Could Tipple & Brine be Sherman Oaks’ answer to West Hollywood’s Connie and Ted’s or Manhattan Beach’s Fishing With Dynamite? Let’s hope so.

I attended the pre-opening party last week and had a chance to sample oysters that were being passed around. Those were quite good — as were the cocktails, so I look forward to sitting down for dinner to explore the menu. Tipple & Brine officially opened on April 14.

Owner Richard Desisto closed Spitting Chicken to make room for his new concept described as a rustic seafood restaurant focusing on fresh, sustainable food (with an emphasis on oysters) with a classic cocktail program. Richard conceived and designed the restaurant, which has a warm, modern barn look with reclaimed wood from floor to ceiling, complete with Edison bulb chandeliers, vintage chairs, lamps and tiny TVs playing old movies. What it doesn’t have: flatscreen TVs to watch sports.

“I’ve been known for a specific type of restaurant, which was high-energy, packed late into the night and standing room only,” says Richard, who also owns Mad Bull Tavern a couple doors down and Lucy’s 51 in Toluca Lake. “But things have changed as I have changed, and I wanted to create a venue that was more in line with where I am now.”

Richard, who is also vice president of the Sherman Oaks Chamber of Commerce, says he’s been working with city leaders and local homeowners to improve Sherman Oaks and believes that Tipple & Brine, as a more elegantly casual restaurant, is the “first step of that process.”

The menu is divided into sections –

Oysters: Includes varietals like Fanny Bay from Washington, Carlsbad Luna from California and Blue Point from New York, and entrees like baked oysters with creamed nettles, pickled mushrooms and breadcrumbs.

Vegetables: Look for seasonal and creative variations such as cauliflower with currant-cauliflower cream, pickled chili and almonds; baby carrots with coriander honey, pistachio butter, feta and olive relish; asparagus with sherry-maple vinegar, crispy egg, cured ham and Manchego cheese.

Seafood: Unique choices include sea urchin toast with avocado mousse, radish and scallion; lobster terrine with smoked corn puree, micro-cress and crispy shallots; sea bass with duck fat, potatoes and mashed peas. 

Land: Seasonal offerings include roasted chicken with drop biscuits, pea tendrils and spring alums; lamb shank with creamy grits, fava beans and gremolata.

Richard has lined up a team from prominent restaurants throughout Los Angeles. Manning the kitchen is Chef Mike Williams, who has cooked under many well-known chefs including Casey Lane of The Tasting Kitchen on Venice’s Abbot Kinney and the former Parish in DTLA. Working alongside Chef Mike is Logan Jones, who also cooked in Casey Lane kitchens.

Along with craft beers, the cocktail menu will complement the food with a creative, handcrafted twist on classic drinks. The drink team is headed by Daniel Zacharczuk of The Varnish and Honeycut in Los Angeles and includes bartenders who’ve worked in some of the best LA bars, including Harvard & Stone, La Descarga, Caña Rum Bar and Black Market Liquor Bar.

Looking for oyster shooters? That’s baby stuff. The Triple & Brine shooter is serious. It’s called a “Scotch oyster luge,” and there are specific, step-by-step directions about how to eat/drink it.

Tipple & Brine is the first of four new concepts Richard Desisto is launching over the next six months on Ventura Boulevard—all within 200 feet of each other. Stay tuned.

Tipple & Brine is open for dinner Sunday through Wednesday from 5 to 11 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight. For more information, call 818-528-2550. 14633 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks.

 

Community members at the opening party got an early taste of Tipple & Brine.  Photo: Karen Young

The interior is a modern barn look designed with reclaimed and vintage materials.  Photo: Moretti Photo