Out with the New, In with the New Chef Brooke Williamson, who owns Amuse Café and previously worked at Zax in Brentwood, has opened another restaurant with her partner Nick Roberts and also David Reiss, formerly of Red in Santa Monica. The new place is called Beechwood. The team took over the space quickly vacated by Menemsha. It seems a shame to redecorate a venue after only a year of wear, but Reiss told us he felt he had to gut the rooms to get the look he wanted. “I think we have a pretty beautiful place now,” he says. It’s certainly very woody and modern. Beechwood has a lively bar scene in its lounge area and spilling onto its patio. The furniture is low and cubist, with backless sofas and square end tables on which to set drinks and small plates. A fire pit highlights the patio space. The bar menu is served late into the night every night, at least midnight on weekdays and even later as demand requires on the weekends. Almost every dish is under $20. There are sweet rock shrimp skewers; crispy baby octopus; grilled lamb meatballs; and sautéed grain cakes with a salad of arugula, figs and Cabrales cheese. The dining room menu—which features plates like short rib pot pie, slow-roasted white salmon, and pasta with New Zealand cockles—is available until 11 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Beechwood, 822 W. Washington Blvd., Venice, 310-448-8884, beechwoodrestaurant.com
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