St. Anne’s Debuts in NoHo Arts District

For 31 years, St. Anne’s in the NoHo Arts District operated as a thrift store. Now the location has taken a 180º turn after being transformed into an eatery by Kevin Grigorian, who’s run neighboring EAT NoHo for 11 years. Edgar Ramos, who is still chef of EAT NoHo’s sister restaurant Blacksmiths DTLA, crafted the eclectic menu with Mediterranean and Latin flourishes.

I ordered three dishes “meant to share,” starting with a salad with bracing acidity that combined grilled peaches, shaved fennel, citrus, baby arugula, tangy gobs of goat cheese, caramelized walnuts and passion fruit dressing. Black pepper fettuccine featured house-made pasta ribbons slicked with chicken stock and tossed with crumbled house-made pork sausage, plenty of caramelized garlic, Pecorino cheese, parsley and spicy chile flakes. Lobster toast was a luxurious preparation starring butter-poached lobster on soft house-baked country sourdough with earthy squid ink aioli, opal basil, pickled chiles, radish slices, microgreens and citrus.

A chef from South End pizzeria in Venice is also on board to make sourdough pizzas. He was out sick the day I visited so I wasn’t able to taste his pizzas, but I intend to return for his unique lobster pizza with pistachio pesto sauce, Fontina and burrata cheeses.

For dessert, St. Anne’s serves flourless chocolate cake and New Orleans-style beignets dusted with powdered sugar. The chef also had a dessert special: an ice cream sandwich with house-baked chocolate chip cookies and ube ice cream plated with toasted pistachios and white chocolate shavings.

The textured space features brick walls, wooden herringbone floors, an L-shaped marble and brass bar, exhibition kitchen and striking mural that combines a bustling beehive with iconic Hollywood images.

11102 W. Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, 818-806-8007