Happy Hour Oysters at Mistral Kitchen

The new Mistral Kitchen (2020 Westlake Ave.) presents itself as a bit of spatial origami, not revealing all of its 200 seat capacity by first or even second glance. A bar, a dining room, a lounge or two, private dining spaces (also voyeuristic) , you eat as you please here. Before you dine or movie go, try the bar for $1 oysters from 5:00-6:00pm. The happy hour menu offers other changing selections as well, but the oysters are too sweet and fleshy to pass up, kumamotos on our visit. The drinks came soigné, mixed in little glass pitchers. We road tested the barman with a Corpse Reviver No. 2, a Martinez and a black Manhattan (replace sweet vermouth with Amaro Nonino--choice), and watched while staff cut giant cubes off a huge block of ice.

Leaving was easier than entering the space. My night blindness gave me an embarrassing bit of trouble with the door. Staff see you walk up, they must time how long it takes dipshits like me to figure it out. I knew where it was, just, well... you can see at right. When I mentioned it to the owner as an anecdote, I could tell I wasn't the first. "It's an IQ test," said chef William Belickis, playfully. Then he waits a beat and adds a smile, "I mean, we made the handle eight feet long." Ouch, and touché.