Food & Spirits Headline Article

Chef Nick Jacobs’ Glendon Bar and Kitchen – Westwood’s chic new Hotspot

Cash for your car

Back in the day, Westwood was the epicenter of Los Angeles dining and nightlife. In April, Chef Nick Jacob opened the Glendon Bar and Kitchen, helping to restore the city’s culinary stature.

When putting together the perfect neighborhood bar, you’d take the comfort of a local hangout, cross it with the sophistication of a serious dining and drinking destination, then set it in a bustling and exciting district, all without the snobbery or cliquishness. Is that too tall an order? Not at the Glendon Bar & Kitchen, a full-service restaurant and bar located in Westwood

The philosophy behind The Glendon is simple.  The founders, J Wolf, Adrian Selby, and Nick Jacobs,  group of young professionals with restaurant and nightlife backgrounds, kept searching in vain for the perfect “go to” Westside spot – a place to get a drink, take a date, or drop in late night. They took matters into their own hands, and the rest is history.  Nick Jacobs is also the executive chef, and he brings a wide range of experience and inspiration to the Glendon’s menu.

The Glendon is heavy on sophistication but without the velvet rope attitude or price tag, and has reintroduced Westwood to Southern California. 

It’s a golden age of cocktails and dining in Los Angeles, and the Glendon Bar & Kitchen helps make history with a bar menu that caters to all tastes, moods, occasions, and budgets.

Much like the Glendon itself, the signature cocktails blend the timeless and the trendy. Not to be outdone, the extensive selection of martinis includes both classic combinations and new interpretations of this all-time favorite. New and/or potential couples can choose acclaimed wines by the glass, based on First, Second, or Third Date, and of course, beers are available as well. Whatever your beverage of choice, everyone will appreciate the Glendon’s double nightly happy hours, running from 4 to 7 pm and again from 10 pm to midnight.

Whether you’re on a date, enjoying happy hour, dropping in from around the corner, stopping by after work, or simply want a fun, chic environment to perk up your day, you must check out the Glendon Bar & Kitchen.

The Glendon also satisfies your hunger pangs with an impressive bar menu, as well as California bistro comfort food for lunch and dinner, including sandwiches, salads, burgers, pizzas, with choices for omnivores, pescetarians, vegetarians, and good ol’ meat eaters.

Prosciutto Asparagus-Finished with Garlic Oil, a Balsamic Reduction and fresh cracked pepper, Coffee Crusted Seared Ahi-Served with Spinach Artichoke Puree, Sauteed Soy Sesame Crimini Mushrooms and Greens

The Filet on the menu is particularly impressive with the mouth-watering flavor and tenderness of grass-fed beef, grilled to perfection and finished with Jacobs creative Bernaise sauce, has won LA’s The Place Top Pick for Best Steak in Los Angeles for 2010.

Leave some room for dessert, though–in-house pastry chef Renee Faris (seen on TLC’s “Cake Boss” and winner of TLC’s “Ultimate Cake-Off”) developed the Glendon’s sweet treats. Night owls will appreciate the fact that the Glendon serves reduced-price appetizers until last call.

Executive Chef Nick Jacobs
A Los Angeles native and natural self-starter, Jacobs has helmed his own talent and event booking company that soon expanded into the business of brand integration, working with international names such as Yoo Hoo and assorted Cadbury items. Jacobs took this brand awareness a step further, creating corporate partnerships for national and local touring artists.

In search of new challenges, Jacobs moved on to New York and the fashion industry, where he created looks for private labels. His work could be seen in designs for such national merchants as Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, and Forever 21.

However, Jacobs’ career took one more turn when he discovered his true love: the culinary arts. Jacobs graduated from the New York Institute of Culinary Education with a degree in culinary arts, followed up with dual degrees in Advanced Professional Pastry and Baking and Culinary and Hospitality Management. In between, he served as an apprentice under internationally renowned star chefs at the hallowed James Beard House and New York’s most acclaimed restaurants, as well as setting up the Afternoon Tea Co., a gourmet lunch and tea service.

Jacobs brought his skills, training, and experience back to Los Angeles, where he ran Nicholas Jacobs Culinary. The organization combined all his specialties, offering catering, private dining, and culinary education. This long and storied path has led to the Glendon, where guests can enjoy the latest display of Jacobs’ hospitality know-how and culinary talent.

The Environment
The décor and ambience of The Glendon is a laid back chic. Vaulted wood ceilings and brick walls hints of days gone by in Westwood, as it is one of the original buildings in town. The Glendon has a feeling of spaciousness, while the venue’s semi-circular design gives it an intimate feel.

Custom-made bar couches and wing chairs, designed by high-end hospitality furniture designer Jecco, adorn throughout. The palette is earthy with shades of green, chocolate and espresso. Dimly lit crystal chandeliers set the mood.

Your go-to destination, your retreat, your haven–it’s the Glendon Bar & Kitchen, where delicious dining, vibrant drinks, and an easy-going yet alluring environment co-mingle. This versatile establishment will quench your thirst for both an invigorating drink and for a spot to socialize. You’ll come for the drinks, but you’ll stay for everything else.

The Glendon Bar and Kitchen
1218 Glendon Ave.
Los Angeles, CA, 90024
(310) 474-1739

Watch for our interview with Nick Jacobs soon on LAsThePlace.com.

Bartender Cory Pearman and manager Alex Raskin will take great care of you! Tell them LA's The Place sent you!

About the author

Jane Emery