Tale of the Big Ones That Got Away

I was sitting outside at Cravings, 8653 Sunset Blvd., (213) 652-6893, the newest restaurant on that strip of Sunset where tables filled with gorgeous people spill out onto the sidewalks. I was playing with my piece of pizza (it was sort of doughy) while the people at the next table waved the largest shrimps I’ve ever seen ostentatiously about, dipping them into some sort of sauce, eating them with all the abandon of Tom Jones. They--the crustaceans--looked wonderful.

“Did you see shrimp on the menu?” I asked my companion. He put fork to fried chicken. He shook his head. He said, “This is one of the most eclectic menus ever. I saw hamburgers. I saw cheese-stuffed poached pears. I saw homemade sausages. I saw pasta and mashed potatoes and perch. But I sure didn’t see any shrimp.”

Now the people at the next table were languidly pulling the leaves off artichokes. Meanwhile we decided that we liked the homey fried chicken (but not the nutmeg-laden mashed potatoes), hated the dreary deviled crab casserole. We talked about coming back for breakfast (the restaurant opens at 8 a.m.) as we ate slices of very American and rather tough cakes. At the next table they were tucking into cold roast chicken, and we finally asked the waitress where their food was coming from. She nodded toward Tutto Italia, next door. Maybe the food is always finer on the far side. . . .