Tam O’Shanter, with chef Juan Escamilla leading the way, will be introducing some new items on the menu at the end of November for the holiday season. If you’re not familiar with Tam O’Shanter, you might recognize their sister restaurant, Lawry’s the Prime Rib, among others. Since Lawry’s naturally features their prime rib (Who wouldn’t?), Tam O’Shanter is allowed to take some more liberties with their menu and offer a wider variety, even including vegetarian and gluten free options.
Still, a menu change at Tam O’Shanter is a bigger deal than you would think. With history as rich as it’s dining, the restaurant has been operating for 93 years, the longest of any restaurant in Los Angeles ran by the same family in the same location. Simply put, they understand tradition. Incredible detail and care must be put into the menu because some customers have been coming to the restaurant for years and expect the quality and consistency that has made Tam O’Shanter a Los Angeles landmark.
Take some of the new items this season: the volcano lamb shank is braised for 8 hours. It is served along with a side of red cabbage and mashed potatoes which compliments it perfectly. Also featured on the new menu is a braised endive salad with candied walnuts and ricotta salata topped with a sherry vinaigrette. For dessert, there’s traditional handmade gingerbread, drizzled with lemon curd and paired with ice cream.
Tradition or not, Tam O’Shanter still knows how to have a good time. In the Lawry’s family, it’s the jovial uncle who might have had a few too many. They have live music regularly and hallowed holiday events like the Dickens Dinner, featuring an interactive performance of “A Christmas Carol” in its entirety. As if that wasn’t enough, where else can you get goose in Los Angeles? Fun fact- Walt Disney was such a frequent customer that his table, Table 31, became famous. Also the house of Snow White was inspired by the exterior of the restaurant.
