Needless to say, the service and food quality at Tam O'Shanter Inn is what I've come to expect from a Lawry's restaurant. When I arrived, I was pleasantly greeted by Pierre, the host. I was seated immediately in the wood paneled dining room with a cozy fireplace.
Within seconds, my server, Tonya, offered sparkling cider or Champagne (technically sparkling wine), which is complimentary with the Sunday Brunch menu. When I informed her I was interested in the Prix Fixe menu as part of Dine LA Restaurant Week, she kindly informed me of my choices for the $22 THREE course meal.
I selected the Tam O'Shanter salad, the Toad in the Hole entree, and the Chocolate Souffle for dessert. As soon as my order was placed, I received a basket of scones and muffins. The basket of goodness was accompanied by a berry butter and orange marmalade.My salad arrived shortly after. To be honest, I was starting to become full after a scone, 1/2 of a muffin and the salad. That's saying something considering I usually have a hearty appetite and I didn't have breakfast this morning.
Before the entree arrived, I was greeted by Tony, the Manager.
He mentioned he wanted to stop by to welcome me to the restaurant because he noticed I mentioned it was my first visit when I booked the reservation. He shared the history of the Tam O'Shanter Inn, which is the oldest restaurant establishment in Los Angeles to be owned continuously by the same family. That's longevity, especially in a town like L.A.! I mentioned I was interested in returning to his restaurant with some friends, so he gave me his card and said to call him when my plans are finalized. He said he'll do something special for us. How nice is that?
When my entree arrived, I wasn't impressed with the presentation of the Toad in the Hole because it just looked plain on a plate with green beans. But, I was pleased with the texture of the Yorkshire pudding, especially
the crust, and the flavor of the burgundy wine sauce. The perfect bite was a bit of pudding, filet mignon, and mushroom. The flavors on the plate made me want to eat the whole thing, but I had to force myself to put the fork down as I knew a chocolate souffle would be waiting for me.It's a good thing the pace at Tam O'Shanter was relaxed. There was a bit of lag time between the entree and dessert, which gave my stomach enough time to rest before the dessert arrived. As with the Yorkshire pudding, I preferred the crusty edges of the piping hot souffle. I hate to admit it, but my favorite part of the dessert was the whipped cream topping.
Just when I thought my lunch was complete, Tonya presented me with a second dessert, the English Trifle. She said it was in honor of my first visit to the Tam O'Shanter Inn. How "sweet" is that? Of course by now, I was completely stuffed, so the trifle (not to mention the remaining Toad in the Hole, scones, and muffins) went home with me in a box.In the end, I really got my money's worth for a $22 meal. In addition to the savings from the Prix Fixe menu, I also received 100 points from OpenTable.com towards earning a $20 OpenTable Dining Cheque. Additionally, I earned 22 points from Lawry's VIP Rewards towards a $25 Rewards Certificate. Not bad! Check out these websites for details!
