The chocolate bread pudding alone would make this a perfect place for dessert.
(Credit: Los Angeles Times/Anacleto Rapping)
On this stretch of Sunset Blvd., you’ll notice Masa, which is stepping up its game now that pizzas have gourmet connotations. Further down is Pho Café, which isn’t expensive but does have a very, very specific aesthetic and clientele that we might call "nouveau Echo Park"; and Elf Café, which opened last year and is a harbinger of great things to some, but one of doom to others.
15 is the meat-eater’s version of Elf Café. It is decorated with low lights and dark furniture, and the couch in the corner and the hardwood floors give it a homey, living room feel. There’s a bar that will soon be home to a sparkling array of delicious alcoholic nectars, but until then the centerpiece is two televisions tuned to Food Network.
The menu is solid if a bit uninspired—mostly a hit list of popular dishes. Calamari, brick-pressed chicken and crème brûlée are all there. The Kobe burger, served with Maytag blue cheese and caramelized onions, is superb, as are the shoestring fries that come with it. The main drawback: special occasion prices. (Short ribs, which tasted like most peoples’ home-cooked pot roast, were twenty dollars.) In fact, the night we visited they had run out of homemade buns for the burger. When the most appealing item is also among the least expensive, it's a good idea to have plenty of it.
But then there's the chocolate croissant bread pudding, a definite high point. This warm, buttery, spicy dessert with big hunks of melted chocolate and a nice caramel sauce was worth every calorie. When the regular hours kick in, this dish alone could make 15 the perfect stop for dessert and a coffee.
Food: A trend medley, with a couple of tasty high points.
Scene: Regular folk with a bit of hipster flavor.
Insider Tip: The hours are a bit unpredictable still, so right now Wednesday-Saturday are the best evenings to go. It should soon stay open 'til midnight—most likely, when the liquor license is granted.
Katherine Spiers is contributing editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
