Top-three month
Civico 2064, best margaritas, new Long Beach listings, Summerland crawl, Lisbon, otherworldly speakers, spreadsheet obsessions, Kacey Musgraves tix, MORE
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Civico duty
The Skinny: Italian brothers Dario and Pietro Gallo have brought their Calabrian (by way of California) cuisine up the coast from San Diego to Los Angeles with Civico 2064, which opened in early August. The Italian-food-from-Italy pitch would be enough to draw east side crowds, but with plant-based options and a bountiful Italian wine list, the restaurant has plenty of angles with which to make a sincere play at bringing west siders to Los Feliz.
The Vibe: Like many Hillhurst storefronts, the entrance appears deceivingly small, and much like the rest of those storefronts, once you get past the threshold, you’ll see: Civico is cavernous. Clean, whitewashed brick frames a crisp, light design scheme inside the dining room, which is flanked by an open kitchen on the left. Italian household tchotchkes, rustic wall art, greenery, and woven baskets sprinkled throughout warm up the sleek space.
The Food: Pietro’s simple regional dishes shine, and the carefully sourced produce on the menu — like lightly fried squash blossoms, and beets with arugula, feta, and walnuts — are as satisfying as the pastas. But those pastas: Rigatoni alla Norma, done here with both soft, succulent eggplant and crispy discs on top, is a marvel of contrasting textures. And sure, you could go with the original artifact, but the vegan fettuccine alla Bolognese, made with a complex, tender Impossible Meat ragu, is as close as you’ll come to nonna’s meat sauce without eating animal. The traditional tiramisu is the right way to end a meal; the layers of mascarpone, whipped cream, coffee, and cocoa powder are silky enough for a fork to glide through, but firm enough so that one bite doesn’t destroy the entire thing.
The Verdict: Italian by way of San Diego is a circuitous route, but Pietro’s skill in the kitchen plus Dario’s easy hospitality — with bonus points for plant-based options — might make Civico LA’s (if not certainly the east side’s) next pasta darling. –Caitlin White
→ Civico 2064 (Los Feliz) • 2064 Hillhurst Ave • Mon 12-930p, Tues & Wed 4-930p, Thurs 12-930p, Fri & Sat 12-10p, Sun 12-9p • Reserve • Photo: Jakob Layman.
LA RESTAURANT LINKS: Gjelina opening chef Travis Lett debuts Japanese-Californian RVR on Abbot Kinney • The Hancock Park newcomer that defies every classification except cool • Inside Andersen.Paak’s new WeHo supper club Andy’s • The Little Tokyo bar where every Ohtani home run is cause for celebration.
REAL ESTATE • First Mover
In Los Angeles County, the 90808 zip code in Long Beach is where homes are currently selling the fastest, lasting a mere 37 days on market in Q2, according to an analysis by the L.A. Business Journal. Here, three recent listings in the 90808 that haven’t yet hit that threshold.
→ 4440 Stanbridge Ave (Lakewood Village) • 4BR/3BA, 3293 SF • Ask: $1.9M • remodeled house with backyard pool • Days on market: 6 • Agent: Jennifer Bolling, Califano Realty.
→ 3840 Clark Ave (Old Lakewood City, above) • 3BR/2BA, 1607 SF • Ask: $1.239M • contemporary bungalow with 12” kitchen island • Days on market: 15 • Agent: Abigail Waddell, Compass.
→ 4907 E Arbor Rd (Lakewood Village) • 4BR/2BA, 2038 SF • Ask: $1.39M • low-slung residence with custom kitchen • Days on market: 29 • Agent: Elizabeth Romero, Keller Williams.
LA WORK AND PLAY LINKS: LA’s most asset-rich country clubs • Clippers VIPs at Intuit Dome can rage until 4 • Why is the IPO market so lackluster? • More companies are moving comp to bonuses • You’re probably using AI wrong.
WORK • Thursday Routine
Get well soon
CELIA CHEN • wellness CMO / health optimization coach / educator • Chenessa (coming soon) / In the Pink
Neighborhood you live in: Venice
It’s Thursday morning. What’s the scene at your workplace?
For the past few years I’ve been a fractional wellness CMO, but this year, I added health optimization coach to my resume. My desk is covered with groundbreaking health books, peptide syringes, NAD+ skincare, nootropics, and new launches to test. There is a walking pad under my desk so I get 10K steps in while on Zoom. My kitchen is an extension of my workplace because I create blood sugar-friendly recipes. Food is fuel, but also pleasure, so my ceramics, pantry items, farmers market produce, and cookbooks all serve as daily inspiration.
What’s on the agenda for today?
In the morning I’m coaching private clients and building class material for my new digital course on menopause and body composition (coming soon!). In the afternoon, I’m eating lunch (not at my computer), planning a panel discussion with Joi Women’s Wellness, and writing about how to build muscle using EMS workouts for In the Pink, my health optimization Substack. Come early evening, I’ll be group coaching on blood sugar and continuous glucose monitors in partnership with Levels.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
In my previous life, I worked in hospitality and events so I have a deep appreciation for chefs and restaurateurs. A creature of habit, I rotate going to Gjelina by Shelley Armistead, A.O.C. by Suzanne Goin, and Felix by Janet Zuccarini, who also just launched Stella (get the tableside carved branzino crudo). Once in a while I’ll go on an adventure — like my surprise and delight moment eating seafood tacos at the Holbox counter. Wow!
How about a little leisure or culture?
As a former New Yorker, I’ve had to evolve my idea of leisure since moving to California. Wellness rules supreme here, so a sauna at Pause or hiking Temescal have replaced “drinks,” but, I’d argue, give you a better buzz. An outdoor concert at the Hollywood Bowl or movie at Cinespia at the Hollywood Forever cemetery are annual summer rituals. Elsewhere in Topanga has a fun Sunday night Vinyl & Paella party.
Any weekend getaways?
A day trip that I love is driving with my design friends to Summerland to check out the interior shops. We start at Field + Fort then visit The Well, Garde, and Home Crush. We have early dinner at Lucky’s or Honor Bar, which both serve classic American fare.
My favorite weekend getaway is Mexico City — only 3.5 hours direct from LAX. It’s a culinary paradise and from a design perspective, a feast for the eyes. Octavia Casa is a serene hotel on a charming street of Condesa, while Maison Celeste in Roma Norte is bursting with energy and color. There are always new restaurants popping up, but Maximo and Rosetta are still high on rotation. Supra at sunset has a stunning view of the city.
What was your last great vacation?
I’ve just returned from Lisbon — such a colorful city, with happy vibes. I stayed at The Lisboans, which was chic and affordable. They leave an adorable bag filled with fresh bread, cheese, and fruit at your door every morning. Marquise is a cute breakfast spot on a street lined with local shops. I loved Rosamar, Sem, and Prado Mercearia for dinner. Do not leave without eating one (or three) pastéis de nata at Manteigaria. A Vida Portuguesa is filled with products from local artisans from linen bedding to handmade soap to tinned fish.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
The reformed NY party girl in me is rolling her eyes, but my Keesta mattress. As a health optimization coach and longevity expert, I practice what I preach.
What store or service do you always recommend?
I’ve been recommending Lady & Larder signature cheese, charcuterie, and fruit boards for years. I love a time saving hack, and this one is both edible and gorgeous.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Vertigo-featured lodgings reopens in SF’s Nob Hill as Hotel Julian • Uninterrupted drive up Highway 1 won’t be possible until next year at earliest • Virgin Atlantic overhauls loyalty program • Will a raft of new luxury hotels spell the end of Hokkaido’s ski charm?
GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Object
Sound solution
Among his A-List audiophile clients are Mark Ronson, Tyler the Creator, and Tom Sachs. His work can be seen and heard locally in places like luxe downtown Manhattan hotel Nine Orchard and in Brooklyn’s vaunted nightlife complex Public Records. His speakers are in Supreme stores all over the world; Prada copped a few pairs. A hit parade of “operators” — from Blackbird Spyplane’s Jonah Weiner to Coachella headliner Fred, Again.. — even ran a soundsystem he set up inside the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for a week.
Former fashion-guy-turned-sound-guy Devin Turnbull, aka OJAS, is clearly in high demand. But his speakers are decidedly not hype products. Typically assembled by his small team at his studio in Brooklyn, the beautiful stereo equipment produces a sound that is (to put it lightly) otherworldly.
Despite myriad offers to partner with an established high-end audio company, Turnbull didn’t take any of them up on it until recently, when he got a DM from the brass at Klipsch, the legendary American hi-fi manufacturer based in Arkansas. The company offered him a collaboration — and seeing as he’d always been inspired by Klipsch’s famous horn-loaded Heresy speaker, it became a full-circle moment. There are only 100 of the resulting speakers. As someone who recently experienced them in person, I can tell you firsthand: Beware. After hearing music sound this good, you’ll forever scorn your Sonos. Or decide to fork over the cash for these sensational speakers. –Foster Kamer
→ Shop: OJAS x Klipsch k0-R1 (OJAS.nyc) • $8498 per pair.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Little Bit Country
Kacey Musgraves • Kia Forum (Inglewood) • tonight @ 730p • section 129, $147 per
Dashboard Confessional • The Palladium (Hollywood) • Sun @ 530p • GA, $64 per
The National, The War on Drugs • Hollywood Bowl (Hollywood) • Mon @ 7p • terrace 2, $370 per
WORK • Quarterly Report
Sheet music
It’s the first week of a new quarter — goodbye to Q3, a bottom-three quarter, with its summer lulls and dogged liminality — which means a fresh start on expectations (and the dashboards that track them).
Here at FOUND, in our infancy and with a predilection for software we don’t have to build ourselves, we’ve got ready-made dashboards available via Substack and Stripe, Meta and Quickbooks. They are all good and fine. At previous, more grown-up companies, I’ve used more sophisticated tracking tools, programs custom-built to pull data from varying sources and slice it multiple ways. Some of those were excellent.
But what really gets me excited these days is a Google Sheet I update by hand. It’s got subscription metrics from the four FOUND cities — NY, LA, SF & Miami. I created it out of necessity to aggregate this data (as each city is a different Substack, with its own Substack dashboard). And now, I’m addicted to it.
I update “Subs Data Network” every morning over coffee before the workday has begun. When I get word of new subscribers midday, via alerts from other programs, I get anxious because they haven’t yet made it in. And I wonder what the day’s paid subscriber upgrades will do to the conversion rate in cell B13.
It’s definitely not the most efficient way to operate. But an obsessed-about, handmade spreadsheet is also the surest indicator I have that a project has taken hold in my psyche. The practice has crept into my personal life, too. I wear a watch that tracks my runs, all available in a sophisticated app. But I also transfer them to a Sheet, day by day, mile by mile.
Someday, FOUND’s new business hires will demand that we employ better tools to track progress. Sheepishly, I’ll agree. But, on this dawn of a new quarter during these evolutionary days of FOUND, I already miss Subs Data Network, and — rudimentary as it is — the promise for our future it holds. –Josh Albertson
ASK FOUND
FOUND subscriber PROMPTS for which we’re seeking intel:
Where are you excited about dining this fall?
What’s your favorite bookstore in Los Angeles?
Which spa are you booking to escape the chaos of the season?
Got answers or more questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfoundla.com.
RESTAURANTS • The Nines
Margaritas, elevated
The Nines are FOUND's distilled lists of LA’s best. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@itsfoundla.com.
Providence (Hollywood), for the $100 Electric Margarita with hand-carved diamond-shaped ice cube