Public School 310 UPDATE - Culver City

What do you do when you need a reservation for 5 on a Saturday night and it's already noon? PANIC. Your blood runs cold because you're the designated unwilling foodie, and they're going to expect great things.

The one who lives in Redondo Beach doesn't want to drive too far, the one who lives in Brentwood is a lightweight and CAN'T drive too far, and...Public School 310, THANK YOU FOR EXISTING. 

The food is lighthearted, recognizable with a more personal touch, straight up new-American comfort. No one leaves hungry, and certainly no one leaves displeased.

Start with Edamame Hummus because who doesn't love hummus? Our token vegetarian is all abut the flattering touch of tahini, with furikake sprinkles to give it a far-east flair.

There's a Fiery Calamari for finger food with oomph. The squid:bread ratio is right on, and the togarashi tips the scale from totally traditional to a little more fun. Plus there's an aioli dip that can do no wrong.

On to the main event. Flat Iron Steak with Truffle Butter is a bit more than medium rare, and the truffle isn't so detectable. But the Chorizo Mac & Cheese more than makes up for the steak. Emmental melts hard, as cheddar and swiss engulf the cones of campanelle, encasing them in a firm yet gooey shell. Contains negligible amounts kale, which I'll try not to hold against them. 

Brussels Sprouts are a welcome break from the meat, the mac, and the fried. They're charred mean and green with a zest of lemon and a bully of burnt bacon. 

A table for five is a tall order on a Saturday night, but thank god they had one. Service was great, food was filling, and you leave feeling oh-so-satisfied. You can always count on Culver for cocktails and cuisine!

Praising Public School 310 – Culver City

Just because they call themselves public school and have a host of communal tables where you get to sit next to the cool kids…or the kids who got there first doesn’t mean they should be believed. I’ve been to public school and private, and I dare say even the preppiest of the prep schools can’t make food this good.

On your first day of school, (way back when), you never knew what to expect. Every cafeteria promises to be equally terrible, but there’s usually some sort of variation in what kinds of terrible things they buy in bulk. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could have ordered a Cutting Board back then? Then you could have tried a sampling of your school’s meats and cheeses so you’d know what to expect for the rest of the year. The thing is, if you try any of the heavenly ham n’ cheese on this crazy cutting board, you’ll never touch your bologna again.

While we’re on the subject of samplers, why not taste the grown-up version of chips and dip? The Mezze Plate’s pita points are more filling than greasy Lays, and when dipped in hummus, baba ganoush, tapenade, or marinated feta, they’re almost better than my favorite apples and caramel. The hummus is smooth, the bab ganoush is smoky, the tapenade is salty and savory, and the feta is crumbly but firm. Pop some crispy chickpeas between bites to give your palate a break. Like your favorite can of Pringles, once you pop a couple, you really can’t stop.

What public school cafeteria doesn’t serve fish sticks at least once a week? I made that fishy, soggy breaded mistake way more than once. But I made no mistake about the Salmon “Pastrami” Carpaccio. There’s nothing fishy about the soft slices of cured salmon that slides straight down.

The Cauliflower Gratin is the one thing that almost looks like something you’d get on the side of your lunch tray, usually in the vegetable section. But this little casserole of grainy-gratin-y cheesiness is so sweet and smooth you can almost forget you’re eating your vegetables.

Nothing that came on a public school plate was going to make me eat my vegetables growing up, but if I had gone to Public School 310, maybe things would have been different. Seriously, I never thought I’d find positive things to say about a public school cafeteria, but for food this good, I might have almost enjoyed sitting through an entire morning of classes.