“I’m excited to cook in Hollywood — it’s a much later crowd,” says Evan Funke, the LA native and pasta maestro behind Venice’s popular Felix Trattoria, which just opened Mother Wolf on Wilcox Avenue. The more emphasis on Roman cuisine is very different from that of Felix, which Funke considers “Italy’s greatest hits”. Just days after Mother Wolf opened on New Years Eve, Felix regulars like Jeffrey Katzenberg were already stopping by to pay their respects to the pasta pro.

Next to the bustling new Thompson Hotel on Wilcox, the restaurant has taken over the ground floor of the Hollywood Citizen-News Building, a sprawling space with a 1931 art deco tiled exterior that you’ve probably passed a million times without. realize that the historic newspaper offices were just sitting there, waiting for their moment to shine as a restaurant.

Inside, Martin Brudnizki Design Studio has created a “lavish and comfortable” setting for 150 guests, says Funke, that combines old-world elements like antique mirror accents and ornate trim with a large bar, expansive exposed kitchen and a wood-fired pizza. oven. “People say they don’t feel like they’re in Los Angeles,” says Funke, who finds that “people really want to be swept up in their dining experience.” Indeed, the warm and colorful interior is more reminiscent of a bustling Parisian brasserie or Viennese café than a typical Los Angeles restaurant.

Rome is an “extraordinary city, quite modern and at the same time ancient”, says Funke. This approach is reflected in his interpretations of classic preparations such as cacio e pepe, carbonara and amatriciana. While the seasonally rotating menus take advantage of produce from 20 California farms, other ingredients are imported from Italy to “give the food a sense of place,” says Funke.

The stuffed squash blossoms use imported buffalo ricotta, while the prosciutto, guanciale, pecorino and olive oil have also made the trip from the motherland. One of the most characteristic dishes of the city is the artichoke “alla Giudia”, in the Jewish style, and the crispy and lemony version of the traditional preparation of Funke is an essential appetizer. Funke tops Rome’s platter-sized thin-crust pizzas are topped with choices like salame piccante, wild mushrooms or porchetta, and Funke is also keen on New Zealand lamb chops with chicories, oxtail stew pasta and homemade gelati and sorbetti. in seasonal flavors such as Meyer lemon, pear, pistachio and discreet but delicious fior di latte, or milk flower.

The wine list is all-Italian, and the cocktails get “little twists that respect classic recipes,” says Funke, like the seductive Negroni blanco with mescal or the White Russian made with nocino liqueur. 1545 Wilcox Ave, Hollywood

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Magari replaces Paley in Hollywood

Paley’s restaurant on Sunset Boulevard has not survived the pandemic, but the Columbia Square space has been redesigned as Magari, which will mix Italian cuisine and Japanese influences when it opens in February. Fresh pasta with Japanese toppings, a crudo bar, and A4 wagyu beef are among the highlights of the menu to look forward to, and there’s a 50-seat patio. 6115 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood