House Cafe Soft Opening Thursday

Bruce Marder, owner of Capo, Broadway Deli, Cora's, and Brentwood will soon add another restaurant to his roster, House Cafe. Inhabiting the former home of Pastis on Beverly Blvd, the eatery is set to open the first week of December. Small as it may be, this cafe promises to cater to the neighborhood by offering reasonably priced Italian-Californian cuisine, which a touch of Middle Eastern flare. It's further North and East than his other places, but when Marder sees a niche he fills it; he doesn't come up with the hippest club of the moment or try to mimic the latest concept of the week. He builds comfortable places that people enjoy. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, House will serve market-to-table fare like buratta caprese omelets, sea bass tagine, and steamed branzino. Partner Dennis Severse is especially excited about their cote de boeuf for two, served on a cutting board with sides like creamy mashed potatoes and roasted greens. With Chef Ricky Moreno from Capo creating the menu and Marder fine tuning, diners can expect fresh food at reasonable prices. A welcome change from Capo's big bills.

From the looks of things, House is pretty much ready to open. Chef Moreno is in the kitchen prepping and retouching the menu. Tables and chairs are set, the bar is shiny and waiting, the cable TV ready to be switched on, business cards have been printed, and staff is being trained. But Severse points out that the bar taps have yet to be hooked up, and last minute details await finalization. Marder is all about precision, instructing assistants to move signage here or there, unwrapping new shipments of display items, and explaining what decor elements are yet to come.

Despite the size of the space, housing only about 30 seats, Marder left room for a House Wine section, where lockers with numbers will hold their wine selection ($30 - $60), complete with a library ladder for easy access. The bar taps have numbers too, suggesting a menu feature that will label taps of the week by their given number. The dining area is at once Parisian cafe and modern bistro with colorful rattan bar chairs near sleek, sculpted plastic dining chairs. The bar is a timeless grey marble, tempering the red, black and dark woods of the decor.

House Cafe will be open from 8AM to 11PM daily and is currently testing out dishes for friends and family. The soft opening is set for this coming Thursday.
— Daniela Galarza

Foursquare

House Cafe

8114 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 323 655 5553

House Cafe

8114 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA