THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 52 OCTOBER 30, 2019
MIXTAPE: COURTESY OF SUBJECT (2). AYKROYD: STEVE ZAK PHOTOGRAPHY/WIREIMAGE. EGGS: COURTESY OF MONTAGE BEVERLY HILLS. QUEEN: RB/BAUER-GRIFFIN/GC IMAGES/GETTY IMAGES.Mixtape
A hot restaurateur repped by UTA and Roc Nation opens
one of L.A.’s most intriguingly uneven eateries By Gary BaumT
he 29-year-old upstart L.A. restau-
rateur Jeremy Fall has garnered
attention and industry support
with a slew of high-concept spots. First, he
opened a “breakfast bar” called Nighthawk in
Holly wood that served dishes like “Drunken
French Toast” featuring pear brandy. Then
a short-lived Highland Park bodega with a
speakeasy-style sandwich shop in the back.
More recently, he debuted a high-gloss retro
burger stop at the Beverly Center with custom
ViewFinders at each table.
Some find Fall’s larkish sensibility win-
ning, others grating. It’s unrestrained at his
first full-scale endeavor, Mixtape, situated
in the longtime BLD space along Mid-City’s
Beverly Boulevard, which
since opening in August
already has lured an
eclectic crowd. (On any
given night you’ll find,
say, Judy Greer seated
beside a group of DJs and
CBD oil entrepreneurs.)
It perhaps helps that he’s
convinced an assorted
constellation of figures
— Quincy Jones, Jaden
Smith, Robin Thicke — to
contribute artwork.
Now signed to UTA and
Roc Nation, Fall has here manifested seem-
ingly every whim that’s crossed his mind.
Receipts arrive in cassette tape cases (alien
to many of the 20-something patrons) and
cocktails are named after mood rings, which
means the ordering process is cringy. “I’ll
have a Sassy. Err, wait, make it a Mischievous.”
Fall knows that what his audience really
wants is upscale comfort food, modestly
jazzed up. His Jewish-French-Tunisian-
Caribbean heritage acts as key coordinates.There may be no other place in town oper-
ating at such a startling polarity between
absolute brilliance and total incompetence.
Course after course, it’s flabbergasting that
the same kitchen (run by executive chef
Nathan Santana) can be responsible for such
utter blunders and wonders.
The blue corn tostada shell accompanying
the steak tartare tastes stale. The yellowtail
crudo is jaggedly sliced, swimming in an
overwhelming coulis. There are ripeness and
quality-of-bread issues with the tomato toast.
Mixtape also does the intriguing-yet-flawed
(a pastrami agnolotti; pork belly nuggets with
a root beer BBQ sauce and pickled watermelon
rind). So why not just pass?
The answer is that a few dishes are so
damned good, it’s possible to assemble one
of the year’s best new meals out of them.
There’s a hearty, slightly spiced and caramel-
ized poutine — Belgian-style fries mixed with
shreddings of beef cheek. There’s a subtle,
delicate, fried whole rainbow trout. And a
buoyant chocolate bread pudding.
Mixtape is an extreme risk. As the cock-
tail list instructs, Choose Your Mood. Maybe
you’re feeling Feisty, or Confident.
The Bottom Line: A few very big hits amid
many misses.Mixtape’s
Mid-City
dining room
— featuring
artwork
by Quincy
Jones, Jaden
Smith and
Robin Thicke
— already
is drawing
an eclectic
crowd.The Grill on the Alley’s Beverly Hills outpost has been sold by its parent company,
which declined to name the new owners. It’ll retain its name. ... Nationally
acclaimed Venice chef Tr av i s L e t t will leave his restaurant group, which is
responsible for Gjelina, Gjusta and MTN. ... The Montage in Beverly Hills is now
serving a $100 take on an eggs Benedict (left) on its rooftop as well as a $100
baked potato at its ground-floor pop-up restaurant, Gilles. Both involve caviar. ...
Jon & Vinny’s will soon open in South L.A.’s View Park neighborhood, not far from
an Inglewood catering facility used by owners Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo.Hollywood & Dine
This review is based on multiple visits. Reservations are
made under another name. Meals are covered by THR.Dan Aykroyd’s
Haunted HotspotsTABLE READDan Aykroyd ain’t afraid of
no ghosts — but he respects
them. In 2007, the comic actor
launched Crystal Head Vodka,
inspired by Mayan skulls said
to radiate supernatural energy.
Next year, he reprises the role
of Ray Stantz in Ghostbusters
2020. In his own words, he
reveals spooky spots to get a
drink around L.A. — BRAD JAPHEThe Edison A beautiful venue. It
was the old power plant. It’s got
these old generators in the base-
ment. I’ve spoken to a waiter and
he said that he had experienced
a haunting down there.
108 W. 2nd St.Chateau Marmont I love the
bars there. They’ve definitely
got some spirits. Al Franken
claims that he went there a
week after my late partner John
[Belushi] died in bungalow three
and John appeared to him.
8221 Sunset Blvd.The Queen Mary One of the
most haunted venues in the
world. It has a “loop” ghost, a
girl, I think her name is Rachel,
and she recurs in the pool.
Apparently, she drowned there.
You can see her on YouTube.
It’s a beautiful place to spend
the night. I slept like a baby.
1126 Queens Highway,
Long Beach7450 Beverly
Blvd., L.A.
323-424-7044;
Full bar;
Closed Mon.
RECOMMENDED
Poutine ($15),
whole trout ($29),
chocolate bread
pudding ($14)
BEST TABLE
One of the
recessed booths
with sweeping
views of the room.HOT DISH
BEEF CHEEK
POUTINEThe Queen Mary is also home
to a ghost engineer who reportedly
haunts the engine room.$$$
EATER’S DIGEST