As the Los Angeles neighborhood of Echo Park continues to grow in popularity, so goes the neighborhood’s coffee and dining options. Aย surge of independent coffee shops and restaurants has attracted even more new businesses along the once-empty stretch of Sunset Boulevard, only a stone’s throw from Dodger Stadium.
Winsome, however, is situated on an almost hidden road off Sunset, apart from all that nearby activity. Whichย means that unless youโre planning on visiting, youโll most likely zoom past without even noticing it. Located onย the ground floor ofย The Elysian, one of Echo Parkโs newest residential developments,ย Winsome is filling aย void in the neighborhood as aย sit-down space serving good coffee and qualityย food.
I spoke to the busy co-owners, Med Abrous and Marc Rose, via e-mail about the inspirationย behindย their new venture. After successfully enteringย into the nightlife scene with two LA bars, Abrous and Rose felt โit seemed like a natural progression for us to open a full-service restaurant. We fell in love with the rich history and culture of Echo Park and wanted to give the neighborhood a restaurant to call [its]ย own.โ
Winsome’s somewhat unique inย its large space: there areย booths, tables, indoor and outdoor seating, a coffee bar, and stools where you can watch your food being fired up. To help develop the restaurant’s open and fresh layout, Abrous and Rose teamed up with LA-based firm Wendy Haworth Design. Their goal wasย simply โcreating a comfortable space, [that] was really important to us. You walk in and just feel at home.โ
Contributing to the homey feeling,ย next to the coffee counter youโll find goods and provisions from local vendors, including caterer and gift serviceย Valleybrink Road, bean-to-bar chocolate makersย ChocoVivo, and nut-brittle mastersย Morning Glory Confections, to name a few.ย The coffee is exclusively from La Colombe Coffee Roasters, and is pulled from a La Marzocco Linea PBย two-group espresso machine. Being East Coast natives, Abrous and Rose were familiar with La Colombe from its vast presence in places like New York, DC, Chicago, and Philadelphia. The roaster is only just beginning to make itself known inย LA and on the West Coastย (a location is soon to open in Silver Lake); Winsome is one of the first to offer La Colombe in the vicinity.
Also at the coffee counterย areย creative baked goodsย made by pastry chef Leslie Mialma. The vibrantย choices include matcha concha, garam masala monkey bread, and buckwheat ginger oat cookies. LAโs vast andย variedย culinary scene is the source of Mialma’sย inspiration, according to Abrous and Rose: โHer matcha concha is a great example of this [diversity], combining the classic pan dulce of Mexican culture with matcha, a flavor distinct to the cuisine served in Little Tokyo and Chinatown down the street.โ
The food at Winsome is focused on breakfast and lunch. Head chef Jeremy Strubel draws onย classic American favorites, populating hisย menuย with aย grilled corned-beef sandwich, a grass-fed beef burger, and a Comtรฉ-and-speck grilled-cheese sandwich. Lighter fare is also available, such as the baby gem lettuces salad and crispy-tofu plate. The large, diverse menu is a perfect fit for the food-conscious folkย whoย frequentย the cafe and restaurant.
In the very near future, Abrous and Rose plan to expand into dinner, where theyโll add a โfull bar with great cocktails and a stellar wine and beer list.โ Evening hours are likely toย be a hit with the burgeoning young Echo Park community looking for an alternative toย the louder, divey-er bars nearby.
Why the name โWinsome?โ Theyย point toย its meaning: โattractive, appealing, and with childlike charm…We think it sets the stage for your dining experience.โ I think perhaps this place sets a similar stage for growthโand maturityโin the Echo Park food & coffee scene.
Tatiana Ernst is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and photographer. Read more Tatiana Ernst onย Sprudge.