As cyclists, very few of us make a living riding bikes. In fact, I’d say probably 3% of the readers of this site fall within that category. This is all merely speculation of course, but I will say with great certainty that almost all of you have a job of some sort that you spend time performing. Sure, we all find time to squeeze in bike rides when we can, but unfortunately we spend a great deal of our lives working.

So when you have the opportunity to mix business and pleasure, you probably take it. That’s where Brian Dunsmoor of Culver City’s Hatchet Hall comes into the story. Brian is the head chef of the ‘Hall and a dedicated cyclist. He’s been training for the past few months for a benefit ride called Chefs Cycle, a P2P fundraiser working to raise awareness and funds for No Kid Hungry. Brian, along with other chefs are riding from Carmel to Santa Barbara in an attempt to help put a stop to child hunger.

It’s not everyday that I hear about a story like this. As a customer of Golden Saddle, Brian was put in touch with me through Kyle, who’s been helping him with a few bike projects over the past few months. Brian is planning on doing this ride fixed, on his Cinelli Mash Work Bike with a front and rear brake. He’s the only one attempting to do this on a singlespeed, much to the dismay of his fellow chefs. There’s a lot of naysayers out there…

Rather than simply document his bikes, yesterday I visited Brian at his restaurant, Hatchet Hall to shoot some photos of his space, along with his rides.

Let me tell you, Hatchet Hall is a place for the eyes and the stomach, bringing its Southern Gothic style from the walls, littered with taxidermy, silver mirrors and antique furnishings, straight to the plate with classic American dishes. Classic, with a Southern twist. Inside the kitchen you’ll find a giant woodburning stove, with embers hot enough to melt a camera lens (watch out!)

This is where Brian calls home each evening as he dons his Athens, Georgia-made Blood Root Blades knife, slicing meats, vegetables and various mushrooms for the menu items. This knife is a piece of home for Brian, a Georgia native, who also looks to the South for special ingredients like South Carolina rice, or special corn meal to give his meals a unique taste in Southern California.

The kitchen is only half of Hatchet Hall, with two separate bars serving up classic cocktails, including this Rob Roy, a traditional Scotch-based drink, similar to a Manhattan. Coincidentally, this drink is being used as a fundraiser for Brian’s Chefs Cycle fund, with all proceeds going directly to his efforts. So if you’re in Los Angeles and want to try out a new drink or dining experience, you can swing through and whet your appetite or wet your whistle.

Fundraising and benefit rids are commonplace, I just wanted to showcase one that crossed over that ethereal line of work and pleasure. We all work hard to enable our rides, both literally and figuratively, so I commend people who choose to use their free time in a selfless manner. Check out Brian’s Chefs Cycle page if you’d like to donate, or swing through Hatchet Hall for a Rob Roy. Thanks to Brian, the crew at Hatchet Hall and Kyle for pulling all this together!

Hatchet Hall
Open 5:30pm – 2am all week
12517 W Washington Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90066