This week, Patina Restaurant Group opened Ray’s restaurant and Stark Bar adjacent to the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Designed by architect Renzo Piano, the new restaurant is named after Ray Stark, the late film producer and former Lacma trustee. The restaurant and bar complete Piano’s involvement at Lacma.
Ray’s has three floor-to-ceiling glass walls from which the museum’s environs are visible, with a fourth wall made of corrugated cement. The outdoor Stark Bar is comprised of a long bar, a lounge area, and table seating. Ray’s and Stark Bar have mid-century-inspired furniture in keeping with Piano’s design, and a total seating capacity of just over 150.
Executive chef Kris Morningstar (most recently executive chef at District and Mercantile, with prior stints at AOC, Patina, and Blue Velvet) helms the kitchen. The farm-to-table menu was developed with Patina and founder Joachim Splichal. The Mediterranean-inspired menu includes dishes from the wood-burning oven and wood grill that figure prominently in the open kitchen. The adjoining Stark Bar offers a separate menu, and both venues offer seasonal cocktails, a California-centric wine list, and artisan beers and cocktails.
In addition to Morningstar, Patina has brought in general manager Ron Carey (most recently from Nick & Stef’s, and prior to that, Sona), and pastry sous chef Josh Graves (who worked at Mercantile, District, and Boule).
”We are honored to name the new restaurant and bar in tribute to Ray Stark, who was a passionate supporter of the arts in Los Angeles,” said Lacma C.E.O. and Wallis Annenberg director Michael Govan. “As the final component in Renzo Piano’s master plan for the western side of the campus, I am thrilled to see both Ray’s and Stark Bar bring new energy to the museum.”
