Sometimes you have a place to go that just gets you. You know what I mean. I think we all have a restaurant and/or bar that just understands exactly what you want: it rarely has a wait, offers incredible food quality that never waivers, and has a fantastic craft beer selection, and has a fun and interesting atmosphere. It’s not that often you find a place that will have ALL of these qualities, but I am certain that me and Father’s Office in Culver City are kindred spirits. Destined to have a mutually beneficial relationship founded in a love of all that is craft beer and food.

Father’s Office is located in the old Helms Bakery shopping center off of Venice Blvd. and the 10 freeway. If you haven’t seen the Helms Bakery shopping center it’s full of upscale furniture stores and has the neat vintage signs still intact from it’s baking days. I especially love the H.D. Buttercup neon sign. Who names a furniture store that name? It’s kinda fantastic.

The restaurant is a rectangle shape with communal tables out on the patio and a long sprawling bar inside that is almost as long as the restaurant itself. They smartly have identical taps on each end of the bar so if you order something from one end the bartender doesn’t have to take the time to run to one end and pour the beer and come all the way back. They always have beers from one of my favorite breweries, Craftsman Brewing Company from Pasadena on tap.

Speaking of beer, when we went they had Row 2, Hill 56 by Russian River which is a wonderful beer made by one of my all-time favorite breweries. It’s hard to get Russian River beers, especially their other beers that you don’t see that often. Row 2, Hill 56 is a 100% Simcoe Pale that’s 5.8%ABV and oh-so-drinkable. Russian River really knows how to treat those hops.

Father’s Office is truly is a foodie paradise. Where else can you get smoked eel and a poached egg with horseradish creme fraiche and fennel appetizer? I haven’t seen stuff like that anywhere else. We had the asparagus with lamb bacon with a sunny-side up egg and a side of pickled asparagus to start, along with a cheese plate. The asparagus was crunchy and fresh and complimented by the fatty and crunchy lamb bacon and the silky egg yolk. The pickled asparagus on the side was just perfect. For dinner I had the Hawaiian butter fish which was seared rare with caponata, “black” olive oil, crispy carole nete on top. It was silky and buttery and the caponata was the perfect compliment. I ate the entire thing and didn’t even offer any to Sean because it was that good. Sean had the Father’s Office burger, which has earned some fame for the restaurant due to the bacon jam spread on the burger. It’s a bacon and onion compote cooked down with magic and crack to adorn their rare burger patty that has been handled with kitten gloves. I have seen food network covering the chef cooking this burger, and he says the key to a good burger is to only flip once and keep your hands off it while it’s cooking. It seems to work for him because the burger is always delicious. It’s soft and meaty, fatty but sweet with salty undertones. Add arugula and a soft roll bun and it’s time to devour! Their fries on the side are small “shoe string” fries salted and sprinkled with herbs. These fries are addictingly good.

We have been back to Father’s Office several times because we just can’t get enough. It honestly never misses (knock on wood). Hope to see you all there!