Photograph courtesy messhallkitchen.com
The historic Brown Derby space on Los Feliz Boulevard has housed a swing dance bar, a bank, and a Louise’s Trattoria. Now one-half of it is home to Mess Hall, a summer camp-themed restaurant offering comfort foods from chef Keith Silverton. We’d never order a dozen raw oysters from the cafeteria at Walton’s Grizzly Lodge, but here they’re part of a whole raw bar. Craft cocktails are still an anomaly in this neck of the woods, so the mint julep in a tin mug is welcome. Smoked corn fritters are dunked in romesco sauce. A superb pork chop accompanies white cheddar grits and mustard greens. The up-market s’mores fit right in among the patio’s fire pits. » 4500 Los Feliz Blvd., 323-660-6377.
