Quite the counterpoint to arguments about restaurants needing alcohol sales to be profitable!
Although clearly not a model for every street corner.
he has 1-2 ppl in the back kitchen nowadays but it is just him plating/serving
It is definitely an interesting model. I was literally trying to recreate the P&L in my head. It is an area where rent is very cheap. I do think many restaurants try to get themselves to profitability by doing more when it might be better to do less overall but more profitable business.
I recently went to a bakery in Queens that was booming. The owner told me he is paying senior cooks in the kitchen more than $100,000. He has a profit share model where the kitchen team shares in the overall revenue of the restaurant.
They obviously serve no alcohol, have no servers etc. and I bet they are more profitable than many high end full-service restaurants.
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Might be the future, although not a new concept - small one man/woman restaurants with limited seating.
=Omakase bars enters the chat and raises eyebrow=
That probably helps!
some of the hardest to book restaurants in LA right now are in basements and other not as desirable areas with very limited staffing.
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Anyone been to the Culver City outpost of Zatinya?
We hit Cannonball last night. The food is very good with a tight but well conceived menu. Not sure how often the menu will change and if Hippo is any indication, it may not change enough to keep me interested. That said, the wine list is perhaps one of the best curated lists Iāve seen. Great labels like Chantereves, Pataille, Dancer, Coche, Keller, to name a few. Probably the best priced list in LA. We had a Chavy- Chouet Aligote that was excellent. Congrats to Joe & Matt.
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Yes, been to Zaytinya a few times. Its very good - portions not huge but has been consistently good every time i have been (3-4 times?). Plenty of interesting things to order. Local for me, so that may inpact my view a bit since drive is easy.
Thanks! Iām overnighting at the Shay, canāt get more ocatl!
Looks like Silver Lake and Noma are having a separation but the restaurant is remaining in Dana Hollisterās empire. The Eastside Rag says:
A very reliable source has confirmed that Noma will no longer be opening at the 22,000-square-foot Paramour Estate ā and in fact, it wonāt be opening in Silver Lake at all.
Instead, the restaurant is scrambling to switch its east side base to another Hollister-owned property ā the Los Feliz convent made infamous by Katy Perry.
I had not heard that but I did hear from a very reliable source they were behind schedule.
Does anyone eat out anymore? This thread used to be vibrant but the light has dwindled.
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iām too lazy to type
Little Fish Melrose Hill: cool new spot. Really enjoyed the bright / fermented flavors on their dishes.
Vandell: fantastic bar in los feliz. Everything is priced $13-17 for a cocktail. Inventive and savory driven from the brilliant guys that headed the cocktail program at Republique/Manzke
Morihiro Echo Park: ala carte - same quality as before but now with an incredible cocktail menu and cooked dishes!
Betsy - looks like dunsmoor but itās classic california cuisine. Snappea salad was delicious. Fish dish was sauced weird ~
Mikaya Wagyu Shabu House - hot pot is getting expensive nowadays. Hai Di Lao is $80pp after tax/tip so might as well get some AYCE wagyu hot pot for $70pp
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Almost every night : )
Itās increasingly difficult to enjoy the finer things in life when they are becoming increasingly expensive, but even moreso while a certain segment of our society relentlessly perpetrates abhorrent sub-human terror on certain communities; Los Angeles is one of the targeted communities. 2025 sucked, and 2026 isnāt exactly starting off on a different path.
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This thread also supports mom & pop, dives, trucks, etcā¦which Iām just as interested in. But yeah, Iām numb alreadyā¦
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speaking of food trucks, isla bonita on rose in venice is well worth a visit. great tacos and ceviche, not to mention super cheap. $3 carnitas and $4 ceviche tostadas is akin to time travel!
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Agreed. I used to live 3 blocks from Isla Bonita. The nicest people too.
Thatās fair. I suppose Ashley and I do continue to hit-up our regular take-out sushi spot on the regular ā 1 to 2 times per month. Itās Sushi Delight in Lomita. We always just stick with the Specialty Rolls, but Iāve sampled a few other menu items when guests of ours have ordered them. We have never had an order from them that was less than excellent. At this point, we have sampled nearly their entire menu and definitely have our favorites rolls (i.e.: OMG; Lemon Drop; Burnt Out; Baja; SFG; Rock-n-Roll; Fusion). Their ingredients always taste fresh, and they are not skimpy rolls. Their small restaurant is always packed, but weāve just always done take-out.
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