Aiming for completion of Palisades Village a year from now, Caruso has signed up two additional businesses: Madeo Restaurant and Sweet Laurel Bakery. They join Vintage Grocers, McConnell’s Ice Cream and the resurrected Bay Theater, operated by Cinepolis.
Madeo, a prominent Italian eatery at 8896 Beverly Blvd. in West Hollywood, has 600 reviews on Yelp and has received four stars out of five from reviewers. One diner wrote: “Old school Italian done right. Dishes are pricey, but worth every penny.” Another person commented: “Best Italian restaurant in the world for me. Every dish is just perfect, simple, consistent, the same awesome dish, time after time.”
The upscale restaurant, which has a full bar, was described as a place for dressy attire and not a place to bring kids. Appetizers at the West Hollywood location are in the $18 to $20 price range; salads are $14 to $32; pizzas $24 to $34; pasta dishes $26 to $38; and entrees from $28 (chicken) to $72 (fresh Dover sole from Holland).
TimeOut Los Angeles wrote in a July 2016 post: “Pass the paparazzi out front for exquisite (and pricey) authentic Northern Italian fare. This bustling hideout remains a hotspot for industry power players from starlets to studio head honchos. Expect a wait at the crowded bar before being seated at crammed tables. Order from the nightly specials or go for the mouth-watering, popular spaghetti bolognese, which may just be the best in town. Adding to the charm, the owner makes a point to stop by each table and greet his patrons in Italian (even if you don’t understand a word).”
According to an article by Peter Kiefer in the Hollywood Reporter, Madeo “has committed to 4,000 square feet for a spinoff called FdeiM by Madeo (a nod to the Italian city, Forte dei Marme, from which the eatery’s founding Vietina family hail).”
Sweet Laurel is a paleo, gluten-free, refined sugar-free bakery. According to its website, when Laurel Gallucci was stuck with an aggressive auto-immune disorder, she was put on a strict elimination diet. After months of baking treats for her family and friends she couldn’t touch, she finally started experimenting with grain-free and refined sugar-free goods. Laurel’s baked goods were tender, moist and full of flavor and everybody loved them. Excited by their reactions, Laurel turned her test kitchen into Sweet Laurel Bakery.
Claire Thomas, a cook, writer and photographer, asked if she could partner with Laurel to form the Sweet Laurel brand. The Venice-based duo believe the best foods are prepared simply and with the best ingredients.
Their website lists four cakes that are available for delivery, all of which are grain-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free. The frostings are vegan. Cakes contain eggs, unless otherwise requested. The chocolate caramel layer cake is $76 and the vanilla coconut jam cake, the lemon coconut cake and the carrot cake with probiotic coconut frosting are each $65.
Writer Kiefer noted that Caruso’s development will be the first retail location for Sweet Laurel Bakery, and it will occupy just 500 square feet.
Gallucci also teaches private classes structured around the basic techniques of grain-free baking. For more information, visit sweetlaurel.com.
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