The Nines issue

NYE, Haute provisioning, Malibu, private parties, super sundries, Ojai, wine stores

Dec 28, 2023

ABOUT FOUND • The Nines

The Nines on The Nines

The Nines are FOUND recommendations across a range of categories
Restaurants, hotels, services, experiences worthy of consideration
Presented with need-to-know details and a FOUND take
Easy to share, return to, screenshot for a friend
Why nine? Manageable number in a sea of endless choices
Also see “to the nines” — "to perfection" or "to the highest degree"
The Nines are living lists, to be refreshed regularly
Additions and subtractions from FOUND subscribers encouraged
Feedback or requests for future Nines? Email found@itsfoundla.com

And now a selection of this season’s FOUND LA Nines, including a new list of recommendations for your last-gasp holiday provisions. Also inside: ticketed NYE dinners, Malibu and Ojai getaways, wine stores, and private party caterers. Our holiday ask: consider forwarding this to a friend in need of fresh LA intel. Back with more in ‘24!

GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines

Haute provisioning, east/central

Cookbook (various locations), longtime favorite for farmers’ market produce, flowers, cheese, beautiful things in glass jars. Recently acquired by Jon & Vinny; expanding its footprint accordingly
Wine + Eggs (Atwater Village), Northeast LA’s premier shoppy shop, with abundant locally made goods
McCall’s (Los Feliz), top-notch butcher and fishmonger; also host to a rotating cast of worthwhile pop-ups
Botanica (Silver Lake), part restaurant, part market, with wine and healthyish Cal-Med fixings for reservoir picnics nearby
DTLA Cheese (Downtown), beloved go-to for cheese platters and tinned fish, now in its own brick-and-mortar
Epicurious Gourmet (North Hollywood), under-the-radar warehouse for imported delicacies at wholesale prices
Sesame LA (Chinatown, above), perfumer Linda Sivrican’s postage-stamp-sized superette for giftable Asian pantry goodies
Agnes (Pasadena), full-service restaurant with attached “cheesery” (and wine and bread)
Erewhon (Silver Lake), the East Side outpost of the iconic health food grocer; purveyor of hot bar fare, Hailey Bieber smoothies, mushroom chocolates, & more

GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines

Haute provisioning, central/west

The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills (Beverly Hills), old school icon gets breath of fresh air from new owner
Petrossian (West Hollywood), caviar, but also smoked fish, charcuterie, and other flights of fancy
Monsieur Marcel (Beverly Grove), original Farmer’s Market standby for aspiring Francophiles
Gjusta Grocer (Venice), prepared foods, local produce, baked goods, florals
Farmshop (Brentwood), restaurant, bakery, and shop in Brentwood Country Mart
Lady & Larder (Santa Monica), top-tier charcuterie boards, plus pantry essentials
Fatty Mart (Mar Vista), Asian groceries and more from Little Fatty team
La Española Meats (Harbor City), for Spanish meats, cheese, and paella fixings
Erewhon (various locations), especially Venice or Calabasas locations for people-watching

RESTAURANTS • The Nines

New Year’s Eve dining, ticketed

Cassia (Santa Monica), New Orleans-inspired family-style banquet, $110 per, reserve
Mélisse (Santa Monica), tasting menu by Josiah Citrin and team, $595 per, reserve
Dante (Beverly Hills), passed apps, open bar, live music, and views, $285 per, reserve
The Tower Bar (West Hollywood), three courses and Champagne toast, $225 per, reserve
The Spare Room (Hollywood), bowling and cocktails at the Roosevelt, email to reserve
Bacetti (Echo Park), festive menu with shaved truffle tonnarelli, $110 per, reserve
Botanica (Silver Lake), feast of the seven vegetables, $110 per, reserve
De La Nonna (Arts District), oysters, cocktails, pizza, and disco dancing, $175 per, reserve
Damian (Arts District), prix fixe a la Enrique Olvera, $120-160 per, reserve

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

GOODS AND SERVICES • The Nines

Private party catering

Coco’s to Go-Go, new Italian-American catering biz by The Bear’s culinary producer
MAYDAY, top-quality raw bar and dry-aged beef courtesy of chef Chris Kronner
La Morra, pizza from a wood-fired oven on wheels, plus charcuterie, salads, and sides
Little Fish, beloved for high-low seafood delights, from roe-topped oysters to filet-o-fish
Mini Kabob, pick-up platters of LA’s best kabobs or for bigger events, charcoal cooking on-site
Chainsaw, grilled meats and ice box pies in an Echo Park garage-turned-party space or at your home
Guelaguetza, Oaxacan institution does passed apps, tacos, and mole for all types of festivities
Bucatini, Mediterranean-leaning meals with pasta likely included
Bridgetown Roti, family-style Caribbean-American or multiple plated courses by chef Rashida Holmes

GOODS AND SERVICES • The Nines

Super sundries

Cheeky, small-batch cocktail syrup specialist
Rhea, globally inspired pantry products such as black garlic concentrate
Coop’s, silky smooth, brown sugar-sweetened ice cream sauces
Zab’s, distinctive hot sauces sourced in Florida, bottled in LA
Monsoon Chocolate, fair-trade delights in Sonoran Desert flavors like Blue Corn Atole
CAP Beauty, concise, expertly crafted beauty and larder goods
Holy Tshili, New York x China x Japan in a trio of everything-bagel-inspired, jarred flavor boosters
Flamingo Estate, LA sunshine via everyday staples like yellow-green olive oil from 150-year-old trees
Woon Kitchen, hipster, homestyle Chinese seasoning sauces and powders from the Filipinotown favorite

GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines

Wine stores, west to east

Vin on Rose (Venice), strong natural selection plus provisions
Esters Wine Shop (Santa Monica), bar-meets-shop with a small-producer focus
Domaine LA (Hollywood), neighborhood stalwart for European and California wines
Helen’s (Fairfax, Brentwood, Slauson, Beverly Hills), Jon & Vinny’s-partnered fun shoebox of a shop
Lou (Los Feliz), pristine shop owned by an OG of natural wine
Psychic (Silver Lake), east side cool kid magnet
Vinovore (Silver Lake and Eagle Rock), exclusively stocked with women-made wines
Highland Park Wine (Highland Park), wine shop counterpart of Hippo and Triple Beam Pizza
Altadena Beverage and Market (Altadena), mid-century staple, revamped

GETAWAYS • The Nines

Fall weekend, Malibu and surrounds

Nobu Ryokan Hotel (Central Malibu), Japanese icon goes to the beach, $2000
Malibu Beach Inn (Carbon Beach), panoramic views on Billionaire’s Beach, $735
The Surfrider Hotel (Malibu Pier), sporty and chic, w/killer rooftop bar, $685
Hotel June Malibu (Point Dume), boutique bungalows steeped in classic rock history (Dylan!) from Proper team, $500
Calamigos Guest Ranch and Beach Club (Kanan Dume), 200-acre estate plus a beach club, spa, and three pools, $925
Four Seasons Westlake Village (Conejo Valley), top-notch wellness, 20 minutes inland, $595
The Ranch Malibu (Yerba Buena Rd.), immersive fitness retreat, luxury cottages, $9200/wk
Topanga Canyon Inn (Topanga Canyon), idiosyncratic bohemian casa w/mountain views, $260
The M Malibu (Eastern Malibu), bare essentials and beach views, $270

November weekend night, king. Some require minimum stays.