Chasing summer
RESTAURANTS • First Person
In March 2023, the Provincetown institution Sal’s Place quietly took over a storied West Hollywood haunt, in an attempt to winter in Los Angeles. The restaurant made fast friends, and cultivated a devoted clientele with its seasonal Italian food and warm service. But three months later, the team packed their pasta pots and flew back to Cape Cod for the summer.
Blessedly, Sal’s has returned for another winter in LA, this time sticking around until late June (and reopening again in October).
On a recent Wednesday at 6p, we were the first guests to arrive, which earned us the best table in the house: the corner booth with a view of the entire restaurant, including a direct line to the pass. As dinner unfolded, we witnessed the finest hospitality I’ve seen in recent memory. Drink orders were taken promptly, check-ins timed correctly. The martinis were ice-cold, the Caesar faultless. Our shared order of vongole arrived in two individual portions, appropriately saucy, garlicky, and herb-flecked. Our steak, a peppercorn-crusted filet mignon, came split, too. When it was time to settle up, we paid in cash because Sal’s doesn’t accept cards.
Sal’s peeled off a few layers of Il Piccolini decor to make the place more modern, a touch beachy. There are zip-up curtains instead of walls, allowing a consistent breeze to flow through the space. Brown paper is laid atop white tablecloths while wicker light fixtures hang overhead. At Sal’s Place, summer is forever. –Emily Wilson
→ Sal's Place (West Hollywood) • 350 N Robertson Blvd • Tues-Sat 5-10p • Call (508) 487-1279 for reservations.