Tom’s Urban at LA Live: Your First, Next and Last place to Meet, Eat and Drink

By Michael Vallens

Tom’s Urban is the brain child of the extraordinary Tom Ryan. The same Tom Ryan that invented some of the most popular fast food ideas in the past 30 years; these include Pizza Hut’s Lover’s line of pizzas, the Big Foot Pizza and everyone’s favorite the Stuffed Crust Pizza. In addition, Tom Ryan contributed to our society by introducing Mc Donald’s Dollar Menu, Shamrock Shake, Mc Flurry and Mc Griddles. Tom Ryan has become part of our lives without our knowing, but he is emerging from the shadows with restaurants such as Live Basil Pizza and Smashburger. However, it’s his newest and most ambitious restaurant, Tom’s Urban at LA Live that is creating quite the buzz in the blogosphere.

Tom Ryan has a college degree in Food Science and advanced degrees including a doctorate in Flavor and Fragrance Chemistry. With his vast knowledge and tendency towards innovation, Tom Ryan has created an experience at Tom’s Urban that has to be seen to be believed. What can one expect from their first visit? Epic cocktails and good eats await you. Whether it’s the eclectic variety of 70’s, 80’s and 90’s music played accompanied by their music videos or a big time sports game on one of 70 big screen TV’s, one cannot deny that a good time is to be had at Tom’s Urban at LA Live.

After arriving, our gracious hosts provided our first cocktail with their Blueberry Mule served in a punch bowl, prepared with New Amsterdam Vodka, house-made Ginger Brew and mint with Blueberries. A nice way to start a meal is with a cocktail like this.

The first appetizer provided was the Ginger Chicken Potstickers with Seoul dipping sauce, one of Tom’s Urban signature dishes. The Potstickers have flavor for days and held together nicely. The Seoul sauce was spicy and took the dish to the next level.

The Crispy Brussels Sprouts served with Red Peppers and Asian vinaigrette came out next. The Brussels Sprouts were indeed crisp and buttery rich. Tom’s Urban take on Brussels Sprouts will definitely stand out because of their superior flavor.

The third and final appetizer was the Mini Mac and Cheese Pot, prepared with spiral-tube pasta, pork green chili carnitas, house made three-cheese blend and Pico de Gallo. It came out piping hot and creamy as can be. This is not your mother’s Mac and Cheese. This is the innovator Tom Ryan’s take on Mac and Cheese. And does he ever do us right by this! An amazing dish!

In between the appetizers and entrees, we were presented with a second cocktail, Tom’s Urban Gin and Juice, muddled Strawberry and Cucumber topped with Hendricks Gin, Sweet and Sour and a splash of Soda. This has to be one of the most refreshing and rejuvenating cocktails I have ever enjoyed. I definitely know what to order first on my next visit.

We moved on to the entrée’s with the Pork Belly Bahn Mi Street Taco. These street tacos are made with house-made pork belly topped with chili lime Asian slaw, pickled onions, jalapeno, fresh cilantro and chili mayo. This dish in particular covered all of my taste buds with flavors that were intense and complimentary at the same time. My mind was pretty much blown after first bite.

The second entrée to come out was the Short Ribs n’ Grits, slow roasted, braised, boneless short ribs served over creamy cheddar polenta grits. The short ribs required only a fork, no knife needed. Tender and flavorful, the short rib paired perfectly with the richness of the polenta grits. I would love to have this meal on a rainy evening in front of the fireplace.

The third and final entrée was the Nashville Hot Chicken and Cornbread. The cornbread was sweet and made into a pancake and the batter fried, spicy boneless chicken provided crunch and heat while the salted caramel butter was sweet and spicy. Not only was this plate tasty but it was aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

The dessert portion of the evening did not disappoint. The first dessert offered was the Campfire Brownie + Cookie + S’mores. This was prepared in a skillet with brownie batter and chocolate chip cookie dough served warm and topped with toasted marshmallow, salted caramel and chocolate sauces. This dessert is the perfect one to share with friends and family because you don’t want to be the only one to experience this.

The second dessert was the Pineapple Upside Down Cake, made with buttery cake, caramelized brown sugar, pineapple, mango and caramel sauces. I truly felt content and satisfied after consuming this classic of a dessert.

Tom’s Urban has an amazing happy hour deal called Beat the Clock. Starting at 3pm to 6pm, one can get selected booze and bites for either $3 from 3pm to 4pm, $4 from 4pm to 5pm and $5 from 5pm to 6pm. In addition, happy hour closes the night with $5 booze and bites from 10pm to 11pm, $4 from 11pm to midnight, and $3 from midnight to 1am. Make sure to ask for a Big-Ass Beer (it’s 40 oz.) if you are looking to quench your thirst.

After sitting and pondering for a moment, I marveled at Tom Ryan and his innovative ways. He really has stepped it up with Tom’s Urban. He deserves to be on the list of top 25 food entrepreneurs in the last quarter century by Gourmet Magazine. I highly urge every person to try Tom’s Urban at LA Live, it’s your first, next and last place to meet, eat and drink!

Tom’s Urban

1011 S. Figueroa St.

Los Angeles, CA 90015

(213) 746-8667

 

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