Stephen Kalt began his career in New York City and opened an interesting concept restaurant he named Spartina. He then worked in Las Vegas and later in Atlantic City and eventually settled in LA. After searching for an ideal space, he found one on Melrose Ave. At the suggestion of a friend, he named it Spartina.
The property is beautiful both inside and outside. Due to the need for social distancing, their outdoor patio was recently expanded. Vines and dwarf fruit trees line the perimeter making you feel almost like you were dining in a garden. The availability of hand sanitizer and all employees donning masks was nice to observe.
The menu is Cal Italian with a farmers market driven focus. An example of this is their salad with burrata, freestone peaches, arugula and aged balsamic vinegar. This salad is light, fresh, and full of flavor thanks to the super sweet and juicy yellow peaches from Tenerelli Orchards. The sweetness of the peaches marries nicely with the tart and slightly bitter arugula.
The mimosa and aperol spritz were extremely colorful and refreshing. Both were a great way to begin the weekend brunch. Spartina also has an impressive Italian forward wine list, craft cocktails and assorted beers. I’d like to try “Time of the Assassins” made with Evan Williams Bourbon, Calvados Pays d’Auge (French brandy), Nocino and candied ginger.
Savory Waffle with Ragu Sauce 
Cross-section of the Savory Waffle
Another example of Kalt’s Cal Italian theme is their Savory Waffle topped with a pork ragu sauce and two sunny side up eggs. The waffle is crispy and the pork ragu contained a number of spices that made this quite tasty. This is a hearty dish that you can share with others.
Spartina is well known for their wood fired pizzas, and I purchased their pepperoni pizza to go. The crust is NY thin, but not too thin and is a perfect ratio between crust, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and bite-size pepperoni. The addition of Calibrian chile oil and honey gave this a nice sweet and spicy flavor. This was probably the best pizza we experienced outside of New York City.
Like many of you, I have been hesitant about dining at a restaurant. Spartina alleviated some of my concerns with their application of FN Nano coating through the premises and with their additional safety measures. The entire staff (including Kalt himself) wears a mask and hand sanitizer is available. The FN Nano coating is ecologically safe and prevents mold, bacteria and viruses. I was happy with the safety measures implemented at Spartina.
Spartina, 7505 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90046; 323.782.1023