Details are emerging on Sam Nazarian’s five-million dollar takeover of the Vine Street development once struggling to become a new Palihouse location. The property is now set to open as The Redbury, a hotel focused on suites and extended stays. Celebrity photographer and video director Matthew Rolston is involved in developing the concept here as creative director, announced by a press release that throws words like “DIY,” “counter-culture,” and “Bohemian” around as if this won’t be a magnet for the company’s typical cast of cheeseballs. SBE’s first attempt at its own restaurant will come in the form of Cleo, helmed by the group’s executive chef Danny Elmaleh, who recently helped refresh Gladstone’s. And what will Cleo serve?
Lunch, dinner, and late-night menus of mezze will include small plates of meat, seafood, and vegetables, with house-made lafa flatbreads, specialty dishes cooked in a stone oven, a raw bar, salads, and a dependable selection of vegetarian fare. Both the hotel and restaurant could be opening right around the corner, with SBE projecting a debut date in mid-August. Don’t expect The Bazaar or XIV just yet, but chances are good, provided enough vision and freedom for Elmaleh on his first personal venture, that this could be a unique contribution to Hollywood hotel dining that veers from the ubiquitous steakhouse/brasserie route.
The Redbury and Cleo, opening soon at 1717 Vine St. Hollywood.
