Smoke.Oil.Salt.'s Closure Leaves Gaping Hole in LA's Spanish Food Scene

In sad news, Melrose’s smoke.oil.salt., the Spanish restaurant that opened in 2014 by co-owners Stephen Gelber and AdVantage Partners (Adam Fleishman and Lee Weinberg), quietly closed its doors for the last time on Sunday, November 27.

It’s an unfortunate end for the restaurant that served some of the city’s best paella alongside contemporary Spanish small plates and an outstanding Spanish wine and sherry program. It seems as though the restaurant never fully recovered after opening chef Perfecto Rocher stepped out last year.

Since then, Ricardo Zarate, known for his work at Picca, stepped in briefly as consulting chef, and the restaurant even opened up a new concept, POCO Wine Bar, within its space. Apparently it wasn’t enough to save the lauded Spanish spot, as reps for the restaurant announced that the partners are now pursuing new projects independently.

• All smoke.oil.salt. Coverage [ELA]