It Was Kismet…

It was a windy Sunday and not conducive to beach going.

We hiked, hit up the Palisades Farmer’s Market and then made the long journey to Los Feliz.

If this was the east coast, we would have been in a new state by the time we arrived at the theater in Los Feliz.

We revisited the small, but mighty Skylight Theater and witnessed a very moving new play, Lord Of The Underworld’s Home For Unwed Mother’s.

Our next form of entertainment…dinner.

I had read about Kismet, a sparkling new restaurant in the ‘hood.

Kismet is a minimalist communal spot for all-day Mediterranean fare…a breathe of fresh air.

Kismet

The cozy restaurant is light, bright and quite welcoming.

I loved the touch of color on the tables, highlighted by pink cloth napkins designed by the owner’s artist friend.

Chef/Owners Sarah Hymanson, Sarah Kramer  photo: la eater

The principals have stellar resumes and I was curious.

Chef/owner Sarah Kramer began her cooking career at Blue Hill at Stone Barns among other notable NYC restaurants. Before relocating to LA, she was the opening chef of Glasserie for which she won Eater’s NYC Chef of the Year.

Chef/owner Sarah Hymanson also worked at the famed Blue Hill at Stone Barns. After opening the NY outpost of Mission Chinese, she joined Sara Kramer at Glasserie.

In 2015, Hymanson and Kramer opened Madcapra, a produce-driven falafel shop in Los Angeles’ Grand Central Market.

Kismet photo:kismet

We settled in to our sleek, bleached wood table.

I am always in a conundrum about which side to show diners as I am squeezing between closely situated tables…booty or the breasts.

Anyway, we were warmly greeted by the charming, Avery, a screenwriter superbly masquerading as a server.

She served us well and we kicked off the adventure with a lovely California Rose, 2015 Arnot Roberts Luchsinger Vineyard ($16).

Feta

Our first dish was a tantalizing Marinated Feta perfectly matched with slivered slices of green apple, tuscan kale and leeks ($13).

Persian Cucumbers

Our next selection was Persian Cucumbers with citrus, rosewater labneh and parsley seed za’atar ($14).

The adorable curls of cucumber were very good and the yogurt and orange complimented the dish. I felt that there were just too many Middle Eastern herbs which distracted from the fresh essence of the serving. As Coco Chanel always said, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” Sage advice.

Squid

The Squid on the Plancha was not in my wheelhouse. Don’t get me wrong, it was very good, the celery crispy and the broccoli prepared perfectly. I prefer my squid chargrilled. It was excellent squid and my husband made it all gone. I picked out the veggies and was quite content.

Jeweled Crispy Rice

We finished things off with the  Jeweled Crispy Rice which was delectable ($14). I loved the currants and nuts and the crispy texture. Surprise, inside there was an egg yolk.

Realistically, driving one hour without traffic is a very long way to go for a meal.

Kismet will do very well in the Los Feliz/Hollywood neighborhood with its’ offering of Mideast flavors blended for California tastebuds.

It was Kismet, but for me, not a lasting relationship.

Kismet 4648 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles. Open 10am-11pm daily. Reservations on Resy. A 20% service charge is included in the bill.

 

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