Royal/T, Culver City
For dineLA.com
The restaurant-as art-gallery concept in Los Angeles shares its roots with the emergence of the California Cuisine revolution of the 1970s. The renowned restaurants that emerged in this era, in which the art not only complemented the food, but also reflected its aesthetics or philosophy, set the stage for a generation to come.
The interplay of food and art has never been more relevant than it is today, considering the importance diners place on presentation—and chefs on plating to meet that demand—not to mention the prevalence of the “food paparazzi” who’ve created a whole new genre they’ve dubbed “food porn.”
One of the founding fathers of market-fresh fare, Michael McCarty and his wife, Kim—an artist herself—was also at the forefront of this movement with their Santa Monica restaurant Michael’s. He illustrates his vision, “We were going to create a new American with a heavy emphasis on California wines and we [wanted] to feature artists that we knew in the area.” He adds—confirming urban legend—that this was initially done “all on trade,” meaning a barter system with the likes of the Hockneys and the Hoppers of the world.Not only did the restaurant serve as a gallery of sorts for important artists of the period, in a way, it gave birth to one of the city’s most important museums, MOCA. “Eli Broad would book a table every night and put the museum together in the restaurant—it just celebrated its 30 years.”
- Michael’s, 1147 Third Street, Santa Monica, 310.451.0843, www.michaelssantamonica.com
Clearly there was something in the air in 1979, an infectious artistic spirit shared by the more casual Rose Café in nearby Venice. Here, Karen Black has worked as its curator since it opened. She says, “There were a lot of creative people who helped put the Rose together. In designing the space, we knew from the beginning that we wanted to show art.” Reflecting back, she states, “I think it was groundbreaking. The Rose itself was kind of groundbreaking … you really couldn’t buy a croissant in Venice in 1979 … I think the art—on the scale that we did it—was innovative.”
The difference with the now beloved Rose, she describes, is that “Stylistically, it becomes easier to maintain a body of work that is uniform. A lot of restaurants have to show a certain type or style of art—they couldn’t show [underprivileged] kid’s photography, it would have to be a big name artist. We are a part of the community. Art represents the greater community. We really change the feel of the space every six to eight weeks, and we represent the wider community.
- Rose Café, 220 Rose Ave., Venice, 310.399.0711, www.rosecafe.com
Hal’s opened on Abbot Kinney in 1987. Its namesake owner Hal Frederick remembers his roots, “I’m a New Yorker … I wanted a place that had an urban flair, that reflected the neighborhood. I worked at the West Beach Cafe for a while, [which] featured artists and got to know a lot of them and made friendships that were valuable. I used to live above L.A. Louver, the guy who owns it, Peter Goulds, gave me a kind of ‘contemporary art 101."” Some of the more recognizable signatures regularly seen on the walls here: Ed Moses and Joni Mitchell.
- Hal’s, 1349 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, 310.396.3105, www.halsbarandgrill.com
Historic landmark Casa Del Mar hotel has created the ongoing “Live Well Again” series, which includes art receptions and exhibits by everyone from Ed Massey to Shingo Francis. Encompassed in the program is seafood-centric Catch restaurant, where special dishes and cocktails are created to mirror the style of art presented.- Catch, 1910 Ocean Way, Santa Monica, 310.581.5533, www.hotelcasadelmar.com
At CUT in Beverly Hills, the goal is to periodically change out the art to augment the dining experience. This summer, it debuted the third collection in the four years since the restaurant opened, a series of nine spontaneous portrait photos from the Studio 54 days, which John Baldessari partially painted over in vibrant colors, thereby masking the identities of some potentially famous faces. The effect ads dazzle to the otherwise subdued Richard Meier white décor. Gelila Assefa Puck, who helped shape the exhibit—one that coincided with a recent showing at LACMA—feels that the subjects are “dining amongst the guests.” For a restaurant inhabited by as many A-listers—including her celebrity chef/husband—as the famed New York club, there’s perhaps a bit of irony to that statement. - CUT, 9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, 310.276.8500, www.wolfgangpuck.com
Culver City’s Royal/T is one of the city’s most unique venues. Inspired by trendy Japanese maid cafes, in which the servers dress in playful uniforms, the space is a mix of pop-up shopping, casual but artsy eatery and contemporary works from Japan, much of which comes from owner Susan Hancock’s personal collection. The menu can be tailored to reflect the art. For instance, the recent Nonlife Zoo exhibit, with its animal-rights focus, featured an all-vegetarian menu. - Royal/T, 8910 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 310.559.6300, www.royal-t.org
A Royal/T alum from his Ludobites 3.0 series, experimental foodie-favorite Ludovic Lefebvre has gained a cult following for his culinary masterpieces; it’s a lesser known fact that he’s also a painter and Jean Michel Basquiat fanatic. His “crown painting” is a tribute to his hero. However, other pieces, such as “Happy Chef” and “Art is Delicious” reflect his reverence for both of his passions; the former, he believes, “tells the story of my life,” a direct response to the redemption he felt following great praise in one publication on the heels of a disheartening review in another and includes the initials of his mentors in France.
- Ludobites, locations vary, www.ludolefebvre.com
While Ludo is known for his boyish charm and boisterous persona, Morihiro Onodera of Mori Sushi may be his polar opposite—a rather restrained personality in his kitchen. But his passion comes out not only in his ultra fresh sushi and fish presentations, but, literally, in the dishes themselves. The chef handcrafts the majority of serving plates used in his restaurant, in accordance with Japanese tradition. Seasonality dictates whether to use glass, lacquer, china or ironware.
- Mori Sushi, 11500 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, 310.479.3939, www.morisushi.org
Another sushi institution, this one hidden down an alley in the old Santa Fe Railroad Building, R-23 is almost as well known for its unique Frank Gehry-designed cardboard-looking chairs and exposed brick walls of Shiho Amano female figures as it is for fantastic fusion dishes. There are also long decorative Mineo Mizuno-crafted ceramic plates above the sushi bar that can be used to serve larger orders of nigiri. - R23, 923 E 2nd St., Downtown, 213.687.7178, www.r23.com
Another Industrial District restaurant, Yxta Cocina Mexicana’s art preceded its opening. Owner Jesse Gomez’s original piece by artist Rafael Coronel was to be hung at a Los Feliz location never to be. Instead, it’s become the centerpiece of a dining room inspired by its colors—the blue on the American flag-mosaic wall, the yellow of the chairs. Gomez says, “It’s called ‘The Offering,’ and I don’t necessarily know the deeper meaning, but here we are obviously offering up food and drink. It correlated perfectly or me.”- Yxta Cucina Mexicana, 601 s. central ave., Downtown, 213.596.5579, www.yxta.net
Another impressive centerpiece, Café Habana in Malibu features a giant patio mural by Shepard Fairey, who first gained acclaim for his OBEY posters, featuring Andre the Giant, and received national acclaim for his HOPE images from the Obama Campaign. Here, he was given free reign to interpret Cuban culture; elements include currency and propaganda-style imagery. - Café Habana, 3939 Cross Creek Rd., Malibu, 310.317.0300, www.cafehabana.com
On the other end of the spectrum, for art that doesn’t take itself too seriously, Mac and Cheeza, a fast-casual concept from the guys behind Larkin’s in Eagle Rock, features baby elbow macaroni canvases and macaroni-inspired design painted on the entry wall. Co-owner Joshua explains that it more than mirrors the food; he hopes to soon feature the “noodle art” of local schoolchildren, which could then be sold in order to raise money for charity. - Mac & Cheeza, 223 W. 8th St., Downtown, 213.622.3782, www.macandcheeza.com
Also, The Olive Kitchen + Bar, inside West Hollywood’s Grafton hotel, features Pop Art-style blackboards of changing cheeky chalk art, which conveys the contemporary but casual Cal-Italian diner menu concept, as well as specials like the weekly Sunday brunch. - The Olive Kitchen + Bar, 8462 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, 323.654.4600, www.theolivekitchenbar.com
In Echo Park, the eponymous Park restaurant is the brainchild of chef/owner Joshua Siegel, who proffers a solid menu of American bistro for mostly locals; rotating art comes largely from local Eastsiders and can encompass a variety of styles.
Similarly, Eclectic Café and Stanley’s in the Valley are two longtime neighborhood favorites whose reputation for interesting art mirrors their commitments to providing reasonably priced meals for a motley crew of regulars.
- The Park, 1400 Sunset Blvd., Echo Park, 213.482.9209, www.thepark1400sunset.com
- Eclectic Wine Bar & Grill, 5156 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, 818.760.2233,
www.eclecticwinebarandgrille.com
- Stanley’s, 13817 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, 818.986.4623, www.stanleys83.com
