Dress the part

Best menswear boutiques, Kushiba, Wilshire Montana, SingleThread, The Charter Oak, Destroyer, Love Saro, Colossus, MORE

Apr 25, 2024

∙ Paid

GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines

Boutiques, menswear

Lady White Co. (Silver Lake & Arts District), t-shirts, thermals, lounge pants, and other high-end staples
Dover Street Market (Arts District), LA outpost of the avant-garde department store
The Elder Statesman (West Hollywood, above), color-rich, pattern-happy knits and loungewear
Bode (Hollywood), tailoring experts and the best-looking boutique in town
Douglas Fir (Beverly Grove), expertly curated collection of menswear designers
Dries Van Noten (Fairfax), the Belgian designer’s largest and only U.S. store
Departamento (Arts District), curated stockists of designers like Our Legacy and Wales Bonner, hidden inside Maru Coffee
Mister Freedom (Fairfax), vintage-inspired Americana denim, leather, and shirting
Melet Mercantile (Topanga), Montauk expat specializing in vintage bohemian wares

Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@itsfoundla.com.

REAL ESTATE • Sold

Priced to move

After peeking in on the Ocean Park enclave of Santa Monica last week, let’s head a little ways west to the Wilshire Montana corridor. The housing stock here is mostly condos and townhouses — one of the few sections of Los Angeles where multi-family properties outnumber single-family ones. According to Redfin, 22 properties traded last month at a median sales price of $1.81M (down from 29 in the same period the previous year).

While there’s plenty selling here in the high six and low seven figures, consider these three deals done in the last 30 days above the neighborhood’s median price. Each suggests that — with continued low inventory across the board — properly priced properties continue to move quickly when they hit the market.

→ 930 15th St #1 (Wilshire Montana, above) • 3BR/4BA, 2911 SF • townhouse with private elevator and roof deck • Listed: 12/7/23 for $3.995M, sold: 4/12/24 • Sold price: $3.785M • Listing agent: Rodique Belu, Keller Williams Coastal Properties.

→ 1040 4th St #403 (Wilshire Montana) • 2BR/3BA, 2627 SF • two-story penthouse at The Dorchester House • Listed: 2/26/24 for $2.75M, sold: 4/8/24 • Sold price: $2.7M • Listing agents: John Giddins and Tracey Clarke, Sotheby’s.

→ 1024 12th St #5 (Wilshire Montana) • 2BR/3BA, 2054 SF • townhouse with patio and terrace deck • Listed: 1/15/24 for $1.99M, sold: 4/12/24 • Sold price: $1.99M • Listing agent: Lisa Pound, Compass.

LA WORK AND PLAY LINKS: Following landslide, Topanga Canyon may remain closed until fall • Brentwood Country Mart’s Farmshop plans commercial bakery at Row DTLA • So, what happens when the boss tries ketamine?

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Object

LA’s own love bracelet

Tucked into a back alley off Melrose Place, Love Saro is a lovely environment to perch while personalizing your next piece of fine jewelry. How it works: Choose a gemstone and a 14K gold chain, then watch as the bracelet is welded by a machine that gives it a seamless look (sans clasp). Even better, make a bonding experience of it by taking your kid, your mother, or your best friend. –Zoe Schaeffer

→ Love Saro (West Hollywood) • 8478 Melrose Pl • Mon-Sat 11a-5p, by appointment only.

GETAWAYS • Napa/Sonoma Fine Dining Report

This post appeared in yesterday’s edition of FOUND SF. Looking for a little more San Francisco in your life? Subscribe to FOUND SF, with new issues dropping each Wednesday.

At play in the fields of the lord

Lee Pitofsky, aka @finediningnyc on Instagram, is the fine dining correspondent for FOUND NY. He’s dined at Thomas Keller’s Per Se 50 times. He’s also a regular at California’s best restaurants. Here, a trio of his dispatches from a recent Napa/Sonoma trip to check in on old friends, including Keller’s The French Laundry:

SPOOL KIDS: True to its name, SingleThread Farm in Sonoma remains one of the most singular restaurants in the country. Combining California bounty from their farm with Japanese influences and kaiseki-style cuisine, a recent menu delivered one of my best meals there yet. It began with a bang (as is the norm here) with hasune, their version of canapés, already covering the table as we were seated. From there, highlights included kanpachi flown in from Japan (with Koshihikari rice), salted cherry leaf blossom, cherry boshi, sakura gelée, and sea lettuce. Then, duck liver parfait with mizuna, Badger Flame beets, orange, walnut, and pain d’epice showcased a most seamless combination of richness and ingredient-driven cuisine. All this, served alongside one of America’s best wine lists.
→ SingleThread Farm (Healdsburg, CA) • 131 North St • Daily 4-830p • $475 per.

WRINKLE-RESISTANT: The French Laundry continues to deliver world-class service and perfectly executed California-influenced French cuisine. To do it right, begin with Champagne in the courtyard and end with vintage spirits — and, if you’re inclined, cigars (in the outdoor cigar lounge, of course). In between, expect all the caviar, truffles, and Wagyu one can handle. A highlight from my most recent visit: A5 Miyazaki “Wellington,” Japanese Wagyu beef enrobed in brioche with black trumpet mushroom "tapenade," caramelized cipollini onion, garden watercress and "sauce Bordelaise.” Simply unforgettable.
→ The French Laundry (Yountville, CA) • 6640 Washington St • Daily 4-8p • $390 per.

THE SIMPLE THINGS: A Napa Valley standby from chef Chris Kostow of the Restaurant at Meadowood, The Charter Oak (above) is always my first stop for lunch in wine country. It’s the simplicity that always stands out. Begin with raw vegetables from the 3.5-acre farm with fermented soy dip — a crudité without equal. Grilled medjool dates with ham garum, walnut oil, and sea salt is another must. And the cheeseburger is the best in the valley. A side note: While both cocktails and wine are top notch, they offer free corkage for your first bottle (and $50 thereafter). –Lee Pitofsky
→ The Charter Oak (St Helena, CA) • 1050 Charter Oak Ave • Mon-Thurs 1130a-9p, Fri-Sun 11a-9p.

GETAWAYS LINKS: Hoo boy, LAX plans to renumber all terminals and gates • California may ban CLEAR from airports • JSX regional flights from BUR and SNA to Monterey resume in June • Lisa Vanderpump’s new restaurant at Harveys Lake Tahoe has opened • Michelin releases first class of hotel ‘Key’ ratings.

CULTURE & LEISURE • Playoffs

Nuggets vs Lakers, Crypto.com Arena (Downtown), Sat @ 530p, section 111, $957 per
Oilers vs Kings, Crypto.com Arena (Downtown), Sun @ 730p, section 111, $363 per
Netflix is a Joke Presents: Jerry Seinfeld, Sebastian Maniscalco, Nate Bargatze, Jim Gaffigan, Hollywood Bowl (Hollywood Hills), Wed @ 730p, orchestra, $225 per

WORK • Thursday Routine

Finishing touches

JESSIE INCHAUSPÉ • founder • Glucose Goddess
Neighborhoods you work in: Venice and West Hollywood

It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
Me at my kitchen table, messy hair, no make-up, drinking a flat white that I just got from a coffee shop nearby, on a call catching up with my team. Or I'm on my way to a podcast taping, in which case, I look much more professional!

What’s on the agenda for today?
Putting the final touches on the website for my very first product, Anti-Spike Formula. Then, a workout with my trainer and lunch from Erewhon or Sweetgreen — both are so convenient for getting a healthy and delicious meal delivered to my house when I’m working, especially because until the early afternoon, my team in Europe is still up. If I’m going out for lunch, I love Gjusta (the fish plate with cured pastrami salmon is my favorite), Superba, and Great White in Venice (or Larchmont). In the afternoon, I get more work done, and then meet up with friends to chat and gossip.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Horses on Sunset Boulevard for dinner is always a must. And Destroyer for brunch — I love their terrace and creative lunch options. I really want to try Meteora, Jordan Kahn’s other restaurant. I also have Étra and American Beauty on Rose Avenue on my list.

How about a little leisure or culture?
I love outdoor concerts, especially at the Greek Theatre or the Hollywood Bowl. I hike on weekends, often Griffith Park or behind the Hollywood sign, but last week I took my sister (who was visiting from Boston) to Will Rodgers State Park in the Palisades. And recently, I had a picnic on the charming hill at Barnsdall Park: I picked up lunch from Sqirl, and sat on the grass right by the Hollyhock House with an almost 360-degree view of the city.

Any weekend getaways?
Being in LA is already sort of a getaway for me, so it’s hard to say. I tend to stay in the city and explore new neighborhoods, but I’d love to go for a weekend in Ojai to try the Duchess as well as Rory’s Place when they reopen.

What was your last great vacation?
Bali! I stayed at the Como Shambhala Estate and NusaBay Menjangan, in the middle of a natural reserve. Both were exceptional. Como is located near Ubud (a town famous for yoga retreats) and perched high above the Ayung River in the Balinese jungle. It is so relaxing to have the river as background music and to be surrounded by such a lush forest all around. NusaBay is an eco-resort located on Kotal Beach within the protected West Bali National Park — so peaceful.

ASK FOUND

Three FOUND subscriber PROMPTS, two new, for which we are seeking intel:

Where should I be eating in the San Gabriel Valley?
I need to buy a housewarming gift. What are the best homeware stores in LA?
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.

LA RESTAURANT LINKS: Review: Vespertine is ‘delicious… bad… weird’ • Venice cocktail lounge Gran Blanco is entering its izakaya era • Roadside diner Patrick’s Roadhouse in Santa Monica has closed (temporarily?) • What makes a good coffee shop?

BARS • First Round

Skewered in Echo Park

The Skinny: Chef David Schlosser of Shibumi has opened Kushiba, an Echo Park izakaya specializing in kushikatsu — fried skewers originating from Osaka. Treat it like a bar: Come for drinks and snacks (instead of a full-on, deep-fried dinner) and see where the night goes.