Genevieve Gergis, SoCal native, pastry chef, and co-owner of beloved LA restaurants Bavel, Bestia, and Saffy’s, takes us through the neighborhoods of her restaurants, from Hollywood into downtown Los Angeles. On the way, she shares some of her top spots around town and, as you might have guessed, food places play a starring role. Start hungry….
Southern California, California
Favorite place to eat in SoCal: It's really hard to choose just one, but the place we go with our daughter Saffron a lot…Saffron's favorite restaurant is Tsubaki. It’s in Echo Park, just a few feet off of Sunset. It's amazing. And Courtney [Kaplan, Tsubaki’s co-owner and sommelier] just won a James Beard award for her sake list. Her sake list is the best outside of Japan I've ever had.
Favorite artwork in SoCal: My favorite thing is all those lampposts by LACMA. They’re great. I feel like LA needs more lampposts like that. And just in general, lampposts are awesome. We have some amazing ones outside of Bavel. I've always been a lamppost lover.
Best kept SoCal secret: I love the shop New High Mart. It’s a Japanese company; they get rare Japanese stuff, housewares, clothing. It’s by appointment only so you have to email them, but I’ve been shopping with them for years. They find artisans from around Japan and they get incredible things..pottery from, like, a hut in the middle of a forest in Japan, things you can't even find in Tokyo. It's crazy.
I love SoCal because...if you know where to go and you're willing to explore, you can find anything. On the surface, LA can seem very superficial. Like Beverly Hills, the malls, the big stuff. But underneath, there's so much here if you keep your eyes open, all these hidden layers. You can drive into Topanga Canyon and find, like, a weird roadside stand with homemade maple syrup and pancakes. And tacos…and so much more than just food. The hidden layers are what I love about SoCal.
1600 Ivar Avenue, Los Angeles
SUN:8AM-1PM
EXPLORE THE FARMER’S MARKET
If it’s a Sunday, go early to the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, famous for its vast range of offerings including produce, of course, but also cheeses, seafood, flowers, dips, baked goods…. “Ken’s Top Notch is the best, for stone fruits, citrus, really everything,” says Gergis. “Weiser Farms for potatoes and melons, so good. And Tamai for strawberries.”
Beatriz da Costa: tácticas (no) disciplinarias
MAKE SOME FEATHERED FRIENDS
Next stop is Barnsdall Art Park to visit the PST Art exhibit Beatriz da Costa: (un)disciplinary tactics. Costa, who died in her 30s from cancer, worked often with members of the technoscientific community and was intrigued by the intersection of art and robotics. In honor of the kind of projects Costa would undertake, this exhibit features pigeons with tiny backpacks who will be released by trainers to fly from Barnsdall to Crenshaw Dairy Mart and will track the air quality via their backpacks as they go. “Pigeons with tiny backpacks…this seems f***ing amazing, the coolest exhibit,” says Gergis. “They must have little straps to get the backpacks on because they can’t go over the wings….”
4845 Fountain Avenue, Los Angeles
MON-SUN: 5-11PM
GET A DELICIOUS PICK-ME-UP
Stop in at Gergis’s restaurant Saffy’s, not far from Barnsdall, for a coffee and a pastry or something a little more hearty. Named after Gergis and Menashe’’s daughter Saffron, the cafe has a whimsical, friendly mood and a delicious Mediterranean-inspired menu. Or pop across the street to Found Oyster. “I love their Jonah crab dip and oysters,” recommends Gergis. “with a glass of very cold white wine.”
Vida en la Tierra: arte y ecofeminismo
CHECK OUT LIFE ON EARTH AT THE BRICK
The non-profit formerly known as LAXART has recently changed its name to The Brick, a nod to the exposed brick walls in the organization’s new, lofty home. The Brick is hosting PST ART exhibit Life on Earth: Art and Ecofeminism, a look at the eco-feminism movement, started in the 70s and 80s, that links gender oppression and the exploitation of natural resources.
5003 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles
TUE-THU:11AM-3PM | 5-9PM
FRI-SUN: 11AM-3:30PM | 5-9PM
MON: CLOSED
SHOP AND SNACK
Another restaurant Gergis loves is nearby Kuya Lord for “amazing Filipino food,” she raves. “Kuya means brother, it’s like a term of endearment in Tagalog and Lord Maynard Llera is the chef. It’s tiny, but they’ve won a ton of awards” In fact, just recently, Kuya Lord won a 2024 James Beard Award, the only LA restaurant this year to receive the honor.
Go next to Los Feliz, home to beloved independent bookstore, Skylight Books, a neighborhood staple for over 20 years. “Everyone likes Skylight books,” says Gergis. “Everyone.”
2915 Knox Avenue, Los Angeles
WED:11AM-4PM
THU-SAT:12-5PM
STOP OFF IN FROGTOWN
Gergis is a regular at the clothing store Ozma in Frogtown. “It's a woman-owned company, and it's all natural fibers, all organically-dyed. Really minimalist and beautiful. I wear everything from them. And it's right next to the best sandwich shop, Wax Paper!”
Future Archives in Three Acts: Lotus L. Kang, Emilija Škarnulytė, Julian Abraham 'Togar'
ART STOP
Pop over to Commonwealth and Council to check out Future Archives in Three Acts, an exhibition in three by artists Lotus L. Kang, Emilija Škarnulytė, and Julian Abraham 'Togar'.
In the same neighborhood, you may want to pop into Quarters Korean BBQ. “Can I be really disgusting and say I love when they add cheese?” says Gergis, laughing. “It’s called Quarters because you order everything by the quarter pound.”
Gustav Metzger. And Then Came the Environment
HEAD DOWNTOWN
In DTLA, Hauser & Wirth is hosting the PST ART exhibit Gustav Metzger. And Then Came the Environment. The Polish-Jewish artist Metzer often collaborated with scientists in his artistic creations and this exhibit is dedicated to Metzer’s wish to reclaim and redefine nature and the environment. Visitors will see one of the first examples of Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD), the visual technology widely used today on televisions and many other screens.
Continue your downtown crawl with a visit to another shop Gergis frequents, The Good Liver. “It’s the best for beautiful housewares and gifts,” she explains. “Like really beautiful silverware, plates, soaps…. It’s maybe my favorite store in LA.”
500 Mateo Street, Los Angeles
HAVE A DINNER PARTY
As happy hour approaches, meander to The Row DTLA where you’ll find Kato. “It’s a Taiwanese tasting menu,” says Gergis. “And they have the best cocktails. I go there sometimes just for the cocktails. And the bar menu is great.”
Another excellent dinner option? Gergis’s own Bavel where family-style Middle Eastern dishes draw inspiration from Israel, Morocco, Turkey, and Egypt, all places connected to Gergis and Menashe’s family lineages. Plus, the ambiance is chef’s-kiss awesome. “I think Bavel is beautiful,” says Gergis. “I love the crazy high ceilings and the vines.”
