The Garland Hotel, a freeway-friendly property in the shadow of Universal City and right near Ventura Boulevard, is home to The Front Yard—an all-day restaurant with an inviting patio and seasonal cooking. Now The Front Yard has two new chefs. Executive chef Larry Greenwood and chef de cuisine Jacob Smith replace chef Chris Turano, who can now be found behind the stoves at Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood.

Chef Larry was most recently executive chef for LGO Hospitality, overseeing La Grande Orange Café and The Luggage Room Pizzeria in Pasadena. He previously worked as executive chef for STK Los Angeles, The Standard Hotel and BOA Steakhouse. Chef Jacob last worked as Public Restaurants Group corporate executive chef in Southern California.

Larry is now executive chef for The Garland, handling all of the hotel’s culinary efforts, including The Front Yard. Jacob is tied more to The Front Yard, responsible for day-to-day operations and working with Larry on menu development.

What’s the approach moving forward at The Front Yard? Chef Larry says, “When creating a new dish for the menu, I am looking to use fresh, vibrant and seasonal ingredients that reflect The Front Yard’s mission of offering an elevated yet approachable genuine Los Angeles culinary experience. I also always like to add a unique touch to a dish that you could not just replicate at home. This could be anything from the way a dish is cooked, a unique ingredient or flavor or, in most cases, a combination of the two.”

Larry and Jacob plan to test daily specials with and use guest feedback to update the menu heading into fall. Some of the proteins may sound familiar: New York steak, Mary’s Chicken, halibut and pork chop. But preparations will change. Other new dishes Chef Larry expects to make the cut include:

· Whole Roasted Branzino – celery root, charred scallion, chili citrus ponzu

· NY Steak – bacon confit onions, Point Reyes blue cheese, red grape gastrique

· Mary’s Chicken – sweet potato, huckleberry, chicken jus, Swiss chard

· Scallops – ong choy spinach, house-made pasta, chili crab sauce

4222 Vineland Ave., North Hollywood, 818-255-7290