Last year, the Last Word hospitality team was all set to open Chez Renée in the Malibu spot that formerly housed La La Cabana and Giorgio’s. But fate had other ideas, and the historic former sheriff’s station on Pacific Coast Highway burned in the Palisades-Malibu fire in January.
Now co-founders Holly Fox and Adam Weisblatt are paying tribute to that concept at their new restaurant Hermon’s, with the Ode to Chez cheeseburger, a decadent patty topped with soubise fondue and bordelaise onions on a sesame milk bun. It’s just one of the elevated but approachable dishes on the menu of the first serious restaurant ever to open in the tiny neighborhood of Hermon in Northeast Los Angeles. Where is Hermon? Tucked along the Arroyo Parkway between South Pasadena, Highland Park and Montecito Heights, it’s a mostly residential area that was crying out for a place to get a well-made cocktail and a plate of steak frites.
Loaded potato fritter with bacon, chives and parmesan at Hermon’s
Last Word operates several of the area’s hottest restaurants, including Portuguese wine bar Barra Santos in Glassell Park, Queen St. Raw Bar & Grill in Eagle Rock and Found Oyster in East Hollywood. Weisblatt lives in nearby South Pasadena, and had his eye on the former church banquet hall along Monterey Road for several years. While the fire was a harsh setback, it paved the way for Hermon’s, which locals are already welcoming as an addition to the sometimes overly-trendy NELA dining scene.
Hermon’s is almost resolutely anti-trendy: It stakes its claim as a grown-up restaurant, with large half-circle booths, an appealing u-shaped bar and a selection of eclectic art lining the walls. The mission-style dark wood furnishings and tiled bar almost look like they’ve been since Musso & Frank set the city’s dining style and ostriches and lions roamed the nearby movie studios and tourist attractions.
Despite its vintage feel, chef David Kolender’s American bistro-style menu is full of creative touches that situate the restaurant firmly in the modern era. Even the marinated olives zing with orange, fennel and chili flakes, while scallop crudo and panzanella salad also showcase citrus flavors. Steak frites is a classic rendition with perfectly-done fries and a horseradish mayo. While the menu is still growing, mains also include a nightly pasta dish, whole grilled branzino and mushroom bourguignon.
Scallop crudo at Hermon’s
However you order, you will want to start with the garlic bread for the table — a whole round spelt loaf is doused in garlic butter and sure to be instantly devoured. Pair it with a Tiny Tini – the perfect petite cocktail for light drinkers, at just $9; a walnut old-fashioned or the fruit daiquiri of the day. Welcome to Hermon!
Hermon’s, 5800 Monterey Road, Los Angeles
