Is Darling by Sean Brock Worth It Now? We Went to Find Out

Darling in West Hollywood is celebrity chef Sean Brock's first restaurant outside the American south, initially opening in 2025 as a Californian, seasonally-driven restaurant. This did not go over well with Angelenos; they wanted the cornbread and the grits and the fried chicken, they wanted the classics. And we don't blame them. Imagine a rock star band coming to town and playing none of their hits? Same thing. Darling is now being marketed as a southern-heritage restaurant with a kiss of California, taking advantage of the freshest and highest quality produce in the country. The cornbread is here to stay, as is the Carolina Gold rice and the Anson Mills grits, so Los Angeles finally gets to try some of these iconic classics from Chef Sean. Brunch and happy hour are now available at Darling, too. The hi-fi listening lounge is swinging in full gear, and the bar program has also been revamped to include a Southern touch. Darling.la ansonmills.com https://la.eater.com/los-angeles-restaurant-news/304494/darling-west-hollywood-restaurant-southern-pivot-sean-brock 0:00 – Intro 5:56 – Drinks Program Overview 6:25 – Amber Royale 7:45 – Shelby 9:42 – Midnight Club 10:48 – Reverie 12:05 – Paradis 13:38 – Drinks Overall Thoughts 14:49 – Food Program Overview 15:44 – Deviled Eggs 16:39 – Country Ham and Melon 18:29 – Texas Deer Skewers 20:34 – Cornbread 24:14 – Dressed Lettuces 25:07 – Abalone and Rice Stew 27:40 – Carolina Gold Rice 29:53 – Vermillion Rock Fish and Grits 32:04 – The Darling Burger 34:31 – Food Overall Thoughts 36:42 – Peanut Tart 39:12 – Eton Mess 42:42– Ambiance 48:06 – Service 51:25 – Verdict 🎧 Listen to the Podcast: Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZUVt7hAf8JvrA4NvHRd7Z?si=3f3b627900fb4583 Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aftertaste-la/id1840083535 Amazon → https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/b94749de-3c4c-40a2-b549-f80ac2725a58/aftertaste-la RSS Feed → https://feeds.captivate.fm/aftertaste-la/ 📱 Connect with us here: Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/aftertastela Threads → https://www.threads.com/@aftertastela TikTok → https://www.tiktok.com/@aftertastela 🍴 About Aftertaste LA: Join Chef Vlad and Nicole on their journey through the Los Angeles dining scene. Each episode focuses on a different restaurant, analyzing strengths and weaknesses from service to flavor, to creativity, and everything else Nicole and Chef Vlad are the friends you trust to give a thorough review of the many restaurants of the diverse and vast Los Angeles dining landscape. They’ll break down the hits, the misses, and the avoid-at-all-costs so you can target your experiences to what fits you best. Whether you’re a local, just visiting, or dreaming of an LA vacation, they’re your source for tasty information about the restaurant experiences that make Los Angeles special. ⭐ Our Rating System (1–4 Tastebuds): 1️⃣ Tastebud = Skip it 2️⃣ Tastebuds = If you’re in the neighborhood 3️⃣ Tastebuds = Worth a trek 4️⃣ Tastebuds = Can’t miss #AftertasteLA #LosAngelesFood #RestaurantReview #FoodPodcast