With inspiration from the famous Laurel Canyon bungalows of Joni Mitchell and “Mama” Cass Elliot, Estrella (8800 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069) restaurant is opening this July with a blend of indoor and outdoor. Estrella, named after the circus girl from the Mitchell song “Ladies of the Canyon,” goes back to a time when food, music, artistry, and community were all under one roof. Executive Chef Dakota Weiss is serving up American cuisine with a global influence on a large terrace lined with a golden wood trellis, hanging colorful glass pendants, twinkling lights, outdoor fireplaces, and plants. The L-shaped terrace also has a herringbone brick floor and walk through the French doors to find an interior with brightly colored tiles and plank wood, all designed by Studio Collective.
Grab a spot in one of their areas created by an eclectic assembly of furniture that is very 1960s and early 1970s. Among the vintage finds, you will see the MA Theatre, a 55-seat venue attached to a cozy lounge with its own patio, decorated with leathers, warm woods, and a chandelier.
Estrella will be open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch. They will have grab-and-go coffee; nitro cold brew coffee; smoothies like the Rabbit Smoothie made of carrot juice, oats, yogurt, and vanilla bean; House made Yogurt Bowl with rose hip, strawberry jam, and pistachio granola; Cornmeal Griddle Cakes with cinnamon pecan praline and smoked salt; and the Poached Eggs with Puttanesca on a potato cake.
Lunch and dinner items include Green Tomato Gazpacho with golden balsamic and coriander; Warm Roasted Cashews with honey, ghost chili, and lime; Caramelized John Dory with lobster mushroom, lobster-egg yolk cream, and nicoise olives; Sour Orange Molasses-Rubbed Lamb Chops with white beans and slow-roasted San Marzano tomatoes; Chicken Liver Mousse with Manhattan jelly and green apple chips; Santa Barbara Spot Prawn Ceviche with pickled cherries, tarragon, and serrano chile; and a Charred Padrone Pepper stopped with ricotta salata, pork powder, and slivered almonds.
Past the kitchen, enter MA Theatre and its lounge, which is available for private events. It has a leather-wrapped marble bar, fireplace, curated artwork, and adjoining terrace capped with a wooden trellis. A late-night menu, also developed by Weiss, is available to pair with the same seasonal cocktails available in the restaurant that combine fresh juices, geometrically shaped ice, and small-batch spirits. The state-of-the-art theatre features a 4k digital projector, 9.2 Dolby surround sound, couches, and seating that was refurbished in a customized Kelly green velvet fabric.
