Buttery soft
The best leggings, Marea, Marina Del Rey listings, Ètra, Los Olivos, FOUND obsessions, The Lodge at Blue Sky, MORE
RESTAURANTS • First Person
The way of water
Over the past few years, Beverly Hills has become ground zero for upscale Italian in Los Angeles (see Funke, Dante, the reimagined La Dolce Vita). The newest player on this scene, Marea, isn’t just another New York City import, but Central Park South’s seafood temple — open as of last month on a tony stretch of Camden Drive.
The restaurant’s low-ceiling, white-tableclothed dining room is styled in neutral tones, warmed by light casting a golden glow on the proceedings. It’s the kind of lighting that makes everyone look good and might be one of the reasons the older (but well-preserved) BH crowd is already flocking here.
The wine list is mostly Italian, and comes with a steep price tag. So do the cocktails, most of which hover around the $35 mark (the “mare-tini” made with uni and sea salt brine goes for $46 per). The Marea Martini is a great way to start, with its savory and pickle-y notes thanks to tomato acqua pazza, Castelvetrano olive brine, Calabrian chile, and olive and basil oils.
What makes dinner at Marea worth the trip (or expense), however, is executive chef PJ Calapa’s way with fish, as first evidenced by elegant crudi-like nuggets of Pacific langoustine served on paper-thin cucumber slices, doused in a surprisingly spicy hot sauce. Meaty sardine fillets are draped over a sweet-and-sour caponata slathered on pine nut toasts. Impossibly tender swordfish is cooked to a perfect medium-rare, served with clams and a chorizo vinaigrette.
An artichoke and hearts of palm salad, meanwhile, is a crunchy counterpoint for the richness to come with the house-made pastas, especially fusilli with bone marrow and octopus ragu (a classic from the NYC original that’s made its way to LA).
For dessert, the tiramisu is creamier than most, draped under a Magic Shell-like chocolate coating and served with mascarpone gelato. It’s one last bit of magic for a restaurant that has plenty up its sleeve. –Karen Palmer
→ Marea (Beverly Hills) • 430 N Camden Dr • Daily 12-230p, 5-11p • Reserve.
LA RESTAURANT LINKS: Chicago’s Alinea popping up at Maybourne Hotel for summer residency • Sri Lankan restaurant Kurrypinch opening new location today on Hollywood Blvd • Holy Basil plots casual Thai street food outpost in Maydan Market for spring • New Dayglow outpost replacing Jeni’s Ice Cream in Venice • Latest from the front lines of LA’s bagel battle • A Saturday Night at Night on Earth, by the numbers.
REAL ESTATE • First Mover
Three beachfront condos that have come to market in Marina Del Rey in the past 45 days.
→ 5209 Ocean Front Walk #102 (Marina Del Rey) • 2BR/3BA, 2315 SF condo • Ask: $3.999M • two-bedroom with beach views, furniture + linens included • Days on market: 41 • Agents: Ron Anavim and James Scott Suarez, Real Broker.
→ 3711 Ocean Front Walk #3 (Marina Del Rey) • 3BR/3BA, 2724 SF condo • Ask: $4.695M • on the beach, with parking • Days on market: 2 • Agent: William Durfee, Compass.
→ 1 Northstar St #PH1 (Marina Del Rey, above) • 3BR/5BA, 2497 SF condo • Ask: $4.695M • beachfront with double-height great room and 2 parking spots • Days on market: 14 • Agent: Sally Forster Jones, Compass.
WORK • Linkblocks
Still spreading the love
Our sales team rang the bell a couple of times last week (once for a wellness company’s campaign, and the other for sponsored real estate FOUNDLISTINGS), which reminded us that this piece originally ran behind the paywall. We’re bringing it forward today, for the folks in the back. Want to join the party and insert your brand into this delightful mix with a sponsorship campaign? We’re here at sales@itsfoundla.com.
FOUND is built on our obsessions across a range of lifestyle categories: dining, real estate, travel, shopping, culture & leisure, and work. Instead of siloing them, we’ve brought them together in a way that we hope promotes discovery without sacrificing depth. It’s different from the way we built Eater (dining), Curbed (real estate), and Racked (shopping), each of which stayed in their respective lanes.
To keep ourselves honest on the appeal of the approach, we pay close attention to reader surveys and also to the stats on what subscribers are clicking on in every issue. Some recent results from across the network on those most-clicked links:
Los Angeles: Thursday’s top links were to Not No Bar, Topdrawer’s Kolo House Shoes, an SF Gate story on the Inn of the Seventh Ray, and the White Water Inn, recommended in Meave McAuliffe’s Routine. UPDATE: Three picks from Jason Stewart’s A+ Routine were the most clicked on Thursday. The power of a good recommendation well-delivered!
San Francisco: On Wednesday, the top performers were two of the real estate listings in the shadow of the former Kezar Stadium, news of the first SF Music Week, and a Chronicle story on the Transamerica Pyramid’s new tenant. UPDATE: “/subscribe” was the big winner (hard paywall, best avoided by… upgrading!), followed by a trio of real estate listings. San Francisco real estate, very hot RN.
New York: On Friday, the winner was a rice cooker, recommended deep in Margaret Austin’s Routine. On Tuesday, it was Ha’s Snack Bar, our lead restaurant. The previous Tuesday, Canine Styles, the dog boutique we profiled, was tops. And on each of the last two Fridays, the three real estate listings in our First Mover posts were runaway winners. UPDATE: Another big day for Upstate real estate last Friday, joined at the top by the bar Jeremy’s, listed in our Upper East Side cocktails Nines.
Miami: The most-clicked links on Thursday were to our featured restaurant, a’Rive at the Harbour Club, a Super Bowl provisioning recommendation in the Nines, and the New World Symphony, the issue’s sponsor. UPDATE: Again, “/subscribe” took the top spot. Miami wants in.
That’s dining, real estate, travel, shopping, culture & leisure, and work — all represented, and in a mix of FOUND picks, recommendations from our profiled insiders, and links out to other sources in our local ecosystems (plus sponsors!). The FOUND dream, playing out in your inbox in real time. Got feedback on what we should be covering more or less? Drop us a line at found@itsfoundla.com. And here’s that sponsorship email again: sales@itsfoundla.com. –Josh Albertson
WORK & PLAY LINKS: Westside apartment market fills to brim after fires • Real estate losses from fires may top $30 billion • Why more people in LA want to build SuperAdobes • Red and black are the new colors of spring fashion • How to sell a bottle of wine from your collection • Retail confessions: ‘You have caviar and champagne in the fitting room’ • What’s the point of a hoodie?
WORK • Thursday Routine
Etra strength
ANDREW LAWSON • co-owner/GM • Ètra & Café Telegrama
Neighborhood you live in: Sherman Oaks
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I’m sitting in the dining room here at Ètra trying to finish some computer work, which is always a challenge with our daytime restaurant, Café Telegrama, right next door. I’ll lose focus, check in on the baristas, have a cortado, chat with some regulars, and help run food (which comes from the Ètra kitchen). And before you know it, my staff at Ètra starts to arrive. It's always lively, to say the least.
What’s on the agenda for today?
Because of the nature of our two restaurants (and not having an office), I generally get pulled in different directions. Today, I have my weekly check-in with our assistant GM Rebecca, followed by a wine tasting. Then it’s family meal, pre-shift, and open. We taste as a team, one or two dishes, new and old, right when we open at 530p. This is one of my favorite parts of the day — cooks and servers tasting together at the pass.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
My wife Emma and I dine out a lot. Even more so now, post-fires. I’m generally away from the restaurant on Sunday nights. We love an early dinner at Dunsmoor, or at Osteria Mozza’s mozzarella bar. We had an amazing meal at Pizzeria Mozza recently as well (Nancy can do no wrong). On a Wednesday or Thursday, I’ll try to sneak out for a late dinner at Stir Crazy, Horses, or Bar Etoile.
How about a little leisure or culture?
Time away from work is spent at home with our dog Benny, and eating at friends' restaurants. For art, we have the best galleries within walking distance of our restaurants: David Zwirner, Morán Morán, Emma Fernberger, James Fuentes, and Southern Guild.
Any weekend getaways?
Los Olivos. We recently stayed at Mattei’s Tavern and had dinner at both Bar Le Côte and Bell’s. Side note, we're having our second dinner with BLC at Ètra at the beginning of March. The drive to the Santa Ynez Valley is beautiful and the restaurants are perfect.
What was your last great vacation?
Emma and I went to Italy back in September. Sicily, Rome, and Tuscany. In Sicily we stayed on Mt. Etna and visited some of my favorite producers. We had to make sure we got some R&D on our honeymoon. Rome is an incredible city with incredible restaurants. I still think about our meal at Rocco. From Rome we drove to Forte dei Marmi and ate pasta on the beach for four days straight.
What store or service do you always recommend?
LA Grocery & Café! You can get everything there: the best produce you'll find in LA, Peads & Barnetts sausages, a bottle of wine, and flowers. Grab a smoothie on your way out.
Photo: John Zabawa.
CULTURE & LEISURE • No More Drama
Jimmy O. Yang Big & Tall Tour • Kia Forum (Inglewood) • Fri @ 8p • section 108, $115 per
Mary J. Blige • Intuit Dome (Inglewood) • Sat @ 7p • section C9, $456 per
Heart • Crypto.com Arena (Downtown) • Mon @ 7p • section 112, $304 per
GETAWAYS • Utah
Sky high
Blending alpine chalet charm with sleek minimalist design, The Lodge at Blue Sky is an elegant retreat on a 3,500-acre private ranch that’s a 45-minute drive from Salt Lake City’s airport. Though part of a larger hotel group (the Auberge Resorts Collection), the property exudes a warmth and intimacy — a reflection of the personal touch of its hands-on horse-loving owners, Mike and Barb Phillips. Their presence and care infuse the Lodge with a welcoming, home-like energy. It’s a place that feels personal, grounded, and deeply connected to its surroundings.
The low-slung equestrian-themed retreat blends into its mountainous landscape, offering 46 rooms, suites, and houses, which come wrapped in honeyed blonde cedar wood accented with local stonework. Soaring floor-to-ceiling windows lead to private terraces that offer panoramic views of the Wasatch Mountains, some with fire pits (ideally deployed for the house-made s’mores kit). Minibars stocked with complimentary Ritual Chocolate, bath products infused with mineral-rich salts from the Great Salt Lake, and even Coterie diapers for unpotty-trained guests further sweeten the deal.
The hotel proper, with its main lodge and New American signature restaurant Yuta, claims a comparatively small footprint on the sprawling property. Panning out, there are horse stables (Barb rescues neglected horses and other animals), a sheepskin-adorned yurt equipped with lavender and wildflower honey-laced hot toddies (in partnership with The Macallan), a sporting clay range, and even acclaimed whiskey-maker High West Distillery.
Food is a major focus here, with produce, eggs, and more coming from its own nearby Gracie’s Farm. Last year, the team debuted WildKitchen, a seasonal, open-fire dining experience available from May through October. At the heart of this setup is a custom-built grill (available for home purchase) and oven designed by British filmmaker Guy Ritchie, who featured an early version in his 2019 film The Gentlemen. The meal takes place under a tent about five minutes from the main lodge, where guests gather around a multifunctional dining table for an elevated twist on rustic live-fire cooking (like a souped-up take on Korean barbecue). There are also special events, like next month’s California kaiseki 12-course omakase with SingleThread Farms, visiting from Sonoma.
The resort also maintains an exclusive lounge at the base of the Silver Star chairlift at Park City Mountain, about a half-hour drive away. As an escape for skiers — or those simply seeking a peaceful mountain retreat — The Lodge at Blue Sky embodies the ultimate home-away-from-home destination. –Kat Odell
→ The Lodge at Blue Sky (Wanship, UT) • 27649 Old Lincoln Hwy • Rates from $2089/weekend night.
GETAWAYS LINKS: $5 billion allotted for LAX upgrades prior to 2028 Olympics • Napa judge orders Hoopes Vineyard to close tasting room • Resist temptation at Shasta County’s Burney Falls • Anticipated new Aman in Bangkok opening 4/2 • Trendwatch: Resorts embracing the natural beach • Palau, for the culture.
ASK FOUND
Today, a desperate plea from a FOUND LA subscriber:
Fellow parents in Los Angeles! Where can we go with our kids where they can hang and the parents can enjoy five minutes of uninterrupted conversation?
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundla.com.
GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Object
Second skin
Not long ago, right before an SLT class, one of my favorite instructors complimented my workout fit, a black onesie.