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Photo Essay: Father's Office II on Opening Night
Last night Father's Office II in Culver City* Los Angeles finally opened to the thirsty and hungry, but mostly thirsty, masses. It was supposed to be a soft opening but word got out and the bar/restaurant filled up right quick. A line formed outside the front door but patrons who finally made it in said the wait wasn't too bad, just about 15 minutes.
The door guys kept the restaurant at an uncrowded level. No sardined patrons here, thank goodness! And the sound levels, even with the sound system and diners' chatter, were surprisingly low. Unlike how it is at the SaMo FO where the closed quarters and high decibel levels mean everyone has to choose between not talking at all or shouting themselves hoarse. Here, I was able to have nice conversations with Andy and my neighboring diners.
LAist Editor Zach Behrens had asked us to put "veggie burgers" in the FO 2 suggestion box, but Larry the bartender stopped us before we could try. Apparently veggie burgers and the like don't fit in at Father's Office. Sorry, Zach. Yes, Daddy likes his meat, i.e. bistro steak ($16), spicy oatmeal stout ribs ($13), and smoked eel ($10) in addition to the much beloved Office burger ($12).
Also it seems that Daddy doesn't like vodka as FO 2, in addition to beer and wine, serves only armagnac/cognac, gin, whiskey/bourbon/scotch and tequila. There are also five "F.O.rgotten Cocktails" ($9-$12) available for those who require a strong drink at the end of a hellish day at work -- Office Martini, Manhattan, Side Car, Negroni and Aviation.
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But last night was a blast. LAist News Editor Andy Sternberg and I ended up spending about five hours sitting at our little corner of the bar, watching several sports games on TV, chatting with the folks who showed up to the opening (which included Mark, beer god and owner of Craftsman, and some LAist readers), sipping and guzzling several cocktails and beer pints and chomping on our food (Andy got the Bistro Steak and I got the Office Burger).
Oh yes, I will most definitely be back. I still have 70 beers and three cocktails to try!
Father's Office II
3229 Helms Avenue
Los Angeles, California 90034 (map)
(310) 736-2224
* Fun Fact: The Los Angeles/Culver City border actually runs right through the Helms Bakery building. The city line runs East/West halfway between Venice and Washington Blvds.
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This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
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