Silver Lake: Earlier in the week, we got a first look inside Barbrix, a new casual eatery and wine bar helmed by veteran restaurateurs Claudio and Adria Blotta. The husband and wife team were forced to postpone the opening—which was originally penciled in for summer 2008—due to some issues with the strict Los Angeles parking codes, but as of now, the Hyperion Avenue project is finally en route to open sometime in early April. Oddly enough, the space is a converted kindergarten school (rumored to be Scientologist — can anyone confirm?) and it took a neighborly move from Baller Hardware next door, which generously offered to lend after hours parking to satisfy the authorities, in order to get the green light for the parking issue.
That’s the type of neighborhood gesture that Barbrix hopes to extend back to the Silverlake/Los Feliz community. As Blotta explains, they want the eatery to be accessible, friendly and a “home away from home.” The design certainly accommodates this vision: the exterior looks like a hip friend’s home, with a (soon-to-be) patio out front. Meanwhile, the interior is anchored by a large L-shaped counter that directly faces into the open kitchen. Guest will be able to see chef Don Dickman (veteran of Rocca Restaurant) create a changing Mediterranean/Californian menu inspired by the farmers' market. Plates are meant to be shared and the wine list will be extensive, hand-selected, but affordable ($5 - $9 a glass on average).
The unstructured setting and menu seems like a good match for the eastside crowd, and like we said earlier, look for Barbrix to be open by the beginning of April. Bonus: their website is live too.
