The red-hot Silver Lake restaurant scene got another boost last week with the arrival of Sawyer, a casual-ish seafood restaurant decked out with a rustic California vibe and a large garden patio. Restaurateur Beau Laughlin and chef Alex McWilliams, the latter a former East Coast chef who's worked under Tom Colicchio and José Andres, are behind the project.

Sawyer will be open for dinner daily, serving “shareable plates” such as a soft-shell crab sandwich with red cabbage and scallion mayo; duck fat popovers with English blue cheese, sweet corn and razor clam chowder; skate wing with yam fries; Carolina fried chicken with jalapeño grits; and chilled seafood platters. The wine list is the creation of former Osteria Mozza sommelier Dario Dell’Anno, and cocktails are crafted by Devon Espinosa of the Church Key.

For weekend brunch, Sawyer's offerings include ricotta skillet cakes with fresh berries, chocolate croissant custard toast, duck confit root veggie hash and lingcod tacos.

There's also a happy hour daily  from 4 to 7 p.m., at which you'll find $4 beer, $5 wine, $6 well drinks and $8 cocktails, along with dishes like sweet pea hummus, an oyster po' boy and a combo that includes a half-dozen oysters with a glass of beer or wine for $12.

Sawyer, 3705 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake; sawyerlosangeles.com.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.