The Witch’s Cottage, a new North Hollywood fantasy-themed cafe and restaurant, is preparing for its first Halloween ball with one word in mind: “whimsy.”
It was the word of the day when The LA Local got a preview of its ball preparation earlier this month but it might as well be the word every day at this Lankershim Boulevard eatery where figurine owls watch from above as customers eat, drink and get fanciful. It all goes down between support beams transformed by the magic of decorators’ tubes, foams and paints into ancient, twisting tree trunks of a mystical forest.
The Witch’s Cottage opened in February after years of crowdfunding and about 3,000 hours of work, much of it by volunteers, to transform a historic bank building into a fairy-tale setting. The space is gearing up for its first Samhain Ball on Oct. 31.
The Samhain Ball
Co-founder Danielle Ozymandias told The LA Local that the event will feature dancers, musicians and other performers. The ball will have an elevated, spooky masquerade aesthetic — think gothic vampire, ghostly and witchy vibes — and a special menu.
Executive chef Jessica Luevano said short rib braised in a stout from the nearby Shadow Grove Brewing will be on the menu — allow for a 45-minute cooking time when ordering — to give that cottage feast feeling, along with “cutesy finger foods.” The kitchen is still trying to find the right item that isn’t too childish or kitschy, yet fits the clientele and dietary standards of the restaurant.
“We’re absolutely not dieting,” said Luevano, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena and, fittingly for The Witch’s Cottage, a former chef at Disneyland’s Club 33.
Bartender Brett Hund said the bar has rolled out two new mocktails and several new cocktails for fall. The Sleepy Hollow with dark rum, vanilla vodka, pumpkin puree and spiced cream liqueur seems apt for the season.
In addition, a burlesque and drag show is planned for Friday, Oct. 30, called “The Thyme Warp.”
Tickets for the Halloween ball start at $75. Attendees must be 21 or older and adhere to a dress code. Information and reservations for the evening ball can be found here.
The Witch’s Cottage clientele
Matteo Marjoram wore his brand-new warlock hat to The Witch’s Cottage, showing off what he called a “cute spot” to his friend from New York, Kyra Angelakis, as they sipped cocktails with names like Moonlit Elixir and Crystal Clarity.
“Whimsy is it?” Marjoram said, adding the hat wouldn’t make him stand too far out in West Hollywood where he lives.
Across from where the duo sat, a trio of friends at the bar toasted one another after a night of crafts, transforming old book pages into pumpkins and mushrooms.
For one of them, Kelli Knabe of West Hollywood, it’s a special place to hang with friends; it’s got “whimsy sprinkles.”
Friend and fellow fantasy enthusiast Jen Yoder of Rancho Cucamonga added The Witch’s Cottage is a welcome break from the mundane look of other bars and restaurants with its attention to small details and magical touches.
“We’re all theater nerds. We know how to make things magical,” Witch’s Cottage interior designer Jennifer DeRosa said after hosting the cozy cafe craft night that evening.
‘Appetizers for the eyes’
Indeed, The Cottage’s first “dish” is on the house: appetizers for the eyes. It starts off with the apothecary tree, DeRosa’s pride that sits above the baristas working the coffee bar and whose branches support the shelves.
From there, artistic energy spreads across the walls festooned with murals and astrological signs and flowered with mirrors and witch gags; tarot cards planted in the wooden tables; and bar stools covered with images of flora and fauna.
Even the bathrooms and elevator are livened up with wallpaper of toadstools and painted-on ivy, respectively.
There’s more kitsch than wicked witch, but it’s not gingerbread house sickeningly sweet — well, unless you gorge on pastries in the restaurant’s cafe.
The Witch’s Cottage has a number of facets in its myriad patterns.
Daytime activities
In the daytime, the Cottage is a mellow bakery and cafe where folks work on laptops while sipping on coffee and tea.
At night, a lounge and second bar beckon upstairs, occasionally hosting dancing classes, drag and burlesque shows as well as other entertainment on stage.
More often than not during the week, Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons games take place in the spacious lounge and in the Tempered Flask tavern room, featuring a long table fit for a dungeon master and several adventurers to enjoy mead and a mac and cheese served in mini-cauldrons.
The Witch’s Cottage is located at 5303 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood. It is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and on Sundays; 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Closed on Mondays. Phone: (818) 233-0366. Reservations are recommended and can be made on the website: witchscottage.com.
