Openings

What to Eat at La Vida, Open in Hollywood

Photo: La Vida

A new fine dining and nightlife venue called La Vida has officially opened at Sunset and Gower, weeks after providing a setting for celeb parties like Quentin Tarantino’s recent star-filled throw-down. La Vida is the creation of Sunset Entertainment Group, whose previous projects include Pig & Whistle, Green Door, White Lotus, and Sunset Room. More interesting than that conglomerate’s involvement, however, is the chef’s background.

Joseph Panarello comes from hot-as-a-habanero Rivera and is bringing some of the Spanish flare he soaked up Downtown into authentic Cali-Mediterranean cuisine. This means lamb burgers with yogurt dressing, anchiote-rubbed Kurobuta, strawberry salad with Jerez dressing, slow-cooked chicken with chorizo, and black bean-brushed quail, among plates of Spanish cheese, sides of chorizo and green chile croquettes, and a late-night menu of small plates. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and once the tables are cleared, becomes a dance club with DJs running the Southern Spanish space, decked out by Touster Wright Design. La Vida’s full dinner menu is below.

La Vida, 1448 Gower St. Hollywood. 323-962-0800

La Vida’s Dinner Menu

Appetizers

Tuna ceviche, taro root, purple peruvian potato chips 14
Kobe beef carpaccio, piquillo peppers, capers, shaved aged goat cheese 16
Baked fresh black cod, verde sauce, potato, serrano ham 12
Curried mussels, red chiles, cilantro 12
Tofu, black bean and humus dressing 9
Crispy squid with aji amarillo chile aioli 12

Salads

Hearts of bibb lettuce, dates, tart cherries, sheep milk cheese, buttermilk thyme dressing
9
Cara cara oranges with baby carrots, ginger vinaigrette 9
Bruno‐russo heirloom tomato, buratta cheese, curried eggplant 12
La Vida ensalada with sherry dressing 7

Mini grills
Black bean brushed quail 12
Sonoma lamb sausage, yogurt sauce 14
Pineapple glazed prawns 14
Asparagus, crushed roasted peanuts 12

Entrees
Champagne braised branzino, arroz negro and spinach 21
Tagine roasted jandori chicken breast, citrus oyster mushrooms, potato spaghetti 19
Mushroom, vegetables and manchego cheese Paella 19
Clam, chorizo and cilantro Paella 19
Mixed chicken and seafood Paella 23
Anchiote rubbed kurabuta pig steak, brandied golden raisins 19
10oz seared flat iron steak sofrito, fingerling potatoes 22
Tandoori spiced lamb chops, caramelized spanish onions, moroccan glaze 28
12oz bone‐in n.y. strip steak, garlic chives, chorizo and green chile croquettes 30

Sides 5.00

Sautéed spinach and cous cous
Creamed saffron corn compote
Spanish cheese stuffed potato cakes
Arroz negro “black rice”
Chorizo and green chile potato croquettes

What to Eat at La Vida, Open in Hollywood