Bespoke vibes

Holy Basil, Pasadena, custom Levi’s, Inn Paradiso, Care of Chan, donut shops, MORE

Feb 15, 2024

∙ Paid

RESTAURANTS • First Word

Atwater umami

The Skinny: Lauded Downtown Thai takeaway Holy Basil now has a sister sit-down spot in Atwater Village. The new outpost is currently in soft-opening mode, with fluctuating hours for lunch and dinner. Coming soon are a weekend brunch service, a liquor license for natural wine and sake, and a market. (Later this year, the same team will debut a tasting menu concept in Melrose Hill.)

The Vibe: Tight quarters with an open kitchen, the space is bedecked in stainless steel and fruit-patterned, vinyl-topped tabletops. The restaurant is considerably sleeker than your typical Thai Town joint, but still evokes street-food dining (low-height seats, small footprint). Bar seats are the ideal vantage point for two-tops.

The Food: The kitchen sources ingredients from respected purveyors (listed at the top of the menu) for creative takes on Thai classics. Umami-laden snacks include crying tiger short ribs, fried sweet-and-sour chicken wings, and top-notch sai ua and Isaan sausage, while larger dishes are mostly curry, noodle, or rice-based. Two early favorites: “grandma’s” fish and rice (studded with crispy bits of barramundi), and a yellow curry with wild shrimp.

The Verdict: Please welcome the next gen of Thai eating. –Emily Wilson

→ Holy Basil (Atwater Village) • 3170 Glendale Blvd. • Days and times vary (check Instagram for current hours).

LA RESTAURANT LINKS: Korean BBQ musical chairs: Baekjeong to open on 8th St., Ahgahassi Gopchang staying put on 6th St. • Five restaurants at DTLA’s Hotel Figueroa to close after worker dispute • The house wine is getting a makeover • It’s not just you — the bauhaus cocktail garnish is everywhere.

REAL ESTATE • Sold

Pasadena’s plenty

Casting our eyes north to Pasadena, the real estate scene in the increasingly expensive enclave — very pretty and mostly unpretentious, if also still not hip — clocks in at a median sale price of $1.175M, per Redfin. Though relatively few properties there trade above $5M, action can be found in the $2M-$4M band, with well-priced properties hitting the market and sometimes selling quickly above asking, as with two of these three recent sales:

→ 2800 San Pasqual St. (Pasadena) • 6BR/7BA, 3147 SF • Sprawling residence in San Pasqual neighborhood • Listed: 1/14/24 for $1.96M, sold: 2/8/24 • Sold price: $2.25M • Listing brokers: Janice Lee and Jane Wang, Berkshire HomeServices.

→ 1415 Wicks Rd. (Pasadena) • 4BR/4BA, 2526 SF • Mid-century modern on a cul-de-sac • Listed: 1/19/24 for $2.8M, sold: 2/13/24 • Sold price: $3.3M • Listing broker: Eva Lin, Lin Realty Group at eXp Realty.

→ 390 North San Rafael Ave. (Pasadena, above) • 3BR/3BA, 2565 SF • Built by architect Robert Haugaard in 1956, recently restored and renovated • Listed: 10/28/23 for $3.829M, sold: 1/31/24 • Sold price: $3.6M • Listing broker: Karen Lower, Compass.

LA WORK AND PLAY LINKS: Richard Neutra’s Taylor House in Glendale renting for $10k/mo • For LA furniture designers, life is too short for beige sofas • Ankler Media, LAist deal puts synergy to the test • Chief executives’ new flex: fitness competitions.

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Shop

Bespoke Levi’s

Few things are more enticing than racks of vintage denim. So when I first noticed Lenny on the Studio City strip of Ventura Blvd., with its “by appointment only” sign out front, I immediately pulled out my phone and booked on the spot. A few days later, guided by the store’s stylish proprietor, Lindsay, I selected a perfect pair of Levi’s. Then Lindsay went to work to make them mine — pulling, tugging, folding, pinning. Fast forward a couple of weeks, and my custom-fitted denim was ready. They are already my closet’s MVP. –Isabel White

→ Shop: Lenny (Studio City) • 13037 Ventura Blvd. • Tues.-Sat., 11a-5p.

WORK • Thursday Routine

In pursuit of the classics

SUE CHAN • founder • Care of Chan
Neighborhood you live in: Elysian Heights

It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
I’m currently at Cafe Telegrama waiting for my first meeting. I don’t totally believe in New Year’s resolutions, but I’m definitely trying to take more IRL meetings in 2024. I’m so over the monotony of video meetings, text messaging, and DMing. Can we also bring back the telephone?

What’s on the agenda for today?
I had a production meeting with our managing director, Alexandra, and our director of production, Dani, before heading out the door this morning. We caught up on some upcoming productions for A24, Resy, and J.Crew. At Café Telegrama, I meet my friend Olive, a former Hollywood agent who now hosts a matchmaking supper club. We share some insights about the business of gatherings. My friend Cooper, a producer on The Bear, just called — something about an awards show after party — so I made a note to call him back. Later I’ll stop by our client Gucci Osteria on my way home, on a site visit for an upcoming event. Before dinner, I’m looking forward to seeing Gina of Yola Mezcal and picking up a bottle of their latest expression: Pechuga, mezcal smoother than you’ve ever tasted before.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
As a recent LA transplant, I’m on a mission to check out all the classic LA institutions — the icons whose standards influenced others in the industry when they first opened, changing dining forever. For my birthday I went to Mr. Chow (above) with a large group, and we all agreed that the restaurant has passed the test of time. The ice-cold lychee martini still hits, the theatrics are delightful, and the signature dishes are still divine. Tonight I’m going to Spago; it’s their 42nd anniversary this year. But this weekend, I’m sticking to my regular spots, because I’m a creature of habit and find comfort in being a regular. I’ll start with drinks at Stir Crazy and then dinner at Étra, both currently on heavy rotation.

How about a little leisure or culture?
New York is much more respected for its institutional art scene, but LA art is also thriving, and the city offers an impressively wide spectrum of art and design shows. Some recent past and present shows of note: Franz West at Zwirner, Jonas Wood at Karma, Courtney Applebaum at Seventh House, George Sherman at Marta, Alex Katz at MAK Center, Sonya Sombreuil (aka Come Tees) at Deitch and Shaniqwa Jarvis and Othelo Gervacio at Control Gallery. Luna Luna is also worth checking out, especially if you have kids, mostly for the history lesson on one of the most exciting periods of pop art, the era when street culture was born. The exhibit features carnival rides made in the 1980s by some of the most influential artists of our time such as Basquiat, Haring, Lichtenstein and Hockney. Definitely get the VIP Moon Pass.

Any weekend getaways?
Weekend getaways are for spending time in nature, even in solitude when I’m able to get the chance. Since I’m bi-coastal, I’ll share a spot on each coast that I love. In California, I recommend Inverness, a small town north of San Francisco along the coast. Rent a small cabin. Get your groceries at Inverness Park Market and the farmer’s market, have dinner at Saltwater Oyster Depot, and then hang by the beaches in Tomales Bay. If you happen to meet a guy named Tony Conrad in town, then I highly suggest trying to make him take you out on his boat.

In New York, I recommend Piaule, an eco-friendly minimalist boutique “landscape” hotel in the Catskills. They have a great restaurant onsite, a perfect spa, and offer unique experiences such as Forest Bathing. Do their spa circuit after a hike in the mountains and you’ll be thoroughly restored. While you’re Upstate, don’t forget to hit Stissing House, if anything, just to have their coconut cake. I’m tearing up just thinking about it.

What was your last great vacation?
Ballymaloe House Hotel & Cooking School in Cork, Ireland, aka the birthplace of modern Irish cuisine. Ballymaloe is truly one-of-a-kind. I’ve experienced some of the world’s best hospitality, but Ballymaloe takes impeccable service to a whole new level. If you stay there, definitely eat from the dessert trolley every night because life is too short not to. Don’t forget to take a cooking class from the cooking school, revered as one of the best in the world. The almond tart will forever haunt my dreams.

Also, Santa Fe, New Mexico. For my summer vacation, I was adamant about going somewhere where I wouldn’t see a selfie stick (i.e., not Europe), which led me to Santa Fe. The city is such a mystical, magical place. It’s no wonder Georgia O'Keeffe called it home. A visit to Georgia’s house and Ghost Ranch is a must, as is Ten Thousand Waves Spa. Go to their Japanese restaurant, Izanami, after your treatment. It’s probably as close to feeling like you’re in Kyoto other than Kyoto.

CULTURE & LEISURE • Vibes

Cali Vibes Festival, Gwen Stefani, Marina Green Park (Long Beach), Fri-Sun, 3-day VIP, $515 per
Raffi, Orpheum Theatre (Downtown), Sat @ 2p, orchestra, $108 per
Futurebirds & The Nude Party, Fonda Theatre (Hollywood), Thurs @ 8p, GA, $30 per

GETAWAYS • Paso Robles

Little slice of Paradiso

Friend of FOUND: You featured Mount Washington as a neighborhood AND my Atwater Village Moms Facebook group on Found LA. Time for me to start contributing, huh? I can tell you about my favorite hotel getaway, but I’m scared it’ll blow up too much.

FOUND: Go ahead, you can tell us.
FoF: Inn Paradiso is in Paso Robles, roughly 3.5 hours north of LA. It’s kind of a bed and breakfast without the breakfast. The owner, Steve, has killer taste in vintage furniture and art and decorated the various rooms and lodges and hang spots accordingly.

FOUND: It’s five separate private residences, according to the website?
FoF: You can rent out the whole main lodge with a full kitchen, dining room, huge living room with three full suites, or rooms more like 1-2 bedroom apartments. Some of the spaces have Gaudi-inspired woodworking and ironwork, both are done really well. And some have incredible quality speakers and good vinyl collections.

FOUND: Tell us more about the vibe and atmosphere.
FoF: There’s a great pool, and the grounds are pretty. There’s a greenhouse that’s been turned into a common area that’s just undeniably cool. Overall, it’s one of the more aesthetically pleasing places I’ve stayed — the type you want to escape to, if you’re feeling down and need to feel like yourself again. Paso Robles is an awesome wine area to explore, too. –Meredith Katz

→ Inn Paradisio (Paso Robles), 975 Mojave Ln.

GETAWAYS LINKS: The Hollywood Roosevelt’s penthouses enter a new era • Following investor skepticism, Soho House considering going private • Hawaiian Airlines debuts private lounge at HNL • A guide to Palm Springs Modernism Week • Nothing says status like a hotel bathrobe.

ASK FOUND

A few FOUND subscriber PROMPTS for which we are seeking intel:

I’m in search of a new omakase go-to. Who’s serving the best sushi right now?
What restaurants should be in my power breakfast rotation?
What’s your favorite restaurant in LA (if you haven’t told us already)?

Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundla.com.

RESTAURANTS • The Nines