Sqirl this away
Sqirl this away
Barra Santos, Cookbook Larchmont, Sqirl, Central Coast refurbs, holiday sundries, Brentwood sales, MORE
RESTAURANTS • FOUND Table
The Iberian incursion
If and when you’ve managed to stick out the wait for a counter seat or one of the limited tables at Barra Santos, the miniscule Portuguese wine bar in Cypress Park that opened in March, the time spent in line will immediately make sense.
First, the Iberico ham. Next, a tuna crudo, beset with Meyer lemon and glistening orange. Or maybe sardines on toast with butter, tomato, and thyme. Definitely the salt cod and potato fritters — crisp, oily, caramelized, heroic.
These snacks are special, transportive, and so is the wine and sherry list that — especially on the sweeter end — pairs beautifully with the saltier plates. Which is to say nothing of the exposed brick, framed family photos, and blue and white azulejo-style tiles, which look ripped right from a Lisbon taberna wall.
Perhaps Barra Santos, along with Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne’s latest, Caldo Verde, mark the beginnings of a coming Portuguese craze. I, for one, welcome the Iberian incursion. –Caitlin White
→ Barra Santos (Cypress Park) • 1215 Cypress Ave. • Walk-ins only.
RESTAURANTS • Intel
SQIRL FOR DINNER — A special FOUND correspondent reports, “I’ve been told that Jess Koslow is planning to open Sqirl for dinner soon — and for the first time ever.” Late January, says another source. No matter when, excellent news for Virgil Village, and all who love toast.
LA RESTAURANT LINKS: Shuttered since pandemic, otherworldly Vespertine in Culver City will reopen • Are LA’s influencer-backed restaurants worth the hype? • Cafe Tropical closing its doors in Silver Lake • Modern tiki bars are a sum of their whims.
GETAWAYS • Nouveau Motels
Reborn Central Coast nests
California hoteliers are intent on reclaiming vintage roadside motels. Sometimes, the results play better on Instagram than in real life. But when the refurb works, the niche can make for just the right kind of casual getaway. Here, two newish Central Coast entrants on the right side of the ledger:
→ Farmhouse (Paso Robles): Twenty-six refreshed suites finely tuned (by Central Coast hospitality group Nomada) for visitors who prefer the zen of Paso Robles to the college-town chaos of San Luis Obispo: flowered walkways, a fountain, fire pits, Linus bikes at the ready. Each unit at Farmhouse comes outfitted with floor-to-ceiling Zellige-tiled bathrooms, Italian linens, vaulted ceilings, and a front porch. There’s no pool, but there’s a big wine country out there.
→ The Pacific Motel (Cayucos, above): Forty minutes southwest of Paso Robles, Cayucos is a sleepy little beach town with a historic wooden pier and not much else, except (big except) six miles of open beachfront. The Pacific Motel sits a block from this idyllic expanse. The refurb of the former Dolphin Inn is bright and airy, if unsurprising: snug, standalone bungalows with light wood furniture, white shiplap walls, and Parachute linens, plus the requisite communal fire pits and ping pong tables. Local favorite The Hidden Kitchen is within walking distance. Across the street, the Brown Butter Cookie Company deserves a stop. Around the bend: nothing but white sand and blue ocean. –Caitlin White
GOODS AND SERVICES • The Nines
Holiday shopping, super sundries
Cheeky, small-batch cocktail syrup specialist
Rhea, globally inspired pantry products such as black garlic concentrate
Coop’s, silky smooth, brown sugar-sweetened ice cream sauces
Zab’s, distinctive hot sauces sourced in Florida, bottled in LA
Monsoon Chocolate, fair-trade delights in Sonoran Desert flavors like Blue Corn Atole
CAP Beauty, concise, expertly crafted beauty and larder goods
Holy Tshili (above), New York x China x Japan in a trio of everything-bagel-inspired, jarred flavor boosters
Flamingo Estate, LA sunshine via everyday staples like yellow-green olive oil from 150-year-old trees
Woon Kitchen, hipster, homestyle Chinese seasoning sauces and powders from the Filipinotown favorite
Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundla.com.
GETAWAYS LINKS: The Standard preparing to unveil new The StandardX hotel concept • Esquire’s best new restaurants 2023 • Inside BoTree, under-the-radar hotel newcomer in Marylebone • Last chance to buy an Epic Pass for this ski season is Dec. 3.
REAL ESTATE • Sold
Behind the hedges in Brentwood
The median sale price of a house in Brentwood tallied $3.4M in the third quarter of this year, down from $3.825M in Q3 last year, per Elliman. Of course, one can spend considerably more than that, perhaps landing 123 North Anita Ave., a new construction property with requisite Viking appliances in the “chef-inspired kitchen” and custom millwork. It traded earlier this month for $7.6M after first listing in the spring for (an aspirational) $8.695M.
Floating a little less above the clouds? These three more recent sales in Brentwood in the $2.5-$4.5M range:
→ 409 S. Bundy Dr. (Brentwood, above) • 4BR/4BA, 2769 SF • Traditional-styled home in walking distance to Brentwood Country Mart • Listed: 9/21/23, sold: 10/24/23 • Sold price: $4.165M • Listing broker: Jeffrey Saad, Compass.
→ 12233 Shetland Ln. (Brentwood) • 3BR/3BA, 3436 SF • Updated cul-de-sac living • Listed: 9/28/23, sold: 11/13/23 • Sold price: $3.85M • Listing broker: Brian Selem, The Agency.
→ 224 N Bowling Green Way (Brentwood) • 3BR/1.5BA, 2926 SF • Fixer-upper, first time on market in 70 years • Listed: 7/28/23, closed 9/6/23. • Sold price: $2.96M • Listing broker: Michael Edlen, Coldwell Banker.
LA WORK AND PLAY LINKS: DTLA primed for residential growth • New details for West Hollywood's future tallest tower at 1000 N. La Brea • Inside Kevin Hart’s West Hollywood office • LACMA unveils 18th century room from Damascus • An East LA renovation ups its architecture game • Los Angeles after the freeway.
GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Object
Catch ‘em all
Earlier this fall, Hollywood furniture gallery Seventh House hosted an opening for Courtney Applebaum’s Collection II, a release of tiered nightstands, terracotta pendants, and glass tables from the interior designer best known for The Row’s flagship store. The most handy and coveted item of the collection is a potent catch-all, made of hand-poured, black-seeded glass. Dense in weight and intensely colored, it’s impossible to ignore, so you’ll never forget your keys. –Emily Wilson
→ Shop: Catch All Dish (Seventh House), $450.
WORK • Thursday Routine
Post-op menus
JOUBIN S. GABBAY, MD, plastic surgeon, Gabbay Plastic Surgery
Neighborhood you live in: Beverly Hills
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I'm in the operating room, transforming peoples’ bodies and lives. While I'm there, my staff is helping manage our pre-and post operative patients and share all the good stuff that happens on our social media.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
So many incredible choices just within a stone’s throw from us. Recent gems and perennial favorites include Spago (it’s just always good), Nozawa Bar, Toscana, Terrace at the Maybourne Hotel, Bay Cities Deli, Honor Bar and I have to stop because I’ll go on forever.
How about a little leisure or culture?
A concert at the Hollywood Bowl is one of the most important and iconic LA experiences possible. Other recs: Hike around the pond and up the hills of Franklin Canyon, or anywhere in the Santa Monica Mountains. Take any of the million Pilates or other classes that have become the modern LA stereotype (we love Reformacore).
Any weekend getaways?
Long-time favorite hotels include Ojai Valley Inn to the north; Ritz Carlton Rancho Mirage to the east; The Parker Hotel, The Resort at Pelican Hill, Surf and Sand Resort, and Monarch Beach Resort to the south; and, for staycations, The Beverly Hills Hotel and the Hotel Bel-Air.
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Animal style
The Skinny: The third outpost of the pioneering shoppy shop, Cookbook — and the first to open since Jon Shook, Vinny Dotolo, and Helen Johannesen of Jon & Vinny’s and Son of a Gun took the reins — features an al fresco cafe, serving three meals a day in a newly hot corner of Larchmont.
The Vibe: The decor is simple and chic: Wood tables topped with parchment, sturdy umbrellas, and chairs with royal blue cushions and white metal backs shaped like faces. Order at a counter inside, then seat yourself. On Monday around 1p, a majority of the tables were spoken for.
The Food: Well-executed and satisfyingly straightforward California cuisine. At midday, a perfectly crispy pan con tomate and a comforting bowl of chicken bone broth with sourdough toast under a poached egg. The lunch and dinner menu also includes pasta, beer and wine, and a kids’ section (brioche-encased hot dog, spaghetti with butter and parm).
The Verdict: Cookbook and Jon & Vinny’s had a kid, and she’s a winner. –Emily Wilson
→ The Cafe on Larchmont (Larchmont) • 310 N. Larchmont Blvd. • Walk-ins only.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Cheer
Jingle Ball, Crypto.com Arena (Downtown), Fri @ 730p, section 109, $220 per
Angel City Chorale: Holiday Homecoming, Royce Hall (UCLA), Sat @ 7p, orchestra, $111 per
Festival of Carols, Walt Disney Concert Hall (Downtown), Sat @ 2p, front orchestra, $162 per
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