Please The Palate |

Mizlala Sherman Oaks

At least once a week, I find myself driving on Sepulveda Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, near the exit from the 405. Whether I am driving to or from my parents home, I pass by a handful of restaurants on the west side of Sepulveda Blvd. There is an Italian restaurant and a Katsuya izaka-ya, which I have been to, but I had not noticed the restaurant in between the two until now. Mizlala, which opened in 2016, is a family run restaurant serving modern Mediterranean cuisine and I now cannot stop going there.

Mizlala is owned and run by Danny Elmaleh and his wife Justine. Danny took over the space, formerly known as Simon's Cafe, from his father, chef-owner Simon Elmaleh, when he retired. Danny Elmaleh had previously worked at Cleo and Doheny Room before opening Mizlala, which means "eatery in Hebrew". Open for lunch and dinner, Mizlala, which has a second location on West Adams, offers a flavorful menu of Mediterranean dishes that will tempt you. I can never decid what to have as everything looks and sounds so good and I have not ordered the same thing twice yet.

04 February, 2020

Please The Palate Pick of the Week: Jaffa LA

Almost a year ago, Jaffa LA opened its doors on West 3rd Street in West Hollywood. With a modern take on Israeli cuisine featuring fresh seasonal ingredients and sustainable meats and fish, Jaffa LA has been serving healthy, fresh and delicious flavors. I returned this week to try a few new dishes and revisit some others and loved every single bite and that is why Jaffa LA is the Please The Palate pick of the week. There was not a bite that I did not enjoy. And now there are more reasons to head to Jaffa LA. One of the reasons is that Jaffa LA just launched Social Hour Bites, available weekdays from 4:00pm-7:00pm. On the Social Hour menu are four plates for $7-$9. One of the most addictive items on the Social Hour list are the Eggplant Crisps with shakshuka dip. Crispy, warm, salted and gluten-free (for those who care), these can easily replace french fries.

19 January, 2019

Modern Israeli Cuisine in West Hollywood at Jaffa

Jaffa, the oldest neighborhood of Tel-Aviv, has inspired Los Angeles' new modern Israeli restaurant Jaffa. Located on West 3rd Street in West Hollywood, Jaffa LA is a bright space that includes stone walls and reclaimed wood, serving up modern Israeli cuisine.

Chef Anne Conness, who's nuevo rancho cuisine I first tried at her El Segundo restaurant Sausal, fell in love with the cuisine of Israel after traveling there with business partner Nancy Vrankovic. At Jaffa LA, Chef Conness has taken the modern Israeli cuisine that she fell in love with and combined it with locally grown, fresh and seasonal ingredients, well-raised meat and sustainable seafood. On my first visit to Jaffa LA for their "friends and family" preview, we took a seat on the patio where baskets of blankets were nearby to wrap ourselves in as it got chilly. We started with drinks, choosing from an eclectic international wine list, which includes Israeli wine, cocktails and mocktails. A glass of sparkling pink Bailly-Papierre NV Cremant de Bourgogne, France was the way to start.

01 February, 2018