Bread and ice cream
Antico Nuovo, Vitorrja, Santa Monica hotels, Los Feliz Hills sales, Dante Beverly Hills, MORE
RESTAURANTS • FOUND Table
Antico Nuovo meets its destiny
Strip-mall fine dining is a long-held tradition in LA. Currently, no one does it better than Chad Colby. Tucked away on the border of Larchmont and Koreatown, Colby’s twice-reinvented debut restaurant Antico Nuovo launched in 2019, converted to a scrappy pizza takeout during the pandemic, then finally became the cozy farmhouse-style classic it was destined to be.
Pass through Antico Nuovo’s dining room on any given evening and notice a disc of golden focaccia present on nearly every table. This pane course, served alongside a litany of toppings — a generous squiggle of duck liver pate and saba syrup, an abundance of whipped ricotta drizzled in pistachio pesto — is so good it pulls diners to this unobtrusive gem on the outskirts.
Colby honed his hearth-style cooking at Mozza and Chi Spacca, and his devotion to rustic Italian tradition extends beyond the must-order bread. Handcrafted pastas are a true second course here, with smaller portions of beef-cheek pappardelle and lemon-ricotta tortelli that pave the way for larger mains, including lamb shoulder chops. The open-kitchen and substantial counter seating provide ample staging for the large-format proteins with an eye toward showmanship.
The finish is as simple as the start, a gob of honeycomb submerged in a tumbler full of freshly-churned vanilla ice cream. Bread and ice cream abound in this city, but Colby’s iterations feel as rare a pleasure as they are simple and deft. –Caitlin White
→ Antico Nuovo (Larchmont), 4653 Beverly Blvd. • Reserve.
LA RESTAURANT LINKS: Surveying the new restaurant scene in DTLA • West Adams favorite Highly Likely opens in Highland Park • The Independence disappears from downtown Santa Monica • Craft LA in Century City and Kinn in Koreatown also say goodbye • So long to the ‘somm’.
GETAWAYS • Staycations
Overnights by Gjelina
New to the West Side hotel scene, one block from the beach at the base of Rose Ave. in Venice is Vitorrja (pronounced Vi-torc-ya), a small hotel with a guest house vibe from Gjelina Group (Gjusta, Gjelina, et al). It’s their first foray as hoteliers.
Inspired by traditional boarding houses, the 27 rooms feature bespoke furnishings and vintage finds (but not TVs). Though beautifully, painstakingly appointed, the single and doubles are small — unless you’re a solo traveler, opt for a studio or suite.
Each suite features a kitchenette with a stove and Smeg refrigerator. A personal favorite? Suite 26, with spacious living and dining areas, and windows overlooking Pacific waters. It’s a perfect place to enjoy breakfast — included in the room price — from Gjusta, fortunately located just down the street. –Victoire Loup
→ Vitorrja (Venice) • 15 Rose Ave.
GETAWAYS • The Nines
Hotels, Santa Monica & Venice
Shutters on the Beach (Ocean Park), classic old-money Cape Cod in California, $725
Hotel Casa Del Mar (Ocean Park), iconic beachfront resort for families, $900
The Georgian (Dogtown), art deco jewel box restored to 1930s elegance, including basement jazz club, $845
Oceana Santa Monica (Ocean Avenue), boutique all-suites Hilton property w/ocean views, $1,145
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows (Downtown Santa Monica), garden bungalows or historic tower suites along Ocean Ave., $565
Palihouse Santa Monica (Downtown Santa Monica), Avi Brosh flips a Moorish architectural rarity into a long-stay stunner, $475
Santa Monica Proper (Wilshire-Montana, above), reborn 1920s landmark w/ rooftop pool and Wearstler interiors, $499
Vitorrja (Venice Beach), bespoke residence-style rooms new from Gjusta/Gjelina team, $575
Venice V (Venice Boardwalk), surf and skate influence on airy penthouse suites, $355
November weekend night, king. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundla.com.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Sharp drop in airfares sees lowest prices since pandemic • Delta axing short-lived LAX-LGA route • The best ski resorts for every skier • Inside the new 1Hotel at Hanalei Bay on Kauai (f/k/a St. Regis Princeville).
REAL ESTATE • Sold
Priced to move, east
Checking in on what’s trading in the hills between Silver Lake and Los Feliz, here are three properties that have sold in the past 30 days. Two of them listed and moved relatively quickly to close, while the other — at 2401 N Commonwealth Ave. — overshot in the spring, coming to market at $4.495M before reducing and relisting in August for $3.95M, then closing at $3.75M last month. To the sellers among us: price wisely, friends.
→ 3951 Clayton Ave. (Franklin Hills) • 4BR/2.1BA, 2070 SF • Bungalow on two separate lots • Listed: 9/18/23, closed: 10/20/23 • Sold price: $2.1M • Listing broker: Ross Carter, Coldwell Banker.
→ 2401 N Commonwealth Ave. (Los Feliz Hills, above) • 4BR/3.1BA, 3165 SF • Contemporary design with heavy landscaping • Relisted: 8/14/23, closed: 10/27/23 • Sold price: $3.75M • Listing broker: Paul Lester and Aileen Comora, The Agency.
→ 4520 Dundee Dr. (Los Feliz Hills) • 3BR/4BA, 2926 SF • The Jacobsen Residence by architect Edward Fickett, built 1966 • Listed: 9/8/23, closed 11/9/23. • Sold price: $6.925M • Listing brokers: Juan Longfellow and Lousie Leach, Compass.
LA WORK AND PLAY LINKS: A sloped-lot miracle house rises in Silver Lake • City’s first legal cannabis lounge reopens after pandemic pause in WeHo • Google to open Code Next Lab at Inglewood’s Hollywood Park • Asian grocery chain 99 Ranch Market opens first LA store in Westwood.
WORK • Thursday Routine
Supplementing work with play
LEANNE CITRONE, co-founder, UDEA
Neighborhood you live in: Hancock Park
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Currently, my office is at home, while we search for office space for our growing startup. One of the perks of working from home is the opportunity to prepare delicious lunches for the team, along with a generous supply of snacks. Thursdays are amazing because the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market is on Wednesday, so my house is always filled with fresh produce.
What's on your agenda today?
After dropping my daughter off at school, my first stop is Tracy Anderson for an intense workout. Nothing energizes me like it. Then, it's off to Sunlife for my custom smoothie, basically a million-dollar shake made with blueberries instead of bananas, MCT oil, and blue magic. Afterward, I run home to shower and start my workday.
We have a lot in the pipeline, including planning, testing, and developing our next product launch at UDEA. Once work wraps up, I try to cook dinner or grab something delicious nearby. I cherish early bedtimes, often indulging in TV before I turn the lights out at 10 p.m.
Any dining plans for today, tonight, or the weekend?
I'm looking forward to dinner with a girlfriend at Found Oyster in East Hollywood. I’ve been craving Anajak Thai in the Valley. I love the dark, cozy old Hollywood vibe at La Dolce Vita in Beverly Hills. And I’m hooked on Ototo in Echo Park. For neighborhood Italian cuisine, Antico Nuovo in Larchmont is amazing [Ed. See above!].
How about leisure or culture?
I find solace in winter trips to the beach when it's less crowded. Also, a girls' night at Olympic Spa in Koreatown is a cherished ritual — a scrub and shiatsu are the ultimate relaxation, with friends or solo.
Any weekend getaways?
My birthday is approaching, and I'm eyeing a weekend getaway to We Care in Palm Springs. In a couple of weeks, I'll be visiting my son in college in Miami, and I'm looking forward to it. I know it’llbe a fun weekend in South Beach.
What was your last great vacation?
My husband and I are both from England, so annual summer trips to visit family followed by European adventures are always memorable. We had the best time in London — we stayed at Chiltern Firehouse and ate at Gymkhana for my absolute favorite Indian food, and had tea at Claridges. We then spent a week in Tuscany and at the Monteverdi Hotel, a total highlight.
We also had a fantastic trip to Costa Rica at the beginning of the year. We stayed at Sendero in the sleepy town of Nosara — barefoot, yoga, and smoothies for the whole week.
BARS • First Round
Showing out in Beverly Hills
The Skinny: Legendary Greenwich Village cocktail haven Dante makes its California debut in ritzy fashion, taking over the ninth-floor rooftop of the Maybourne Beverly Hills.
The Vibe: Amalfi-meets-SoCal, with blue velvet booths, white marble tables, and a sprawling custom fresco across the ceiling. Sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills (and the hotel’s handsome pool) complete the picture. The people-watching here is top notch: big spenders, flashy dressers, and roving entourages.
The Drinks: The menu bubbles with spritzes, eight different martinis, an entire Negroni section, and a new-to-California agave list. For something sweet, consider the retro-fabulous Grasshopper and signature Garibaldi, with Campari and fluffy OJ.
The Food: While known for its cocktails (the NYC branch ranks on the World’s 50 Best Bars list), Dante also offers lengthy lunch and dinner menus of Cal-Ital standbys, like oysters, seasonal salads (right now, chicories and aged cheddar), pizzas, pastas, and mains. Drinks here and dinner elsewhere is the stronger move, with the best play of all being a nightcap and the very good tiramisu.
The Verdict: A worthy entrant to Beverly Hills’s newly revitalized scene. –Jamie Feldmar
→ Dante Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills) • 225 North Canon Dr. • Reserve.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Saturday Tix
LA Auto Show, Los Angeles Convention Center (South Park), Sat @ 8a, VIP guided tour, $110 per
Flamenco! María Bermúdez’s Sonidos Gitanos, Walt Disney Concert Hall (Downtown), Sat @ 8p, Orchestra, $98 per
Canadiens vs Kings, Crypto.com Arena (Downtown), Sat @ 1p, section 101, $182 per
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A few FOUND subscriber PROMPTS for which we are seeking intel:
What’s your favorite restaurant right now (if you haven’t already told us)? What’s the LA hotel you always recommend for out-of-town guests?
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What’s hot and new in women’s clothing boutiques?