Betsy
Restaurant · Altadena ·
Everything cooked over fire: flame-kissed steaks, charred broccolini
Everything cooked over fire: flame-kissed steaks, charred broccolini
"Despite the surrounding destruction of the LA wildfires in January, this Southern California restaurant, Betsy, endured." - Brenna Houck
"Quiet resilience defines this live-fire Altadena restaurant, where owner Tyler Wells — who lost his home in the Eaton Fire — and lead chef Paul Downer have built the consummate community dinner hangout amid a corridor scarred by flames. The hearth powers a chicory Caesar flecked with glimmering white anchovy and a snowfall of Parmesan; the “cheese we are liking” of the day with crackly, sea-salt-pocked focaccia; pillowy ricotta gnocchi doused in lemon butter and freckled with black pepper; and sprouting cauliflower with charred onion vinaigrette. Table centerpieces like the heritage pork chop and tomahawk rib-eye take beautifully to the flames, and a scorched Basque cheesecake brings the fire and caramelization other versions often miss. Warm, attentive service and the open hearth give the room its glow; the move is to go with a big enough group to snag the five- or six-seat banquette and watch Altadena’s dining scene come to life." - Rebecca Roland
"Formerly Bernee, this Altadena dinner destination from restaurateur Tyler Wells has become a warmly embracing hub since reopening in August 2025, its central roaring hearth offering literal and figurative comfort to a community still recovering from the Eaton Fire. The night I went, everything was locally sourced and the frequently changing menu delivered: a peak-season tomato salad burst with tang and sweetness against a rippled mound of burrata; charred broccolini added another kind of heat with its chili-crunch topper; and swordfish, treated like a steak over the open flame, felt just as formidable. The concise, thoughtfully curated wine list rotates, and I’d start or end my meal with a pour my server seems most excited about that night. Basque cheesecake arrived extra blackened yet remained supple inside—spare in presentation that keeps the focus on the slice, though a little fruit or compote could make it even more satisfying. Quiet conversation floats from small tables framing the oblong bar, and the lush circular booth in back (seating five to six) is the prize perch. It runs warm inside—the hearth behind the bar roars from open to close—cozy in colder months, while in summer it can feel like you need a personal fan; the room fills with Altadenans craving a taste of home and Angelenos eager to support a community restaurant." - Nicole Fellah
"Formerly known as Bernee, Betsy reopened in the summer of 2025, months after the Eaton Fire took the home of its restaurateur Tyler Wells. Despite this, Betsy has emerged as a neighborhood dinner destination for fellow Altadenans to congregate over a fantastic shared meal that may include chili crunch-topped broccolini, flame-kissed steaks topped with herb butter, and tender pork smothered in a verde sauce. Almost every dish touches the roaring hearth central to the restaurant, including the perfect closer: a burnt Basque cheesecake." - Mona Holmes
"Reopened in Altadena in the former home of Bernee, with a new name and approach that lets chef Tyler Wells reimagine a neighborhood restaurant in a community still recovering from the Eaton Fire." - Matthew Kang