Vartan Abgaryan Wants to Win Over Venice Locals With Crispy Nashville Hot Shrimp

Chef Vartan Abgaryan’s new Westside project is ready to get the Venice party started anew. The former 71Above fine dining chef has gone completely casual along Abbot Kinney, turning the closed Salt Air into something new entirely. Welcome to Yours Truly.

Yours Truly takes the bones of four-year-old Salt Air and gives them some new skin, complete with whitewashed brick, colorful art, lots of greenery, and bright orange banquette seating. Hanging pendant lights and an eight-seat marble bar help to pull the open 85-seat room together, with the kitchen only visible through some lightly tinted glass. There is also a private dining room in the back that seats 12.

On the menu side, Abgaryan is pulling from all corners with a meal that may start with avocado hummus and za’atar flatbread before moving into Nashville-style hot shrimp and $32 bucatini carbonara with uni and trout roe. Beverage director Brian Butler (Sunny Spot, A-Frame) is on to oversee the cocktails. The opening menus are below.

Yours Truly opens to the world on Thursday night for dinner, thanks to Abgaryan and partners Dave Reiss (Salt Air, A-Frame) and Paul Pruitt (New School consulting). Hours run from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights), with lunch and brunch to come.

Yours Truly. 1616 Abbot Kinney, Los Angeles, CA.

• What LA Chefs Are Saying About the Return of the Michelin Guide [ELA]