The Rusty Monk

The Rusty Monk Restaurant Review:

Uptown Whittier’s culinary renaissance is largely driven by restaurants that aren’t afraid to do their own thing. This fun, funky gastropub certainly fits this mold. When you walk into the spacious dining area, expect to be greeted by distressed signage partially covering exposed brick walls, bright red banquettes and lots of Steely Dan playing overhead. If you’re lucky, you’ll also have a chance to talk to proprietor and cicerone Colleen Koestner, whose wizard-like knowledge of Belgian beer and craft brews provides plenty of insight for even the most discerning beer geek. She’ll have a pairing in mind for any dish executive chef Bev Lazo whips up in her kitchen, whether it’s a beer flight for a well-composed cheese and charcuterie plate or a simple local brew to go with a starter like the house-made Bavarian pretzel or the mushroom frites. Lazo’s compact menu features a slew of rather good Central European comfort classics, such as the moules frites in Belgian beer sauce, traditional German schnitzel with pommes purée or the rack of lamb and creamy polenta weekend special. Be sure to save room for the bread pudding with caramel apple strudel, which, of course, matches nicely with a polysyllabic Belgian brew.