This is such a great space with lots of rich mid-city history. I remember back in the 90’s it was one of my favorite restaurant bars called The Atlas. Enjoying a great show at The Wiltern and then coming here to this space was always a joy. This new incarnation has been going strong now for 4-months, making Terra Cotta less formal and more hipster casual. The interior is completely different but the cool vibes still remain.
Their customers are young instagramming influencers. Enjoying their libations and each other’s company. When I was there I saw a table of 12 – 20’s something’s having a marvelous time. Eating their amazing cuisine, drinking some exotic cocktails and laughing hysterically. A Thursday night out for these beautiful young ladies, doing selfies and instagram the whole time. The backdrop for these photos is truly elegant, with their gorgeous 3-teired chandeliers and their industrial cage style tables, everywhere you look it is a feast for your eyes.
The interior is very sexy, with deep dark wood floors, a very industrial yet elegant interior. They have a small stage that is in the center of the room; they will be doing jazz and comedy nights in the near future. But you can see that with the right entertainment it could set the tone for some very hip nights.
Here’s What I Tried:
Cocktails:
Soju Mojito, with mint, lime, soju, and Club soda. A great cocktail, and you don’t miss the rum at all.
Marquee, vodka, aperol, simple syrup, strawberries, and lemon peel. This drink is light but the combination of ingredients makes for one special cocktail.
Palomita, tequila, grapefruit, lime, agave, sage and soda. A bit tangy, but the great tequila cuts through any weird favors.
Martini, in a coupe glass with 2 olives. Of course my drink of choice, this one was very elegant.
Taylor Nigh made sure I knew about their cocktail program, which is outstanding. He is the bar manager and created their lovely bar menu. It is such a beautiful bar, there is really a lot to work with here.
Wines:
Fess Parker, Chardonnay, 2016, Santa Barbara, fruity, yet oaky, it was great with any of the seafood dishes.
Barolo Pajana, 2008 Nebbiolo, Piedmont Italy. One of my favorite Italian wines, paired with the skewers for a nice balance.
Skewers:
Large, with 2 grilled short rib patty skewer, 1 spicy pork skewer, 1 salt pork skewer, 1 spicy chicken skewed, veggie skewer, Elote, and crunchy salsa. My server David Paez made sure all of these terrific meats were sliced and diced with his trusty scissor, he made it look really beautiful.
Protein:
BBQ Ribs with a delightful sauce, these babies melt in your mouth.
Tapas:
Hamakama, crispy on the outside, smoky flaky yellow tail on the inside.
Honey Butter Squid, with a peanut glaze, a nice fragrant menu item.
Popcorn Shrimp, one of my favorite things I tried, with a nice aioli style sauce drizzled on the glorious shrimp, served on a bed of coleslaw.
Raw:
Oysters on the half shell, so fresh and perfect, just loved these little darlings.
Chicken:
Spatchcock Chicken, prepared with crispy skin with Korean style piled radishes and coleslaw. A great rendition of a fried chicken style dish.
Rice:
Avocado Mentaiko Rice, this rice comes in a tin box, my server presented it to me then covered it back up and shook it before he served it. Worth the wait, all of the nice ingredients including a raw egg, truly another favorite of mine at Terra Cotta.
Noodles:
Spicy Seafood Pasta, with a tomato sauce. This is a spicy pasta but not too over done and the fresh clams, calamari are just amazing. This is an Italian twist in this otherwise Asian Fusion style restaurant, a dish not to be missed.
To Share:
Yuzu Clams with Bacon, these clams pops in your mouth, super fresh with the smoky bacon rounding out the flavor profile.
Flatbread Pizza:
Apple wood Smoked Bacon & Chives, this is a very different pizza for me, it had lots of fresh onions of top, still very delicious.
Dessert:
The Makgeolli, with fresh bananas ice cream, this is a great way to cap off your evening.
About The Wiltern Theater:
The building itself houses the Wiltern Theater as well as Terra Cotta. Originally built in 1931 in Los Angeles, the Wiltern was designed by architect Stiles O. Clements of Morgan, Walls & Clements, the city’s oldest architectural firm. The Wiltern Theatre was originally designed as a vaudeville theater and initially opened as the Warner Brothers Western Theater, the flagship for the theater chain. In 1956, the building and theater were sold to the Franklin Life Insurance Company of Springfield, Illinois. The Los Angeles chapter of the American Theater Organ Enthusiasts worked to restore the theater’s 37-rank Kimball pipe organ, reputed to be the largest one in Los Angeles at the time, and held recitals there through the late 1960s and into the mid-1970s. Through the intervention of a group of local preservationists, the group saved the complex from being demolished on two occasions in the late 1970s when the owners filed for demolition permits. (The preservation of the Wiltern was one of the Los Angeles Conservancy’s first victories in its fight to preserve the architectural heritage of the City.)
In 1981, the Wiltern was purchased by developer Wayne Ratkovich who worked with architect Brenda Levin to restore both the theater and the office building to their former glory. The magnificent interior of The Wiltern evokes a period of elegance and style simply not found anywhere in today’s modern venues. The entrance is set back among colorful terrazzo paving, and its art deco design contains decorative tile work along with colorful murals. The most dramatic element of the overall design is the sunburst on the ceiling of the auditorium, with each ray representing its own art deco skyscraper. The venue offers the perfect vibe and shape for a variety of events.
Terra Cotta is the newest restaurant venture from 6th Avenue restaurant group. Their menu draws inspiration on a global scale of Korean elements, but also Japanese, Latin American, and other regional influences.
There is some thing for everyone here, that is what is so great about Terra Cotta, but don’t let the name fool you, most of the cuisine is not Italian but wonderful Asian fusion. Your taste buds will dance just like mine did, with so much great flavors how could you go wrong.
Terra Cotta is open for dinner 7 days/week with happy hour from 5 to 8pm, and a late night menu available until 2am most nights, bar only.
Terra Cotta – aka “TC”
3760 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Koreatown, Wilshire Center
(213) 365-1077
http://www.terracottala.com
* Note some content was taken off of various websites
I want to give a shout out to Christina Fulton for being so kind to set this up for me with her clients!
