 Barangaroos Aussie Pies One of my favorite restaurants in L.A. was Aussie Pie Kitchen, which originally opened near Venice and subsequently moved around, at one point trying to evolve into a frozen food business. I'm not clear on whether or not that ever worked out, but it was a shame when they stepped away from the brick-and-mortar restaurant, because their pies (especially served with a "tiger stack" of mushy peas and mashed potatoes) were supreme.
Heavy meat pies, of course, are not exactly L.A. food staples, though, and it's hard to imagine, say, Miss Natalie Portman eating one every day. So inevitably, APK skedaddled, and just like that, a golden era came to a close. Not long after, I bid "G'day" to the city of lost, angelic Aussie pies, my heart pierced like a crocodile hunter realizing too late that Nature always wins. Needless to say, Barangaroos was a welcome discovery after relocating to Chicago, where this food probably makes a little more sense. As with Aussie Pie Kitchen, you get the sense that the vision here is to franchise and/or expand to the frozen foods aisle, but at the moment it's the one location, and based on one visit, they're doin' it right so far.
My friend Cone and I grabbed lunch there recently. As they were out of the Shepherd's Pie, I went with a Classic Mince, adding a side of mashed potatoes which more or less made it a Shepherd's Pie, and a Coke. Cone got the Chicken Tikka Masala, also with mashed potatoes and a Coke. About $12 for each combo. Quite good, I thought. The pies were smaller and not as heavy as the ones I'd had back in La-La Land, and were easy to eat by hand in true Aussie fashion. Now if only I could find a place to eat Kylie Minogue's sweet 'n' savory Aussie pie!
Review by Pumboo Dongo-Dohnoh, February 2020 |
