Lustig (Culver City, CA)

Lustig Restaurant
3273 Helms Ave, Culver City, CA 90232
424-501-2005
www.lustig-la.com
Sat 07/13/2024, 06:00p-09:20p





The last time I reported on the whereabouts of Bernhard Mairinger was in July 2015, shortly after the famously-tall Chef had opened BierBeisl Imbiss inside Downtown's Spring Arcade Building. Unfortunately, the casual Austrian spot didn't last very long, and wound up shuttering in December 2016. Following the closure, Mairinger focused on his private cheffing and catering business, but began missing the excitement of running a restaurant, and thus began devising plans to get back into the fray.

The result of those plans is Lustig (German for "funny"), which grand-opened on December 30th last year at the Helms Bakery District. The Austrian-ish eatery is meant to be a neighborhood-y spot, and was opened in partnership with Walter Nathan Marks III, whose family real estate firm actually controls the Helms property. The restaurant appears to have been largely well-received since its debut, and was actually added to the Michelin guide back at the start of May.


Lustig occupies a Helms Bakery complex storefront that was previously home to Pascal Donzel's longstanding La Dijonaise Cafe et Boulangerie, which shut down at the end of July 2020 after 20 years in business. The layout hasn't really changed, but the space has been spiffed up considerably by the team over at Studio UNLTD, and now features bold colors paired with flashes of mid-century sophistication.


Mairinger offers a menu of shareable plates based on the culinary traditions of Austria, but the Chef isn't afraid to draw inspiration from other parts of Europe (and beyond), either. Click for larger versions.


Beverage-wise, you'll find cocktails from Erik Lund (Alexander’s Steakhouse, Republique, MessHall, Rivera), a mostly Austrian/German wine list, sundry spirits, and a handful of theme-appropriate beers. Corkage is $45. Click for larger versions.


Hamachi Jalapeno [$18.00] | green apple, pickled wasabi, mustard, lime, avocado, cilantro
The pairing of hamachi and jalapeño has become somewhat staid, but Mairinger started us off with a smart re-envisioning of the dish, one that meshed the yellowtail with a bevy of tart, fresh, piquant flavors that really did a great job offsetting the fattiness of the fish.


Jungle Bird[s Aren't Real] [$19.00] | rum, red bitters, pineapple, amaro
We made our way through numerous cocktails tonight, and up first was this variation on a tiki classic. I found it more rum-forward than most, with a palpable spiciness and nuttiness that I didn't expect.



Steak Tartare [$26.00] | summer truffle, cornichons, capers, arugula, parmesan, kaiser roll
The tartar was a definite favorite, and one of the better renditions of the dish I've had in a while. I loved the texture of the beef, as well as the muskiness of the truffle, though even more crucial was how perfectly the sour, pickley flavors present complemented the meat. I was also a fan of the included Kaiserbrötchen, a mildly-flavored, agreeably crusty bread that tempered the more assertive flavors of the tartare.


Celery [$19.00] | agave spirits, serrano, pineapple, citrus, dirty salt
Our second cocktail wasn't shy about displaying the unmistakably vegetal nature of celery, combining it with a growing heat, a savory-salty rim, and the signature smack of agave.


Chicken Liver Profiteroles [$14.00] | dark chocolate, riesling
The cream puffs did a surprisingly effective job melding the earthiness of liver with bittersweet chocolate, and I appreciated the texture on the choux pastry, too. I wouldn't have minded popping a few more of these guys.


Velvet Paintings [A Problem] [$20.00] | whisky, raspberry, red bitters, fernet, bruto, rosso
This cocktail was perhaps my favorite of the lot, and featured aromas of bitter, juicy raspberry that led to a boozy, herbaceous palate accented by the minty character of that fernet. Pretty neat.


Grilled Broccolini [$20.00] | goulash sauce, whipped burrata, marcona almonds, lemon, espelette
Crisp stalks of broccolini arrived well-charred, their smokiness playing well with a gulyás-inspired sauce and its tomato-y tang and creeping heat.


Obligatory Spritz [$14.00] | mirtle, sparkling rosé, grapefruit
The requisite spritz was indeed the breeziest cocktail of the night, coming out effervescent and citrusy, but somehow, I tasted ham in the drink--I'm assuming from the myrtle--which I sort of dug.


Grilled Asparagus "Caesar" [$24.00] | marinated trout caviar, parmesan two ways, herb salad, peas
I'm generally a fan of reimagined Caesar salads, and while this didn't quite evoke the classic dish, it was still rather tasty. I was definitely into the bitter, well-charred, well-textured stalks of asparagus, and how they worked with the enveloping creaminess of that roe-studded dressing and a crunchy Parmigiano tuile, all while peas brightened things up.


Das Penizillin [$19.00] | islay scotch, jamaican rum, pepper cumin sour, ginger
The most prototypical "modern classic" cocktail was given a slight refresh. I really got the peatiness of the Islay right up front, set against expected elements of citrus and ginger, while surprisingly, the use of rum wasn't all that apparent.



Iberian Duroc Pork Chop "Steak Frites" [$47.00] | jäger style (wild mushroom), brussel sprouts, bacon
Iberian pork was done justice here. The chop came out juicy and tender, its elegantly porcine flavors amped up by a woodsy mushroom sauce, salty bits of bacon, and bitter Brussels. The fries were also superb, reminding me of a much, much better version of what you find at McDonald's.


House Soda [$8.00]
This non-alcoholic house soda ended up being more interesting than expected thanks to its aggressive carrot and ginger notes.



Croque Monsieur [$23.00 + $25.00] | béchamel, prosciutto cotto, provolone, parmesan + add truffle
Our first pizza did a commendable job channeling its sandwich inspiration due to its marriage of salty ham with plenty of cheese and creamy béchamel, all while the truffles made things all the better. I will note that the dough incorporated spelt, which gave the crust a different taste and texture than one typically finds.


Pimm's Milk Punch [$19.00] | pimmish house blend, sour, strawberry, cucumber, milk wash
This clarified milk punch was another one of my cocktail favorites tonight, and I found the drink silky smooth, with a beguilingly sweet, spicy, vegetal character. Curiously, one of my dining companions was especially fond of the ice here, which reminded her of the Austrian Alps.


The Original (Veal) [$45.00] | our Schnitzel is served with lemon & a lingonberry-yuzu chutney
The Wiener Schnitzel was of course a must-try given that it's likely the most iconic dish to ever come out of Austria. The cutlet arrived tender and mildly-seasoned, with a light, fried, breaded exterior, and really opened up with a squirt of lemon, while the yuzu-boosted lingonberry jam wasn't overly sweet, as I'd feared. The schnitzel was served with our choice of side, and we went with an excellent potato-shishito sauté.


Alt Fashioned [$20.00] | whiskey, amari, jamaican walnut, underberg
This next cocktail was the booziest of the bunch, a particularly viscous, tummy-warming concoction that highlighted the herbal nature of the Underberg, but set against sweeter notes of dark-toned fruit.


Sausage Pizza [$28.00] | goulash sauce, savoy cabbage, fresh horseradish, cheese, sour cream, harissa
Sausage is one of my preferred pizza toppings, so this next pie certainly caught my attention. The Wurst played especially well with the cabbage and horseradish, and I appreciated how the cheese helped tie everything together, though I would've liked to have tasted more from the advertised harissa.


Boulevardier [$20.00] | whiskey, red bitters, rosso vermouth
This classic French cocktail was also to my liking thanks to its spot-on interplay of whiskey, bittersweet notes, and nuances of red fruit.


Käsespätzle [$48.00/large] | creamy cheese sauce, crispy onions, seasonal fresh truffle
The spätzle was another winner. The pasta dumplings were a joy texturally, and I really appreciated how they set the stage for that delectable back-and-forth between cheese, truffle, and some wonderfully savory bits of fried onion.


Low-Fashion [$14.00] | rosso vermouth, strawberry, benedictine, amaro
This low-ABV cocktail packed a surprisingly potent punch due to all its robustly bittersweet, herbal notes that really belied the drink's alcohol content.


Desserts at Lustig are certainly appropriate for the theme, and are the charge of Pastry Chef Giselle Habib. Click for a larger version.


Apple Strudel Cigars [$16.00] | strudel sorbet, vanilla sauce
Our first dessert did an admirable job conveying the cozy essence of Apfelstrudel. I was a fan of its warm spices and rich apple flavors, dutifully enhanced by a super flaky pastry exterior and a refreshing apple sorbet.


Wood Paneled Rec Room [$20.00] | rum, whiskey, cacao, celery, all spice
The evening's final cocktail was amusingly-monikered, and despite its inclusion of celery, allspice, and plenty of booze, what I primarily tasted here was Fruity Pebbles cereal, which I didn't mind at all.


Kaiserschmarrn [$21.00] | roasted plum compote, NO RAISINS!
The Kaiserschmarren met the mark, and was even likened to a Dutch baby by one of my dining companions. The dessert was akin to a supple, eggy, shredded pancake, and was served with a tangy plum compote that kept things interesting. And curiously, despite the menu proudly proclaiming a lack of raisins, I think I would've preferred the dish with them.


Last to imbibe were two servings of eau-de-vie, which served as apt digestifs. The Reisetbauer William Pear [$14] showed off the refreshingly juicy, vivacious flavors of its namesake fruit, while the Reisetbauer Rowanberry [$16] was more intriguing, demonstrating this vegetal, astringent, almost nutty quality.


Black Forest Cake "Mille Feuille" [$18.00] | mascarpone ice cream, chocolate cremé, fabbri cherries
This version of Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte was my favorite of the desserts. I was smitten by the gateau's rich, dark cacao flavors, set against luscious, sugary cherries, all while the mille-feuille nature of the torte mixed things up texturally.


Since this was a birthday dinner, we concluded with a presentation of two cakes, both sourced from Porto's bakery. We enjoyed a meringue-finished Rosa Porto's Pineapple Cuban Cake with brandy, pineapple jam, and vanilla custard, as well as a ladyfinger-encircled Tiramisu made with coffee-soaked chiffon and mascarpone cream. Note that we were not charged a cake-cutting fee.

It'd been far too long since I'd had Mairinger's food, so it was great to see him back in action tonight. Lustig is like a more relaxed incarnation of BierBeisl, or a less relaxed incarnation of Imbiss, and features the Chef's appealing interpretation of casually-elegant, Cal-European fare. I struggle to name even one other restaurant in Los Angeles that could be considered Austrian, so this place is a very welcomed addition to the LA dining scene. Now, Lustig also offers a "Sausage Hour" happy hour, so given my penchant for tubed meats, I might have to return for that.