The Bellwether

The food was salty and I didn’t find anything but the chocolate cake the was great! But this was my first visit!

Went last week and did the dine LA menu to get as many options as possible. We had heard good things about the cauliflower and Brussels sprouts so obviously got those and would definitely get again. We also got fries and a yummy butter lettuce/grapefruit:avocado/walnut salad which was refreshing after all the salty fried things we had. Additionally the lamb stew was nice (although I’m not a huge lamb fan, but my bf is). Didn’t love my steak. The service and the atmosphere was great, so it was overall a good experience.

What a great restaurant we stumbled upon. We were meeting a friend for dinner and he suggested 2 restaurants, we chose this restaurant… even though photos of food were not great (as a good blogger I pay attention to reviews and photos). Because the restaurant is fairly new and every one is coming out to try it, we had 2 options 5:30 or 9:30…we took 9:30 and came at 8:00 to sit at the bar.
They seem to split the bar, what I mean by that is half the bar is reserved and the other half is first come service. We found 1 seat, sat and orders drinks and appetizers. I had the «Smoked Salty Dog» which had a grapefruit infused gin… I loved it!
We ordered 2 appetizers the meatballs and the tempura cauliflower which were amazing! The sauce for the cauliflower is the perfect match and has a similar flavor, to me, of lemongrass… it actually had fish sauce and lime juice in it. We ended up just stating at the bar and tried a variety of other small bites. My favorite was the squid dish and although I don’t have a photo… it’s a must!
The only negative I can say and it’s not so bad:
1. It’s a little loud if you are looking to catch up with friends it may be hard
2. The restaurant also has limited seating and they really have to figure out the bar/​reserved seating issues

This restaurant is wonder from beginning to end.
Starting off with our server, Armean, to the kitchen @mike_raha. The food was exquisite and tasteful at every bite.
Enjoyed the ambience and the aromas of the open kitchen, as well
Thanks for the great service, drinks and food.

The food menu changes every month or so, new dishes are constantly added. Owner & Chef Ted Hopson — is serving some amazing food, from Big Eye Tuna Crudo (sashimi) to Lamb with Cous Cous and fresh mint… The cocktails are on tap/​pre made, unless you ask for wine… which they have. I just went there for DineLA and tried the Menu they made especially. Great atmo, wrap around bar, open kitchen. Make reservations or go early

Wow, we happened to come during Dine LA without even realizing it and what an amazing deal for great food. We ordered one Dine LA menu for 2 of us (3 dishes) plus 2 more small plates. Giant hubby and I were both full plus had a little left over for some breakfast the next day ;) We got: roasted carrots, Brussels sprouts, charred octopus, fries, and New York steak. Everything was yummy. Carrots weren’t really my style, there were a lot of sweet notes for my taste but still good. Fries are super amazing. They are big and chunky but still crispy. Octopus was tender and crispy which is hard to accomplish. Steak was amazing served with chimichuri and roasted elephant garlic, made perfectly to order. We got to sit at the chefs table which is basically the end of the bar in front of the kitchen right near the head chef. If you can get a seat there I’d recommend it. Really fun to watch the food come out of the kitchen and the chefs work… Just like watching cooking shows but live!
Haven’t liked a restaurant in the valley this much in a while. You should check it out!

Came here as part of DineLA and are already planning a trip back.
Would have 5 stars except it’s loud as hell — I couldn’t always hear my boyfriend right next to me… but that’s easily fixed with some acoustic panels.
SERVICE: Outstanding, from the women at the hostess stand (the hostess and the owner, I later found out) to the very personable bartender to the waitstaff. Everyone was pleasant, upbeat and quick with recommendations… and about 3 people told me I’m going to have to go back for the bread pudding… so we’re already planning it.
We didn’t have a reservation, but were able to get a couple of bar seats within 15 minutes on a busy night. And were offered an outdoor seat immediately, but it was cold and I was being a baby.
And the woman who owns the place was IMPRESSIVE. There was a bit of a frustrated customer situation (not us, obviously) and her patience, calm and grace were outstanding. just wow.
DRINKS: The walnut manhattan is my new spirit cocktail. I want another one right now — and it’s 10:30 am on a workday. We also tried the Ventura Boulevardier and the Smoked Salty Dog. Each were tasty, but that manhattan was truly a standout. Loved the bartender’s recs for sipping bourbon.
FOOD: On the quest for perfect fries? Look no more. Perfectly salty, crisp as hell on the outside, but creamy on the inside. Other places should take a lesson. Would have loved a slightly thicker dipping sauce, but fries were so good they didn’t need it.
Other than the mindblowing fries, we had:
Beets (delicious and well balanced. the sauce makes the dish)
Meatballs (Flavorful and meaty, definitely not too much filler.)
Brussels Sprouts (as my bf put it, ‘if all brussels sprouts tasted like this, I’d love brussels sprouts“
Lamb (surprisingly light for a braised lamb dish, in a really nice way. Great balance of flavors with the couscous and the broth.)
NY Steak (The bites my bf let me have were delicious. He finished it. And our 9wk old puppy LOVED the bone. Well flavored, perfectly cooked, well sauced.)

We ordered a combination of dine LA items + a la carte items so that we could maximize the choices.
Tempura cauliflower — like many of the other reviews, this dish was really great. The light tempura batter combined with the dipping sauce was really delicious.
Okinawan sweet potatoes — because we grew up steaming these at home, we were really excited to try them, but we’re so disappointed. The potato was too dry and there was no additional flavor in the dish.
Brussels sprouts — so delicious. Whatever the marinade for this is, it’s fantastic. Perfectly baked, crispy on the outside and tender to the middle.
Beets — the sauce/​cream that garnishes the plate is so delicious. Other than that, it’s what you would expect in beets!
Octopus — so good. The tahini sauce is a perfect complement to the octopus.
Wagyu steak — the greens under the wagyu reminded me of Asian style vegetables that my mom used to make combined with collard greens.
New York steak — the elephant garlic! I thought this meat tastes better than the wagyu.
Lamb — was pretty salty.
The bar was packed with diners and the sports games were playing on the tvs at the bar. Even though the space is on the larger side, it felt like we were in an intimate setting. We could hear one another speaking without having to strain or yell.

I wouldn’t classify myself as a foodie but just, a single gal who eats out A LOT.
I know what I like. I like atmosphere, I like fresh produce, quality meat/​seafood, and a creative chef. Add a quality bar menu… Nirvana!
First visit to Bellwether hit all the sweet spots. Can’t recall the menu items we tried. Girls night out — party of 4. I think we ordered the whole menu minus 5 or 6 items. Wait staff was stellar. Food was on point. Only down side was, we waited about 20 minutes beyond our reservation. Not the restaurants fault. (2 ladies seated at a 4 top, bill paid, drinking water and catching up on the Housewives of Beverly Hills… Just guessing)

We decided to try out dinner during DinaLA week. I’ve passed by the restaurant ever since it opened and crowds never seemed to cease.
I’ve made dinner reservations for 9pm and we were promptly seated (even though the place seemed completely booked). The atmosphere was definitely fun and trendy. The interior was tastefully done — clean and minimal but inviting.
The food was delicious and very well seasoned. My favorite was the New York steak. OMG! THE STEAK. But honestly, everything was amazing. Next time, I’ll definitely leave room for dessert.
TLDR: Yummm! The food is absolutely scrumptious. Trendy and super popular (minus the LA pretentiousness).

I was definitely excited to try out this new spot! The place was packed on a Tuesday night and quite loud, so its definitely better for a small group so you’re able to hear each other.
I’m a vegetarian, so as far as options go for entrees, there aren’t a ton of dishes to choose from. The tempura cauliflower was great, but I wish that the server had told me that there was fish sauce in the dipping sauce before I tasted it and realized for myself. The beets were very good and the french fries were tasty as well.
I ordered the warm mushroom salad that was topped with an egg. I thought the salad had way too much dressing on it to the point where it was overpowering. The greens used in the salad are very bitter and didn’t taste much better with the warm mushrooms.
The stewed chickpeas were the best dish of the night, although I had to ask for some bread to eat with them. I noticed in Unilocal reviews of this dish prior to dining there had a cracker to eat with the chickpeas, but this dish came with none. The dish really needs something like bread to eat it with so you can soak up the great sauce.
The other guests I was with enjoyed the meal and there are definitely some interesting dishes on the menu they are eager to try the next time. I just hope there are more vegetarian main entrée options next time.

I really liked this place. A bit crowded in terms of tables being close and noise level but overall a great experience. The food and service werw excellent.
We had the scallops and hamachi both were really delicious, fresh tasting with nice flavor. The butter lettuce was good but left a little something to be desired. The beets were very good with a nice little almond crunch, they were really done well. The chick peas were good with a little spice and sour cream, I thought were very tasty. The cauliflower was really, really great. Sometimes when cauliflower is done it can be too heavy with the batter and deep frying but this was done with a tempura batter that was very good with a side dipping sauce that went great. I think this is a must.
The mains we had were the flat iron steak and ½ chicken. Both were very good with nice flavor. The desserts were awesome, the bread pudding a must and the chocolate Grenache cake was tasty.
Overall this is a great new place for the valley!

One of the best restaurants on Ventura! I’d read about it on several «Best Restaurant» lists and had been wanting to try it for a while. Highly recommend! We will definitely be going back to try more dishes.
Everything we ordered was delicious — charred octopus, flat iron steak, brussel sprouts, and the french fries that take three days to make! I don’t know what they do for three days, but the final product is incredible.
For a tapas place, the portions are very reasonable. The drink selection is great, too. Wine on tap and house made infusions!
Tip: make a reservation. We lucked out and they had a cancellation, so we got a table rather quickly. But I don’t think that’s always the case.

Packed, buzzing, moving and shaking, Bellwether was cooking tonight — literally. There was a lot of action going on here. The vibe was smoking.
That being said, Bellwether did a lot of things right tonight. They really did! But something was vermish? I’m still trying to figure out what, but I’m a little stuck. I’ll try and break it down but not sure I can?
There were miscues that took away from the dining experience. But even with that it still gets three stars. Not bad? Well with a New Bar being set all over town, Not Bad doesn’t cut it. I mean the food was good and all but…
It was loud. Real loud. There were six of us at a rectangle table and I was sitting at one end. There was a discussion going on to far right of me between three people and I might as well have been on Mars. I was asked to pipe in on this heated subject and my answer was, «what are you guys talking about»?
We ordered a bottle of white and red wine. The white was opened and the red stayed closed. My starter required the red. I was forced to drink a Sancerre with my three meat meatballs with red sauce. I couldn’t flag down our waiter to open the red. I mean not disastrous, not really but «What the hay».
The six starters or Small Shares as they call them were all very good. The entrees or Large Shares, two were excellent, two were very good and two were just OK. There’s that word OK again.
Our slightly inattentive waiter was MIA most of the evening and at one point vanished all together. Our dinner ended with a combination of personnel filling in for this now missing person.
Out of there three dessert selection they were out of the only one we all wanted.
Am I knit picking? No, I liked this place. I really did. Am I spoiled? Probably.
The L.A. dinning scene in the last two years has kicked it up so many notches it has made the words «Good» and «OK», not «Good» or «OK».
I am now proud of my cities food scene and a bit protective. It’s this protective quality in me that gave Bellwether 3 stars and not 4. They can do better. They’ve been open less than ½ a year and did so many things right tonight.
Bellwether, fine tune yourself. It won’t take much work. Your almost there.

So good, and such a welcome contribution to truly good food in the Valley. Dropped in for the brand new brunch menu — such variety and really original options beyond Eggs Benedict and a gorgeous Frittata. Went for BIG flavor options to share: Eggs in Purgatory and a sky-​high Nashville Chicken Sando (super crispy & juicy) with picked Chow Chow. Both had a great kick. Paired it with the fantastic Mama Betty’s Bloody Mary — a meal in itself with a gherkin and mini BLT garnish. Can’t wait to try more, next time from the dinner menu. The fries alone will keep me coming back. Best seats in the house are the bar seats in front of the open kitchen where the fun cooks and staff make good company.

I finally visited the Bellwether, fresh from being ranked #6 «Best New Restaurant» by Los Angeles Magazine in the December 2015 issue.
Not wanting to cook tonight, I decided to make a reservation on Open Table to finally check out the Bellwether. My mind was set on trying their «three-​day process fries» and a vegetable dish (because LA Times food critic Jonathan Gold is really enjoying the Bellwether’s vegetable dishes right now).
As soon as I sat down, Ann-​Marie Verdi (co-​owner), came over to greet me. I asked her for a recommendation on what I should order with their fries. She recommended the patty melt.
I asked her about the hot chicken I recently spotted on Instagram. She told me the Nashville hot chicken sandwich was only offered on their new brunch menu. She mentioned that Monday night is Nashville hot chicken night. Knowing it wasn’t served on the regular menu, I had to try it.
Since Ann-​Marie is the in-​house ciccerone and beverage expert, I put my trust in her and asked her to pick a cocktail that she enjoys from her current offering. She suggested the Bellewether Manhattan.
I haven’t had hot chicken in Nashville yet, but I have had Howlin’ Ray’s Nashville hot chicken on numerous occasions. I would describe their take on hot chicken a little different, but still just as satisfying. It wasn’t as spicy as I thought it would be, the bird was flavorful and juicy.
Their three-​day process fries were out of this world good. Kind of the same feeling I had while eating the churros at B.S. Taqueria. I’ve never had fries that were crisp on the outside, and pillowy soft and moist inside.
Along with Monday’s being Nashville Hot Chicken Night, Mondays is their all day happy hour.
There’s valet parking or if you’re like me, you can try to find metered street parking first before pulling up to valet.
I recommend sitting at the chef’s counter when you visit. To me, that’s the best seat in the house.
The service at the Bellwether is super attentive and memorable.
The Bellwether is my pick for one the best gastropubs in Los Angeles, if not the very best. Not sure if there are many gastropubs cooking at this level, especially in the San Fernando Valley. Also, those fries are dreamy. I’m still thinking about those fries right now.
Thank you Chef Ted Hopson and Ann-​Marie Verdi for opening up your restaurant in this part of the city. We were in desperate need for a neighborhood restaurant serving top notch food.
Highly, highly recommended!!!

Slowly but surely, the Valley is getting some reasonable restaurants. And the Bellwether is a very welcome — and very good — addition to our burgeoning restaurant scene. Chef Ted Hopson and his sister-​in-​law and Maitresse d’hotel Ann-​Marie Verdi are both alums of Sang Yoon’s LA restaurants Father’s Office and Lukson, and clearly know what they are doing!
We happened to roll into the restaurant on a Wednesday evening, figuring things would be pretty quiet mid-​week in December. What we didn’t count on was the fact that buzz is already apparently out about Bellwether, and the place was packed. But Ann-​Marie couldn’t have been more gracious, and promised to try to squeeze us in, and asked us to wait at the bar. At the bar, we tried two of their cocktails, a white negroni and the «Not your mama’s mule», a riff on a Moscow Mule but with the addition of a bit of pomegranate. Both were very good, and it wasn’t long before Ann-​Marie had found us a spot.
Now, on to the food! The Bellwether is nothing like either FO or Lukshon. It reminded me of a lot of the other American fresh ingredient-​centered restaurants that are popping up, but Chef Ted is executing brilliantly! We ordered a bunch of dishes and asked for them to be spaced out so we could share and graze.
First up were the carrots … I know, you’re saying «carrots?» but these were beautiful little thin gems that had a lovely glaze on them, and were topped with toasted whole hazelnuts. Some of the best carrots I have eaten in a very long time!
Next were their twice fried fries (our waitress said they actually take three days to make). The fries were crunchy on the outside, with a beautiful brown exterior, but soft and creamy inside. They came with a fabulous carrot-​habanero sauce along with some crème fraîche.
Then came grilled octopus with greek yoghurt, perfectly cooked and very tender.
After that, we had the raclette and potatoes … I definitely could have used more cheese (or fewer potatoes), and this dish just isn’t the same as eating the cheese molten right from the fire, but the taste was very good, and the smoke paprika was a nice addition.
Next came a gorgeous dish of brussels sprouts, sautéed until the edges are crispy, and served with a bacon and maple gastrique. Now, I used to say I hate brussels sprouts (and I still do hate them steamed) but dishes like this have made me admit the errors of my ways. Fabulous!
At Ann-Marie’s suggestion, we also ordered the patty melt, and we were so glad we did! It comes with melted taleggio, caramelized onions and is on some thick rye bread, with a side of a spicy aioli. Really nice updated version of this American classic.
The last main dish to arrive were the meatball, with both pork and beef as well as ricotta. They were tender and very tasty, and the toasted bread on the side was a nice addition.
As if all of that wasn’t enough, we finished with the bread pudding with ice cream and toasted pecans. The bread pudding wasn’t overly «eggy» and had nice crunch around the edges, and the toasted pecans were a great addition.
As for the comments of other reviewers about the lighting, either they change the lighting as the evening goes on, or they have listened to the reviews and changed things, but it wasn’t at all bright the night we were in, and in fact might have been a tad on the dark side.
Overall, we had a fantastic time, the food was fabulous, and there are lots more dishes we look forward to trying on our next visit.

Monday night in the valley is always a good test for cuisine no matter how far down Ventura you are! The drinks are good and somehat very everything that everyone is offering but nothing special. The appetizers are great and the cauliflower, the French fries are at the top.
The Tennessee fried chicken special was really close to the Loveless Café in Nashville. It’s short on the seasoning of the chicken itself but I have to give the chef credit it was very good especially with the pickles. As for the steak it was pretty good but would I order the game probably not.
Overall this place hit the spot desserts were pretty good but could be a little better a little sweeter. What I come here again yes I would. But I’ll ask friends first what’s good on the menu and just order that.

The Bellwether is an overly bright but still charming upscale gastropub in Studio City, fitting right in with the recent spate of ‘cool’ openings.
The first thing you notice aside from the open kitchen is the bright lighting; a bit too bright, but not horrifying. Either way, should be turned down a little but it is a nice place.
The servers and hosts are nice and efficient, the drinks are solid and the food was good, if not a bit flawed. Notes on the below dishes:
Tempura Cauliflower, Thai Chili, Mint, Thai Basil, Lime, Nam Pla — good, really good in fact. Not Oily, and still kind of ‘crisp.’ Enjoyed it.
Charred Octopus, Tabbouleh, Preserved Lemon, Greek Yogurt, Green Olive — great idea, but a tad bit too minty for my taste. Prepared well.
Roasted Mushroom Salad, Dandelion Greens, Savory, Goat Cheese, Sunny Egg — delicious, probably the best dish we had.
Poached Shrimp, Brown Butter Roasted Fennel, Bernaise, Meyer Lemons —- beautiful execution, but needed some salt.
Confit Turkey, Duck Fat, Pumpkin and Persimmon Mole, Hominy, Verdolagas — exciting and great idea. Good execution. Have to love turkey, though, to get this.
Crispy Pork Rillettes, Potato Rosti, Ham Hock Gravy, Sunny Egg, Pig Ear — a bit too rich for my taste, but good. I rarely say this, but a smaller portion would suffice.
Overall, glad to have it in the Valley but not particularly amazing. I’ll go back, though.

After reading that this place was related to Father’s Office, we had to try it. Walked in and we were slapped in the face with the loud noise level of the room. I was however pleasantly surprised that there wasn’t a wait for a party of 2 since they seemed to be super busy.
Lets just get straight to it, the food wasn’t bad, but there was also nothing memorable about it. We started with the shishito peppers and that dish peaked my interest a tad but none of the flavors stuck together. The beef tongue salad was overly bland, it really needed seasoning as did the grilled skirt steak. The last dish we shared was the roasted half chicken and I am pretty sure not a grain of salt was ever in its presence. I did like the crispy skin though…
Overall we were disappointed with our experience. The service was great and attentive though. I watched them set the table next to us at an almost impeccable standard.