Al Fresco on the top flow? Great views mixed with fantastic food? Don’t think twice, it’s AllBright.
Cheeky intro aside, this Melrose Place staple was a breath of fresh air. The famed women’s club and incubator of female talent recently opened their rooftop for fine-dining, a wonderful addition to their already stout cultural offerings.
The space is open, inviting, and fully-compliant with CDC COVID regulations. Everyone is spaced, everything is clean, servers wear masks, peace of mind is in reach.
Chef Penelope Perez Llera’s menu is fresh and fanciful, with constant nods to LA culture.
Photo: Theresa Bateman
The b.L.A.t. – get it? L.A.? -boasts crispy bacon, avocado, Bloody Mary Mayo on a bed of sourdough. There’s also, as you can imagine, lettuce and tomato. Felt I should mention it just in case.
This was a standout dish, spicy and packed with complementary flavors. It was also light enough to serve as a hearty entrée, memorable but not too filling.
The WeHo Burger is a succulent and savory offering featuring caramelized onions, homemade thousand islands and a brioche bun. If the thousand island sounds familiar, that’s intentional: Chef Llera meant for this meaty delight to be an homage to In N’ Out, California’s finest burger chain. It’s not up for debate!
Photo: Theresa Bateman
The Peruvian Sashimi was a delightful shock, a bowl of salmon, jalapeños, fresh coriander, and – wait for it – miso and coconut Leche de Tigre.
In my notes I wrote ‘never had anything like this,’ and it’s true, I hadn’t. But you can bet I will again.
It was spicy and citrusy and sinewy and sublime, a risk fully validated.
Dessert was a cheesecake pot, paired with their signature matcha cookie. The cheesecake was fluffy and perfectly sweet, a too-easy-to-eat post-meal treat.
Photo: Theresa Bateman
That matcha cookie won’t leave my dreams, haunting me with it’s soft, supple, and sugary body. I love you, cookie.
The aptly-named Escape was my favorite cocktail, a mix of St Germain, Luxardo bitter Bianco, ginger, lemon, Prosecco, sage and seasonal flower. Drink this and float away to a mental island where world peace is the rule, lūau are mandatory and the sand is white as Regis Philbin’s teeth.
So much love to the wonderful, wonderful staff here, from reception to the phenomenal server to Chef Llera, a welcoming, warm well of information, humor and boundless culinary talent.
The AllBright is also offering a new rooftop membership that lets guests preview club services – think yoga, workshops, music – with additional programming offering entrepreneurial support and community sisterhood. Get in before memberships close July 31st by contacting Jenna Richner at Jenna.Richner@allbright.co
