New on the L.A. scene: wine bars, jazz brunch, more

By Lena Katz

Pourtal

It’s summer in my city, Los Angeles — and don’t all us locals know it. From the weather (90 degrees, cloudless, perfect) to the events (day parties, outdoor concerts) to the restaurant scene (BOOMING), it’s high season for California vacations in the City of Angels. And whether you’re visiting L.A. for a week or you’ve lived here forever, your schedule will be as jam-packed as you can handle.
New to the city in summer 2009…

• A classic restaurant gets a celeb spin: Top Chef Stefan Richter has taken over the former L.A. Farm in Santa Monica, and is reopening it August 6th as Stefan’s at L.A. Farm. Sleek décor and sophisticated Euro snacks characterize the latest incarnation of this former beach barn, which used to be one of the loudest dining rooms in town.

• Also new to Santa Monica is enomatic wine bar Pourtal. Enomatic is a dispenser system — kind of like the wine aficionado’s versionof “beers on tap.” Pourtal’s draw is not just its by-the-glass variety (40 wines on pour), but its themed tasting flights and special events. Some are one-offs; others, like Rare Wine Wednesdays, are part of the regular calendar.

West Hollywood can hardly keep up with its slew of recent openings — and these aren’t small places, either.

• Moving  into the old Morton’s spot on Robertson and Melrose is Cecconi’s, a classy and cool concept by the team behind New York’s Soho House.  Already this gets a lot of celebrity traffic, but don’t expect a velvet rope to appear anytime soon:  Offering three square meals a day for surprisingly reasonable prices (breakfasts around $9, dinnertime pasta for $15, and pizzette or Italian small plates for $12), Cecconi’s is obviously going for regular business, not special occasion one-offs.

Mexico

• What’s orange and pink and drunk all over? A margarita in Mexico — not the country, but the brand-new Sunset spot, owned by David Nicola of Nic’s in Beverly Hills. Just as Nic’s is the spot for martinis, Mexico will be the home of fresh fruit margaritas and Nuevo Latino nibbles.

• Also in WeHo, the new BOA Steakhouse flagship on Sunset Strip. At 13,000 square feet including 4,000 square feet of patio dining, this is a much more impressive space than the original restaurant—a glossy but tiny haunt in the Grafton hotel.

• Currently moving into BOA’s modest former space  is Olives, the poshie Mediterranean/French-inspired bistro by Todd English. This is the same restaurant concept as English operates in Las Vegas, and is one of the most exciting openings of 2009 for me — now I can get gourmet flatbread and fruity mojitos without having to brave the Bellagio breezeway.

• On Sunset, the pretty little Luxe Hotel is hosting a weekly Sunday jazz brunch. With patio seating, mimosas, made-to-order crepes and a raw bar, this is perfect for a special family occasion or an indulgent brunch with the girls.

• If you’re looking for cocktails and a tough door, check out Guys  & Dolls, which moved into the former Guys space (Beverly and San Vicente) so smoothly that hardly anyone even noted the transition. Now helmed by nightlife impresario Michael Sutton, it’s got DJ music instead of live jazz,  a club crowd instead of private parties; and normal hours where Guy’s was seemingly only open at the management’s whim. It’s a less original concept than before, but some reliability might be what this venue needs.

• One of the coolest concepts to hit Hollywood this year — and it is a new concept, not just the same-place, different-sign shtick — is Playhouse.  Housed in the former Fox Theatre , it combines elements of a performance art space, cabaret theater and upscale nightclub. Staff will be costumed; guests taken care of in economy-conscious ways like free shots for guests who get bottle service, and discounted door prices plus shuttle service to club-goers who take mass transit. The space is currently three levels, with four bars and 750-person capacity. It opened July 9th, to instant max-capacity crowds.

• The downtown scene continues to grow, with a new buzz spot opening nearly every month. Everyone you talk to seems to have their favorite secret: One insider assures you, “Bottega Louie [restaurant/bar/market/patisserie] is THE place to see and be seen.” Meanwhile, foodies praise new French brasserie Church & State; its modern décor and generous portions suits the burgeoning industrial ‘hood. Elsewhere, Octopus joins the ever-more-competitive sushi scene, and Yxta is the latest in a slew of gourmet Mexican kitchens to open in Los Angeles.

• Absolutely not to be missed while downtown is the second location of Bottlerock.  The Culver City original was a friendly, informal, clatteringly loud take on a modern wine bar. This location is much bigger but still keeps the elements that made it fun:  1000 wines are on the list, and you can open ‘most any bottle if you buy two glasses of it. Additionally, there’s a good beer list with 14 microbrews on tap. After a few hours drinking your way through the list, you might even be ready to try the signature dessert:  a beer  ice cream float.

Hotel and attraction news from the City of Angels coming soon…

Related Orbitz resources:

• California vacation
• Los Angeles hotels

Lena Katz lives on the Left Coast and writes about tropical islands, beach clubs and food, but her heart belongs to NYC.

Tagged: California