Stir Crazy (Los Angeles, CA)
Stir Crazy Restaurant
6903 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
323-433-4933
www.instagram.com/stircrazy.la/
Mon 08/11/2025, 05:00p-07:15p
Back in July last year, I enjoyed a great meal at Meteora, a while walking there, passed by this small restaurant that was packed to the gills, with guests spilling out into the sidewalk. At the time, I didn't know that the spot was Stir Crazy. I only found that out a month later, when Jordan Chen of Yang's Kitchen recommended the place, which had opened right at the start of May 2023. The edge-of-Hollywood, Cal-European wine bar-slash-bistro subsequently went into my Excel spreadsheet of places to try, and I decided to finally check it out following an appointment I had in the area.
The background: The history here dates back over 30 years, and starts with Stir Crazy Coffee House, which was founded by Dino Trucco and apparently opened on the day of the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Now interestingly, the original Stir Crazy was actually located a few doors down at 6917 Melrose, the former home of another coffee shop called Java Man. The cafe soon established itself as a go-to spot for those in the movie industry, and in the early 2000s, moved to its current address, where it chugged along until it was forced to shutter temporarily due to the pandemic.
Enter Harley Wertheimer (a.k.a. Harlan Justice Wertheimer). The LA native made his money in the music industry as a vice-president of A&R at Columbia Records (where he worked for 14 years) and as a partner in Zelig Records (founded in 2018 with Mark Ronson and Brandon Creed). He's also the creator of CASTLE Gallery, an art gallery he started in 2022 at his home in Hancock Park, though as of September 2024, it's now located at 941 N Orange Drive, not far from Stir Crazy. In any case, Wertheimer always liked the idea of running his own café, and thus ended up approaching Trucco during the pandemic, offering to take the property off his hands. Trucco agreed (he wanted to retire), and Stir Crazy Coffee House would shut down in August 2022.
However, Wertheimer didn't want to go it alone, and thus teamed up with Macklin Casnoff, who'd he'd known casually for years. Casnoff also grew up in LA, and curiously, while attending Oakwood School in North Hollywood, actually apprenticed at Providence. After graduating from high school in 2011, he attended Bard College in New York's Hudson Valley, and during his tenure there, staged at Benu and also cooked at Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria in Manhattan. Following completion of his BA degree in 2016, Casnoff went to work for culinary incubator Pilotworks, then started an apple juice-focused food company called Lovely Bunch. After being approached by Wertheimer, he roped in Stir Crazy's third owner, Mackenzie Hoffman, as the two were both working with Jill Bernheimer's wine retailer Domaine LA at the time.
Hoffman is in the charge of the beverage program here, and actually studied Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University. She started her hospitality career at the age of 18, and early on, trained in the FOH at Union Square Hospitality Group. From there, she transitioned to The Four Horsemen, a well-regarded wine bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn opened in 2015 by James Murphy (of LCD Soundsystem fame) and Justin Chearno. In 2019, Hoffman moved to SoCal to serve as AGM/Beverage Director at Onda, a short-lived project at the Santa Monica Proper Hotel from Gabriela Cámara and Jessica Koslow. Following Onda's pandemic-induced closure, she began working with both DomaineLA and El Prado, a wine bar in Echo Park, before joining the Stir Crazy team.
With the three principals in place, it was now time to find someone to run the kitchen, and for that, they've tapped Chef Caroline Leff, who actually met Hoffman when they were both at Onda. After her stint at Onda, Leff cooked under Evan Funke at Felix Trattoria, where she focused on pasta-making. She then helped open Mother Wolf at the end of 2021, and later worked the line at Horses. Leff has also teamed up with her life/business partner Ariana Eskenazi to launch a catering company by the name of Angelus.
A fun fact: The first home of Stir Crazy Coffee House at 6917 Melrose has, as of late 2024, been taken over by Hollywood Books. The small bookstore is run by one Rebecca Ressler, who just happens to be married to Casnoff, so I guess things really have come full circle in a way.
Here we see the dining room, which spans 500 square-feet and seats a mere two dozen or so. It's a cozy space, and apparently draws from Victorian era European café aesthetics. Do note that there's additional seating on the patio and sidewalk out front.
As for Stir Crazy's menu, I'd say it tends to read southern European, with a bit of an Angeleno bent I suppose, which I think fits nicely here. We also see the restaurant's selection of wines by the glass. Click for larger versions.
Hoffman curates an interesting, surprisingly lengthy wine list, one that leans "natural," low-intervention, and Old World (i.e. France). Click for larger versions.
Spring onion dip with potato chips + trout roe [$12.00 + 5.00]
I started things off casually with a dip that conveyed the sweet, zingy character of green onion in such an unabashed manner. The addition of that red caviar imparted a welcomed briny accent to the dish, while the crisps made sense as a salty, crunchy method for consumption.
Given the hot weather we were having, it felt right to pop open a bottle of the Wavy 2022 'NRG' palomino, chardonnay Sonoma, CA [$63]. A California pét-nat, this showed off a nose bursting with lemon, apple, and just a touch of funk. On the palate, the wine went in a lively, effervescent direction, with more of those orchard fruit notes supported by an earthy, mineral-y backbone. Super fun and quaffable.
Leek toast with chèvre and kombu oil [$14.00]
The zippy bite of leek was on clear display here, moderated by that creamy goat cheese while the seaweed imparted a palpable depth. My gripe was that the bread veered overly toasted, making the dish somewhat difficult to eat cleanly.
Roast beef with tuna tonnato, pickled cucumber, and fennel pollen [$23.00]
A riff on vitello tonnato was a success. I was a fan of the creamy, in-your-face briny nature of the tuna-boosted sauce, and how that melded with the relatively subdued flavors of the beef rump. Simultaneously, you had the piquancy from the caper-pickle duet, which actually helped tie everything together.
Rockfish crudo with olive oil, brown butter, and bronte pistachios [$24.00]
The crudo was another must-try, and didn't let me down. I was pretty enamored with the back-and-forth between the rich, warm flavors of the beurre noisette and the dish's citrusiness, which managed to complement the fish without ever overwhelming it. At the same time, there was this lingering floral element I liked (from the olive oil I assume), while the pistachios offered up some textural variation.
Big eye tuna tartare with raspberries and poached fennel [$24.00]
My second preparation of raw fish was also a winner. Here, the crux really was the interplay between the massive umami qualities of the tuna and the sweet-tartness from the two types of raspberries. It was a super smart combo, one that played nicely with the dish's overarching herbaceous notes.
At this point, I was in the mood for a chilled red, and was recommended the off-menu Domaine Saint-Cyr 2023 'Mélo' gamay, pinot noir, chardonnay Beaujolais, Fr [$85]. Aromas here brought an appealing mélange of red meat and strawberries. Taking a sip, I found plenty more of that tart berry fruit, commingled with earth, mineral, and a bit of a reductive quality. An easy-going wine that certainly fit the bill.
Summer squash with walnut romesco and mint [$19.00]
Next up was a light, summery dish in which the squash functioned as an effective medium for the interaction between bright, refreshing mint and a nutty, tangy romesco.
Pork collar with jus and artichoke and coco bean caponata [$32.00]
My final savory was a spot-on rendition of pork neck, one loaded with all the salty, porcine, and umami-laden flavors I was looking for. Given the heft of the meat, the troika of beans, artichoke, and parsley was crucial for balance.
Beets and berries granita trifle with cream [$12.00]
It was now time for dessert, and my server Michael ended up recommending this particular creation. The marriage of beet and raspberry really made me think of pomegranate, and the resulting tart, almost herby sensation paired effortlessly with the layer of creamy, slightly salty mascarpone. Just lovely.
Ice cream sandwich
At the end of the night, Chef Leff sent out a complimentary half-ice cream sandwich. The vanilla ice cream itself was a joy, and easily more robustly-flavored than most. As tasty as it was, the hero here was actually the cookie, apparently made from pulverized leftover bread, which resulted in a gritty, super gratifying sort of mouthfeel.
Stir Crazy seems like a neighborhood-y sort of spot, but one with much higher-than-usual ambitions. The cooking is on one hand straightforward and unpretentious, but on the other, weaves together elements in cool, clever ways that I wouldn't expect. If that wasn't enough, the team here is clearly eager and energetic, and the wine program an unexpected delight. All things considered, I feel like this is a place that deserves more attention than it's getting.
6903 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90038
323-433-4933
www.instagram.com/stircrazy.la/
Mon 08/11/2025, 05:00p-07:15p
Back in July last year, I enjoyed a great meal at Meteora, a while walking there, passed by this small restaurant that was packed to the gills, with guests spilling out into the sidewalk. At the time, I didn't know that the spot was Stir Crazy. I only found that out a month later, when Jordan Chen of Yang's Kitchen recommended the place, which had opened right at the start of May 2023. The edge-of-Hollywood, Cal-European wine bar-slash-bistro subsequently went into my Excel spreadsheet of places to try, and I decided to finally check it out following an appointment I had in the area.
The background: The history here dates back over 30 years, and starts with Stir Crazy Coffee House, which was founded by Dino Trucco and apparently opened on the day of the 1994 Northridge earthquake. Now interestingly, the original Stir Crazy was actually located a few doors down at 6917 Melrose, the former home of another coffee shop called Java Man. The cafe soon established itself as a go-to spot for those in the movie industry, and in the early 2000s, moved to its current address, where it chugged along until it was forced to shutter temporarily due to the pandemic.
Enter Harley Wertheimer (a.k.a. Harlan Justice Wertheimer). The LA native made his money in the music industry as a vice-president of A&R at Columbia Records (where he worked for 14 years) and as a partner in Zelig Records (founded in 2018 with Mark Ronson and Brandon Creed). He's also the creator of CASTLE Gallery, an art gallery he started in 2022 at his home in Hancock Park, though as of September 2024, it's now located at 941 N Orange Drive, not far from Stir Crazy. In any case, Wertheimer always liked the idea of running his own café, and thus ended up approaching Trucco during the pandemic, offering to take the property off his hands. Trucco agreed (he wanted to retire), and Stir Crazy Coffee House would shut down in August 2022.
However, Wertheimer didn't want to go it alone, and thus teamed up with Macklin Casnoff, who'd he'd known casually for years. Casnoff also grew up in LA, and curiously, while attending Oakwood School in North Hollywood, actually apprenticed at Providence. After graduating from high school in 2011, he attended Bard College in New York's Hudson Valley, and during his tenure there, staged at Benu and also cooked at Il Buco Alimentari & Vineria in Manhattan. Following completion of his BA degree in 2016, Casnoff went to work for culinary incubator Pilotworks, then started an apple juice-focused food company called Lovely Bunch. After being approached by Wertheimer, he roped in Stir Crazy's third owner, Mackenzie Hoffman, as the two were both working with Jill Bernheimer's wine retailer Domaine LA at the time.
Hoffman is in the charge of the beverage program here, and actually studied Nutrition and Food Studies at New York University. She started her hospitality career at the age of 18, and early on, trained in the FOH at Union Square Hospitality Group. From there, she transitioned to The Four Horsemen, a well-regarded wine bar in Williamsburg, Brooklyn opened in 2015 by James Murphy (of LCD Soundsystem fame) and Justin Chearno. In 2019, Hoffman moved to SoCal to serve as AGM/Beverage Director at Onda, a short-lived project at the Santa Monica Proper Hotel from Gabriela Cámara and Jessica Koslow. Following Onda's pandemic-induced closure, she began working with both DomaineLA and El Prado, a wine bar in Echo Park, before joining the Stir Crazy team.
With the three principals in place, it was now time to find someone to run the kitchen, and for that, they've tapped Chef Caroline Leff, who actually met Hoffman when they were both at Onda. After her stint at Onda, Leff cooked under Evan Funke at Felix Trattoria, where she focused on pasta-making. She then helped open Mother Wolf at the end of 2021, and later worked the line at Horses. Leff has also teamed up with her life/business partner Ariana Eskenazi to launch a catering company by the name of Angelus.
A fun fact: The first home of Stir Crazy Coffee House at 6917 Melrose has, as of late 2024, been taken over by Hollywood Books. The small bookstore is run by one Rebecca Ressler, who just happens to be married to Casnoff, so I guess things really have come full circle in a way.
Here we see the dining room, which spans 500 square-feet and seats a mere two dozen or so. It's a cozy space, and apparently draws from Victorian era European café aesthetics. Do note that there's additional seating on the patio and sidewalk out front.
As for Stir Crazy's menu, I'd say it tends to read southern European, with a bit of an Angeleno bent I suppose, which I think fits nicely here. We also see the restaurant's selection of wines by the glass. Click for larger versions.
Hoffman curates an interesting, surprisingly lengthy wine list, one that leans "natural," low-intervention, and Old World (i.e. France). Click for larger versions.
Spring onion dip with potato chips + trout roe [$12.00 + 5.00]
I started things off casually with a dip that conveyed the sweet, zingy character of green onion in such an unabashed manner. The addition of that red caviar imparted a welcomed briny accent to the dish, while the crisps made sense as a salty, crunchy method for consumption.
Given the hot weather we were having, it felt right to pop open a bottle of the Wavy 2022 'NRG' palomino, chardonnay Sonoma, CA [$63]. A California pét-nat, this showed off a nose bursting with lemon, apple, and just a touch of funk. On the palate, the wine went in a lively, effervescent direction, with more of those orchard fruit notes supported by an earthy, mineral-y backbone. Super fun and quaffable.
Leek toast with chèvre and kombu oil [$14.00]
The zippy bite of leek was on clear display here, moderated by that creamy goat cheese while the seaweed imparted a palpable depth. My gripe was that the bread veered overly toasted, making the dish somewhat difficult to eat cleanly.
Roast beef with tuna tonnato, pickled cucumber, and fennel pollen [$23.00]
A riff on vitello tonnato was a success. I was a fan of the creamy, in-your-face briny nature of the tuna-boosted sauce, and how that melded with the relatively subdued flavors of the beef rump. Simultaneously, you had the piquancy from the caper-pickle duet, which actually helped tie everything together.
Rockfish crudo with olive oil, brown butter, and bronte pistachios [$24.00]
The crudo was another must-try, and didn't let me down. I was pretty enamored with the back-and-forth between the rich, warm flavors of the beurre noisette and the dish's citrusiness, which managed to complement the fish without ever overwhelming it. At the same time, there was this lingering floral element I liked (from the olive oil I assume), while the pistachios offered up some textural variation.
Big eye tuna tartare with raspberries and poached fennel [$24.00]
My second preparation of raw fish was also a winner. Here, the crux really was the interplay between the massive umami qualities of the tuna and the sweet-tartness from the two types of raspberries. It was a super smart combo, one that played nicely with the dish's overarching herbaceous notes.
At this point, I was in the mood for a chilled red, and was recommended the off-menu Domaine Saint-Cyr 2023 'Mélo' gamay, pinot noir, chardonnay Beaujolais, Fr [$85]. Aromas here brought an appealing mélange of red meat and strawberries. Taking a sip, I found plenty more of that tart berry fruit, commingled with earth, mineral, and a bit of a reductive quality. An easy-going wine that certainly fit the bill.
Summer squash with walnut romesco and mint [$19.00]
Next up was a light, summery dish in which the squash functioned as an effective medium for the interaction between bright, refreshing mint and a nutty, tangy romesco.
Pork collar with jus and artichoke and coco bean caponata [$32.00]
My final savory was a spot-on rendition of pork neck, one loaded with all the salty, porcine, and umami-laden flavors I was looking for. Given the heft of the meat, the troika of beans, artichoke, and parsley was crucial for balance.
Beets and berries granita trifle with cream [$12.00]
It was now time for dessert, and my server Michael ended up recommending this particular creation. The marriage of beet and raspberry really made me think of pomegranate, and the resulting tart, almost herby sensation paired effortlessly with the layer of creamy, slightly salty mascarpone. Just lovely.
Ice cream sandwich
At the end of the night, Chef Leff sent out a complimentary half-ice cream sandwich. The vanilla ice cream itself was a joy, and easily more robustly-flavored than most. As tasty as it was, the hero here was actually the cookie, apparently made from pulverized leftover bread, which resulted in a gritty, super gratifying sort of mouthfeel.
Stir Crazy seems like a neighborhood-y sort of spot, but one with much higher-than-usual ambitions. The cooking is on one hand straightforward and unpretentious, but on the other, weaves together elements in cool, clever ways that I wouldn't expect. If that wasn't enough, the team here is clearly eager and energetic, and the wine program an unexpected delight. All things considered, I feel like this is a place that deserves more attention than it's getting.
posted by kevinEats at
5:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home