Innovative Dining Group, best known for Boa, Sushi Roku, and Katana welcomes modern bistro Delphine to its slew of success stories, scheduled to open on January 28 in the shiny new W Hollywood. Bistros have made a comeback, however don't expepct Comme Ca or Anisette. Rather, think coastal beachy places found along the Cote d'Azur, the South of France and the Mediterranean. Fruits de mer at night and croissants for breakfast. As expected of a hotel restaurant, Delphine will be open seven days a week, all day, and will even serve a weekend brunch. Chef Sascha Lyon, formerly of Daniel in New York, was just named to head up the vast W kitchens, including those responsible for room service.
The interior design of Delphine fits the modern bistro description well enough. Charming blue and white tiles reminiscent of seaside cottages, pale wood glammed up with silver paint, ceiling fans that bear their brand, "Big Ass" right on them, the requisite marble bar, and lots of wood, wood, wood, with a bit of rattan thrown in for good measure.
Was Delphine a shoo-in for the Starwood Group (who own the W)? Apparently not. IDG partner Philip Cummins says they were competing with some "heavy-hitters" like (ooh!) David Burke. Not wanting to name too many names, suffice to say it wasn't easy, but a pro-presentation and the fact that IDG builds properties that draw a crowd gave them major points. Indeed, Cummins has a good argument for putting a new concept like Delphine into this hotel-residence. On a trip to New York a few years back when he was doing market research, he went to the Gansevoort Hotel and ate at (the now defunct) Ono. The glitzy, expensive restaurant fit into the Meatpacking District well, but, five-minute-sensation that it was, it didn't fit into a hotel. Who wants Japanese Robata for breakfast?
On the other hand, do people want more French bistro food 24/7? Maybe not, and that's why IDG is planning two other, separate restaurants in the hotel. The first, directly behind the Metrolink entrance is appropriately called The Station. Patio seating only, and with it's own full service bar and food menu, this may well be the best stop on Metrolink ever. Not only is it cozy and settled in the middle of the behemoth W building, but it features a 600 square foot projection screen. Cummins says they are still working out the details on what exactly they plan to feature on the screen, but ideas like neighborhood movie nights, film screenings in collaboration with local museums, projected art, and live feeds from the station below are on the table. Stay tuned.
The Station sounds nice enough, but it's really the place where the well-heeled will wait when they can't get into The Living Room. With Old Hollywood glamour in mind, this is the show stopper in the W's production. As the third restaurant in IDG's mini-series, The Living Room is not as much about the food as Delphine, but the bar and drinks promise to take you back to the roaring '20s. Check out that rendering!
·All Delphine Coverage [~ELA~]
— Daniela Galarza
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