LAReview
photo credit: Holly Liss
Winsome
This spot is Permanently Closed.
Included In
We all remember our first month of college. Or maybe we don’t because we were all too busy guzzling $7 vodka handles and trying to fit in. We were wild with freedom and made mistakes on the hour. But as freshman year went on and we became more comfortable with everything, we started to learn some things. Perhaps we didn’t have to go out every single night of the week, or finish that bottle of Bacardi in the bathroom before the RA walked in. Everybody just needs some time to figure out their sh*t.
Early on, Winsome was also playing fast and loose. But it has now figured out its sh*t.
This isn’t to say the Echo Park spot got off to a disastrous start - you just got the sense at the beginning that it was still trying to figure itself out. But after adding dinner service and making some key menu adjustments, the new version of Winsome is the slightly upscale, welcoming neighborhood restaurant Echo Park desperately needed.
photo credit: Holly Liss
One thing that hasn’t changed: Winsome is, and has always been, a good-looking restaurant. The whole place feels like a Jersey Turnpike diner that Jonathan Adler got ahold of and made into something important. There’s a 12-seat counter and a row of brown leather booths lining the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out into the patio. The place feels bright, airy, and larger than it actually is. The vibe is definitely laid-back, but has a classy edge as well so you’ll feel just as comfortable taking the crew here for brunch as you will a scary client from London who needs his steak cooked a very specific way.
But where Winsome has truly come into its own is with its food. The all-day restaurant is still an excellent brunch spot, but its dinner situation is tremendous and not to be overlooked. Everything from their heirloom tomato salad to the rockfish boil to the ribeye is excellent and different and moves Winsome way beyond the category of simply Saturday Hangover Savior.
Whether it’s your 18-year-old self passing on a game of vodka pong, or a restaurant turning a corner, it might take a minute - but eventually, sometimes, you figure it out. Winsome is proof that the end result is worth the wait.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Holly Liss
Rockfish Boil & Simmer
Fried Egg Sandwich
Heirloom Tomato
photo credit: Holly Liss
Shaved Cauliflower Salad
photo credit: Holly Liss
The Burger
photo credit: Holly Liss
Duck Egg Toast
photo credit: Holly Liss