Silver Lake’s Whimsical Treehouse Restaurant Wolfdown to Close

Modern fairytale restaurant Wolfdown will close on Saturday in Silver Lake, ending a near two-year run for the tucked-away eatery off Rowena Avenue. Owned and operated by Jason and Chrissy Kim of Forage, Wolfdown aimed to explore the many flavors found in Los Angeles, though ultimately it began honing in on a modern, nuanced approach to Korean cuisine.

Wolfdown came to light in late 2016 in a far stretch of Silver Lake, near to the Whole Foods 365, Salazar, and longtime local bar Edendale, but without the foot traffic and hype of everything happening along the Sunset Boulevard side of the neighborhood. The space, formerly a long-running local pizza place called Nicky D’s, had been transformed into a treehouse-like wonderland of light blond wood, low stools, and outdoor dining from an elevated patio, but the buildings themselves sat well off the street, and the whole place could feel hidden at times.

Inside, things were much more bold. As critic Besha Rodell wrote in 2017:

There are dishes that could easily act as the subject of a graduate dissertation on modern American food and its cultural signifiers, such as an “Ethiopian-style” steak tartare served with crackers the shape of the Wu-Tang logo.

Ultimately, the Wolfdown team decided to focus in on a modern Korean menu, telling Food & Wine that “we want to put our timestamp on L.A. Korean food. This is what Korean food looks like in 2018.”

Sadly, the new direction has proven unsustainable, as reps for Wolfdown send along the following final note:

Wolfdown is closing its doors, for now. We thank our team and guests for all the support, companionship, and friendships we have gained on this journey ... This city is growing and evolving, and it is changing the way people dine out and the way neighborhoods and restaurants create community. As independent restaurateurs, we are deeply committed to this connection and it means it’s time for us to rethink a few things. As we move forward our vision remains the same: bring good food and good times to the neighborhood we call home.

Saturday night is the final evening of service.

Wolfdown. 2764 Rowena Ave., Los Angeles, CA.

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