FEATURE STORY

A farmers market salad at Lulu

Caldo Verde THE SPRING EDIT

The hottest new restaurants in LA.

BY LAURA SCHREFFLER

LULU

Chez Panisse’s Alice Waters and Hammer Museum director Ann Philbin have joined forces to bring a new culinary haven to Westwood in their recently opened eatery, Lulu. With its dramatic Jorge Pardo mosaic wall as a central focus, Dosa founder Christina Kim and designer Sean Daly have created a space that focuses on sustainability, sourcing wood from fallen trees, and planting native species such as deer grass, toyon, and milfolia throughout that works well with chef David Tanis’ “market cooking” menu of locally sourced ingredients that change with the seasons. Standout items include California halibut carpaccio with Meyer lemon and olive oil walnut cake with pomegranate. Lulu’s wine list highlights biodynamic varietals, small production brands, and female winemakers while its cocktail menu is driven by fresh market produce and herbs, and features spirits from small, family-owned producers. 10899 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles

CALDO VERDE

There are two haute new venues at the newly opened Downtown L.A. Proper, set in a reimagined landmark building adjacent to the Fashion District with a sophisticated and charming interior that blends vintage elements from the property’s historic roots with modern influences from designer Kelly Wearstler. Courtesy of James Beard Foundation award-winning food and beverage partners Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne, both are surefire hits. At restaurant Caldo Verde, the focus is on Portuguese and Spanishinspired dishes through the lens of Southern California. Shareable small plates such as stuffed rabbit with morcilla and cavolo nero converge with large plates like namesake Caldo Verde, a traditional Portuguese soup that contains local rock cod, mussels, potatoes, and grilled linguica. Styne’s beverage offerings follow suit on the Balkan front, highlighting a wine list dominated by small producers, as well as a craft cocktail program focusing on port and whiskey. A heavier focus on tequila and mezcal can be found at the effortlessly chic rooftop bar, Cara Cara. 1100 S Broadway, Los Angeles

The Winter Old Fashioned at Caldo Verde Caldo Verde

GMR G&T GMR G&T at Grandmaster Recorders at Grandmaster Recorders

GRANDMASTER RECORDERS

Rock ‘n’ roll lives on in the burgeoning Vinyl District at the epically cool Hollywood hotspot Grandmaster Recorders. Situated in a former hit-making recording studio circa 1971, this 15,000-square-foot multilevel restaurant and nightlife venue from the Botanical Hospitality Group, the team behind E.P. & L.P., features an expansive studio bar, an elevated coastal Italian-and-Australian-inspired restaurant, and an idyllic rooftop space with panoramic views of the Hollywood Hills. At 71 Studio Bar, a sexy lounge space with gold velvet drapery, a polished brass bar, brandy-hued leather banquettes, gold vinyl records, drum pedals, and a 4-foot disco ball, the focus is on show-stopping cocktails like the Snakes and Ladders with pisco, Aperol, aquavit, raspberries, egg white, lemon, and bitters. The 4,000-square-foot rooftop deck — marked by coastal-inspired green tiling, cozy bespoke seating, terrazzo tables, and concrete-tiled floors — focuses on small dishes like mini mortadella paninis and vintage-inspired cocktails. Then there is the restaurant, a former warehouse space that’s been transformed into a 150-seat dining room dotted with fig trees that features a blend of raw materials with a standout bowstring truss and fire engine red structural beams that adorn the 20-foot ceilings. The menu consists of American and Australian twists on Italian classics that are defined by what’s available at the nearby Hollywood Farmers Market; there will also be a daily rotating crudo menu. 1518 N Cahuenga Blvd, Los Angeles

FIA STEAK

Fia Steak, located next door to sister property Fia, is the brainchild of chef Brendan Collins, a well-known figure in the world of Michelin stars. It is a multi-experience space featuring two distinct dining rooms, a Carrera marble bar, and a Secret Garden-esque outdoor patio. Unlike Fia, which focuses on California coastal cuisine with an Italian flare, Fia Steak, as its name implies, offers a slew of meat lovers classics, including fine cuts of beef sourced from local farms as well as handmade pastas and fresh fish, all prepared in an open kitchen. Sparklers are certainly an important part of the overall theme here, given that the main dining room’s centerpiece is a grand champagne bucket, and a menu highlight of Bubbles and Bumps that pairs great champagnes with “bumps” of the finest caviar, which truly makes every night a celebration. 2458 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica Grandmaster Recorders

The Bistecca Fiorentina at Fia Steak

WINNING

SCORE! CHECK OUT THE ATHLETEOWNED WINE LABELS THAT SHOULD BE ON YOUR RADAR PAIRS

BY LAURA SCHREFFLER

THE ATHLETE: Danica Patrick

Danica Patrick is a glass ceiling breaker, best known as the most famous female race car driver of all time. In 2008, she became the first woman to win an IndyCar Series event with her victory in the Indy Japan 300. Transitioning to stock cars, she went on to break records competing in NASCAR’s top series.

THE WINES: Somnium and Danica Rosé THE STORY

After a fated trip to Napa Valley’s Quintessa, a determined Patrick made it her mission to open her own winery, and purchased a vineyard on Howell Mountain in 2009. The development of her label, Somnium, began with a Cabernet Sauvignon in 2011. Following the brand’s success, she added a new wine label, Danica Rosé, an approachable French rosé produced in the traditional Provençal style.

THE ATHLETE: Dwyane Wade

Dwyane Wade has been named one of the NBA’s 75 best players of all time for a reason: his love of and dedication to the game of basketball. He spent the majority of his 16-year career playing for the Miami Heat, winning three NBA championships;he was also a 13time NBA All-Star, an eight-time member of the All-NBA Team, and a three-time member of the All-Defensive Team.

THE WINE: D Wade Cellars THE STORY

Dwyane’s love of wine was fueled by the food and wine he enjoyed with his teammates Chris Bosh and Lebron James while playing for the Heat. During a 2014 harvest trip to Napa Valley, he decided to partner with friend Jayson Pahlmeyer on a label, and D Wade Cellars was born. The brand currently makes a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Chenin Blanc, and a rosé.

THE ATHLETE: Charles Woodson

Charles Woodson is a former NFL defensive back who played 18 seasons with the then-Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers, winning his Super Bowl ring with the latter. He is the only primarily defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. He was also the 2009 Defensive Player of the Year, 1998 Defensive Rookie of the Year, the 2015 Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award recipient, and a 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee.

THE WINE: Intercept Wines

THE STORY

After falling in love with Napa Valley during training camps with the Oakland Raiders, Woodson launched his own label, Twenty Four, with Robert Mondavi winemaker Rick Ruiz. After retiring, he joined forces with family-owned O’Neill Vintners & Distillers and winemaker Amanda Gorter out of Paso Robles, California, to create a Pinot Noir, red blend, the limited edition Hall of Fame Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Chardonnay. The brand launched regionally in 2019 and nationally in 2020. THE ATHLETE: Greg Norman Australian golfer Greg Norman, otherwise known as the “Great White Shark”, has won more than 90 tournaments worldwide, including two Open Championships, and is a 2001 inductee of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Norman now transcends the game of golf, with over a dozen companies around the world bearing his name and his iconic shark logo, and has designed 100 golf courses across six continents.

THE WINE: Greg Norman Estates THE STORY

Norman founded his Greg Norman Estates in 1996 as an internationally recognized collection of 10 varietals from Australia, New Zealand, and California — including Napa Valley, Paso Robles, and Santa Barbara — with fourteen 90+ point scores to its record. Today, Norman runs the brand with his daughter, Morgan-Leigh Norman, who serves as proprietor and brand ambassador.

THE ATHLETE: Drew Bledsoe

Former American pro footballer Drew Bledsoe played 14 seasons in the NFL (1993–2001) as a starting quarterback for the New England Patriots, which earned him a place in the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2011;he also played for the Buffalo Bills and the Dallas Cowboys.

THE WINE: Doubleback Wines THE STORY

Upon retiring from the NFL in 2007, Bledsoe “doubled back” to his hometown of Walla Walla, Washington, to realize a long-held dream of establishing an estate-focused winery with the goal of crafting a rich and elegant Cabernet Sauvignon. The result? Doubleback. True to his systematic success, the very first vintage immediately earned rave reviews.