Behind the curtain
Bar di Bello, Brentwood properties, Tomat, Alila Napa Valley, Violetto, favorite Hollywood restaurants, MORE
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RESTAURANTS • First Word
Fashion plate
The Skinny: A highly produced 1970s-Milan-inspired dining room with an encompassing sense of place, Bar di Bello serves well-executed Northern Italian classics, plus a full bar. It opened in Silver Lake in April.
The Vibe: Lynchian heavy red curtains just inside a nondescript front door give way to a polished, ultra-sleek interior. Those curtains effectively cut off the outer world, tucking you into curves of wood, plush velvet banquettes, and glimmering crystal and stainless steel lighting. I recommend sitting further inside, if dining in the daylight hours, as newcomers thrusting aside the curtain will break the spell of dimly lit interiority. Cozy booths and a handsome bar at the back of the space lend themselves to intimate conversations.
The Food: Not pushing any boundaries, the menu effectively delivers comforting, down-the-line classics: veal orecchiette in a light cream sauce, cozy as a blanket; osso buco atop a luscious pile of perfectly cooked risotto, scented with saffron and offset by the zing of racy gremolata; a refreshing, dialed green salad, pleasantly crunchy. The focaccia, on the night I was there, was sadly deflated.
The Drink: A heavily Italian list of wines, brusque and big, with a smattering of natural leaning Californians and formidable champagne offerings. But the real draw is the cocktail list: a Negroni for every season (classic, sbagliato, mezcal, white), as well as a thimble-sized “mar-tiny,” and classic cocktails with an Italian bent.
The Verdict: Comforting, luxurious Italian classics, properly executed, in stunningly stylish environs. Bring a date. –Oliver Erteman
→ Bar di Bello (Echo Park) • 3300 Sunset Blvd #109-110 • Wed-Sun 5p-11p • Reserve.
LA RESTAURANT LINKS: What’s going on with Silver Lake’s mysterious new restaurant space? • Little Tokyo’s bare-bones, beloved Latte Shop renovates, reopens as DAMDA • Silver Lake’s Greekman’s restaurateur Jonah Freedman betting big on Sherman Oaks, taking over Mistral • FOUND-favorite Tomat debuts new rooftop, appropriate programming • Atwater Village’s Proof Bakery kicks off… nighttime service? • Umami Burger, once Cali burger chain powerhouse, now officially dead • The deeply weird, very LA survival story of Weho’s Dan Tana’s • What’s your LA seafood holy trinity?
REAL ESTATE • First Mover
Three properties around Brentwood that have come to market in the past 21 days.
→ 716 Rochedale Way (Crestwood Hills, above) • 3BR/3BA, 1987 SF house • Ask: $3.495M • A. Quincy Jones-designed Tritel House (1950), one of the original Crestwood Hills homes, w/ primary suite addition • Annual taxes: $21,391 • Days on market: 15 • Agent: Marc Joseph, Triangle Crest.
→ 12319 W Gorham Ave (Brentwood) • 4BR/5BA, 4650 SF townhouse • Ask: $4.5M • no shared walls, private elevator, 12-ft ceilings • Annual taxes: $41,620, HOA: $740/mo • Days on market: 21 • Agent: Jodi Rubin, Sotheby’s.
→ 2536 Pesquera Dr (Brentwood Hills) • 5BR/5.1BA, 4115 SF house • Ask: $5.195M • rebuilt warm contemporary on cul-de-sac w/ pool and terraced gardens • Annual taxes: $53,391 • Days on market: 20 • Agent: David Offer, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices.
LA WORK & PLAY LINKS: 11-unit development planned for historic Angelino Heights neighborhood, and residents aren’t happy • Koreatown’s WiSpa has new admissions protocols, and they’re not messing around • Lucas Museum of Narrative Art sets September opening • Behind the decline of Hollywood Boulevard.
CULTURE & LEISURE • El Trafico
Los Angeles Football Club at LA Galaxy • Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson) • Fri @ 725p • sec 134, row L $111 per ($69 lowest avail)
Babe Rainbow • The Lodge Room (Highland Park) • Fri @ 8p • GA $39 per
Chris Fleming and Friends • Largo at the Coronet (Hollywood) • Tue @ 8p • GA $50 per
GETAWAYS • Napa
Cheese whiz
I follow executive chef Mark Shoemaker as he tells me how he’s revitalizing the fruit and vegetable gardens at Alila Napa Valley, a Hyatt luxury property in St. Helena. “It’s important to have an organic experience out here. I just put on my headphones, listen to Björk, and get to work,” he says. Shoemaker arrived at Alila early last year, and he’s already put his mark on the resort’s culinary program, most notably at the resort’s fine dining restaurant, Violetto.
GETAWAYS LINKS: LA’s most luxurious post-facelift staycations • BUR’s new terminal sets 10/13 opening • SFO plots private luxury terminal.
RESTAURANTS • The Nines
Restaurants, Hollywood
Our 9 favorite restaurants in the neighborhood. Paid subscribers access the complete Nines archive.
Musso and Frank (Hollywood Blvd), 106-year-old institution famous for steaks, fettuccine alfredo, ice-cold martinis, and iconic red leather booths, reserve