Alot of time has passed since 1989, but it seems as though time has stood still, not moved one iota at Engine No.28 in downtown Los Angeles, California on 644 South Figueroa. Sure the menu looks ok, deviled eggs with bacon, crab cakes, & mac n’ cheese, but none of the visual beauties on paper mean absolutely nothing if it doesn’t taste good.

You know cooking is progressive as any creative person knows, new flavors and new twists on old flavors have a way touching your palate in a new way, but if you never experiment, if you opt to disregard the natural course of life to progress, you will always have food the taste like 1989 and old socks.

If progression was in play at Engine No.28, they would have known that deviled eggs require flavor, not sprinkles sized pieces of bacon depending on only that to take it over the top, where are the fresh herbs, the tarragon, the basil…something.

If escalating in your craft was apart of ones repertoire, they would have thought who puts more filler in crab cakes, than crab. Now just to be fair the crab cakes were not inedible, but it wasn’t delicious, I didn’t pull my fork out of the cake and see a piece of lump meat on the other end; experience in ordering crab cakes has taught me that restaurants typically deep fry crakes when they have something to hide, and it is usualy the lack of meat.

If Engine No.28 chose to be up-to-date then the mac n’ cheese with cheddar, mozzarella, and blue cheese, would take like it had all of those cheeses, I mean where was the sharpness of the cheddar, the slightly pungent taste of the bleu cheese, and the tang from the mozzarella, and worst of all, why was the size of the macaroni the same size the pasta in the kraft box, not plump, but al dente..I mean it is mac n’ cheese for heavens sake who wants al dente mac n’ cheese, but above all who wants to be saddened by not good mac n’ cheese.

Based on the perception of the clientele here, they been with Engine No. 28, since the inception of 1989, they are faithful, it is the place they talk business deals, the place where older couples double date with their friends and catch up, but unfortunately it is not the place where you go to have a great meal.

It is always to go to a restaurant that has longevity and staying power, but at the end the day if you choose to go out to eat, the result should be delicious.