Early 2010 diners will remember the Hart and the Hunter, the rustic Southern-influenced restaurant inside the Palihotel Melrose that operated from 2012 to 2021. On Wednesday, September 30, the Hart and the Hunter will return to its original West Hollywood
location with a daily brunch menu at the corner of Hayworth and Melrose Avenues, marking another entrant for Los Angeles’s years-long resurrected restaurant trend .
The Hart and the Hunter was a notable launchpad for some Los Angeles dining talent. Chefs Kris Tominaga and Brian Dunsmoor established Venice’s popular Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing pop-up before partnering with Paligroup to open the Hart and the Hunter in 2012. Tominaga eventually departedto helm Manuela in the Arts District in 2018, while Dunsmoor left to debut Hatchet Hall in 2015, then his eponymous Glassell Park restaurant in 2022. The Hart and the Hunter became an essential hangout that opened the same year as Bestia, Laurel Hardware, Alma, Sycamore Kitchen, Gusto, Plan Check, Post and Beam, and the Pikey. All defined the energetic mid-aughts era in Los Angeles dining, though only a handful remain.
Managing director of culinary James Siao tells Eater that the Hart and the Hunter departed Los Angeles during the pandemic to focus on operations in Seattle in Pike Place Market. “Having the opportunity to return to LA in a space where it started is a great opportunity.”
Though the Hart and the Hunter hit the Los Angeles dining scene with dinner service, the revival team will focus on a straightforward daytime menu for those seeking a traditional combination breakfast platter; smoked corned beef hash; salmon toast; and cinnamon French toast topped with berries, whipped cream, and candied walnuts. Chicken pot pie in puff pastry, a braised beef melt, an open-face turkey melt, and a Reuben round out the savory dishes, while salads range from traditional Caesar or Waldorf to Cobb. Order the classic biscuit with chile butter for the table, or, from noon to 3 p.m. on weekdays, try the $30 menu with a biscuit (beloved by Jonathan Gold), which includes a choice of entree, salad, and a non-alcoholic beverage. The restaurant has even hopped on the girl dinner trend with a $20 “girl brunch:” Caesar salad, fries, and house spritz. Siao also says they’ll bring back monthly shrimp boils on the patio.
A bloody mary, cold brew Negroni, Limoncello spritz, or the oat milk Espresso martini will cost no more than $15. Spanish, Californian, and French wines are also available, but the bar plans to stick to Skyduster for beer. The restaurant will likely capture happy hour fans with a $4 beer, $7 wine, and $12 cocktail menu from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
If everything feels somewhat affordable, that’s intentional, says Siao. “I wanted to be reasonable and approachable with the food, but also the cocktails,” says Siao. “With cocktails at $15, in a market that has seen a big swing in cocktail pricing.”
The room has some light changes from when it moonlighted as the former Blue Daisy Melrose. It has been restyled with touch-ups and new art and fixtures, though Blue Daisy used much from the original Hart and the Hunter, meaning it was not too hard for the restaurant to recapture its essence.
The Hart and the Hunter’s return to Los Angeles echoes Jonah Freedman’s August takeover and refresh of the nearly four-decade-old San Fernando Valley French institution, Mistral. A few years back, Sweet Lady Jane and Café Tropical took a similar path by reopening their doors under new ownership. In the last year, the teams behind Tasting Kitchen in Venice and Broken Spanish Comedor in Culver City have also revived long-missed restaurants. The Hart and the Hunter still hopes to contribute to the city where it all began. “It’s unfortunate to see some of these foundational restaurants close,” says Siao. “Having come back from where we started is memorable for us. It’s more of a homecoming to come back to a scene we helped be a part of.”
On September 30, the Hart and the Hunter will operate daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 7950 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA, 90046.
