Beethoven Market Is Mar Vista’s Bona Fide Vibe-Dining Destination | Eater LA

"Perched on the corner of Beethoven Street and Palms Boulevard, this months-old neighborhood restaurant has evolved from a former Mar Vista grocery into one of the Westside’s vibiest dining rooms, with a please-all menu of pizzas, pastas, pristine seafood, and trebuchet‑fired rotisserie chicken. Inside, an ornate wraparound bar frames the room, pouring drinks that don’t disappoint and offering panoramic views of the indoor space and the outdoor patio shaded by sage green umbrellas; everything emits a creamy, calming energy reminiscent of a mountain spa. The crowd skews well-heeled Westsiders from the area, Venice, and Santa Monica, with date‑nighters at the bar and families outside or closer to the kitchen. I’d start with citrusy prawns atop salsa verde brightened by an unexpected herb medley, and the charred but tender octopus in a lima bean and escarole stew threaded with preserved lemon, a nod to Mar Vista’s farmland past; each table should add a seasonal citrus‑and‑fennel salad or the crunchy green bean salad with cheese‑flecked almond pesto. While most tables carry pastas and crisp pizzas, my focus remained on entrees like the rotisserie chicken, spun on a trebuchet‑like rotisserie reminiscent of a Lyon farmers market, and a grilled snapper bedded on tarragon salmoriglio. Jeremy Adler purchased the space in 2023 and brought on chef Michael Leonard, whose California‑meets‑Italian menu also runs to focaccia, crispy artichokes, and goat‑cheese‑filled zucchini blossoms; the pizza dough was a months‑long project that now yields a blistered, puffy crust with toppings like mushrooms, pepperoni, zucchini, and ricotta. A fiery oven is the restaurant’s centerpiece and the primary cooking method for proteins like snapper, hanger steak, and pork collar, and cocktails from former Cassia bartender Nicole Mitchell — notably the Vesper Dream with olive‑oil‑infused vodka — make ideal pairings. Save room for homey, interactive desserts: tiramisu scooped tableside from a party tray, and gelato mounds drizzled with chocolate that hardens into a rich matte shell before your eyes." - Nicole Fellah