The last few years have seen plenty of changes in the restaurant scene. In Hollywood, a decades-old coffee shop quietly transformed into a weeknight-only dinner spot and started serving wine. Los Angeles Times restaurant critic Bill Addison visited Stir Crazy.
The menu consists of a handful of snacks, a couple of entrees, and some seasonal plates. Photo by Shelby Moore.
Macklin Casnoff and Mackenzie Hoffman met at wine shop Domaine LA during the pandemic. Along with Harley Wertheimer, they approached the owner of Stir Crazy, Dino Trucco, about taking over the cafe's space. Addison likens the new iteration, which has changed everything but the name, to hunkering down in a treehouse or building a fort with blankets.
"So many small restaurants feel claustrophobic or really cramped," he says. "In 500-square-feet, the current owners managed to make a space that just feels really good to the human psyche."
Macklin Casnoff (left), Harley Wertheimer, and Mackenzie Hoffman approached Stir Crazy owner Dino Trucco with a vision for the space. Photo by Shelby Moore.
Like the space, the menu is designed for "manageable brevity," Addison says. The dozen or so menu items include a handful of snacks such as celery salad and onion dip with a slice of Ibérico ham. The entrees include a German-style sausage that's sourced from Mattern's Deli in Orange County and served with a dollop of mustard and Japanese-style potato salad. The by-the-glass wine list is short and succinct. The larger wine list consists of conversation-provoking notes such as "Last Call," "Restocked," and "New." The idea is to prompt curiosity.
The owners have chosen to close on weekends so employees can have a balanced life, which creates a different Monday through Friday vibe in the dining room.