Ford's Filling Station

My LoveBug and I had a cozy, relishable dinner at Ford’s Filling Station last night, which is owned by Harrison Ford’s son, Benjamin Ford.

Thank God LoveBug didn’t tell me the name of the establishment in advance, or I would’ve dug in my spiked heels and flat-out refused. Ford’s Filling Station?!

As an Executive Chef from Italy, my LoveBug takes pride in being beyond the foodie realm. He doesn’t just know or love food, he becomes one with it. Unified.

I have met my match in a man who is even more passionate about gourmet food than I!

The gods must be listening…or reading my blog! :-)

Since LoveBug is so wildly ardent about his food, I let him do the ordering…anything but meat. The difference between dating a barbaric Alpha Male type of guy and a more sweet, sensory-keen, sensual man is like night and day. Every lady needs one in her life.

I realized last night that I can never go back to dating men whose idea of a great dinner is whatever American restaurant chain happens to have their lights on during the drive home from the office.

Ford’s Filling Station is casual elegance. It reminds me very much of the trattorias I used to frequent when I lived in Italy. Ford’s is bustling with chatty, communal patrons.

Last night, I was so exhausted after work that I didn’t have the mental wherewithal to fuss about and be a Diva over a restaurant menu. As long as it was quality food, I was putting fork to mouth. So truth be told, I can only detail what I ate in laywoman’s terms, having only glanced at the menu.

My primary focus was the wine and spirits list!

The wine list at Ford’s was extensive and definitely made an impact. Good wine is not optional there…it’s all they serve! I was grinning from ear to ear when I saw my beloved Veuve Clicquot sharing paper space with all the other beverage starlets.

But since it was only Thursday, and not yet cause for an all-out celebration, I had a glass of uncomplicated Pinot Grigio. Truthfully, I was more impressed with the aesthetics of my wine glass than the contents of it. That’s not to say the Pinot wasn’t remarkable, because it certainly was.

Note to self: Call Ford’s and get the name of their wine glass supplier.

On to the sustenance…

For starters, we shared a gorgeous wild greens salad that was tossed in a basic vinaigrette and served with a side of gooey burrata. The consistency of burrata grosses me out (wet Play-Doh, anyone?), so I offered up no resistance when LoveBug snagged it off my plate.

Then we shared this long, thin-crusted pizza-ish thing that was topped with a
white bean paste of some sort, huge shrimp, fresh herbs, lemons, and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Slurp!

LoveBug had some sort of sea bass that he was so into, he fell silent for 20 minutes.
I had the brook trout with chopped hazelnuts and cream and a side of broccoli rabe.
It was such an odd combo, but a happy marriage nonetheless. Super sexy food!

I was surprised to see so many fish and seafood preparations on the menu at Ford’s.
Our humble French server was a joy. The managers made their rounds throughout the restaurant to check on the tables, and even refilled our water glasses. The glass is never half-empty at Ford’s!

Other restaurants and waitstaff — TAKE NOTES!

Ford’s Filling Station
9531 Culver Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(310) 202-1470