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The Guild Gourmet Market launched next-door to its restaurant sibling, The Guild, offering charcuterie, a tasty chicken sandwich, and a long happy hour. Diego Leporini's The Guild took over the old Al Bacio space. Much like combo-butcher-restaurants Gwen and The Cannibal, The Guild now functions as both a shop and a restaurant, offering a variety of wines and pantry items for sale, as well as lunch and dinner. Be sure to enjoy a weekend brunch on their patio. The market side is a comfortable, casual space, with lots of natural light during the day; strings of pretty, delicate lights at night; and racks of wine for your perusal.
Lunch items consist of fresh, flavorful salads, hearty sandwiches, small plates and charcuterie. We'd recommend the peach salad if you're feeling like something light. It's got bacon in it, so it'll satisfy your less healthy cravings, but the peach slices and blackberry vinaigrette give it a refreshing, summery finish.
We're also big fans of their Bayou Betty. It's a Cajun fried chicken breast, slathered in honey mustard and slaw, topped with honey mustard pickels and served on a honey oat bun. The slaw here is what makes the dish, made with purple cabbage and gochujang (a Korean pepper paste). We'd pick this one over the hangar steak sandwich, which pales in comparison to the chicken. Sandwiches come served with yucca fries.
There are a few unique charcuterie items here that stand out, though these of course, are subject to change depending on availability. The truffle salami is very good, and so is the flavorful coppa. They also have a creamy, spicy mascarpone made with Fresno chili, served with a pepper fruit jelly.
For dessert, we suggest the guava cheesecake, which is perfectly creamy and complemented nicely by the accompanying guava sauce, but gets a crunch from its thick graham cracker crust.
The dinner menu ditches the sandwiches for several small plates like mushroom bruschetta, a bone marrow dish, mussels and duck confit wings, and hearty appetizers. For entrees, they've got steak, seafood, a bone-in ribeye and a monstrous Game of Thrones rack of lamb—that's their name, not ours!—that is a massive spread fit for a Wildling. It's also $45 for a half-rack, so we'd suggest coming hungry. Vegetarians won't find much in the entree section, but there are numerous small plates that will work including a colorful 'rainbow veggies' plate, hummus, and a beet and goat cheese salad.
It is somewhat pricy for lunch, considering the dishes are between $12 and $18. However, they do have a nice, long happy hour where you can try out the wine and cheese selection for much less. Wine can be scored for $5 a glass, or $20 a bottle, and there are select deals on appetizers (and that guava cheesecake). Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. These deals are available at the bar only.
The Guild Gourmet Market is located at 8741 W. Sunset Blvd. in West Hollywood, 424-279-9601
