The Tasting Panel magazine

November 2012

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TRENDSETTERS Makeover Hollywood AT FRANKLIN & COMPANY, THE PAST RELATES TO THE PRESENT photo by Tom Zasadzinkski Co-Owners Jeremy Fraye and Greg Morris, on the second floor of bar and restaurant Franklin & Company. G o back a century or so and you'd be standing in William Randolph Hearst's stables, probably in the company of winsome carriage horses, with a view across the street of the publishing magnate's stately apart- ment house, which still stands today (as the Scientology Celebrity Centre). This neighborhood has a history that precedes Hollywood's more glitzy era: The ceiling still resembles the interior of a high-end barn; chevron subway tiles look like they're from the Paris Metro; a beer tap is made from salvage-yard butcher scales; staircases are crafted out of scotch boxes; brick walls add rustic ambience. Old liquor licenses, dating back as far as 1876, line one wall. This is the type of bar and restaurant that gets attention— going beyond concept and creating an environment where the craft wine, beer, spirits and cuisine movements truly meet and interact. 68 / the tasting panel / november 2012 When Jeremy Fraye first began working at The Oaks Gourmet, a bustling and growing retail shop nearby, owned by restaurant entrepreneur Greg Morris, he saw the potential of their niche-y market to expand even more, especially if they augmented their selection of artisan brands. When Morris promoted him to General Manager, Fraye followed his vision further. Then, when real estate became available just down the street, Fraye and Morris partnered to open a neighborhood eatery and bar that would serve the craft movement but also become an extension of The Oaks Gourmet. The idea is a hit: Franklin & Company, located on Franklin Avenue, just blocks from the heart of downtown Hollywood, is a haven of bistro-meets-gastropub-meets–American steakhouse. Whether or not you judge its success from a perpetually packed house, or by ambience alone, one thing's for sure: This place will surely continue to thrive. —Meridith May

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