Driving along Vermont Boulevard in Los Feliz, Atrium is not visible from the street. But if you found the Skylight Theater, you are there. Atrium is adjacent to the theater and to enter, you have to walk down a brick alley-way that can double for cozy outside seating (when the weather is warm).
Inside, Atrium is a stunning warehouse with a cool, youthful, sustainable vibe. Exposed brick walls surround the large space and the bow-truss ceiling opens the space even more. Tables and booths are scattered around the room and no matter where you sit, you will have a view of the large bar that lies in the center with an open kitchen behind it. Live trees and plants fill the space, adding a vibrant freshness to the already clean, modern restaurant.
Maude opened in February 2014 and I have been a local fan ever since. For the first four years, I would eagerly anticipate the new tasting menu that would feature a single ingredient as the inspiration. Every meal, I would marvel how they came up with the selected dishes, especially with such limited time. When Maude shifted to the great wine regions of the world, the team began visiting the regions for inspiration but then they would come home and create a menu based on their interpretations of their experiences. Again, I found myself in awe of the preparations and presentations, curious about the creative process. Well, this week Maude offered an "off-menu" meal, a sort of sneak peek into the next yet-announced wine region. This is the very first time that they offered this backstage pass and lifting the veil on their process. Getting an exclusive look at dishes and pairings as they are created in real time was a true highlight and that is why the Off-Menu Meal at Maude is the Please The Palate pick of the week.
I regularly drive up and down La Cienega, recognizing all of the familiar sites. But, there is a new restaurant that just moved into the spot that was home to Le Petit Bistro for 25 years. Pacifique is the new restaurant, owned by chef Joe Miller and his friend, and former partner at Joe's in Venice, Joe Herzer. Instead of driving past, I went in recently with some friends and we were in for a lovely experience.
Pacifique is elegant and sophisticated. The dining room is warm and inviting with a palate of grays and black. Plush booths, seating parties of four and six, line both sides of the room and two-tops run down the center of the room. At the end of the room is the bar, back-lit by a bright florescent color that warms the room. And, large globe lights hang from the ceiling. There is additional seating in the front of the restaurant, as well as some hidden booths separated by a wall.