When husband-and-wife team Ori Menashe and Genevieve Gergis opened Bestia back in 2012, there wasn’t a whole lot happening, restaurant-wise, in the Arts District. Fast-forward 11 years, and Enrique Olvera’s Damian, buzzy seafood-focused newcomer Yess Restaurant, and Bestia’s own sister restaurant Bavel have made the area one of the most vibrant places to eat in Los Angeles.
But reservations are still tough to score at Bestia after all these years, with diners clamoring for Menashe’s wood-fired pizzas, house-made pastas, and signature dishes like slow-roasted lamb neck, as well as Gergis’s desserts. Add to that an always-buzzy dining room outfitted with exposed brick and a bar that turns out excellent cocktails, and it’s clear why Bestia has nailed the recipe for success for more than a decade.
With that, we welcome you to The Insider, the first in a brand-new series looking at what makes the best restaurants tick and how you can get in on the action. Read on for why Bestia remains a favorite from Menashe, and see you next time for an inside look into another local hit.
What’s the one dish you’ll never remove from the menu?
Ori Menashe: The roasted bone marrow [which is roasted and served with spinach gnochetti, smoked breadcrumbs, and aged balsamic].
What’s the underdog of the menu?
The gorgonzola pizza! It’s my favorite pizza on the menu, but for some reason it only gets ordered now and then, and usually by people in the industry.
What is one product or producer you can’t live without at the restaurant?
Fertile and cage-free eggs from Chino farms. They’re incorporated into our pasta doughs, pastry, some of our breads, sauces, and many more items on the menu.
What is the hidden gem on the wine list?
Domaine de Vaccelli “Quartz,” which is a blend of both indigenous and Tuscan varieties on the island of Corsica. It’s a perfect balance of Burgundian finesse and island minerality. It’s structured and dense but lifted. And it’s from a small producer from an underrepresented terroir with as much Italian as French influence on the culture.
What’s your favorite award you’ve won?
That would be when Bavel was named the Los Angeles Times’s Restaurant of the Year in 2019. We couldn’t have opened Bavel without Bestia. Many key employees were a part of the opening team of Bavel and helped create what the restaurant is today, so when we were named the Restaurant of the Year, it felt like a win for both restaurants.
What’s been the biggest change at the restaurant since the opening?
We have systems now. When we first opened it was like the wild, wild west.
Who are your longest-serving regulars?
Steven and Carol Dubin. Genevieve and I used to cook at their home before opening Bestia, and now they are [our daughter] Saffron’s godparents.
What’s the most memorable request from a customer?
An older couple requested to have dinner away from the rest of the customers during the pandemic, so we set them up a table far away from the customers, and I served them personally that night.
Who is your longest-serving staff member?
We are really lucky to have many original employees still working with us. Our longest employed server is Melanie. Before opening Bestia, Genevieve spotted her serving at a different restaurant and her service was so good that during the meal she kept hinting that we would be opening a restaurant. She took the bait and has been with us since day one. Plus, her favorite band is Deftones, just like me!
What’s the best seat in the house?
The pizza counter. While sitting there you feel a part of the action in the kitchen—but it isn’t for everyone, as you can feel the heat from the ovens.
Any tips on scoring a reservation?
Our host team does confirmation calls two days in advance. That would be your best chance to get a reservation last-minute.
Karen Palmer is a pizza- and pasta-obsessed food writer based in Los Angeles. Follow her on Instagram at @karenlpalmer.
