Kali Brings Fine Dining at Everyday Prices to Larchmont Village

It’s Wednesday, the week is officially half over, and it’s time to starting thinking about making plans for dinner this weekend. What if you could have a Michelin Star-level meal around the corner from your house, so close you could even walk there, and it was priced like a neighborhood joint? Well, now you can. At least that’s the vision of Chef Kevin Meehan and his partner, Sommelier Drew Langley, at their new restaurant, Kali, at 5722 Melrose Avenue, at the north end of Larchmont Blvd.

Last week the Buzz sat down with Meehan and Langley at the new space, formerly the home of Midtown Bar & Kitchen. You might miss the understated facade if you are driving too fast on Melrose…but hopefully the valet parking sign will catch your eye. (Yes, they do have the all-important valet parking for those who cannot or chose not to walk.) Kali joins The Larchmont and Osteria Mamma on the same stretch of the street, adding to an increasingly vibrant restaurant district at the top of Larchmont Blvd. and giving nearby residents lots of great food choices within walking distance.

“We’ve been kicking the tires for three years,” said Langley about their quest for a space that finally landed them near Larchmont Blvd. “We think this is the right neighborhood for fine dining that’s not pretentious.” Before opening, Meehan and Langley conducted a popular pop-up dinner party series, known as Kali Dining.

“We want to be an ‘everyday’ restaurant for the neighborhood,” said Meehan.

Their plan is to bring their considerable culinary skills  (Meehan was formerly at L’Orangerie, Bastide, Citrine and then seven years with the Patina Restaurant Group, where he met Langle at Providence, where he was serving as wine director, in 2005)  to offer a new style of dining in Los Angeles: “Michelin-level cuisine, wine and hospitality, re-imagined and stripped of the white tablecloths and tension of a formal environment,” explained Meehan.

“We envision Kali as a neighborhood haunt for the everyday,” said Langley. “It’s as appropriate for an impromptu, week night meal with friends as it is for a business dinner, date night or post-work drink.”

Kali Dining opened just three months ago and has already attracted accolades from the local food press for its take on contemporary California cuisine. Eater LA listed Kali as one of the 24 best new restaurants to open in the city. The LA Weekly featured a profile on Drew Langley sharing his favorite drinks in the city, and Thrillist LA asked Chef Kevin Meehan to share his expertise on when you should cook with oil, not butter.  This week, LA Weekly food critic Garret Snyder declared that Kali “defies clichés — it’s just good!”

Kali is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 12 – 2 pm. Dinner is served Monday through Saturday from  6 – 10 pm. Reservations can be made via OpenTable or by phoning the restaurant.