every night when we were like.

How were we at a bar, we were like, like 18?

Oh yeah.

We'd just go and stay for like three hours.

We also used to, we use to bus tables.

Like, you use to go to other tables and

eat their food.

Yeah.

You didn't tell me that before I married you.

No, this is the rule.

This is the rule.

What? No, for once, hold on-.

Ew. No, no, no, no,

there's nothing, let me explain myself.

Well, all right, I think I've heard enough.

It's, no, no, it's fair game if you assume it has

not been touched, IE Who orders shit that

hasn't been touched at dinner?

You'd be surprised.

My name is Nick Erven.

I'm the executive chef and

partner of Saint Martha restaurant, in Koreatown,

Los Angeles.

Saint Martha is the patron saint of cooks and

servants.

We really based our entire concept around

that idea of old world hospitality.

Of relax, we got this, just enjoy yourself.

That coupled with, the food,

which is comfort food dishes done with a fine

dining ethos, but it's not.

Think of this as food that you have to get in

there and get your hands dirty.

And you know, you're probably gonna get some

on your pants.

And that's okay,

this is a place where you can lick the bowl and

no one's gonna be upset.

At the end of the day,

we're in a rundown strip mall in Koreatown,

we can't be that fine dining.

I always liked like Koreatown.

I think it's one of those areas of the city that

has been forgotten for so long.

It's not as glamorous as downtown.

It's not as wealthy as mid city.

It's just sort of an in between zone.

And I wanted to come in here and

kinda just be a neighborhood spot.

The hipster light stays on until the last

dessert goes out.

And that's kinda our kitchen's closed sign.

The hipsters have left the building.

Each item on the menu,

there's sort of base thought behind it.

What we try to do here is at Saint Martha is kind

of take dishes that are familiar and

kind of twist them on their head.

Chips and guac are like my favorite thing in

the world to eat.

I love it, I could eat it every day.

And we wanted to put a chips and

guac on the menu.

So ours It's bruleed sea urchin, avocado mousse,

shaped chili and

the chips are seaweed Doritos.

But you eat it like it's chips and guac.

Like chips and guac from the sea.

People talk about our steak and oyster tartar,

with bone marrow beignets and champagne sabayon.

The bone marrow beignets are filled with liquid

bone marrow, that you bite into and

it gets everywhere.

There is a surprise factor.

People are afraid of raw steak and raw oyster.

It can be scary things, but

together it tastes like a cheeseburger.

That's kinda what we try to do with the food,

is that play of it's unexpected, it's new.

My wife Betsy and Anar joined us at Saint Martha

to get the party started.

Betsy is, she's an actor, comedian,

all around general badass.

Black belt in karate.

Anar is one of our friends that

we've known forever.

She's also an actor, she came from New York,

lady knows her food.

She's always down to go out.

I want the love potion.

Love potion.

Start with some soju.

To a good night.

To a great night.

Woo.

That'll do ya.

I get one night off a week.

So, I knew that I was probably going

to go pretty big.

We have not gone to like, multiple establishments

In one night like this.

In a while, In a while.

In a while.

Out at Tart, it's the cool base,

great outer patio and it's a great vibe.

All right, let the debauchery begin.

Oh, shit.

Yes.

Hey, what's up?

We rolled up my friend Alex was there waiting

for us.

Anar and Alex met at my wedding,

that's kind of a growing friendship.

These are my three favorite people in LA.

We need some drinks up in this bitch.

I think I'm gonna start with wine.

Mezcal.

Yeah?

Oh, sh Getting tequila,

it's a fucking Mezcal night.

Or, we could get a punch bowl.

No! No!

No punch bowls?

We can't start with a punch bowl!

We will leave hammered.

Yeah.

Their punch bowls are dangerous.

Maybe we are gonna do a punch bowl.

Punch bowls it is!

Ordered a big punch bowl.

So this is going to happen right now.

This is a small.

This is a half size.

Drinking out of the punch bowl is great.

You're constantly refilling your drink and

refilling a friend's drink.

You feel like you're at kind of a little party.

Let's get fucked up.

Ow, ow.

I chose Tart for

dinner because I love the food there.

Tart's American country goes to London and

has an affair in Paris.

So like a little bit of like Southern,

a lot of French technique, and

a little bit of spin off of the UK.

I was the chef of Tart for

about a year, before we open Saint Martha.

Brussel sprouts with a chili vinaigrette.

There's like a lime cream on the bottom and then,

sunny side egg.

It's like sexual.

Oh, my God.

So good.

Gonna get up, all up in this shit.

I think it's one of those places in LA that is

kind of hidden.

People don't really know about it for dinner.

It's an amazing brunch spot.

It's a party during the day and

at night it has one of the best patios, I think,

in the city.

The highlight for

me at Tart, were I think probably the pig ears.

So good, it's like chewy, cartilagey, meaty,

at the same time.

Oh my God, I went in like I loved the egg

in the truffle jar.

The flavors in the egg were very much

throw back to sort of French food.

But you know, it's egg, and truffle, and potato.

Oh damn, truffle and egg and love and

everything good about- I think there's bacon.

Oh yeah, there's a little bit of bacon in there.

I think he's trying to hide that from me.

It's very, very like comforting.

Oh, fuck me, here I go.

Gladly.

One thing I love about the fried chicken at

Tart, is they take the legs and they cure them,

confit them, like you would do duck confit.

They're very old school French.

For the record, she does not eat meat.

I am a pescetarian.

Married to a chefatarian.

I just try everything that he wants me to try.

Tell people that you're just trycurious

I'm just,

I'm just trycurious.

And, of course.

Tart's fries I think, are the best in the city.

It's like crack, crack cocaine.

Nick.

Hey.

Pete is the owner of Farmer's Daughter Hotel

and Tart Restaurant.

He's my business partner.

He's one of those people, you know,

you just enjoy being around.

So you're coming by later,

you're gonna come by Saint Martha.

I'll do, 11:45 ish.

11:45 ish.

So look at this, this is before.

Yeah, I'm kinda just, one more and I'm there.

This is before.

You're gonna be staying for awhile.

I will see you after.

I know.

Totally feel nostalgic to be there.

You spend so much time in a place you know,

it becomes like home.

But it's also nice to go back to that place and

be on the other side.

And just be able to, to relax and hang out and

have some drinks.

Drink from the jug, drink from the jug.

There you go.

Yeah.

Okay stop, you need to go.

I may or may not, as we were leaving,

walked back and

tried to polish off the last of the punch bowl.

It happened.

It was nice to have everyone in the car

at this point.

Boiling crab.

Yeah? Boiling crab it is.

And we have a boiling crab virgin.

Yes. Oh, we do have a virgin!

You've never been.

You guys gonna crack my crab?

About to get all crabby in this bitch.

If you're lucky.

I'm so excited about this.

The Boiling Crab is where I was stoked to be.

It's one of my favorite places to eat in

the city.

Kind of hidden away,

in a little strip mall situation.

I kinda think the Boiling Crab is

a Koreatown staple.

We went there for Anar's birthday a year ago and

I just kind of fell in love.

It's one of those places where I'm like,

if friends come in from out of town,

we're probably going to go to the Boiling Crab.

You guys been to the Boiling Crab before?

Yes, he has not.

I am a Boiling Crab virgin.

I'll start bibbing you first then.

Yeah.

Yay.

Getting all bibbed up.

We're gonna do mussels, shrimp, crawfish,

blue crab, rice.

Miles. Oh, Miles.

Miles, yeah, no.

Oh, is your name Miles?

I'm not fucking around with this shit.

Boiling Crab will let you bring in your own beer,

or wine.

This, this one right here.

Alex is super into beer,

he's kind of a craft beer guru.

Made with dandelions that they pick every spring.

And it's just super dry,

incredibly refreshing, highly attenuated.

It's it's perfect for what we're about to eat.

Good idea. Cheers! To The Boiling Crab!

The Boiling Crab!