Bronzed Aussie (714 S Los Angeles St., 714A Los Angeles, 90014; 818.703.2869) is a new meat pie shop in the Santee Court from Australian entrepreneur Samantha Bryan. It’s a tiny, industrial place with a few stools, pictures of lifeguards, interactive magnetic wall murals of Sydney Harbor, and pies served up in brown bags. The name honors the continent’s first lifeguards and the menu lists savory items with puff-pastry crusts.
Nosh on Thai curry chicken; pepper steak; lamb, potato, rosemary and garlic; tofu curry for the vegetarians; and Australia’s nation dish, the original lean ground beef meat pie in a rich gravy with tomatoes and spices. There’s also breakfast pies (“brekkies”), which are bacon and sausage breakfast pies and sides like Vegemite toast (toasted bread smothered in a spread that tastes like beef stock), and spinach/feta rolls. For dessert, try a Lamingtons. It’s a square of sponge cake is dipped in chocolate and rolled in coconut.
Bryan is also planning a hydroponic indoor garden and an espresso bar using beans from Longshot Coffee, another Australian company. Soft-opens Thursday, officially opens Saturday.
