By Gordon David Durich
Los Angeles, California (The Hollywood Times) 09/18/2023
It may be the inviting menu or the vintage vinyl record décor on the walls. Maybe it’s the storied location. Whatever it is, Grandmaster Recorders now plays well as one of LA’s top dining spots.
On the flipside, Grandmaster Recorders was a top recording studio, playing host to the likes of Bowie (as in David), Bonnie (as in Raitt) and the bands including Black Crowes and Red Hot Chili Peppers who flocked there to record. With a new spin on fine food and libations, GMR represents Hollywood’s A list restaurants with its eclectic fusion of Italian cuisine with a contemporary Australian influence. With bar and rooftop in the mix.
71 Studio, with original control, drum and recording rooms. They are sure to be fair dinkum favorites for ambience and food.
Start with antipasti and caviar to salads and wood-grilled steaks, then gelato. The solid menu offerings are in three different spaces. GMR’s main restaurant.
In the restaurant, there are some really beautiful salads. Whether it’s pizze (pizza) in the restaurant or by the slice on the rooftop. Terrific choices including ribeye steak from Australia, lamb, cod, chicken and more.
Photo Credit: Grandmaster Recorders
Digestives include one named Montenegro, and coffees (espresso, macchiato and latte).
The roof top is more casual. Cocktails, beer, champagne and wines from California, Australia, France and Italy are sure to be a hit with your dinner plate, mate.
Historic, Grandmaster Recorders emerged in a building whose previous life was as the old Bijou silent movie theatre on Cahuenga Boulevard.
Fellow Melbourne (as in Australia) gastronomic entrepreneur, Grant Smillie (with partner David Combes of The Botanical Group) shared their secret for success: “You’ve got to meet your market. We are performing in Los Angeles. We were enamored with the space for GMR when we first saw it. It consolidated into a riff on Italian cuisine with an contemporary Australian sensibility” restaurant. With a nostalgic perspective, it developed and “we were aware of keeping a relationship with food and music. With a solid dining room, which appeals to a different demographic, and then there’s the bar and rooftop which draws a younger crowd. The music varies as well, with live jazz on Wednesdays, with a more DJ- driven vibe on the weekend.… And a Jazz Brunch on Sundays.” There are also record-listening parties.
Grandmaster Recorders celebrates the finest in food and fun. If the walls of this Hollywood hot spot could talk, they’d spin tales of rock royalty who laid down tracks here. If your jam is to mix music food, friends and fun, pick this Grand place.
