The Writer’s Room, once more of a private affair for industry names, officially opened to the public in mid-October behind Musso & Frank, in a space said to have served liquid inspiration to hard-drinking scribes like Chandler, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Faulkner in a bygone age. The small bar space is the first West Coast project from Nur Khan, who opened New York’s Rose Bar at Gramercy Park Hotel and most recently the Electric Room at Dream Downtown Hote, in conjunction with Supperclub’s Abdi Manavi, Holly Wiersma, and a coterie of celebs including Jack Huston (AKA the guy with the creepy half-face from Boardwalk Empire), Jason Segal, and producer/screenwriter William Monahan.
Since we’re already name-dropping, it would behoove us to mention that Red-O designer Gulla Jonsdottir helped design the 1,000 square-foot masculine old Hollywood space and grand garden patio, while the entrance is discreetly tucked into the alley behind the famous Hollywood restaurant (though the two are apparently not working in concert).
Most interesting is the emerging cocktail program here by former Doheny bartender Daniel “Dandy” Nelson that finds this smooth operator making drinks inspired by L.A.’s far-flung international cuisine and served in his own collection of 1950’s-era Libbey silver leaf glassware. Of course, Julian Cox gave us a drinkable barbacoa not too long ago, allowing us to finally dream of the day Nelson may serve us that birria cocktail we’ve long dreamed of!
Stay tuned as learn more about Nelson’s cocktails based on L.A.’s favorite eats as The Writer’s Room springs to life in Hollywood.
The Writer’s Room, 6685 Hollywood Blvd. Hollywood. (but more like the alleyway north of Hollywood Blvd, Between Cherokee and Las Palmas Ave.)
