New + Exciting Updates Around Town One of our all-time favorite chefs, Vic Casanova, has moved his wildly popular Gusto Italian restaurant on 3rd Street into a larger space down the block that occupied his other eatery, Pistola, and was also the original home of AOC. Now there is more room to dine, along with an upstairs patio, and you can have a drink at the bar conceived by mixologist extraordinaire Devon Espinosa. Expect the classic black fusilli and bucatini carbonara but also new dishes such as pappardelle with oxtail ragu and cavoletti with kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, hazelnuts, cherries, goat cheese and mustard vinaigrette; crispy squash blossoms; Mediterranean octopus with cannellini beans, tomato and harissa; or American wagyu flat iron steak. Over at Estrella on Sunset, Dakota Weiss has left to focus on her Sweetfin Poke venture. But Mirko Paderno (last seen at Culina) has come in to take over the kitchen. The cozy patio is now serving everything from crudo to calamari and plenty of delicious pasta including truffle risotto; potato gnocchi; chestnut pappardelle with beef cheecks simmering in a four-hour ragu; and a 14-day dry-age New York bone-in. Chef Jason Fullilove and his Southern eatery Barbara Jean are no longer just a pop-up but a permanent fixture behind Zach Patterson’s Melrose Umbrella Company, and the chef has even created a bar-friendly menu for his new neighbor. Meanwhile, Patterson has been splitting his time at his fabulous new tiki inspired-lounge on Hollywood Boulevard called Lono. Also new to the area, Soul has finally opened after a decade in the making. The 24-hour brined fried chicken and homemade hot sauce is deep soul food from owner-chef Yealang Smith’s North Carolina roots. Biscuits pop fresh right out of the oven, and the mac ’n’ cheese has a to-die-for béchamel sauce topped with heaps of crispy bacon. The cocktails include a Mardi Gras margarita tequila concoction with blackberry mule liquor that marries beautifully with the rich Southernfried dishes. For a unique twist on an L.A. favorite dish, Japanese transplant E.A.K. Ramen on Melrose is not just any old ramen but Iekei, which is a marriage between tonkotso style from the west (Kyushu) and shoyu style from the east (Tokyo). It is a thick broth, which is a mixture of chicken and pork, with spinach topping instead of green onions. The noodles are thick and straight as opposed to the typical thin ramen style. There are vegetarian and vegan options to boot as well as sake or soju cocktails. While we are waiting for The Tasting Kitchen crew to open at the Kimpton La Peer this fall, you can head to the Kimpton Everly in Hollywood for the pizza over at Jane Q or the Ever Bar lounge, where you can play pool and order a duck confit bone broth cocktail. (No joke!) Also coming in November, restaurateur Bill Chait is bringing Tesse to the 8500 Sunset building. At the helm will be acclaimed chefs Raphael Francois (Le Cirque) and Sally Camacho (Wolfgang Puck Group). Tesse is a play on délicatesse, which in French, means delicious or tasty, and will feature Francois’ modern French cuisine. The restaurant will be designed by Alexis Readinger of Preen Inc. and will be located in the same mixed-used project as the new Fred Segal Sunset, and hopefully, Tartine Bakery. Chait’s other project will see April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman, of Michelin-starred Spotted Pig in New York, taking over the old Cat & Fiddle on Sunset Boulevard to bring The Hearth & Hound gastro pub this November. Our neighbors in Beverly Hills welcomed the multi-Michelin-starred chef Jean-George Vongerichten at the stunning new Waldorf Astoria with a killer patio-view dining option and a glamorous lobby-level dining room, where grilled cheese topped with caviar or avocado pizza are not out of place. Over at The Montage, Georgie, has a new French chef Wilfrid Hocquet—with a pedigree—has brought steamed maigre fish with saffron sauce; potato croquette with black truffle; and lobster ravioli consumé to the world-class new menu. Thankfully, the martini cart remains. For those mourning the loss of STK on La Cienega—which is now Poppy by the h.wood Group—the W Los Angeles has flipped the outdoor pool area into The Hideout by STK for brunch, lunch, happy hour and dinner. Expect the same great quality to carry over to everything from the dry-aged Angus beef burgers to duck confit chilaquiles. The ever-evolving Hayden Tract in Culver City has added even more coolness to the beloved Tom Dixon store by adding an adjacent wine shop and seafood, veggie-centric café led by Ari Kolender called what else? Hayden Cafe. The sleek spot is now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and you can shop the counter for gourmet tinned sardines and sandwiches to go along with that bottle of vino. • www.westhollywoodlifestyle.com •
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