After a decade on the east side of Los Angeles, acclaimed chef Zach Pollack has returned to his Westside roots with Cosetta, a casual Italian restaurant focused on hospitality, high-quality ingredients and community-friendly design. Open now on Ocean Park Boulevard, Cosetta represents a new chapter for Pollack, who says both his personal life and evolving views on the restaurant industry helped shape the vision.
Pollack, known for launching Silver Lake’s Alimento and Echo Park’s Cosa Buona, began developing Cosetta in 2022. The restaurant officially opened this spring after three years of planning, construction and delays and so far, the reception has been strong.
“We did 300 covers last Friday and Saturday alone,” Pollack said. “We’re doing somewhere between 1,400 and 1,500 people a week at dinner, plus some takeout. It’s a lot of prep, a lot of moving parts and we’re doing our best to make every experience count.”
Pollack said the decision to open Cosetta on the Westside was driven by both practical and economic concerns. Now based in Mid-City, he wanted to be closer to family and avoid the logistical and financial limitations he encountered in Silver Lake and Echo Park.
“As costs kept rising on the east side, it became harder to maintain a model based on making really high-quality food accessible to a broad audience,” he said. “There’s affluence in Silver Lake, sure, but once you leave that pocket, you’re not surrounded by neighborhoods that can sustain a volume-driven restaurant at that level.”
He also sought a space that would support more convenient dining and takeout options. Cosetta offers parking, a designated pickup window and a more spacious layout than Pollack’s earlier ventures. The interior seats 50 diners, while the landscaped patio adds another 100 covers outdoors. The restaurant spans about 4,500 square feet in total, taking over the former Coffee Bean and Mrs. Winston’s space.
“I looked at a lot of locations and this one just had great energy,” Pollack said. “I grew up coming to Santa Monica, and Ocean Park has a charm that’s a little more laid back. The landlord [BXP] has been supportive throughout the process, which was huge.”
Designed by Studio UNTLD and built by Loescher Meachem Architects, the restaurant incorporates Italian architectural elements such as arches and textured stone walls, balanced by olive trees and warm natural finishes. Outdoor tables are equipped with heating for year-round use, a post-pandemic priority Pollack says many diners now expect.
Cosetta’s menu reflects the chef’s time cooking in Italy and his upbringing in Los Angeles, with a focus on wood-fired pizzas, shareable proteins and vibrant produce. Though pasta helped define his earlier restaurants, the limited kitchen space made a full pasta program impractical. Instead, pizzas form the menu’s core, supported by a dedicated Milanese section with options like seasonal fish, chicken and eggplant, including gluten-free variations cooked in separate fryers.
“The chicken Milanese has a twist, with Thai fish sauce, chiles, sugar, basil and checca-style cherry tomatoes,” Pollack said. “I wanted the food to be high in quality but a little more relaxed.”
Lunch service is coming soon, with a separate midday menu featuring sandwiches, pizzas, salads and a handful of small plates. Takeout is already quietly underway, available for phone orders or direct pickup from the window, though the restaurant is not yet on any delivery apps.
“We have a dedicated takeout menu that’s just a pared-down version of dinner, things that travel well and maintain quality,” he said. “We want that to be part of the long-term model, but we’re still optimizing our systems to keep up with demand.”
Cosetta’s beverage program includes cocktails curated by Brian Summers, a longtime colleague from Pollack’s Test Kitchen days. Daniel Chavez serves as executive chef, while Heather Rioux is general manager.
Despite the strong opening, Pollack remains cautious about the restaurant’s early momentum.
“Yes, it’s great that we’re busy, but I’m aware that sometimes new places have a honeymoon period,” he said. “People try it once and then the newness wears off. We’re not taking anything for granted. Every plate, every visit, has to be something we’re proud of.”
Pollack said he has no plans to expand beyond the current location and is entirely focused on refining Cosetta’s operation. That includes slowly rolling out lunch, growing the takeout program and continuing to adapt the menu as needed.
“This is not about building an empire,” he said. “It’s about making one really great restaurant work, economically, creatively and for the people who come here.”
Cosetta is located at 3110 Ocean Park Blvd and for now, it is open for dinner only. More information, including updates on lunch and takeout, is expected to be shared through the restaurant’s website cosettala.com and social media.
