Muddy Leek

I know this place has been closed for months– but every now and again when my husband asks ‘where do you want to go to dinner?’ My gut reaction is almost always ‘MUDDY LEAK!’
Where have you gone?
Are there more like you someplace close?

I LOVED MUDDY LEEK! Especially the Leek tart which was utterly divine.
OMG what am I going to do without them? I hope they re-​emerge in another form somewhere soon.
Or at least (for starters) sell that amazing tart through Good Eggs! (hint, hint!!!)
Please!

As of 10−8−14, Muddy Leek has closed its doors in Culver City. Too bad, they were great at serving fresh seasonal farm to table dishes. Sad to see them go.

Super cute outdoor patio. Great for casual date and even a little group.
Their mac & cheese was super killer. It’s a great local Culver City joint worth checking out.
I can’t say I loved my chicken pot pie (main entrée) but everything else was great (the appetizers, ambiance and service)!
Check it out if your’e in the neighborhood.

I wanted to like Muddy Leek but was honestly disappointed. We got here around 6:30 on a Friday night and the restaurant was empty as in not a single person in the restaurant area and about 3 parties in the patio area.
It’s really more $$$ than $$. The steak looked really good in someone’s Unilocal picture but that costs $ 28 for a couple slices of steak. Kinda pricey to me. But luckily we hit happy hour. It’s until 6 pm in the patio area and up until 8 pm at the bar. So we sat at the bar. The bartender was nice and took our orders. We got the house wine which was fine. And we started off with the sliders and tempura shiitake mushrooms. My first mushroom was pretty good but the rest were okay. The tempura was kind of thick and you don’t really taste the mushroom. Then we got the sliders and they were only okay. Not too juicy and not much flavor. It came with some pickled cabbage that improves the flavor. After that, my bf was unimpressed (he didn’t like it) so we didn’t order anything else.
The restaurant was okay, ambiance would probably be better if there were more people. But the waitress and bartender are nice which brings up my rating from 2 ½ to 3 stars.

Muddy Leek doesn’t strike me as the most appetizing name for a restaurant, but don’t let the dirt references fool you. The place is spic and span — not a trace of mud in sight. The highlight of the space is the spacious patio which on a warm night has romantic lighting and a wonderful relaxed feel.
I had the braised beef cheek wrapped in a potato lasagna… actually it was more like a huge, savory cannoli than a lasagna, which I equate with lots of layers and cheese. In any case, it was rich and decadent, and very tasty! We also started with one of the night’s specials, a flatbread with manchego cheese and peaches… also delicious!
My one issue was that toward the end of the night (not even that late), we started to feel very rushed out by our server. He didn’t offer us coffee or dessert, and looked pretty disappointed when we asked for our options. «We only have beignets,» he said in a cranky tone. I think I ordered them for the table in part just to annoy him. After all, we were there in business hours, and had a right to linger! Luckily the coffee, tea, and dessert were all enjoyable despite the attitude.

I had bookmarked this place awhile back and happen to be in area. I have to agree with other Unilocalers that the prices are a bit steep for the portions. I decided to just have starters, sides and a bottle of True Myth Chardonnay from Edna valley bill came to $ 100 for 2. This place has a nice vibe. Ask for the patio if you make reservations

For a dineLA dinner, four of us dined at Muddy Leek in Culver City. My starter was the sweet corn flan with tomatillo salsa. The flaky sea bass entrée sat on top of Jasmine rice. As a dessert, I had the beignets with chocolate dipping sauce.
I wasn’t impressed. The food was just okay, and the service was a little on the slow side. For having to pay $ 80pp it was not worth it. I don’t think I’ll be coming back if it was my choice.

I think their DineLA menu is pretty good. For $ 20, you get a salad, an entry, a dessert. It is an okay price.
It has a cute back garden which is pretty nice. There were not that many people on a weekday lunch at 12pm, but it got soon filled up later like 1pm. Decoration is like modern industrial, but still pretty clean and cute.
The food is good. The corn soup is creamy, since I was told it was half corn, half cream, I wouldn’t be surprised. I think the tomato salad was very normal, nothing stands out. For main course, I like both the shrimp and grit as well as the southern hash which is mainly quinoa. I like they have some healthy/​vegetarian choice. And the polenta is really cream. Love it. The dessert beignets were okay, I would expect it more like donut texture. It was too solid for me. And don’t worry about my comment on dessert now, since I should not eat them anyways, so I don’t enjoy them anyways.

Came for lunch on a Thursday. Not crowded when I came, but filled up by the time I left. The front area is cute with modern decorations, but the money seats are on the back patio. I love these Cali restaurants with the indoor-​outdoor feel. I would sit out back if you can.
In any case, I came for DineLA. Good deal on their items ($ 20) for lunch when each of their entrees by themselves are already that much. I tried the tomato salad, corn cream soup, shrimp polenta dish, and the southern hash with quinoa and a fried egg. Everything was pretty good. The only standout dish, though, was the shrimp polenta. The shrimp itself was OK, but the polenta with the cooked kavolo nero was phenomenal.
Overall, would have been a 4-​star place, but the price-​point is too high for lunch.

Went for Dine LA. Overall, I thought the meal was disappointing. All of the dishes just lacked that magic. The plates looked pretty, but just didn’t deliver the flavors that you would expect from a restaurant with similar ambiance, décor, and commanding price.
Tomato Salad — uninspired.
Sweet Corn Flan — really mushy cornbread type consistency. The pickled onions on top probably had the most flavor in the dish. The corn was bland.
Roast Quail — probably the best thing of the night. This dish is what I would expect from Muddy Leek. The quail had flavor, the leeks stuffed inside were aromatic.
Local Seabass — they were outta seabass, so it was halibut. Bland, tasteless, pan fried halibut. And it wasn’t even crisp. The browning on the exterior was soft by the time it got served to me.
Beignets — forgettable.
Panna Cotta — contrary to the website, this was not offered at the restaurant, instead there was a bourbon bread pudding offered. I tasted no bourbon in the bread pudding. To be honest, it tasted like sponge cake.
I must say, the space is very pretty. The patio in the back is super cute with the succulents and hanging lights. There’s big, long, communal tables in the patio where it would be awesome to have a group of friend enjoy a meal, but with the huge disappointment in the dishes, I will not be back.

Lovely space but it has a bit of growing up to do. The food isn’t as sophisticated as it sounds on the menu.
Simply, it falls a tad short. Like that Mediterranean goat stew we had; it was a bit chewy and tough. And that poached egg on grits; the egg was a little overcooked while the grits were a bit undercooked.
BUT, we did enjoy the manchego and (I forget what kind of) sausage flat bread thingie which should really be called a mini-​pizza. If they had called it a mini pizza, you would’ve expected that and it would be divine. Instead, they call it flat bread and you’re expecting razor thin crust with likely no tomato sauce. Nope; this was a pizza. And the potato, leek, and (insert third ingredient here) tart was flavorful and flaky. Just delicious.
The drinks weren’t bad either and they have a cozy patio in the back with blankets at every station for when it gets nippy. But, I’m going to wait a bit to come back. It just needs to find its groove and I’m sure I’ll be doling out more stars.
BTW, I came here on a traffic-​laden Friday night and the place was nearly empty. I don’t think you need to make reservations just yet.

I felt a bit of conflict on this review. I wanted to give M Leek 4 stars but it just wasn’t there. Let’s call this a 3.5 star review… ok…onwards to the details.
First off, both the service and the drinks were top notch. We (party of 5) had a great experience there. Our server was really friendly and outgoing and the drinks were just great. I liked my flaming concoction (see pic of HS Thompson) and loved the Waltzing Matilda (scotch based). Great experience there.
At first glance, the menu looks really good. I like when restaurants don’t have massive menus but a core group of things they do really well. The good news is that with a party of 5, there is a lot of tasting/​sharing (and there was) so I got to try quite a few things. We shared the pickled veggies, the cheese plate, the squash blossom salad, the roasted cauliflower with kimchi and the mac and cheese. For an entrée, I had the flat iron steak.
When the meal was over and my wife and I had split off from the rest of the group, she asked me how dinner was. We both thought it was a good time — the drinks, the atmosphere and the good service (and fun company) made for a great evening. However, I couldn’t recall a dish that really stood out. The food was all fine (consistent, decent flavor, etc) but there was nothing amazing or standout-​ish. I thought about it for a while and nothing popped.
So in the end, the food was 3-​ish and the service/​drinks/​atmosphere was 4.5-ish. Would I go back? Sure — a good drink/​dine place is a fine find. But as far as food goes, I think I would explore a little more in the Culver City area.

I trusted Unilocal to find me a date night restaurant, and it did a fantastic job suggesting Muddy Leek! I wanted a stylish New American menu, and Muddy Leek fit. Washington Blvd is pretty dark and lonely at night, but Muddy Leek glowed subtly, inspiring some of the only foot traffic by architects, designers and curators that work the local Culver City East. A contemporary art piece hangs over head the diners, brightly colored urban-​inspired and just a little bit jazzy, its a fantastic center-​piece for the small window-​walled restaurant.
Now the food– We shared the Carrot-​Ginger Soup, the Chicken Pot Pie, and the Sweet Potato Gnocchi. Total approximately $ 55.00
The soup was frothy and airy, strong on the ginger (which I LOVE) and drizzled with an herb? truffle? oil that gave a complimenting contrast of flavor. We practically licked the little bowl clean.
The Chicken Pot Pie– Zagat rated #1 for Best Comfort Food in the country?!– was compact with a light, rustic crust, the apple butter sweetening the creamy richness of slow-​cooked chicken and veggies inside.
The Sweet Potato Gnocchi seeped in toasted sage oil was served piping hot and creamy and the little savory bulbs hit the spot.
After that we were stuffed, but our very sweet server brought us the carry-​in dessert we brought to the restaurant, complete with lit candle. Thank you so much for that special touch, making my man’s birthday romantic and complete!

Came here on a Saturday night around 9:30. When we arrived, there were only a couple of tables in use and I’ll admit, I was a little worried at that point, but I was quickly blown away.
Our waitress greeted us as we walked in and gave us a few minutes to decide on drinks. Let me just say this now, I WILL COME BACK HERE JUST FOR THE DRINKS! I think their drink menu may change, but we ordered the following: Waltzing Matilda, Sr. Calarita, Manhattan Transfer & French 75. All were amazing in their own way. What I really enjoyed were the extra large ice cubes in the drinks that kept our drinks cold but didn’t water them down!
We all ordered beef plates, either the grass fed beef cheek or flat iron steak. All were amazing and cooked to perfection. We also ordered a lot of sides, including:
Kabocha squash gnocchi — amazing!
Cauliflower croquettes — AMAZING!
Prosciutto flatbread pizza — AMAZING!!!
All in all, I thought the experience was great. Service was excellent. Our waitress was actually the person in charge of creating the drinks, so she was really knowledgeable on the selection. Although it was a TAD bit expensive, I still think it was well worth it.
I’ll most def be back for happy hour (4p-​close at the bar)!

This place has been on my Unilocal list for a while, so I was excited to try it out on New Year’s Eve! First of all, I loved that this place did not have a crazy expensive pre-​fixed menu– just their regular menu with a few specials. They also gave everyone a complimentary glass of champagne and chocolate truffles which was a nice new year’s touch!
This place is super cute, with a great heated outdoor patio! The service was amazing! They must have offered me a pillow and blanket 5 different times, and they frequently moved the heating lamps to make sure no one was cold. Also, our server was SO nice. I can’t believe I forgot his name! But whoever he is, I loved him!
Let’s get to the food:
–House Salad: This is not your typical house salad– the goat cheese and persimmon really made this a great dish to start out with
–Brussels sprouts side: These were good, and I really liked the crispy wild rice on top (almost tasted like rice krispies!) However we have had a lot of really good brussel sprouts lately so these were not as exciting.
–Kabocha squash gnocchi side: Wow! This dish was my favorite. The gnocchi is perfection, and the sage brown butter really makes this a tasty dish.
–Beef wagyu: This was wrapped in some pasta type thing with potatoes underneath I think? Whatever it was, it was good!
–Lamb belly: Lamb with pasta– can’t remember more details but it was pretty delicious.
I want to come back and try everything else on the menu! The people next to us had a chicken pot pie that looked amazing!
You must come here!

Came back for dinner tonight. I thought lunch was good but man. All I can say is. Incredible all around. Fantastic food, fantastic service. Had a buddy in from Montréal (my old town, also a huge food town) and he agreed: This place can hold its own and then some. the lady was as suitably impressed, too.
Basically Muddy Leek is like this: If you are given a plate with meat on it, it fell off the bone. If it was a vegetable it was the essence of the vegetable. Duck Leg, Pork, Duck Breast, ribs, cauliflower, mushroom soup. it was all stupid delicious.
But as good as the food is, the service really brings it together. They make you feel at home and disarm you with quirky, authentic charm.
You hear that, Abbot Kinney? Yeah, I’ll bet you do.
Y’all: come here frequently and often. Just don’t take up my table or spoil it okay?

I came here for happy hour and these were highlights. Let’s get to the nitty gritty.
Why should you love this place? Because it’s away from the Helms District traffic on Venice. It’s hidden. You can hear your conversations. It has a trend of not being packed. With this dapper review and by the expression on your face right now, it is underrated.
What should you try/​do here?
–Go in the bathroom, comb your hair, and go «eyyy» like the Fanz before you go back out. Jive your way out the door.
–Bring a jacket if you’re sitting out back or in front. It’s getting chilly. Your loving mother would want you to anyway.
–Try the potato leek tart as an appetizer if you want something simple. It is a popular item, but I prefer the mac n’ cheese.
–Try the chicken breast if you’re a fan of filling yourself with meat and need something heavier than some of their other items on menu. It is very tender, slightly juicy, and will be good.
–Try the mac n’ cheese if you’re human. Hold the whining here and comfort yourself before you become some self-​righteous no-​carb-​nut.
–Get this:
I have no idea what it is, but it’s served on wood with potatoes and this substance that resembles a falafel. It has a crunchy texture and will melt in your mouth. It will serve two and is good as an appetizer or small plate.
What should you forget/​not do here?
–You should forget the aluminum can opening thing on the outside, back wall.
–You should forget going down the steps in the back area. No one knows where it goes to.
–Forget about parking limits after 6:00 p.m.
–Do not come alone, that’s just depressing.
–If other people are around you, don’t slobber all over your clothes like your buddy Woofus who you left at home.
This place is a hidden gem. Waiters were very attentive, hilarious, and are focused on your experience just as much as chefs are focused on presentation. It’s high, you genius. It’s no Bazaar, but it is a fun place to eat and try creative creations. I say if you can’t get into Public School or Father’s Office, don’t hesitate to give this place a try. Enter from Washington Boulevard.

We’d bumped into the owner last weekend at a wine bar and were intrigued about his farm to table approach. Huge bonus for being right near where we live! Another huge bonus as I happened to get a Blackboard Eats coupon for free Apps with drinks, so why not?
We showed up right before our 7pm reservation and decided to sit at the bar in front of Moe, our bartender for the evening. He made fantastic recommendations for everything from mixed drinks to appetizers to mains! I *love* mint and ginger, so he suggested The Limey cocktail and it was STRONG and awesome. It was very hard not to order another one but I knew I’d be rolled out of there if I did.
We started with the chicken fried bacon. ORDER THIS. I don’t even like tomato but their tomato chutney is awesome! Their special of the night was diver scallops and they were huge, cooked perfectly, and the veggies with foam was an awesome accompaniment.
My wife had ordered the ratatouille and we asked Moe what wine he’d pair with that, and he suggested a Granache Noir which was really interesting and my wife loved wither her meal.
Overall, very very happy with our experience and we’ll totally be back! Sitting at the bar is a lot of fun and Moe was awesome!

Today’s salad special was made with avocado, mandarin orange segments, radishes, candied almonds, and arugula with a citrus dressing. No matter which salad you prefer, each is made with farm fresh produce and prepared with a light dressing which enhances the ingredients instead of masking or drowning them.
The hit of the meal was the grass fed sliders with wasabi aioli on brioche mini buns and sweet potato fries for $ 14. We asked for extra rare and got it :) The excellent buns with just the right amount of aioli to slider ratio made this the perfect small bite (two 4 oz sliders). Sweet potato fries were a nice creative variation on the standard fries that accompany burgers.