Restaurants near Veterans Memorial Park

This was our first time at Maple Block. We started with the peach wood smoked chicken wings—not o ur jam. The texture of the wings was rubbery (especially the drumette), but it had a nice rub and good smoke flavor. The buffalo wing sauce accompanying them was awesome. We then ordered 1/2 lb of brisket, ranch beans, a kale salad, and the night’s special—crispy half chicken with salsa verde. The brisket was delicious—half lean, half fatty just as we had ordered it. The bbq sauce was spot on. Beans are always the test at a bbq place for us and they were stellar, perfectly cooked and creamy with just a hint of sweetness. However, the star of the show was definitely the special—this needs to be on the menu permanently!! Half a smoked chicken, fried to crispy perfection, topped with a refreshing herb salad with pickled white onions (which are better than their red), served with tomatillo salsa. This was the best smoked chicken that we have ever had. A refined dish that doesn’t let you forget that the chicken is the star of the show. FYI, portion size is robust, we took home 3/4 of the chicken, 1/2 the beans, and 1/2 the brisket. It made for a lovely breakfast in the morning.

Excellent Christmas Eve 4 course meal. Dark room, understate but distinctive holiday decorations, and traditional Dear John setting made for great ambience.

We had booked a reservation for Christmas Eve a month in advance, but when we arrived we were not seated for 30 minutes past our reservation time. Nevertheless, once we were seated the service was prompt and friendly, and all of the food was delicious. The various vegetable sides were terrific, including the broccolini, the kombucha squash, and the carrots.

Great service. Dinner was nice here though brunches are great. If the dinner items and happy hour offerings appeal to you, I highly suggest Meet in Paris. Brunches as usual have more offerings that appeal to a wider range of tastes and is a safe and far more interesting choice that its competitors. Pro tip: always order your chocolate soufflé when you order dinner for optimal timing! Always a treat. Also a plus, it’s located on the western end of downtown Culver City, where traffic and parking are a bit easier. This especially made for an even more enjoyable experience. (Thank you for a wonderful day, Paris team.)

This is a great neighborhood hidden gem - great service, wonderful ambiance, really nice for getting together with friends.