Fuck - I haven’t been in a while but I really feel like any restaurant with any shred of creativity is closing in favor of vibestaurants lately. This sucks
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At least Leopardo is re-opening…hahahahahahahhahahahahahahhahahah
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We really are in a restaurant recession/negative feedback loop. I know this types my politics and class position, but how much of this is downstream of real estate/housing so expensive?
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Just a viewpoint: the LA restaurant scene is overwhelmingly better than it was when I came here 18 years ago. It’s also better than five years ago.
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Agree with the former, respectfully skeptical and interested in the discussion about the latter.
Would guess it depends on frame of reference and whether you are indexing LA to itself or to other American cities. And need to disentangle feelings about restaurants post-covid.
The food is just way better in the US than it was 20 years ago. Millenial farm to table craft bs was really positive for our food culture.
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It’s true, but we’ve definitely entered a downward period reminiscent of the mass closings mid COVID that doesn’t feel great.
Agree that real estate costs and general interest/affordability of dining out are major factors.
Sad times.
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You need to go to the Oybar, April 2025 Rundown - #61 by ebethsdad
So good, so original, and very popular.
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Personally felt like it’s been a shell of what made it extraordinary for at least 5 years now. Sad closure nonetheless. When HLAY was firing on all cylinders–chef in his zone, Harry behind the bar, Thessa on pastry–there was nothing like it. Chaos before chaos, but never gimmicky and executed at a much higher level.
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I used to really like HLAY ~12 years ago. It was so fun and adventurous. I loved sitting at the bar and drinking the cocktails. Then there came a time where I started to find the food bad to inedible. I don’t know whether I changed or the restaurant changed, but I think it was a combination of both.
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Restaurants that opened in past five years that are among my favorites: Stella, San Laurel, Nozomi, Udatsu, Array 36, Kaneyoshi, Baroo
Restaurants that closed: Maude
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We used to love going to HLAY in its earlier days. After the tragedy of Jonathan’s departure, it has not been the same. Last time were there in November 2024 food was very unbalanced and borderline inedible.
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Worth noting those are all pricier restaurants though. I love most of those if not all.
For some reason I’m blanking on more closures but..
HLAY, Kinn, Needle, Yangban, Konbi come to mind as places that were quite creative, more casual, and I miss.
I’m not saying LA is a bad dining city - but places that felt like they had a spark of something interesting for me are fewer and fewer or are in the finer dining stratosphere.
(I’m not saying NY is any better but there are more frequent exciting openings there than there are closings, even though plenty closes there all the time)
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what feels sparky to you in LA right now?
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Baby Bistro and pop ups
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I went last night, first time in about a year and a half. I do agree that there has been some slide, but when they first opened in 2016(?), it was one of my favorite restaurants in LA, and really helped me to start to appreciate creativity on menus outside of fine dining.
Last night, I overordered egregiously as a solo diner. But there were a few dishes I couldn’t go without having ever again (sprouting broccoli, frog legs, steak tartare (love what tamari brings to it)). Their new(er) maitaki dish is great, a nice contrast of texture and spice with the cold mushrooms.
Their drinks, I feel, are in the same vein as the food. Unafraid to lean heavily one direction, even at the expense of balance. I do appreciate this (probably) a bit more than the perfectly balanced take of other bars (death&co comes to mind). HLAY may have been the first restaurant I found where drinks stand up to the menu in a good way.
Sad to see it go. I would blow up every shithole “cantina” concept that surrounds me for just a few bites of HLAY’s turkey tails, tomato dish, or chestnut mochi dessert one last time
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Excited to try it in its new home at Alpine Courtyard…
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Me too! Going next Friday.
I’ve said before (while it’s not a tasting menu) it reads like my sweet spot. No decisions if I spend 75-125pp and have all the dishes
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My dinner at HLAY last August (most recent report with photos) was excellent. If that was downhill the place must have been insane before.
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