Superba Food & Bread

I've been a huge fan of Superba Snack Bar's delicate, unique, homemade pastas since it opened. It doesn't hurt that I can walk there, but the small restaurant can be sometimes difficult to get into, so I was happy to hear that a new Superba spawn had come to life on Lincoln, offering even more variety, as well as additional seating.

The new Lincoln Boulevard outpost is called Superba Food and Bread, and is owned by Paul Hibler, the same culinary mastermind behind Superba Snack, as well as Pitfire and East Borough. Superba Snack's chef Jason Neroni was a consultant on the new opening, but they brought in Jason Travi from Littlefork in Hollywood to serve as quarterback in the kitchen. Is that enough Jason's and Superba's for you?

The vibe is playful and fun. There's indoor and outdoor seating and even if you're inside, there's enough light coming in through the large windows and roll up door that you'll enjoy nice breezes and sunshine from every seat in the house.

Superba Food and Bread describes itself as:

"a social hub where anyone can come to enjoy reasonably priced, hand crafted fare in a comfortable environment. We are an extension of our community and equal parts bakery, cafe and urban park."

Only in LA could that description of a restaurant not only be written, but actually ring true. There's something for everyone at Superba, no matter the time of day. Brunch can have up to a 45 minute wait (they don't take reservations) to enjoy Moroccan eggs or a salmon belly BLT, not to mention the many homemade breads and flavored croissants. Pretzel croissant? Yes please.

At lunch, the crusty bread is used to sandwich kale, chickpea puree, fresno peppers and pickled garlic. There's also a grain bowl with a slow cooked egg, collard slaw and cashew. Oh yes, this is LA at its crunchiest.

I went on a Sunday evening, which is the now very popular, often sold out, fried chicken night. Before going in for the main attraction, we primed our palate with the burrata, fig and proscuitto. Yes, we've seen this many times before in Los Angeles restaurants, but something felt different and better about this one, and I don't think it was the accompanying Rose that seems mandatory to drink on a Sunday afternoon. Huge pieces of each ingredient were artfully arranged and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Everything was perfectly ripe, prepared and happily devoured. A great starter if you're not in the mood for one of their decadently stacked toasts that is piled high with ingredients like avocado, sweat pea and bacon gelee.

We figured the yin to the crispy fried chicken's yang would be the seared artic char. This delicate fish was gently cooked with a softness that worked well with the spry, fresh mint, sliced rhubarb and snap pea puree and tendrils.

This was all just a build up to the large dish of chicken that came next. Three generous portions of a well crusted, half bird were served. You could flake off chunks of the almost candy like coating outer layer and eat it like dessert. It was flavorful with a little spice from cayenne, pepper and paprika, but included a touch of sweetness. The interior chicken was moist and mouth-watering. The butter biscuit and tangy kale salad were welcome additions, or distractions, so I wouldn't eat all 3 pieces in one sitting.

How else do you end fried chicken night, but with the Superba candy bar.

They call it an updated Snicker's bar and I like to just call it a little taste of heaven. A creamy chocolate interior plays with explosive chocolate covered pop rocks and crunchy nuts. It's fun, rich and a great way to end a solid and truly enjoyable meal.