to scoop the leftover sauce. Good lordess, I would buy a jar of that sauce if possible. The Brentwood corn, another bowl full of goodness, was refreshing. Still, the surprise blueberries (both charred and raw pickled) accentuated the corn’s sweetness, while the fresh green onion slivers offered a piquant bite. The creamy sauce and feta were served courtside as our companion was vegan. I tried it sans toppings and with and adored it all over. Although maybe it is the pure corn lover in me, I enjoyed the salad without worrying about a sauce or cheese. The roasted beets were a smaller dish served with almond slivers and labneh (again served on the side in respect for my favorite vegan pal). I will say sometimes the dish presented didn’t exactly match what I expected—the menu says the beets come with an “almond arugula pesto,” but instead, there were almond flakes. But this, among a couple of other alterations, didn’t bother me, as the dishes were overall scrumptious. I’m sure you want to know about the wines—to be honest, I first spotted the Momed patio when I met up with wine director Ehsan Mackani. His list features both some super-fun Armenian wines and also literally the most rare wine ever ( see this article ). I’ve also enjoyed the likes of crisp Vermentino and rich California Zinfandel —Mackani has a wine list nicely balanced between crowd-pleasers and unique tipples. As for atmosphere, it all goes. And no matter how you are dressed and how cool your drinks are, there is no attitude. The service is just personal enough. To wit, my first time there, my friends (traitors) didn’t tell me there was lipstick on my nose, but the waiter didn’t want to let me spend the night like that and demurely let me know with just the right balance between super close friend and stranger. I think telling someone they have lipstick on their nose is FAR better service than letting someone humiliate themselves all night. Also, VEGANS can thrive here! Me (vegetarian) and a vegan friend went with a carnivore, and they were happy to serve cheese and sauce offerings on the side of dishes, making everything shareable for everyone. Meanwhile, the dishes were so rich and flavor-filled that the carnivore told us she didn’t notice she didn’t have the meat. Lastly, listen for the birds. When we first heard sweet tweets underlying the soundtrack, we thought maybe they were piped in for atmosphere, but upon asking, we found out they build nests in the hanging plants. Momed really is a place for everyone. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Want to read more from Ellen? Check out her recent articles: The New Garagistes All the Cutwaters, All Lined Up BIANCO: An Italian Love Story Ode to Txakoli Bolt These for Beltane Lifting: a Rosé Story A Brief Tour of Armenia in Four Wines Cup of Salvation + Your New Favorite Wines You can also listen to Ellen's podcast, The Wine Situation here . Check out her recent transcripts of the Final Five questions: Wine Situation Final Five! Kristin Olszewski Wine Situation Final Five! Yannick Benjamin