New on Resy: Rose Cafe, Shibumi, BS Taqueria, and More

A neighborhood joint from Tyler Wells and Ashley Ragovin, All Time serves coffee, breakfast, and lunch daily, and dinner four nights a week (Thursday–Sunday). This Los Feliz eatery is a hospitality-driven joint that prides itself in sourcing “the good stuff, the responsible stuff”: the menu utilizes the best ingredients bountiful California has to offer, while the beverage program features special, small production wines. Get to know the team, and you might learn that they keep a stash of coveted wine treasures in the back.

Located in the heart of Brentwood, Bar Toscana is an intimate restaurant and cocktail bar situated next door to storied Toscana, a longtime gathering spot for Hollywood’s elite. The simple yet elegant menu is composed of small plates (“stuzzichini”), an array of craft cocktails, and an Italian-focused wine list. Enjoy Italian salami, fresh crudo, and house-made lasagna with a Sazerac in hand, or a glass of Barolo. So says LA Mag, “The market-driven small plates play second fiddle to the drinks, but they don’t have to.”

Belle Vie is a quaint neighborhood bistro and local hangout, located in Brentwood. The kitchen, helmed by Cedric Nicolas, serves up French comfort food inspired by local California produce, like poulet with morel sauce, pomme dauphine, beef Burgundy tacos, and duck a l’Orange. To top it off, there’s a unique selection of reasonably priced, organic French wines.

At casual new Melrose Ave. spot, Blackbird, gourmet deep dish pizza is the star of the show—and comes with toppings such as pesto, caramelized onion, feta, and Calabrian chilies. If you’re not a fan of the style, don’t fret; there are thin crust pies, too, plus salads and meatballs. Stay for the eclectic wine and beer menu, community-centric vibe, and good tunes.

This Silver Lake gem delivers on its mission — “that healthful cooking can be vibrant, creative, and wildly satisfying” — in a big way. The menu emphasizes fruits, vegetables, color, and flavor in dishes such as morning mezze, fattoush-y salad, and spice-braised chicken with chickpeas and apricots. Cocktails incorporate ingredients like beet juice and Escubac (a botanical spirit), the wine list is all-natural, and the plant-filled patio is where you want to dine al fresco. Heading to a dinner party later? Botanica also houses a mini-market, where you can grab some marinated olives or a bottle of booze to go.

A pioneer in the revival of LA’s Downtown food scene, Bottega Louie is equal parts Italian restaurant, French patisserie, and gourmet market. From macarons, cupcakes, and eclairs to tartufo pizza and tagliatelle Bolognese, it’s a mecca for delicious eats — all served in an elegant, airy space flecked with accents of gold. Wait-list only.

Chef Ray Garcia (of the acclaimed restaurant Broken Spanish) riffs on convention with BS Taqueria– a casual, counter service environment at lunch, and bustling full-service restaurant come dinner. The food is “authentically inauthentic” with snacks and starters ranging from mole fries to lemon-pepper chicharrones, platos especiales like cauliflower al pastor and the chorizo cheeseburger, and, of course, tacos. Cap off your meal with a pitcher of margaritas (to share) and tres leches cake to ensure complete satisfaction.

Employees Only is an award-winning cocktail bar, which began in New York City’s West Village, and now boasts locations in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Miami. Here in West Hollywood, Dushan Zaric (an original EO founder) brings his uniquely unpretentious approach to the bar program and bar team as Maitr d’Bar. Chef Sascha Lyon, an alum of NYC restaurants Balthazar, Pastis, and Daniel and LA spots Delphine, Soleto Trattoria, and Commerson, helms the kitchen with a passion for the finest fresh ingredients and produce, and responsibly farmed, raised or caught meats and fish. The space itself reflects postmodern architecture with Art Deco detailing, and the dark tones give off a feeling of intimacy.

Named after the oldest port city in Israel — now a hip and modern place, filled with young people — Jaffa cooks locally inspired modern Israeli cuisine. Warm spices infuse the menu of comforting classics (hummus, lamb couscous) and inventive takes on old favorites, like matzoh ball soup with Jidori chicken, hawaij spice, and zhug. The restaurant comes from the same team behind Sausal, with chef-partner Anne Conness at the helm.

Kato is a seasonal tasting menu restaurant, focusing on flavors from Taiwan, Japan, and California. In true LA fashion, it’s located in a Sawtelle mini-mall. The chef, Jonathan Yao, is constantly switching things up, meaning no two meals here will be the same. LA Weekly calls his cooking “exquisite and extremely personal,” and beyond being delicious, his plates are beautiful (think minimal and delicate, with pops of color).

From 9 am–4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays, acclaimed chef Ari Taymor (formerly of Alma) mans the pass at this lively brunch pop-up. And given his chops, it’s not just any brunch: expect artful fare that’s simple, satisfying, light, and refined, like eggs baked in the wood oven and vegetables just hauled in from the nearby Santa Monica Farmers Market. The stellar cocktail offerings include a spiked horchata and a michelada. Word on the street is there are special off-menu pastries to be had, if you ask nicely.

A sprawling indoor-outdoor locale that encompasses a full-service all-day restaurant, market and bakery, beer garden, and 40-foot cocktail bar, Rose Cafe is a bona fide anchor of the Venice neighborhood. In fact, the institution, although it has evolved, has been kicking it since 1979. Artwork plays a major role in the space, with bright 14-by-22-inch posters and historic imagery from local artist Craig Stecyk serving as a backdrop for chef Jason Neroni’s local Southern California cuisine—flecked with international flavors inspired by his world travels. Thanks to the restaurant’s extensive hours, the menu has plenty to offer, with highlights including shakshuka, crispy brussels sprouts, honey lacquered short rib, and smoked raditore carbonara.

Shibumi is an intimate, 40-seat Japanese restaurant and bar located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles. Here, acclaimed chef and owner David Schlosser serves seasonally inspired and meticulously prepared cuisine in the traditional Japanese kappo style. Originating in Osaka, the tradition requires mastery over five different primary cooking techniques — grilling, steaming, frying, simmering, and raw — and its practice involves preparing dishes in front of a crowd. Thus, you’ll find the chef behind Shibumi’s striking, golden-hued, 400-year-old cypress wood counter.

Terra is Eataly L.A.’s rooftop restaurant inspired by earth, gin, and fire. With a space that includes a garden, an outdoor bar, fire pit, and indoor lounge, it’s easy to see why. Executive chef Eli Anderson and chef de cuisine Matthew Smith cook raw ingredients over burning flames, allowing simple ingredients to shine. The menu spans far and wide, including “speared things,” “small things,” “things with greens,” and “things with pasta,” and pairs perfectly with botanical cocktails and Italian wines.

A Silver Lake mainstay inspired by the posh American tavern, The Black Cat is complete with lofty decorative ceilings, handsome paneled walls, and elegant brass chandeliers floating above a well-worn dark wood bar. Never straying too far from the classics, the food and drinks are familiar enough to get your attention, yet innovative enough to keep you coming back. Like any self-respecting old-school tavern, there is a burger (which comes with raclette, melted onions, shredded lettuce, and tangy-sweet pickles), and then there are dishes like confit chicken thighs and octopus carpaccio. The cocktails are balanced and well-crafted, but if you prefer something a little more bespoke, don’t hesitate to ask.

This tried-and-true pub states their intentions quite clearly: they “ain’t fancy, fussy, or finished.” Open since 2007, it’s a gathering place, wine bar, alehouse, and restaurant, where good honest fare can be enjoyed with good company and without pressure or pretense. Whole animal cooking and butchery is at the core of their menu, and the kitchen team sources from sustainable ranchers, butchers in-house, grinds their own fresh burgers, and cures their own meat. You can get steak and potato pie, fish and chips, a grilled pork chop, and waffle cut fries. Sunday roast starts at 1pm, and on Tuesdays there’s fried chicken.