Answering the Urge for Urchin

How much just shy of delicious decadence can you take? If you’d care to find out, get yourself to Carp for brunch at Little Dom’s Seafood. Now almost six years since it took over the beloved space of Sly’s, Little Dom’s has settled into its own lived-in and local feel — servers fist bump regulars and the bar room’s booths feel like they’ve been there for decades (the space had hightops in the Sly’s days). 

But it also has a classy and cool feel, too, starting with that very elegant Deco bar and carrying right through the menu. Especially from September to March when Brandon Boudet, Executive Chef & Co-Owner, gets to drop a few in-season uni dishes. None beats the simple sounding but far from simple tasting Uni and Eggs on Brioche. 

Let’s consider this jewel from the bottom up. That brioche comes from Los Angeles’s Breadbar (Little Dom’s is the sister restaurant of a beloved older version in Los Feliz, which itself was preceded by Dominick’s in West Hollywood). “Breadbar’s team is focused on reviving the art of traditional bread-making here in Southern California,” Boudet says. “They make a great product, and we love working with and supporting locally owned businesses wherever possible.” Brioche, of course, is an eggier (and butterier) yeasted dough than most, which fits with the egg theme of the dish. It gets a good toast, for it has a tricky job — while not being crunchy-crusty, it provides each bite’s texture. This is a meal of subtle degrees. Speaking of, I haven’t mentioned the crème fraîche sparingly knifed across the toast, waving at your sour taste buds.

The eggs, with their glowingly yolky color, are soft scrambled to a loose omelet richness — you might be happy with just the eggs on the toast. But the meal is about more than happiness, it’s about the discovery of a joy you didn’t know you deserved. For here comes the uni, provided by acclaimed diver Stephanie Mutz right from the Santa Barbara Channel. As with most of the seafood at Little Dom’s, local is crucial. You know most of our prized sea urchin gets shipped off to a crazily appreciative Japan, so feel fortunate to get some of what Boudet insists is, “the best sea urchin in the world, hands down.”

Indeed, the uni is rich, and so much of the sea it’s too much for the timid. But in this setting, it’s glorious. 

However Boudet isn’t done. There’s a generous sprinkle of smoked trout roe — yep, more egg! — giving the plate pop in a physical sense, and yet more saline. Plus, it’s fun getting to chase the rogue rolling-away roe around your plate with your fork. The surprise ingredient is a house hot sauce, just enough to round out the richness, especially as its vinegar naps the dish with just enough acid. A generous sprinkle of finely chopped chives and you’ve got a meal to dream of. Drink it with their coffee strong enough you’d swear your spoon might stand up in it and/or a breakfast cocktail featuring a seasonal house-made preserve.

While it might seem I went overboard in the above description, I’m just hoping to mimic the care that goes on in Little Dom’s kitchen. If you want to have your uni experience differently, you can order it in its shell from the raw bar, or opt for squid ink pasta tossed with sea urchin shrimp scampi and finished with crispy mollica (a k a fancy breadcrumbs, Italian-rooted, like a good part of Little Dom’s).

And if urchin is a somewhat slimy bridge too far for you, Little Dom’s has you covered with everything from a cauliflower risotto and eggs at brunch to a three-meat Italian sub at lunch to pizzas or fish piccata at dinner. 

Little Dom’s will also be celebrating the city of Boudet’s birth, New Orleans, with a special Mardi Gras menu, February 15-17. Let the talented bar staff mix you up a Sazerac and then dive into items like shrimp, chicken, and andouille gumbo, soft shell crab or roast beef po boys, crawfish Monica, and BBQ oysters. It’s going to be your last blast before Lent, so finish with beignets and slices of king cake from pastry chef Ann Kirk, too!

Little Dom’s Seafood, 686 Linden Ave., Carpinteria. See ldseafood.com.