Chef has an eye on future today
From a new restaurant that says it’s “from a time that is yet to be” to a modern take on Peruvian food, here’s what’s happening in the L.A. food and drink world.
Shadows and whispers: Vespertine “is a place of cognitive dissonance that defies categorization, exploring a dimension of cuisine that is neither rooted in tradition nor culture — it is from a time that is yet to be, and a place that does not exist.” This is how chef Jordan Kahn, of the now-closed Red Medicine and the restaurant Destroyer in Culver City, is billing his new restaurant, which opens July 6. A statement from the Culver City restaurant goes on to say, “it is a spirit that exists between worlds. A place of shadows and whispers.” Interpret as you wish, but Kahn’s idea is to create a total experience through a $250-per-person dinner that includes 18 or more courses, employees who wear specially designed outfits and specific sounds playing throughout the building. The two-story building the restaurant is housed in has four levels and a 22-seat dining room. 3599 Hayden Ave., Culver City, vespertine.la.
He’s back: After a hiatus that followed opening Paiche and Picca, chef Ricardo Zarate has opened Rosaliné, a new Peruvian restaurant in the former Comme Ça space on Beverly Boulevard. Rosaliné is named after the chef ’s mother and includes many of the dishes Zarate grew up eating, along with some that are in his cookbook “The Fire of Peru.” Most everything is cooked on a traditional Josper oven with an open charcoal grill. There is also a ceviche menu that changes daily. Menu highlights include beef heart skewers, crispy Amazonian fish and Peruvian fried rice. The cocktail menu is by Jeremy Lake and features Peruvian-inspired libations that utilize items such as plum jarabe and handsmoked pisco. 8479 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, (323) 297-9500, www.rosa linela.com.
Time for a revamp: Castaway Burbank, the 54-yearold hillside restaurant known for its lavish Sunday brunch service and sweeping views of Los Angeles, will close Aug. 6 for a $10-million renovation. It will take about two months to revamp the banquet rooms and an additional six or so months to finish renovations on the restaurant. When Castaway reopens, it will feature a new patio and new decor. 1250 E. Harvard Road, Burbank, (818) 8486691, www.castaway burbank.com. New kids on the block: The Exchange, the restaurant at the new Freehand hotel in downtown L.A., opened Thursday. Gabe Orta and Elad Zvi of Bar Lab and chef Alex Chang are behind the restaurant, which is being billed as an exploration of the “multi-cultural flavors of urban L.A. through an Israeli lens.” The menu includes labneh with seasonal grilled vegetables, lamb kebabs, hummus and whole grilled fish. 416 W. 8th St., Los Angeles, freehand hotels.com/los-angeles/the -exchange/.
Happy anniversary: Michael Cimarusti, chefowner of Providence, which has always held the top spot on Jonathan Gold’s 101 best restaurants list, is celebrating the restaurant’s 12-year anniversary. He has created a $95 four-course tasting menu highlighting seafood sourced through the Dock to Dish sustainable seafood program. The special menu will be available through Friday; advance reservations are required. 5955 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (323) 460-4170, providencela.com.
Oodles of noodles: Crustacean in Beverly Hills has closed for a complete remodel, with plans to reopen in October. The two-story space will feature two restaurants with separate entrances. The first floor will house the new Crustacean (new menu, prix fixe tasting menus and, for the first time ever, garlic noodles to go via a new Bedford Drive patio). The secondfloor restaurant has yet to be announced. Chef Tony Nguyen will helm the kitchens, with influence from chef-owner Helene An. 9646 S. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, (310) 205-8990, www.houseofan.com /crustaceanbh.
Taco time: Danny Trejo, the actor known for the “Machete” films, has opened a location of Trejo’s Cantina in Pasadena. The restaurant is next to the Pasadena Playhouse. This is Trejo’s third restaurant (he has Trejo’s Tacos on La Brea Avenue and a Trejo’s Cantina in Hollywood). He also opened Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts earlier this year. 37 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena, (626) 792-4441, www .trejostacos.com.
Still hungry? Spudds, the Pasadena restaurant by Canadian siblings Jessica and Shant Kalfayan, known for its classic and not-so-traditional variations of poutine, has opened a location in La Crescenta. The Andaz West Hollywood will donate $1 of every breakfast and $3 of every special signature breakfast item at the hotel to the RED campaign to end AIDS. Lunetta, the Santa Monica restaurant by chef Raphael Lunetta, is now open. The Icy Rush Co. ice cream boutique in Echo Park has launched the Icy Mobile VW van, serving treats at the Melrose flea market weekly starting Sunday. Pink’s Hot Dogs will pop up at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills on July 1 and 2. The Peninsula Beverly Hills is bringing back its barbecue series at the Roof Garden every Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Sept. 24.
jenn.harris@latimes.com