Los Angeles - Cecconi's
Spring 2009
Frank's view 
Go for the buzz, not the food.
It’s Spring 2009 and the hottest new restaurant in Hollywood is Cecconi’s.
Well that’s what the hype would have us believe.
There is certainly huge history attached to the site of Cecconi’s. For 18 years it was Morton’s, home of the legendary Vanity Fair ‘post-Oscar’ parties. In 2007 owners, Peter Morton and his sister Pam, apparently became embroiled in a lease dispute which called time on their reign of West Hollywood.
Britain’s Nick Jones had already established his Soho House brand in New York and was looking for an LA foothold. His initial plan was to spend $5m renovating Morton’s and re-open it as Soho House LA, but in early 2008 it was ‘all change’ when billionaire restaurateur, Richard Caring, bought an 80% stake in the Soho House Group for £105m. Nick Jones retained 20% of the equity. The decision was taken to turn Morton’s into Cecconi’s, an LA extension of the highly successful Cecconi's in London.
Soho House will open in 2010 in West Hollywood at 9200 Sunset Boulevard.
We arrived at 8.00pm and were offered a choice of tables. By 9.00pm the place was buzzing and by 9.30pm it was standing room only.
An outdoor strip of terrace sits between the valet parking area and the main dining room. It clearly has much sought after tables, but in reality, at best you are looking at a hedge.
We were fortunate to be seated by the window to the right of the bar, with an uninterrupted view of all who entered. The bar fills the centre of the room and is surrounded by blue leather stools, all of which were occupied at 8.00pm, even though the restaurant was quiet.
The menu is simple and relatively inexpensive, as is the usual Soho House way.
I ordered Tuna Tartare ($12) to start, which was prepared in front of me, on a 1970s serving trolley, with ostentatious showmanship. In fairness, the waiter did it well, and it is always better to watch your food being prepared than have it delivered fait accompli from the kitchen.
The Camel’s companion ordered a Cobb Salad ($11), which was utterly bland.
To follow, she was seduced by the Mussels and Clams Pasta ($19), with an expectation that it might include a few more than 3 clams and 3 mussels! It was also bland.
I continued my ‘March 2009’ Rack of Lamb fest, having dined on Welsh lamb in The Ivy, London (appalling), Colorado lamb in Town, New York (fabulous), Mexican lamb, at The Esencia, Mexico (plenty of bone, but where was the lamb?). Cecconi’s offering was from the Sonoma Valley in California. It was fairly flavourless.
One month into its new life and Cecconi’s had certainly attracted the crowds. The people-watching is fun, but don’t look for a gourmet experience.
Cecconi's
8764 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood
+1 310 432 2000
http://www.cecconiswesthollywood.com/
Well that’s what the hype would have us believe.
There is certainly huge history attached to the site of Cecconi’s. For 18 years it was Morton’s, home of the legendary Vanity Fair ‘post-Oscar’ parties. In 2007 owners, Peter Morton and his sister Pam, apparently became embroiled in a lease dispute which called time on their reign of West Hollywood.
Britain’s Nick Jones had already established his Soho House brand in New York and was looking for an LA foothold. His initial plan was to spend $5m renovating Morton’s and re-open it as Soho House LA, but in early 2008 it was ‘all change’ when billionaire restaurateur, Richard Caring, bought an 80% stake in the Soho House Group for £105m. Nick Jones retained 20% of the equity. The decision was taken to turn Morton’s into Cecconi’s, an LA extension of the highly successful Cecconi's in London.
Soho House will open in 2010 in West Hollywood at 9200 Sunset Boulevard.
We arrived at 8.00pm and were offered a choice of tables. By 9.00pm the place was buzzing and by 9.30pm it was standing room only.
An outdoor strip of terrace sits between the valet parking area and the main dining room. It clearly has much sought after tables, but in reality, at best you are looking at a hedge.
We were fortunate to be seated by the window to the right of the bar, with an uninterrupted view of all who entered. The bar fills the centre of the room and is surrounded by blue leather stools, all of which were occupied at 8.00pm, even though the restaurant was quiet.
The menu is simple and relatively inexpensive, as is the usual Soho House way.
I ordered Tuna Tartare ($12) to start, which was prepared in front of me, on a 1970s serving trolley, with ostentatious showmanship. In fairness, the waiter did it well, and it is always better to watch your food being prepared than have it delivered fait accompli from the kitchen.
The Camel’s companion ordered a Cobb Salad ($11), which was utterly bland.
To follow, she was seduced by the Mussels and Clams Pasta ($19), with an expectation that it might include a few more than 3 clams and 3 mussels! It was also bland.
I continued my ‘March 2009’ Rack of Lamb fest, having dined on Welsh lamb in The Ivy, London (appalling), Colorado lamb in Town, New York (fabulous), Mexican lamb, at The Esencia, Mexico (plenty of bone, but where was the lamb?). Cecconi’s offering was from the Sonoma Valley in California. It was fairly flavourless.
One month into its new life and Cecconi’s had certainly attracted the crowds. The people-watching is fun, but don’t look for a gourmet experience.
Cecconi's
8764 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood
+1 310 432 2000
http://www.cecconiswesthollywood.com/
Be Frank: agree or disagree? What do you think?
