Crystal clear

CLAIRE WADSWORTH & NIKKI HILL • owner & GM / owner & chef • La Copine
Town you work in: Flamingo Heights, Yucca Valley
Town you live in: Landers, CA

It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
It’s the beginning of our work week at the restaurant. We’re prepping, setting up the dining room and patios, getting ready for service. Deliveries are coming in that have to be put away, and it’s always a crunch getting ready in time for our family meal break at 1030a. Doors open at 11a. Later, we’ll be hyper-focused on our upcoming cookbook release for La Copine: New California Cooking from an Oasis in the Desert (out now! -ed.). We have meetings with the publisher, PR team, and restaurant collaborators.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
We’re going to Birba in Palm Springs to get down on some wood-fired pizza and housemade pasta. We heard Michelle Obama ate there with her daughters once, and tbh, got a little jealous that they haven’t been to La Copine yet! Here’s hoping.

How about a little leisure or culture?
We love dogs, crystals (Spellbound Sky in Palm Springs), oracle readings, music and film, Good Hang (the podcast), dinner parties, and hiking. Looking out our kitchen window, we have a view of Goat Mountain, which has the most incredible 360-degree (unobstructed) view at the top of the high desert. The only times we really leave the desert are for concerts. The last show we went to was Patti Smith at Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA, and before that we saw Erykah Badu in Las Vegas and Cyndi Lauper in Palm Desert.

Any weekend getaways?
We just went to Palm Springs for the film festival and stayed at Sparrows Lodge, which is divine. Next week, we’re heading to Las Vegas for the Lunar New Year and to see the Wizard of Oz at the Sphere! We love to go places by car, so we can bring our dog. We can get to Big Bear in an hour, door-to-door, so we go there often and stay at Sessions Retreat or The Burgundy. Jacumba Hot Springs is pure magic: don’t even look it up, just go. A little further than that would be Valle de Guadalupe for Mexico’s buzzing wine country, and a visit to Conchas de Pierre for a memorable meal (oysters and sparkling).

What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
Massages. Get one every time you’re on vacation. Also, oracle readings — support your local witches. And to our customers, we can’t recommend a trip to Joshua Tree without also recommending a visit to the Integratron and Noah Purifoy Outdoor Art Museum.

Where are you donating your time or money?
ACLU, Flamingo Heights Community Center, Joshua Tree Institute of Mentalphysics, Mojave Desert Land Trust, and we’re currently participating in the ‘Love Your Park’ fundraiser for Joshua Tree National Park Association.

GETAWAYS • FOUNDLISTING

The Storybook Coast

Where the detour becomes the destination

Follow Highway 1 north from Los Angeles, as the coastline shifts to rugged cliffs and long stretches of open ocean, before arriving at Carmel-by-the-Sea. The weekend destination is reminiscent of a slower, more timeless California. Few places in the world compare to Carmel — the quaint town favors whimsical cottages and secret passageways that encourage wandering more than overplanning. Originally an artist colony, Carmel has managed to maintain an endearing charisma and picturesque allure. Days unfold here between the white-sand Carmel Beach, locally sourced dining, and hidden courtyards lined with independently owned galleries and shops. It feels refreshingly analog, the kind of place that rewards lingering a little longer.

→ Book a trip: Carmel-by-the-Sea [spon]

LA RESTAURANT LINKS: Food mashups are having a moment in LA • Ignore that recent garage sale, Cafe Stella back open in Silver Lake • West Adams’ Alta Adams officially coming back • Ballyhooed deli Ggiata opens in Echo Park • Top pie-veyors Fat + Flour closing Grand Central Market location this Sunday • How does Traxx, the bar inside Downtown’s Union Station, make money? • Are LA restaurants too loud?

RESTAURANTS • The Nines

Restaurants, Venice Beach

Our 9 favorites in the neighborhood. See also: Larchmont Village, West Adams, Echo Park, Chinatown. Paid subscribers access the complete Nines archive.

• Dudley Market (Dudley Ave), vinyl records, killer wine list, raw bar, fresh-catches w/ crowd that always spills out into street, reserve

Read more

CLAIRE WADSWORTH & NIKKI HILL • owner & GM / owner & chef • La Copine
Town you work in: Flamingo Heights, Yucca Valley
Town you live in: Landers, CA

It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
It’s the beginning of our work week at the restaurant. We’re prepping, setting up the dining room and patios, getting ready for service. Deliveries are coming in that have to be put away, and it’s always a crunch getting ready in time for our family meal break at 1030a. Doors open at 11a. Later, we’ll be hyper-focused on our upcoming cookbook release for La Copine: New California Cooking from an Oasis in the Desert (out now! -ed.). We have meetings with the publisher, PR team, and restaurant collaborators.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?

We’re going to Birba in Palm Springs to get down on some wood-fired pizza and housemade pasta. We heard Michelle Obama ate there with her daughters once, and tbh, got a little jealous that they haven’t been to La Copine yet! Here’s hoping.

How about a little leisure or culture?
We love dogs, crystals (Spellbound Sky in Palm Springs), oracle readings, music and film, Good Hang (the podcast), dinner parties, and hiking. Looking out our kitchen window, we have a view of Goat Mountain, which has the most incredible 360-degree (unobstructed) view at the top of the high desert. The only times we really leave the desert are for concerts. The last show we went to was Patti Smith at Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA, and before that we saw Erykah Badu in Las Vegas and Cyndi Lauper in Palm Desert.

Any weekend getaways?
We just went to Palm Springs for the film festival and stayed at Sparrows Lodge, which is divine. Next week, we’re heading to Las Vegas for the Lunar New Year and to see the Wizard of Oz at the Sphere! We love to go places by car, so we can bring our dog. We can get to Big Bear in an hour, door-to-door, so we go there often and stay at Sessions Retreat or The Burgundy. Jacumba Hot Springs is pure magic: don’t even look it up, just go. A little further than that would be Valle de Guadalupe for Mexico’s buzzing wine country, and a visit to Conchas de Pierre for a memorable meal (oysters and sparkling).

What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
Massages. Get one every time you’re on vacation. Also, oracle readings — support your local witches. And to our customers, we can’t recommend a trip to Joshua Tree without also recommending a visit to the Integratron and Noah Purifoy Outdoor Art Museum.

Where are you donating your time or money?
ACLU, Flamingo Heights Community Center, Joshua Tree Institute of Mentalphysics, Mojave Desert Land Trust, and we’re currently participating in the ‘Love Your Park’ fundraiser for Joshua Tree National Park Association.

Subscribe now

Three properties around Beachwood Canyon in the Hollywood Hills that have come to market in the last 30 days.

→ 3238 Canyon Lake Dr (Lake Hollywood Estates, above) • 4BR/4.1BA, 3266 SF house • Ask: $3.2M • single-level modern tucked below Hollywood sign • Annual taxes: $40,187 • Days on market: 16 • Agent: Anne Burkin, Compass.

→ 6438 Georgius Way (Beachwood Canyon) • 5BR/3.2BA, 4151 SF house • Ask: $3.5M • remodeled modern multilevel w/ panoramic canyon views, multiple outdoor terraces • Annual taxes: $29,161 • Days on market: 16 • Agent: Kristina Nazarova, Coldwell Banker Realty.

→ 3712 Broadlawn Dr (Hollywood Hills) • 6BR/7BA, 5700 SF house • Ask: $6.57M • newly constructed 2022 Skyline Estate by architect Alon Zakoot on private cul-de-sac, infinity pool cantilevered 20 feet above hillside • Annual taxes: $35,638 • Days on market: 24 • Agent: Manuela Villa, Compass.

Subscribe now

Read more

Our 9 favorites in the neighborhood. See also: Larchmont Village, West Adams, Echo Park, Chinatown. Paid subscribers access the complete Nines archive.

• Dudley Market (Dudley Ave), vinyl records, killer wine list, raw bar, fresh-catches w/ crowd that always spills out into street, reserve

Read more

• We’re newly on the search for an editorial assistant. It’s a fractional job requiring 5-10 hours per week, and includes organizing FOUND’s editorial calendar, communicating with contributors, updating FOUND’s website, and if you please, some writing. The position is remote, though the ideal candidate will be based in a FOUND city.

• Speaking of, the wheels are turning on new FOUND cities. We’re looking for contributors based in Chicago, New Orleans, Hawaii, plus Sydney and Melbourne. These are very flexible freelance roles that don’t necessarily require a professional writing background — mostly passion about FOUND categories along with impeccable taste. Is that you, or a friend?

• We need a paid social guru to manage a small spend.

If any of these opportunities excite you, drop us a line at found@itsfound.com and tell us a little bit about yourself.

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WORK • Thursday Routine

Paper jam

SARAH LEWITINN PATTERSON • co-owner & guest relations • Jacaranda
Neighborhood you work & live in: Hancock Park

It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I start the morning waking up next to the chef of Jacaranda, Daniel Patterson, who also happens to be my husband and the co-owner. He gets up by 6a every day, and I wake up a little (or a lot) after. When I’m ready for my morning coffee, I send him a text that says “good morning! I love you!” and it suddenly appears on my bedside table. I spend the next few minutes looking at my stock portfolio and realizing that POTUS has said something wild to make it tank. Once I collect my wits, I get to my work emails and do any press that our publicist, Khuong Phan, sets up for me. Daniel is often foraging or at the farmers’ market shortly after I get my coffee.

Sometime later, like between 10a and 2p, I head to the restaurant, which is just a three-minute drive from my bed and which just opened to the public earlier this month. I get most of my calories in the morning from matcha lattes, which I get from Starbucks, because sometimes I’m a basic b like that, and like consistency, and don’t feel like spending $10 on the drink at someplace down the street where the employees are kind of dicks. I then do some social media promotion, correspond with our guests directly on OpenTable, Instagram, or via text (many of them have my phone number), and answer emails from people who email hello@jacaranda.la. I then do some last-minute graphic design work and curse at my laptop when InDesign shits the bed. I then end up dealing with loose ends at Jacaranda, which usually means fixing the printer.

What’s on the agenda for today?
Today I’m working on our reservations and reformatting the beverage menu. In theory, I should be developing a membership system for our restaurant for TheThirdPlace.is, but that hasn’t happened because I spent about an hour yelling expletives at the printer. I’m also getting distracted by a million things and hoping to take a moment to recharge my social battery before service. I really love interacting with our guests. It’s my absolute favorite part of the job and the reason I’m the happiest I’ve been in about 20 years. Oh, and I sneak kisses to the chef (kiss the cook?) whenever I can. He makes me the happiest person I know.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
So one thing I’ve learned is that there’s no such thing as a social life when you decide to open a restaurant. The restaurant is my social life, which is okay because I mostly only hung out with my husband anyway, and at least now I socialize with other people at the restaurant. I’ve lost about five pounds this past month because I have no time to eat (I keep missing staff meal!). I’m so hungry, but my stomach is also in such knots from opening this joint.

When I do go out — usually on a Tuesday night because on Mondays I’m dead to the world — Daniel and I go to either Jones on Santa Monica and sit at the bar where I get to eat a massive bowl of pasta, or Crossroads Kitchen, where I sit at the bar and get overfed by our friend Tal Ronnen (the chef and owner). I do a lot of sitting and eating at bars.

In an ideal world, I would be getting stoned and watching a lot of TV every night. I’ve read a lot of the responses from other restaurateurs on FOUND, and I have no idea how they have enough free time to go out. I hope they can teach me.

How about a little leisure or culture?
I can’t stress enough how much I love watching TV. I will watch TV like it’s my birthright. I will watch any show that utilizes the Sherlock Holmes trope, or science fiction, or every true crime documentary about scam artists. That is my culture. For my leisure, I do a fuckton of arts and crafts activities. I like to make my own clothes, and I’ll often wear my creations in the dining room. I make the paper we use for our menus using discarded bills or accidental printouts. Waste not, want not. I also made the coasters on our dining tables and tried to make our napkins and bathroom linens, but as it turns out, I find cutting and sewing in a straight line to be challenging.

Any weekend getaways?
First of all, I don’t like leaving the house unless I have to. When we had money (aka before we put all of our money into the restaurant because we don’t have investors), Daniel would sometimes take me on little trips to Santa Barbara, San Diego, or San Francisco. We don’t exclusively go to places that begin with “San” on purpose.

As often as she can, my mom will fly me out to New Jersey to hang out with her. I try to take her to nice restaurants (she loved Eleven Madison Park), where I can name-drop Daniel so we get better service. This makes him cringe, but I like to flex for my mom. In addition to nice restaurants, my mom will take me to her favorite stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods.

What was your last great vacation?
Oh my goodness! Daniel and I recently went to Paris! I went over the summer with my entire family and left him at home, but going with the love of my life was a delight! We went to Paris in 2022 immediately after our wedding in Copenhagen, but we managed to catch norovirus (along with half of our wedding guests — the other half caught COVID), so I spent that whole honeymoon trip showing my husband my true, unadulterated self, that I never ever wanted him to see or hear.

Anyway, I digress. We went to Paris a few months ago and had the most delicious time. We ate at Astrance, Prevele, Mokonuts, Dandelion, and eme. It was great to meet the owners of eme since they’re also a husband and wife team. We also stayed in the Marais and went window shopping a lot. I hate spending money on stuff, but I did buy a new Star of David necklace for $75 at some point. We also went to Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme, which was lovely and also heavily guarded.

What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
To be honest, the most recent big-ticket purchase I made was a freaking restaurant. I can’t stress enough how expensive opening a restaurant with your own money can be. I guess before that, I spent the very last of my remaining money on getting 80 units of Botox from my neck up. I asked the nurse to “freeze my fucking face and neck.” Thankfully, that was still good by the time we did our press photos.

Where are you donating your time or money?
Daniel and Chef Keith Corbin (of Alta Adams) have a nonprofit organization together called Alta Community (which is changing its name to LocoL Community), a nonprofit dedicated to empowering communities through food and vocational training.

LA RESTAURANT LINKS: The LACMA Erewhon cafe recently opened to all visitors • New European bistro Josephine debuts in former Bowery Bungalow space • Silver Lake’s charming Blair’s introduces lasagna Wednesday specials • Why Kith’s Ronnie Fieg is now slinging (in-store) sandwiches.

RESTAURANTS • First Word

Bistro izakaya

The Skinny: Opened late last year on a quieter stretch of York in Highland Park, self-proclaimed “Japanese brunch bistro” Ine is a polished, attentive izakaya, with modern touches and some restrained fusion from chef Sang Tae.

Read more

• Bar Cecil (S Palm Canyon Dr), classic bistro fare, maximalist interior design, among toughest reservations in town, reserve

Read more

Three properties in Laurel Canyon that have come to market in the last 30 days.

Read more

The Skinny: Opened late last year on a quieter stretch of York in Highland Park, self-proclaimed “Japanese brunch bistro” Ine is a polished, attentive izakaya, with modern touches and some restrained fusion from chef Sang Tae.

Read more

SARAH LEWITINN PATTERSON • co-owner & guest relations • Jacaranda
Neighborhood you work & live in: Hancock Park

It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I start the morning waking up next to the chef of Jacaranda, Daniel Patterson, who also happens to be my husband and the co-owner. He gets up by 6a every day, and I wake up a little (or a lot) after. When I’m ready for my morning coffee, I send him a text that says “good morning! I love you!” and it suddenly appears on my bedside table. I spend the next few minutes looking at my stock portfolio and realizing that POTUS has said something wild to make it tank. Once I collect my wits, I get to my work emails and do any press that our publicist, Khuong Phan, sets up for me. Daniel is often foraging or at the farmers’ market shortly after I get my coffee.

Sometime later, like between 10a and 2p, I head to the restaurant, which is just a three-minute drive from my bed and which just opened to the public earlier this month. I get most of my calories in the morning from matcha lattes, which I get from Starbucks, because sometimes I’m a basic b like that, and like consistency, and don’t feel like spending $10 on the drink at someplace down the street where the employees are kind of dicks. I then do some social media promotion, correspond with our guests directly on OpenTable, Instagram, or via text (many of them have my phone number), and answer emails from people who email hello@jacaranda.la. I then do some last-minute graphic design work and curse at my laptop when InDesign shits the bed. I then end up dealing with loose ends at Jacaranda, which usually means fixing the printer.

What’s on the agenda for today?
Today I’m working on our reservations and re\doing the beverage menu. In theory, I should be developing a membership system for our restaurant for TheThirdPlace.is, but that hasn’t happened because I spent about an hour yelling expletives at the printer. I’m also getting distracted by a million things and hoping to take a moment to recharge my social battery before service. I really love interacting with our guests. It’s my absolute favorite part of the job and the reason I’m the happiest I’ve been in about 20 years. Oh, and I sneak kisses to the chef (kiss the cook?) whenever I can. He makes me the happiest person I know.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
So one thing I’ve learned is that there’s no such thing as a social life when you decide to open a restaurant. The restaurant is my social life, which is okay because I mostly only hung out with my husband anyway, and at least now I socialize with other people at the restaurant. I’ve lost about five pounds this past month because I have no time to eat (I keep missing staff meal!). I’m so hungry, but my stomach is also in such knots from opening this joint.

When I do go out — usually on a Tuesday night because on Mondays I’m dead to the world — Daniel and I go to either Jones on Santa Monica and sit at the bar where I get to eat a massive bowl of pasta, or Crossroads Kitchen, where I sit at the bar and get overfed by our friend Tal Ronnen (the chef and owner). I do a lot of sitting and eating at bars.

In an ideal world, I would be getting stoned and watching a lot of TV every night. I’ve read a lot of the responses from other restaurateurs on FOUND, and I have no idea how they have enough free time to go out. I hope they can teach me.

How about a little leisure or culture?
I can’t stress enough how much I love watching TV. I will watch TV like it’s my birthright. I will watch any show that utilizes the Sherlock Holmes trope, or science fiction, or every true crime documentary about scam artists. That is my culture. For my leisure, I do a fuckton of arts and crafts activities. I like to make my own clothes, and I’ll often wear my creations in the dining room. I make the paper we use for our menus using discarded bills or accidental printouts. Waste not, want not. I also made the coasters on our dining tables and tried to make our napkins and bathroom linens, but as it turns out, I find cutting and sewing in a straight line to be challenging.

Any weekend getaways?
First of all, I don’t like leaving the house unless I have to. When we had money (aka before we put all of our money into the restaurant because we don’t have investors), Daniel would sometimes take me on little trips to Santa Barbara, San Diego, or San Francisco. We don’t exclusively go to places that begin with “San” on purpose.

As often as she can, my mom will fly me out to New Jersey to hang out with her. I try to take her to nice restaurants (she loved Eleven Madison Park), where I can name-drop Daniel so we get better service. This makes him cringe, but I like to flex for my mom. In addition to nice restaurants, my mom will take me to her favorite stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods.

What was your last great vacation?
Oh my goodness! Daniel and I recently went to Paris! I went over the summer with my entire family and left him at home, but going with the love of my life was a delight! We went to Paris in 2022 immediately after our wedding in Copenhagen, but we managed to catch norovirus (along with half of our wedding guests — the other half caught COVID), so I spent that whole honeymoon trip showing my husband my true, unadulterated self, that I never ever wanted him to see or hear.

Anyway, I digress. We went to Paris a few months ago and had the most delicious time. We ate at Astrance, Prevele, Mokonuts, Dandelion, and eme. It was great to meet the owners of eme since they’re also a husband and wife team. We also stayed in the Marais and went window shopping a lot. I hate spending money on stuff, but I did buy a new Star of David necklace for $75 at some point. We also went to Musée d’Art et d’Histoire du Judaïsme, which was lovely and also heavily guarded.

What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
To be honest, the most recent big-ticket purchase I made was a freaking restaurant. I can’t stress enough how expensive opening a restaurant with your own money can be. I guess before that, I spent the very last of my remaining money on getting 80 units of Botox from my neck up. I asked the nurse to “freeze my fucking face and neck.” Thankfully, that was still good by the time we did our press photos.

Where are you donating your time or money?
Daniel and Chef Keith Corbin (of Alta Adams) have a nonprofit organization together called Alta Community (which is changing its name to LocoL Community), a nonprofit dedicated to empowering communities through food and vocational training.

Subscribe now

RYAN FLOYD • founder & CEO • 33 Taps
Neighborhood you work in: Silver Lake, Culver City, Southpark DTLA, West Hollywood
Neighborhood you live in: Larchmont

It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Weekday mornings are pretty quiet at 33 Taps (the calm before the storm), our neighborhood sports bar with 33 rotating craft beverages on tap and a scratch kitchen. A lot of the non-glamorous (although very important) things are getting done, like equipment maintenance, draft line cleaning, and reading/discussing prior day notes from managers. At all four locations, we always want to ensure everything is the highest quality possible, while keeping the community feel, making it a place to catch the game, have dinner with family, or just grab a quick drink.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I’m currently in Palm Springs working on a project and tonight I’m meeting a couple of friends at Marlin Bar. I also went to Bar Cecil last night, a lively French-American restaurant with some great cocktails.

When I’m back in the LA area, I like to walk down to Larchmont Village and visit Great White, Kiku Sushi, or La Bettola di Terroni. I also love going to the new Tu Madre up the street. Whenever possible, I prefer walking around the neighborhood instead of driving – I spend enough time driving around town so I appreciate the walkability in Larchmont.

When I’m at the different 33 Taps locations, I like to visit our neighboring restaurants like Bacari in Silver Lake and Culver City, Dan Tana’s in West Hollywood, and Javier’s and Mastro’s next door to our Downtown location.

Any weekend getaways?
One of my favorite places that is just a short drive from LA is Santa Ynez. I’ve always loved horses and Santa Ynez is the equestrian capital of California (or at least it seems that way!). There are gorgeous properties and pastures everywhere you turn.

What was your last great vacation?
After opening three 33 Taps locations within 18 months, we decided to take a few great vacations this past year including Glacier National Park, NYC, Big Sur, The Big Island, and Kauai. They were all super special in their own way so it was hard to choose just one. It was our first time at Glacier National Park and we loved it. We got the incredible opportunity to stay at Sharon Stone’s home through a Project Angel Food donation auction. Must-sees for us included Flathead Lake and Whitefish Lake.

What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
This year in particular, I’ve been spending more money on experiences than items. An experience I keep thinking about is our stay at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay on Kauai. The on-site amenities and views make it hard to leave the property, but when we did, we loved hiking on a few of the local trails like Kalalau Trailhead and Okolehao and hitting Queen’s Bath to cool down.

What store or service do you always recommend?
People may not expect this from me, but I recommend getting an annual astrology reading from the Cosmic Navigator. It’s a fun way to help people understand their own astrology.

Where are you donating your time or money?
It’s always been important to us at 33 Taps to support local animal shelters and rescues. Over the past three years, we have donated all of the proceeds from our “puppy menu” to local rescues like Wags and Walks, Labelle Foundation, and LA Animal Rescue.

Subscribe now

• We’re newly on the search for an editorial assistant. It’s a fractional job requiring 5-10 hours per week, and includes organizing FOUND’s editorial calendar, communicating with contributors, updating FOUND’s website, and if you please, some writing. The position is remote, though the ideal candidate will be based in a FOUND city.

• Speaking of, the wheels are turning on new FOUND cities. We’re looking for contributors based in Chicago, New Orleans, Hawaii, plus Sydney and Melbourne. These are very flexible freelance roles that don’t necessarily require a professional writing background — mostly passion about FOUND categories along with impeccable taste. Is that you, or a friend?

• We need a paid social guru to manage a small spend.

If any of these opportunities excite you, drop us a line at found@itsfound.com and tell us a little bit about yourself.

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Sponsor

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WORK • Thursday Routine

Tapped in

RYAN FLOYD • founder & CEO • 33 Taps
Neighborhood you work in: Silver Lake, Culver City, Southpark DTLA, West Hollywood
Neighborhood you live in: Larchmont

It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Weekday mornings are pretty quiet at 33 Taps (the calm before the storm), our neighborhood sports bar with 33 rotating craft beverages on tap and a scratch kitchen. A lot of the non-glamorous (although very important) things are getting done, like equipment maintenance, draft line cleaning, and reading/discussing prior day notes from managers. At all four locations, we always want to ensure everything is the highest quality possible, while keeping the community feel, making it a place to catch the game, have dinner with family, or just grab a quick drink.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I’m currently in Palm Springs working on a project and tonight I’m meeting a couple of friends at Marlin Bar. I also went to Bar Cecil last night, a lively French-American restaurant with some great cocktails.

When I’m back in the LA area, I like to walk down to Larchmont Village and visit Great White, Kiku Sushi, or La Bettola di Terroni. I also love going to the new Tu Madre up the street. Whenever possible, I prefer walking around the neighborhood instead of driving – I spend enough time driving around town so I appreciate the walkability in Larchmont.

When I’m at the different 33 Taps locations, I like to visit our neighboring restaurants like Bacari in Silver Lake and Culver City, Dan Tana’s in West Hollywood, and Javier’s and Mastro’s next door to our Downtown location.

Any weekend getaways?
One of my favorite places that is just a short drive from LA is Santa Ynez. I’ve always loved horses and Santa Ynez is the equestrian capital of California (or at least it seems that way!). There are gorgeous properties and pastures everywhere you turn.

What was your last great vacation?
After opening three 33 Taps locations within 18 months, we decided to take a few great vacations this past year including Glacier National Park, NYC, Big Sur, The Big Island, and Kauai. They were all super special in their own way so it was hard to choose just one. It was our first time at Glacier National Park and we loved it. We got the incredible opportunity to stay at Sharon Stone’s home through a Project Angel Food donation auction. Must-sees for us included Flathead Lake and Whitefish Lake.

What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
This year in particular, I’ve been spending more money on experiences than items. An experience I keep thinking about is our stay at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay on Kauai. The on-site amenities and views make it hard to leave the property, but when we did, we loved hiking on a few of the local trails like Kalalau Trailhead and Okolehao and hitting Queen’s Bath to cool down.

What store or service do you always recommend?
People may not expect this from me, but I recommend getting an annual astrology reading from the Cosmic Navigator. It’s a fun way to help people understand their own astrology.

Where are you donating your time or money?
It’s always been important to us at 33 Taps to support local animal shelters and rescues. Over the past three years, we have donated all of the proceeds from our “puppy menu” to local rescues like Wags and Walks, Labelle Foundation, and LA Animal Rescue.

LA RESTAURANT LINKS: Modern European bistro taking over former Bowery Bungalow space in Silver Lake, Josephine, opens next Tuesday • NYC’s Chiso Cafe will open in former Little Fish space in Echo Park • Silver Lake’s Bar Siesta rebrands as Bar Besito, goes full Spanish tilt • Roshona Bilash, new East Hollywood Koreatown kitchen debuts • Japanese baker Wairo opens in Pasadena • Emma Chamberlain’s Chamberlain’s Coffee expands to Venice Beach.

RESTAURANTS • First Word

Wayback machine

The Skinny: Almost two decades after opening its last and only remaining US outpost in Las Vegas, global chain Sushi Samba touched down in Los Angeles last month. The pioneering clubstaurant (the shuttered NYC branch had a recurring part on Sex and the City) occupies a giant rooftop in West Hollywood.

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The Skinny: Saison Hospitality corporate chef Brian Limoges opened Enclos in December, in partnership with Stone Edge Farm Estate Vineyards & Winery. Set inside a restored Victorian home near historic Sonoma Plaza, the restaurant’s restrained exterior belies the extravagance within.

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Three properties between Abbot Kinney and the beach in Venice that have come to market in the last 21 days.

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The Skinny: Almost two decades after opening its last and only remaining US outpost in Las Vegas, global chain Sushi Samba touched down in Los Angeles last month. The pioneering clubstaurant (the shuttered NYC branch had a recurring part on Sex and the City) occupies a giant rooftop in West Hollywood.

Read more

HAYLEY FELDMAN • co-founder • Coucou
Neighborhood you work in: Venice, West Hollywood & Manhattan Beach

It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
We literally just opened the doors on our third location of Coucou in Manhattan Beach [opened yesterday! –ed], so it’s truly all-hands-on-deck as we get into the rhythm of our new space and community. As co-founder and owner alongside my partner (and husband) Jesse, I’m being pulled in a million different directions right now.

My mornings start early (usually around 530a) with a lot of iced black coffee. It’s when I’m most productive. I spend that time reviewing end-of-night reports from the restaurants (which also include our Venice and West Hollywood locations), flagging anything that needs attention, and also celebrating the team’s wins from the night before.

What’s on the agenda for today?
After an early meeting, I’ll snag a sandwich from our next-door neighbor, Bread Head (one of the best tuna sandwiches in LA), and head back to the Westside to pick up my two kids from school. After some family time, I’ll go into either our Venice or West Hollywood location for a pre-shift manager meeting. I’m neurotic about the details of how the restaurant looks and feels. I spend the hour before service refreshing florals, dialing in our playlist, and mood-lighting.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
We love sitting at the sushi bar at Uchi (right next to our West Hollywood location). We’ll also go see our friend Jesse, the manager of Lulu at the Hammer Museum, which I think is one of the most underrated restaurants in Los Angeles. It’s always a beautiful, market-driven meal and they know our martini order by heart.

If we’re in Venice, we’re usually walking into RVR or Felix (which is one of those neighborhood restaurants that, I swear, just keeps getting better).

How about a little leisure or culture?
Before the fires, we spent a lot of time renovating our backyard with Terremoto, who are just incredible landscape designers who focus on native, drought-resistant gardening practices. They really created a true haven for us.

We like to stop by our local gourmet shop, Canyon Grocer (run by our friend Kurt) for a snack-friendly spread that we can enjoy in the garden: a wedge of Challerhocker, Larchmont’s Best Hummus, or a La Morra Pizza.

Any weekend getaways?
We love taking a quick flight up to Santa Rosa and driving into Healdsburg. My mother-in-law owns Barndiva in Northern California, which she’s run for over 20 years. They also have a (dry-farmed) apple orchard about an hour north that’s incredibly special… very low-key, incredibly peaceful. For a family-friendly meal and truly excellent pizza, we absolutely love Offspring in Boonville.

What was your last great vacation?
Our last vacation wasn’t really a vacation at all. After being displaced from our home during the Palisades fires, we ended up traveling abroad for six months. It was chaotic, but also incredibly meaningful. We spent most of our time in Paris, and it really allowed us to immerse ourselves in the culture. Some of our newer favorites were Pluto in the Marais and La Bonbonnette, a wine bar also in the Marais with an incredible wine selection.

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Bistro bustle

HAYLEY FELDMAN • co-founder • Coucou
Neighborhood you work in: Venice, West Hollywood & Manhattan Beach

It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
We literally just opened the doors on our third location of Coucou in Manhattan Beach [opened yesterday! –ed], so it’s truly all-hands-on-deck as we get into the rhythm of our new space and community. As co-founder and owner alongside my partner (and husband) Jesse, I’m being pulled in a million different directions right now.

My mornings start early (usually around 530a) with a lot of iced black coffee. It’s when I’m most productive. I spend that time reviewing end-of-night reports from the restaurants (which also include our Venice and West Hollywood locations), flagging anything that needs attention, and also celebrating the team’s wins from the night before.

What’s on the agenda for today?
After an early meeting, I’ll snag a sandwich from our next-door neighbor, Bread Head (one of the best tuna sandwiches in LA), and head back to the Westside to pick up my two kids from school. After some family time, I’ll go into either our Venice or West Hollywood location for a pre-shift manager meeting. I’m neurotic about the details of how the restaurant looks and feels. I spend the hour before service refreshing florals, dialing in our playlist, and mood-lighting.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
We love sitting at the sushi bar at Uchi (right next to our West Hollywood location). We’ll also go see our friend Jesse, the manager of Lulu at the Hammer Museum, which I think is one of the most underrated restaurants in Los Angeles. It’s always a beautiful, market-driven meal and they know our martini order by heart.

If we’re in Venice, we’re usually walking into RVR or Felix (which is one of those neighborhood restaurants that, I swear, just keeps getting better).

How about a little leisure or culture?
Before the fires, we spent a lot of time renovating our backyard with Terremoto, who are just incredible landscape designers who focus on native, drought-resistant gardening practices. They really created a true haven for us.

We like to stop by our local gourmet shop, Canyon Grocer (run by our friend Kurt) for a snack-friendly spread that we can enjoy in the garden: a wedge of Challerhocker, Larchmont’s Best Hummus, or a La Morra Pizza.

Any weekend getaways?
We love taking a quick flight up to Santa Rosa and driving into Healdsburg. My mother-in-law owns Barndiva in Northern California, which she’s run for over 20 years. They also have a (dry-farmed) apple orchard about an hour north that’s incredibly special… very low-key, incredibly peaceful. For a family-friendly meal and truly excellent pizza, we absolutely love Offspring in Boonville.

What was your last great vacation?
Our last vacation wasn’t really a vacation at all. After being displaced from our home during the Palisades fires, we ended up traveling abroad for six months. It was chaotic, but also incredibly meaningful. We spent most of our time in Paris, and it really allowed us to immerse ourselves in the culture. Some of our newer favorites were Pluto in the Marais and La Bonbonnette, a wine bar also in the Marais with an incredible wine selection.

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LA RESTAURANT LINKS: Echo Park’s Little Fish moving from current Sunset Blvd location to former Sage space one block away • Melrose Hill’s Chainsaw planning wine bar next door • ‘Secret third thing’ pop-up Seedy opens permanent location in Lincoln Heights • Studio City neighborhood wine bar Cosette has shuttered • How the MEHKO program is redefining LA food.

RESTAURANTS • The Nines

Restaurants, Larchmont Village

Our 9 favorites in the neighborhood. See also: West Adams, Echo Park, Chinatown.

• Max and Helen’s, elevated diner comfort food from Phil Rosenthal and Nancy Silverton, go off hours or prepare to hover, intel, walk-ins only

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When the new La Bahia Hotel & Spa in Santa Cruz opened last September, it was a big deal around town. The historic property, directly across the street from the equally historic Boardwalk, had been rundown and abandoned for decades. Prior to that, the La Bahia apartments had been inhabited by college students and international exchange workers who came to town every year to work the seasonal rides and concessions at the Boardwalk. It was known to locals as a far-from-fancy place.

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Three properties in Echo Park that have come to market in the last 30 days.

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Our 9 favorites in the neighborhood. See also: West Adams, Echo Park, Chinatown.

• Max and Helen’s, elevated diner comfort food from Phil Rosenthal and Nancy Silverton, go off hours or prepare to hover, intel, walk-ins only

Read more