The Churchill promises culinary potential

Achieving a lifestyle of both town and country is a long-desired American dream, a representation of versatility and success. There is a magazine dedicated to it and even a type of car named for it. The Churchill, West Hollywood’s latest trendy restaurant, is L.A. dining’s contribution to the town and country ideal.

But The Churchill doesn’t accomplish this goal.

Décor plays a major, interactive part in The Churchill experience. Menus are placemats, and a photo booth greets you at the top of the staircase on the second floor. Ball jars serve as water glasses, candle votives, vases and hot tea mugs — the latter maybe not the smartest idea. And though they aren’t used, old-time cash registers add some intrigue to the bar areas.

If it all sounds schlocky, it kind of is. Yet it’s doubtful this is the restaurant The Churchill aims to be; the menu suggests an effort for sophistication.

Charcuterie plates, whole rockfish, bouillabaisse — it’s all on the menu here and all for diners who don’t mind doing a little work once their orders arrive. On paper, this menu embodies the town-country combination well.

An appetizer of duck confit impresses. Duck is on menus all over the city, but here it’s cooked well and butternut squash hash lends the dish a unique twist. The skin of the bird can be crispier, but this shortcoming is an easily forgettable offense when breaking up a bite of duck meat with a sweet burst of roasted grape. And with these heavier flavors, it works well as a smaller dish.

Another appetizer, the artichoke with bottarga, arrives as one of the restaurant’s sadder looking dishes — just a few strips of heart with bread crumbs and drizzled lemon aioli. The flavor of the bottarga, which would have been appealing for its slightly fishy taste, is unidentifiable. This artichoke is nothing special.

The Churchill also has a selection of specialty pizzas. One topped with pork belly and ricotta is especially appealing, but the additional toppings, including pine nuts and some charred mixed greens, contribute to an entirely chewy bite, augmented by an undercooked crust. The flavors are all there, and the greens add a welcome bitterness, but the joy of a pizza is as much about texture of components as it is about flavors.

A diverse array of ingredients is better represented in The Churchill’s halibut and bouillabaisse. The halibut arrives generously portioned with a golden cornmeal crust and large, waving flakes. It looks pretty, particularly sitting in the burnt-orange broth of the soup. And the soup, fortunately, includes dainty shellfish, and it tastes like the saffron one hopes for in a delectable bouillabaisse.

The gnocchi with braised rabbit, however, is a complete failure. The rabbit, presented in flavorless strips, would be better incorporated in the tomato sauce. Unless it acquires a juiciness or spice — anything really to provide it with some flavor — the rabbit’s inclusion seems unnecessary.

And if you’re content to push the strips of rabbit meat aside and focus on the gnocchi, well, bad news for you, too. The gnocchi is baby-food soft, as soft as the sheep’s milk ricotta with which it is served.

Dessert is just as hit-or-miss as the rest of the menu.

Chocolate panna cotta is every bit as rich and thick as one would hope, the fork getting tense as it slices into the mound, while the fig tart is less impressive. The fresh figs, the balsamic drizzle with notes of caramel, and the olive oil ice cream, which melts as it melts from the pastry’s center to each corner of the dough, are all signs of a clever, capable kitchen. Why, then, must the crust, the largest element of every bite, contribute so little? The dessert, above all, should be about the tart.

Town, country, sophisticated, fun, trendy, classic — The Churchill wants to be too many things for too many people. The restaurant would be wise to take one or two contrasts, stick to them, and focus on the execution of its food.

Herein lies the restaurant’s greatest flaw: It has commitment issues. If you’re going to serve rabbit, differentiate it from other meats. If you’re going to char a bit of artichoke or pizza crust, make sure the whole thing is crispy. At least that way, if the dishes still don’t work, they’d actually stand for something.

The Churchill could be a worthwhile restaurant, but it has some big decisions to make.