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The Valley’s Chic New Supper Club Sings an Upscale Tune

Verse opens in Toluca Lake this weekend

by Farley Elliott
Photos by Wonho Frank Lee
A rare steak sits well-plated at a fine dining restaurant.
Wagyu short rib from Verse
Wonho Frank Lee
Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

Toluca Lake’s next trick is Verse, a musically-inclined new supper club right on the main Lankershim drag. The restaurant, with its mellow mood lighting, plush lounge seating, and forward-thinking food from chef Paul Shoemaker, opens on Saturday.

Spread across 3,800 square feet and 140 seats, the new Verse aims to be a San Fernando Valley destination for food, cocktails, and an experiential evening out on the town. Partner Manny Marroquin, who owns adjacent Larrabee Studios, is a many-time Grammy winning sound mixer and engineer who has overseen the build-out from an acoustic perspective, making Verse one of the more technologically-equipped listening venues anywhere in the city.

Don’t let all the sound equipment fool anyone, though. The Kimberly Biehl Schmidt-designed restaurant still leans into creature dining comforts, from plush seats and a long bar to wide, deep-hued banquettes. Shoemaker (Providence, Bastide) is on to oversee the food along with former Sayers Club lead Rob Ciancimino who will run the front of house. Together, the pair is turning out a surprisingly luxury experience for the Valley, complete with wagyu short rib, lobster bolognese, and seafood-leaning “lollipop” skewers. Matthew Kaner runs the opening wine list.

A library seating area with dim glow inside a restaurant.

Verse opens to the public on Saturday, December 14 in Toluca Lake. Expect hours from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and Sunday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations are available now.

Verse. 4212 Lankershim Blvd., Toluca Lake.

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Modernist bread and butter on a wooden plate.
Bread and butter “dime bags”
Skewers with seafood stick out from a clear block.
“Lollipops”
A close up shot of steak tartare with greens.
Tartare
A lobster bolognese with light foam in a bowl.
Lobster bolognese
A light pink cocktail with a sprig of thyme.
A red hued cocktail with a sprig of rosemary.
A classic Manhattan cocktail in a coup glass.
A dark dining room with luxurious colorful seating.
The dining room
A luxe dining room and supper club.
A colorful dim dining room with plush seats.
A moody glow of an evening supper club.
A wide communal table with purple banquette.
A spotlight highlights an upscale wooden table.
Pendant lighting at a restaurant glows from two ends.
A colorful bar and marble top with luxury seating.
An open bar glows from the back of the room.
That bar glow
The dark blue exterior of a restaurant with a single V sign on the door.
Foursquare

Verse

4212 Lankershim Boulevard, , CA 91602 (818) 747-2135 Visit Website
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