Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/800856
Sara Kramer and Sara Hymanson, the two chefs behind Grand Central Market's wildly popular falafel stand, Madcapra, have just opened Kismet in L.A.'s Los Feliz district. 5 2 | t h e c l e v e r r o o t ASK ANY CHEF WHERE TO EAT these days and the answer inevitably comes back: Los Angeles. The wave of interesting new restaurants just keeps coming. No surprise given the city's long history as a culinary innovator. Here are just three from this season's newcomers—one focused on hand-formed pasta, one on contemporary Middle Eastern food, another on vegetable dishes lusty enough to captivate even carnivores. IRENE VIRBILA'S SENSE OF PLATE Sara Kramer and Sara Hymanson, the two chefs behind Grand Central Market's wildly popular falafel stand, Madcapra, have just opened Kismet in L.A.'s Los Feliz district. PHOTO: JOSHUA WHITE PHOTO: JAKE LINDEMAN Angelic FOOD THREE NEW RESTAURANTS SHOW WHY LOS ANGELES HAS BECOME AMERICA'S TOP FOOD TOWN by S. Irene Virbila CITY OF Kismet in L.A.'s Los Feliz district presents a creative contemporary take on Middle Eastern cuisine. Kismet Los Feliz: The Two Saras Sara Kramer and Sara Hymanson, the two chefs behind Grand Central Market's wildly popular falafel stand, Mad- capra, have just opened Kismet in L.A.'s Los Feliz district. This creative contemporary take on Middle Eastern cuisine is open all day, making it a magnet in the neighborhood for breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks and convivial dinners. The menu encompasses dishes from all over the Middle East and North Africa and more. "We're not a traditional res- taurant," Kramer is careful to say. "We're looking at all these cuisines specifically through a Californian-American lens. That reflects who we are—young, untraditional people." For breakfast, they're serving their version of shakshuka, the popular Israeli breakfast dish of eggs with stewed tomatoes and peppers along with kuku, a Middle Eastern-style frittata laced with spinach, barberries and, untraditionally, white beans. It's hard to stop eating the Yemeni "flaky bread," a butter- laminated, griddled flatbread which you can order savory (with a soft-boiled egg, labneh and tomato) or sweet (with labneh, preserved lemon and honey). And you must have the lemony chicken pine nut pies neatly wrapped in phyllo. Everything, small or large, is meant to share. That includes clever freekeh fritters (a play on arancini made with the ancient grain), squid on the plancha and a vibrant Persian cucumber salad with rosewater labneh. What about falafel? For that you'll have to go to Madcapra. Fans of Glasserie in Brooklyn will be thrilled to know that Kramer is bringing back the signature rabbit dish she created when she was chef (and Hymanson was sous chef) there. Prepared three ways—the legs confit in duck fat, the loin cooked on skewers and the belly and other bits simmered with chickpeas, it's a feast for two to four that arrives at the table with that ir- resistible flaky bread, greens, tahini—and pickles. Also on the team is pastry chef Meadow Ramsey who comes over from Sqirl, where she built the pastry program. Wine Director Roni Ginash, late of Domaine LA, focuses on small producers who work sustainably and she's made some delicious picks. Oh, and besides wine, there's a grapefruit anise-soju punch—and Turkish iced coffee. Kismet is an- other great spot on a block that already includes Bar Covell, McConnell's Ice Cream and Go Get Em Tiger coffee. PHOTO: DYLAN + JENI