After a few weeks without a review (Dessert Issue! Mezcal!), this week we return with a look at Little Beast in Eagle Rock. We urge you to hop on over the the food section and read the full review, but for those of you with less time and attention to spare, here's the condensed version:

The 'hood: Little Beast is interesting not so much because of what it is (that is, another market-driven restaurant serving simple New American food) but where it is. You'd think Eagle Rock would already have a few spots along these lines, but really, until now, it hasn't. And seeing as the neighborhood is home to lots of young families and older artist types, Little Beast is somewhat of a godsend.

The Space: Little Beast is located in the Craftman bungalow that used to house Larkin's. From the review: “Living in L.A. it's easy to forget the pleasure of an old house-turned-restaurant, as so many of our eateries are in buildings that were never anything but commercial. Little Beast shows how it's done: A nook of the house is used to accommodate a small bar tucked off to one side, and the wooden floors creak charmingly when a waitress stomps by in her cowboy boots.”

The Food: The menu is brief and familiar: 11 small plates, including both a charcuterie plate and a cheese board, and six entrees. Many of the small plates are salads, which can be either pleasing in their simplicity or a tad dispiriting. But entrees, mainly slightly upscale takes on Euro-comfort food, are cooked incredibly well. There's a kid's menu for the many families who are already frequenting the place.

Drinks: Short beer and wine list with some genuinely fun picks, like what you'd drink at your wine-loving, budget-conscious friend's house.

Takeaway: 2 stars (good). From the review: “Little Beast may not be perfect, but it's the exact restaurant Eagle Rock was waiting for: charming, friendly and built on a foundation of family and community.”

Read the full review here.

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