"Naanstrami" And Comfort Food at The Belmont (West Hollywood)

The Belmont on La Cienega has a long history but now there's a new ownership and a new chef in charge, and things are looking pretty fun. Sports fans can sit inside with the large screen TV and enjoy some beers, or you can sit outside for a quieter dinner. Either way, these days the beer selections are getting more interesting and so is the food.

They now have items like the Naanstrami (pastrami, swiss cheese, spicy chipotle slaw, naan bread - $14) - yes, that is a pastrami sandwich on naan bread!

The naan makes a pretty good vehicle, as you can taste more of the pastrami, but there's still that nice char. I liked the little kick from the spicy slaw here also.

It's not all new menu items here, they kept the popular Original Belmont Mac n Cheese (crab, scallion, bacon, tomato, cheese - $13)

I mean, it's crab mac and cheese with crispy, crumbly top. I don't think I have to say too much about it, do I? It's rich but so good!


For a lighter fare, get the Brussels Sprout Salad, spinach, apple, applewood bacon, parmesan, radish, almond, cider vinaigrette ($12)

This shaved brussels sprout salad is a nice, simple salad with a light dressing. I find that these days brussels sprouts tend to be overdressed and too salty, so this is a nice change.

Grilled Mahi Sandwich, housemade tartar sauce, marinated tomato, bibb lettuce, brioche ($14)

When I was growing up, I would only eat the Filet O' Fish at McDonald's. This evokes some nostalgia, but of course it's much better than McD's. The fish is nicely cooked and moist.

Both the naanstrami and the sandwich comes with choice of side so I chose fresh cut fries for this and sweet potato fries for the other.

So, beers. If you're coming here to watch a game you might want some beers. Well, they have 8 beers on tap with a pretty good selection including La Fin du Monde and Old Rasputin, along with a good bottled beer selection. They also have a limited supply of special releases. I got a Lemongrass Saison from Maui Brewing Co from this list ($8)

The Belmont
747 N La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90069
(310) 659-8871
http://www.thebelmontcafe.com/