Sqirl dinner.
Plus a comedy benefit, a high-profile culinary collab, and whispers of Substack's next LA party.
Happy Monday, everyone. I was skiing up at Mammoth this weekend, so I missed Dresen’s launch party at Dusk (the whole evening looked great, but I really regret missing this spread) and what looked like some truly phenomenal weather. I did, however, get in some great runs, hit the other Canyon Coffee (photo below), and devour the first 150 pages of Lily King’s Heart the Lover in three hours after seeing it recommended by everyone from my friend’s mom to Melanie Masarin (all of you should pick up a copy, it really is that good).
In today’s issue: exclusive intel on Sqirl’s upcoming dinner debut, a comedy reading, Noma’s collab with Courage Bagels, the Horses kitchen crew’s new gig at Café Triste, Substack is scouting for LA event venues, and a phenomenal Victorian fourplex.
Girl dinner Sqirl dinner.
If you care about LA’s restaurant scene in the slightest, you’ve likely heard about the impending launch of dinner hours at Sqirl. And if you’re a fan of the Virgil Village institution, you might be thinking….Yeah, okay, I’ve been hearing about Sqirl dinner for years now. You’d be right — when I called owner Jess Koslow this morning, she told me she created last week’s truly incredible claymation announcement back in 2022.
But now, after several years of permitting, the acquisition of a liquor license, and fire- and ICE-related delays, Sqirl will officially open for dinner service on Thursday, 2/19. According to Jess, “people can expect a bistro-type fare rooted in seasonality” — it’ll be reminiscent of something you might find in the 11th arrondissement of Paris, but with a distinctly Californian sensibility and produce selection.
One of the things I admire most about Sqirl, beyond its consistently great food and unique brand of low-key cool, is how the restaurant has cultivated a truly die-hard clientele over the course of its nearly 15 years in business. People who love Sqirl love Sqirl. A few months back, Lauren Sherman told me she takes her family to Sqirl almost every Saturday she’s in town, and I know several others who do the same.
Here are a few highlights from my conversation with Jess, lightly edited for clarity:
On the vision for dinner at Sqirl…
I started Sqirl as a jam company, and it evolved into a breakfast and lunch café. It really pushed the boundaries of what breakfast and lunch could be. And now fifteen years later, I’m still hungry to evolve my own skills and creative juices.
Dinner with service and a refined menu is the adult version of Sqirl, if that makes sense. It feels like you’re at a bistro in Paris, except you’re in East Hollywood having dinner along the street. It’s humble, it’s chef-driven, and the food is foundationally LA. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.
On the “why now?” of it all…
When I started Sqirl, I couldn’t get a liquor license — the laws in Los Angeles County only allowed restaurants with more than one bathroom to apply. Only after Covid did the law change and allow a variance for restaurants with one bathroom to apply. That really opened the opportunity for the “adult Sqirl.”
I need to keep pushing myself, and the evolution of dinner is the momentum that I need as a creative to refine my perspective on hospitality, continue to champion my farmers here in California, and evolve [Sqirl’s] perspective into spirits and wine.
That claymation, I did that in 2022. I’ve been holding onto it for three and a half years while I worked through all the red tape, got a beer and wine permit, applied for full liquor [license], then the fires, then ICE….it wasn’t until mid-summer of last year that we really started heading towards the finish line.
On cultivating a die-hard clientele…
I take a lot of heartfelt pride in that, because I think that’s how we’ve survived. It’s just by offering a really well-made product and considered dishes. And there’s always some evolution at play — it feels progressive. We’re artists and creatives, and we always want to be associated with movement and evolve our thought processes. If you look at the menu from 2012, it looks nothing like the menu of today. I think that’s what keeps us fresh and refreshing.
And we’re counter service, but we see you, we know you, we know your order. It’s a space in which there’s care by the team outward. I worked the line yesterday, and I had tickets that said Loyal Customer, 150 Orders. It’s been really wonderful to see how many people come back and feel comfort in the space.
On what to look forward to…
If I was going to invite someone to dinner, I’d definitely get the chicken liver. We have this beet agnolotti that’s filled with beet purée, it almost tastes like Borscht. It’s sitting in a ricotta and butter sauce. It’s so good. We have a steak that comes with a sauce verte and a three-day demi, and we have fries.
Personally, I’d be like, give me a big green salad à la Via Carota, give me the steak, give me some fries and call it a day. You could go that way, or you could go wild.
The second week of dinner reservations at Sqirl dropped this morning. Snag one here while they last.
📅 Mark your calendar…
Wednesday, 2/4: An army of very funny east siders are coming together to host TV IS DEAD, a live reading of comedy pilots by the likes of Austin Bernhardt and Megan Meadows, Nikki Bailey, Laura Beck, Nikki Palumbo, Tai Leclaire, and more. Tickets are free, but the team will be accepting donations on behalf of the LA Street Vendor Solidarity Fund. It’s all going down at Silverlake Lounge at 8pm; you can snag tickets here.
Saturday, 2/14: If you’re up for a bit of a drive, the Eames House is hosting a Valentine’s Day picnic with seatings at 11am and 2pm. Interior access to the house sadly isn’t included in this one, but guests will be able to explore the grounds and tour the Eames studio after eating. Reserve your spot here.
As always, DM me your hot tips, can’t-miss events, and burning questions <3
🍽️ And now for some table scraps…
The century-old Sparkletts plant in Highland Park has been nominated as a city historic-cultural monument. The Moorish-style plant, which closed last May after nearly a hundred years in operation, is currently listed for lease. The nomination by LA’s Cultural Heritage Commission ensures it won’t be torn down or altered until a final decision on landmarking is made.
I heard rumblings about this last week, but the great Emily Wilson got the exclusive — the erstwhile Horses kitchen team is launching a monthlong residency at Café Triste in Chinatown. Just weeks after the unexpected closure of Horses, chef Brittany Ha — along with pastry chef Hannah Grubba and sous chef Alex Riley — will take over the hotspot on Broadway for a pop-up called Bruce. It debuts this Wednesday, 2/4 and will serve a variety of Horses-esque bistro classics Wednesdays through Fridays through the end of the month. Reservations here.
Amidst a flurry of controversy related to its hyper-exclusive $1,500-per-plate pricing, Noma launched a collaboration with Courage Bagels. I’m a fan of Courage (though I won’t wait in line), and I have truly endless respect for the cultish fervor Ari Skye and Chris Moss have created around their business. But if Rene Redzepi’s intent was to ingratiate his restaurant with the community, I’m not totally convinced a high-end bagel purveyor was the most effective choice. Also, I Love LA just did this a few months ago….
Speaking of I Love LA, Odessa A’zion dropped out of A24’s forthcoming Deep Cuts adaptation mere hours after her casting was announced.
From the tip line — everyone’s favorite Dream Baby Press founder (and Substack events impresario) Matt Starr was out scouting locations in LA this weekend. Looks like we can expect another Substack-sponsored party in LA in the not-too-distant future. Topping last year’s Spa Palace reading will be tough, but Matt and experiential producer Kylea Rosen visited some very cool locations. I’m curious to see which one they choose.
Chappell Roan’s nipple-forward Mugler ensemble brought exactly the kind of sartorial controversy I want to see at the Grammys. Whether you loved it or hated it, you have to admit it was a moment. And we need more moments. The Grammys have never been about high fashion, anyway.
Over in Burbank, Bob Iger and the Disney board are (allegedly, maybe, finally) preparing to announce Iger’s replacement as CEO. Though his word on this topic doesn’t really mean much, Iger has officially committed to retiring by the end of this year. The succession race is by all accounts down to entertainment co-chairman Dana Walden and parks chief Josh D’Amaro (though Josh appears to have a slight edge at the moment, given the performance of his business unit).
Noah Kahan announced a stadium tour for this summer. It’ll include a stop at the Rose Bowl on 8/15.
Here’s an incredible fourplex in Angelino Heights for just under $1.5mm. It’s on a prime corner of Carroll Avenue, home to a collection of the oldest and most interesting homes in LA, and its four one-bedroom units are currently rented for a combined $7,600 per month. Built in 1912, the house qualifies for Mills Act tax savings and offers the single grandest entrance hall I’ve ever seen in a multi-family property. I know several people looking at this one, and you should, too.
And if you’re willing to bet there are hardwood floors under the wall-to-wall carpeting in this Silver Lake cottage, it’s probably a great buy. It’s perfectly proportioned, gets great sunlight, and includes a separate rental unit for those excited by the prospect of passive income. It’s also right above the reservoir.
Going to need to cry into a glass of wine and debrief Heart the Lover with you.
The title of this newsletter is perfect