A few years ago, a restaurant known as Fellow caused a stir in the normally low-key college town neighborhood of Westwood with its bright décor, artistically ambitious menu items and adjoining modern art gallery. Although the happenings in the kitchen and behind the bar of successor restaurant Wolfsglen are undoubtedly creative, the vibe is welcoming rather than scene-making. The menu, meanwhile, is a tribute to Los Angeles’ varied culinary roots set by diverse populations.

© Elyse Glickman

The heart of the restaurant’s raison d’être is the legacy of John Wolfskill, a pioneer rancher and former California state senator who played a pivotal role in the development of the land where Westwood Village and UCLA stand. While the food genre listed for the restaurant is new American cuisine, chef Fidel Guzman presents it based on America being a figurative and literal melting pot. And given the restaurant’s namesake, California seasonality plays a role on the food and drink menus as well.

Rather than make a splash as other L.A. restaurants do when they open, the word of mouth about Wolfsglen has been a slow but steady build since its opening in November 2022.

© Elyse Glickman

“Since we are tipping a hat to the history of Los Angeles, we are also tipping a hat to all the cultures in Los Angeles rather than go with ‘fusion’ to describe our menu,” said Sammy Espinoza, general manager. “Instead, we decided to coin the phrase ‘Angeleno cuisine’ because Los Angeles is a melting pot of different cultures, and we want to represent all of them [on] the menu. Therefore, you’re going to see Thai, Lebanese, Mexican, Korean, Indian and Arabic influences combining in harmonious ways on our menu. It works because everybody recognizes these ideas from their own L.A. dining experience. That’s what Fidel Guzman is trying to do … provide a cultural representation of dishes that represent Los Angeles.”

The shawarma and bone marrow and black garlic dishes burst with flavor and are filling enough to be a meal on their own, while brown butter labneh, hummus with chili crisps, mushroom arancini, shrimp toast and others balance the unexpected with the familiar – especially if the diner has experienced various mom-and-pop neighborhood restaurants around the city. Although the chef’s house-made pasta dishes are straight-forward Italian, the completed dishes are close to flawless.

© Elyse Glickman

During my visit with a colleague, a dozen Wolfsglen burgers topped with candied bacon, spicy aioli and arugula flew out of the kitchen. It was also nice to see a great vegan main course (cauliflower steak with curry and raisin chutney) and be tempted by the seared salmon with a pineapple ginger glaze and miso potato purée. However, we went with the rib eye dish jazzed up with shishito peppers based on the popular theory that a chef who can make a simple-sounding dish into something epic is doing his job right. Guzman and his team did not disappoint.

Sous Chef & Pastry Chef Moriah Castañeda has earned a buzz among regulars with fresh takes on homemade peach pie, mango sweet rice, deconstructed strawberry cheesecake and ricotta donuts with blueberry compote and lemon curd. But the new “chocolate bomb” dish poised to land on the fall menu was as delicious as it was beautiful, rivaling some of Beverly Hills’ fancy European bakeries in terms of “wow” factor. The same holds true for the bar program, under the direction of Edward Ruiz. Showstoppers include Purple Rain (gin, blueberry purée, lemon and butterfly pea flower), Geisha’s Kiss (Masumi sparkling sake, elderflower liqueur and lychee purée) and Black Gold (Neft vodka, simple syrup, cucumbers and activated charcoal).

© Elyse Glickman

It’s important to note live music is helping make Wolfsglen as much of a welcoming neighborhood hangout as much as any destination restaurant. “Howlin Hour,” as of this writing, takes place every Tuesday through Friday, 2–6 p.m., while “Late-Night Howlin Hour” rolls out every Friday and Saturday, 11 p.m.–12:30 a.m.

Wolfsglen

1071 Glendon Ave.

Los Angeles, CA 900024

tel 310 208 1071