Daydream believer
Zaytinya, Cheviot Hill listings, Nomadica, Bar di Bello, San Ysidro Ranch, FOUND launches, best Hollywood hotels, MORE
RESTAURANTS • First Person
Club Med
Los Angeles has no shortage of great Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food, from modern restaurants like Kismet to mom-and-pop Armenian joints in the Valley. It also has no shortage of concepts from superstar chef and humanitarian José Andrés, who opened San Laurel and Agua Viva in Downtown’s Conrad Hotel in 2022, having previously shuttered a couple of other restaurants here.
But maybe there’s room for more? In December, Andrés opened Zaytinya on the ground floor of Culver City’s The Shay hotel, which has seen a fair amount of restaurant turnover. Perhaps the Andrés name will reverse the curse.
The restaurant, which already has locations in D.C., NYC, and Miami, bills itself as “Turkish, Greek and Lebanese” cuisine, and with a variety of mezze, it’s a nice mishmash of flavors ideal for a grazing dinner. Spreads like a pleasantly smoky baba ghanouj and creamy labne work magically with some of the lightest, airiest pita seen around these parts. Plump shrimp bathed in dill-strewn butter is another winner. But a pomegranate vinaigrette-dressed fattoush salad fell flat, and kofte kebabs with roasted walnuts and tomato ezme was just a touch too sweet.
This being an Andrés joint, the space — with an expansive patio outside, and inside, high ceilings, whitewashed walls, and pops of blue — is beautiful without feeling at all like a chain restaurant. And the cocktails, like an “ancient olive” martini and a Mediterranean gin and tonic with lots of citrus, are top-notch.
Andrés’s restaurant group also recently opened a rooftop Mexican restaurant, Butterfly, at the hotel. José, we’ll allow it. –Karen Palmer
→ Zaytinya (Culver City) • 8801 Washington Blvd • Tue-Thu 5-10p, Fri-Sat 5p-12a, Sun 5-10p • Reserve.
RESTAURANTS • Intel
→ OH, HI: Ojai favorite Rory's Place is coming to Los Angeles for a one-night-only collab dinner with Atwater Village spot Holy Basil on Monday 03/31. The dinner is part of Regarding Her's Women's History Month Festival line-up, and will feature à la carte specials showcasing the bounty of Ojai, alongside Holy Basil's Holy Monday highlights (fried chicken, spicy burger, and more). Reserve. –Victoire Loup
LA RESTAURANT LINKS: Baby Gee team prepping Due Fiori to open next week in Long Beach • Enrique Olivera popping up Pujol Downtown next month • Hanging with the future LA pasta granny behind fresh pasta company Leona • Why LA loves lone-chef restaurants.
REAL ESTATE • First Mover
Three properties that have come to market in Cheviot Hills in the past two weeks.
→ 10356 Northvale Rd (Cheviot Hills) • 4BR/7BA, 3631 SF • Ask: $3.59M • renovated modern home with basketball and pickleball courts • Days on market: 5 • Agent: Melanie Sommers, Compass.
→ 2653 Patricia Ave (Cheviot Hills, above) • 5BR/3.1BA, 3219 SF • Ask: $4.8M • French-inspired residence overlooking golf course restored by architect Robert Glaus • Days on market: 14 • Agent: Tanya Stawski, Sotheby’s.
→ 9919 Girla Way (Cheviot Hills) • 7BR/7.2BA, 6549 SF • Ask: $8.39M • pre-completion new construction residence with pool, spa, and wet and dry saunas • Days on market: 9 • Agent: Andrew Vaitkevicius, Arzuman Brothers.
WORK & PLAY LINKS: City touts success at blocking brokers from monopolizing golf tee times• SoCal home prices ticked up in February, first increase in 7 months • Google Store opens on Santa Monica Promenade • Half-past four is the new five o’clock.
WORK • Thursday Routine
Cin cin
KRISTEN OLSZEWSKI • founder/CEO, Nomadica • partner, Bar di Bello
Neighborhood you work in: Everywhere (wine sales, lol) and restaurant project in Silver Lake
Neighborhood you live in: Hancock Park
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I like to front-load my week, so Monday through Wednesday is always stacked with meetings, and I usually end up working late. Thursdays, I religiously protect for deep work and in-person meetings. (Okay, fine, I have one stand-up call Thursday morning, but one meeting doesn’t count). Nomadica is a sustainable wine company focused on bringing the next generation of consumers to the category. We have a line of canned and boxed wines and recently launched a rose yuzu spritz. I started it after working as a wine director and sommelier in Michelin restaurants for over a decade.
The above photo is in my old office. We used to live in Malibu, and we lost our home in the Palisades Fire. I used to love my old office because it felt like a treehouse. We had great light, it was perfect for filming content and generally feeling calm. I’m currently feeling so lucky because a dear friend/mentor/guardian angel is renting us a place in Hancock Park, and my new office has that same treehouse feel. Getting to look at nature while I work is something I never take for granted. It helps my creative process and overall stress levels.
What’s on the agenda for today?
We’re doubling our business this year and have a series of launches planned, so lately, much of my energy has gone towards those marketing plans and our product roadmap. I’m also in the process of opening up a restaurant in Silver Lake, Bar di Bello, at the new Sunset Row. I’ve partnered with Michael Kassar (Wexler’s, Sua, Organic Oren), Alex Wilmot (Gigi’s), and Julius Son (ICC Hospitality). We’re in the construction phase and opening this year. Italian wine and food has always been my passion and I’m excited to bring the style of hospitality I came up with to Silver Lake (without the price tag associated with a tasting menu or stars).
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Having cut my teeth in hospitality, there’s nothing to me like a great restaurant experience. Losing our home in the fire has been difficult, but my husband and I are really enjoying eating at some of our favorite restaurants. It always feels like coming home, even as we haven’t had ours. Where you’ll routinely find us:
Barra Santos, arguably one of the most interesting wine programs in the city, and amazing food
Pizzeria Sei, best pizza in the city, in my opinion
Lonzos/Ceviche Stop, incredible Peruvian food
Formosa Cafe, it feels like oldschool Hollywood; the Nomadica orange wine on the menu paired with a scallion pancake
Tabula Rasa, great wine — and I always feel younger and cooler
Yang’s Kitchen, omg, the food
Annapurna, I lived in India for a year and crave this place
Willie Mae’s, fried chicken (and crystal hot sauce, the best)
Ye Rustic, Buffalo wings and karaoke
Surawon Tofu House, my favorite soon tofu since Beverly Soon Tofu closed during the pandemic
Any weekend getaways?
In the summer, Trestles Beach in San Clemente is heaven. Soon!
WORK • Launches
Lunchwire
It’s launch week at FOUND, with our London and Paris editions debuting yesterday and tomorrow, respectively. We’ll be celebrating the new frontiers from our home offices, having officially spoken our plans to build a GLOBAL MEDIA BRAND into an inbox near you.
Last decade, when we were launching a series of blogs in more than two dozen North American cities under the Curbed, Eater, and Racked banners, we would celebrate each launch with a special lunch at Curbed HQ in Manhattan’s East Village. I went back and checked the tape (i.e. emails to the team from Curbed ops czar Jackie Goldstein) on a handful of these lunches, which peaked during the release frenzy of 2011-2013. It’s a study in the power of pushing the ball forward and the ’10s downtown NYC lunch scene (Torrisi/Parm turkey hero, legendary).
Date: Sept 7, 2011
Sites: Curbed Atlanta & Detroit; Eater New Orleans
Lunch: Torrisi
Date: Jan 25, 2012
Sites: Eater Philly & Vegas
Lunch: “Unfortunately due to the NYT review of Parm we do not think they'll be able to cater to our large order on short notice so we're going to try NO. 7 SUB.”
Date: Nov 15, 2012
Sites: Eater Louisville, San Diego & Minneapolis
Lunch: Rubirosa
Date: Dec 5, 2012
Sites: Racked Boston, Philly & SF
Lunch: Parm
Date: June 27, 2013
Sites: Eater Detroit & Nashville
Lunch: “Parm recently started delivering and is amazingly on Seamless now.”
Date: Sept 24, 2013
Site: Racked TK (Which Racked??)
Lunch: “Amazing newish salad spot Sweetgreen… They don't actually do catering but are doing us a favor, so we have to get them the order today.”
Date: Oct 2, 2013
Sites: Eater Toronto, Montreal, & Vancouver; Curbed Toronto & Vancouver
Lunch: Mile End
Jan 2, 2014 (!)
Sites: Racked Dallas & Miami
Lunch: Parm
Here’s to more lunches in 2025 for all who launch. –Josh Albertson
CULTURE & LEISURE • Let It Snow
Kelsey Ballerini • Crypto.com Arena (Downtown) • Fri @ 730p • section 111, $197 per
Los Angeles Folk Festival feat. Emmylou Harris • The Bellwether (Downtown) • Sat @ 530p • GA, $140 per
Snow Patrol • The Wiltern Theatre (Koreatown) • Tue @ 7p • loge, $143 per
GETAWAYS • Santa Barbara
Ranch dressing
As spring and summer approach, seemingly everyone will jet off to classic vacation destinations across Europe and beyond. But for me, nothing could be more sublime than an escape to the San Ysidro Ranch. Recently, I was fortunate enough to experience three nights of bliss there during the holiday season. Now, I daydream about long summer nights on the grounds.
It’s easy to settle in at The Ranch. All rooms are private bungalows, dotted around the lush property, each featuring a stone fireplace, clawfoot tub, outdoor shower, hot tub, and spacious patio covered in bougainvillea. But what really got me were the wallpapers, a woven floral design with delicate fringed flowers in the main living area, and an exquisite, hand-painted floral design in the bathroom.
To alleviate sticker shock when booking a stay, it helps to know that the room rate includes three meals a day at any of the hotel’s restaurants or through in-room dining. We loved easing into the day by having breakfast delivered to our patio each morning. The menus are well done, but not extensive, so if you plan to take advantage of the all-inclusive dining, three nights feels like a sweet spot. (Yes, the seafood tower and the caviar service are included.) For a special dinner, reserve the Old Adobe private room, the resort’s oldest property structure, dating back to 1825.
The landscaping and grounds are the hotel’s best feature, and nothing like I’ve ever experienced before. Hummingbirds are everywhere, constantly darting between rosemary lawns, big beautiful trees, famous rose garden set against the mountain vista, and the gorgeous herb garden frequented by the chefs. The pool has views of the Pacific Ocean and also features an impressive mini golf course, bocce court, and a lovely open-air restaurant, perfect for a late leisurely lunch.
The salon and spa are charming but intimate, so book treatments in advance (and note that the spa doesn’t have a sauna or private relaxation lounges to wait before or after your service).
To make an incredible situation even better, the hotel is extremely dog-friendly. They offer a “Pampered Pets Program,” which will ensure that your cottage has the proper pet bedding, bowls, and a peanut-butter-adorned welcome treat (to say nothing of the special in-room dining menu specifically designed for pets). The Ranch is also connected to more than 17 miles of dog-friendly hiking trails up the San Ysidro Canyon, which our pampered pup, Scout, made the most of every day. –Sarah Jackson
→ San Ysidro Ranch (Santa Barbara) • 900 San Ysidro Ln • Rates from $2695/wknd night.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Noted Indian roadside stand Punjabi Dhaba opens permanent restaurant in Bakersfield • Three installations stand out at biennial Desert X around Palm Springs • Tahoe vacation rental restrictions reversed.
ASK FOUND
Three FOUND subscriber PROMPTS for which we are seeking intel:
After London and Paris, where should FOUND launch next?
What shops are you keeping an eye on for spring lines?
What restaurant should we take our picky kids to that’s also somewhere I actually want to eat?
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundla.com.
GETAWAYS • The Nines
Hotels, Hollywood
The Nines are FOUND's distilled lists of LA’s best. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@itsfoundla.com.
Hollywood Roosevelt (Hollywood & Highland), stately century-old icon w/ revamped penthouse suites and infamous David Hockney pool mural, from $327