Nestled away in the Runway shopping area in in Playa Vista, Bull & Butterfly reimagines the traditional steakhouse with a soft and playful spirit, different from the more serious and sophisticated ones usually found in New York City or Chicago.
Bull & Butterfly was started by Heidi and Alan Jackson who are also founders of the popular Lemonade brand of restaurants. They partnered with executive chef Robbie Nowlin, who was previously at Otium in DTLA, to wow guests with a menu filled with wood-grilled meats and fresh vegetables cooked with California and Baja techniques. The restaurant opened its doors during the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic in September 2020, but has been doing a good job at attracting people to visit. I’ve visited twice so far for dinner and brunch, with both meals being great!
When I first saw pictures of Bull & Butterfly‘s chic interior, I instantly wanted to give the restaurant a try. I was surprised to learn that it was a steakhouse, as it didn’t look like one. The restaurant featured a lot of gold, pink, and emerald green colors in its decor, giving it a much more feminine vibe, something that’s usually not associate with steak.
When my boyfriend and I visited for dinner, we chose to sit inside. Right when I walked in, I was impressed by the u-shaped cocktail bar. Due to COVID restrictions, no one could sit at the bar, but I can see it eventually being a popular place to grab drinks with friends. Still, Bull & Butterly was lively that night with guests.
For dinner, we ordered the Little Gem Caesar salad with cured smoked egg and white anchovies, jalapeño mac n’ cheese, and since it was a steakhouse, the 20 oz. black angus prime rib chop. We also got some cocktails: the Hi-California with Vodka, Aperol, Elderflower and lemon and an Old Fashioned.
Everything we ate and drank was delicious. The salad was simple, but the lettuce leaves were crisp and the anchovies were a nice not-too-salty element. The mac n’ cheese had a great spicy kick and paired well with the main course. The Prime Rib Chop was cooked medium rare and had a juicy tenderness. The meat had a richness in flavor from the quality marbling of the steak. Even better, the service was super friendly and attentive. Bull & Butterfly had a much more upbeat and casual atmosphere than a typical steakhouse.
A couple months later, I was lucky enough to be invited by Bull & Butterfly to try out their new brunch menu. They had only been open for dinner service, but was launching weekend brunch. When we returned, we were coincidently seated at the same exact table as our previous visit. I never had brunch at a steak restaurant before, but we ordered the egg and cheddar cheese panade (kinda like a quiche), smoke salmon board, bread pudding french toast, and again since it was a steakhouse, steak and cheddar eggs with cornmeal pancake.
The smoke salmon board came out first and it was like a work of art. The bright salmon was accompanied by various pickled veggies and toasted marbled rye bread. It looked good, but also tasted good. The panade came out next and it was much better than I had expected it to be. It looked like a block of egg topped with crème fraiche, but the green tomatillo salsa that came with it made the dish really pop. The egg texture was light and fluffy too, so I recommend trying this. We also had the steak and eggs which feature a cut of Wagyu picanha sirloin on top of cornmeal pancake and eggs. But the star of the brunch was the French toast. At first glance it looked like a piece of fudge cake topped with berries, but once you take a bite, you’ll recognize the bread pudding and French toast flavors. It was a great way to end the meal!
Overall, Bull & Butterfly was great for dinner and brunch. It brings some culinary excitement to a usually sleepy Playa Vista neighborhood and hopefully it attracts more restaurants to open on this side of town.
BULL & BUTTERFLY
INFO
Address: 12746 Jefferson Blvd. #2200 Playa Vista, CA, 90094
Hours of Operation: Wed-Sun 3-5 PM (Happy Hour), Wed,Thur,Sun 5-9 PM (Dinner), Fri-Sat 5-10 PM (Dinner), Sat-Sun 11-2 PM (Brunch)
Parking: Parking lot
Website
DEEELIZIOUS TIPS
- Reservations can be made through their website
- Parking is a breeze as there is a parking structure. Make sure to get your parking ticket validated before you leave the restaurant!
- They are a cashless restaurant and only accept credit card payments. Contactless payment is also available!
- If you feel safe doing so, try to request a table indoors! The decor is very aesthetically pleasing.
