By: Haley Bosselman By: Haley Bosselman | October 21, 2021 | Food & Drink,
Last summer, West Hollywood favorite Employees Only converted their sprawling space to step up to the safety and logistical challenges imposed by the pandemic. The friendly, socially-distant Summer Social Club offered guests a daily rotating, diverse menu that featured Los Angeles’ best chefs and pop-ups and a curated list of cocktails to complement the respective menu. Now, the open-air culinary incubator is back.
Beginning Oct. 24, Employees Only will host Sunday Social Club, a rotating list of pop-ups that will serve as the Sunday sibling of its summertime counterpart. But this time be sure to grab a jacket. It all goes down from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Sunday Social Club’s christening is led by Sandy Ho and her Instagram-famous pop-up concept, Sandita's. For one night only, Santa Monica Boulevard dwellers can stop in for Ho’s infamous colorful dumplings and tostadas— all in collaboration with Employees Only chef Josh Buckwald. What’s more, the two teams are bringing to you the freshest ingredients around. Ahead of the pop-up, they will source the 5-item menu from a day together at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market.
“It’s going to be a total lovechild, mish-mosh of everything in Sandy’s awesome brain and everything that we do on Employees Only,” Buckwald said in a recent Instagram video.
The Sandita's-Employees Only menu features mouthwatering meals, like chicken and apricot ragu dumplings with pecorino, pickled chiles and fall mushroom dumplings with loaded tamari sauce. Mushroom fans can also opt for Mum’s 12-hour Curry, which includes cavatelli, fire-roasted maitake and oyster mushrooms. If seafood is more your game, go for the fried fish plate. It has pickles, vermicelli noodles, scallion oil, peanuts, lettuce, fermented shrimp chili sauce and pineapple sauce. There’s also the Kanpachi Crudo: rainbow tostadas with shiso, avocado crema and florals.
Among their other menu items, Employees Only’s craft cocktails are some of the city’s most stellar, so you know the beverage pairing will be equally as colorful and bold as its Sandita meal complement. Count us in for a Hibiscus Rising.
Employees Only is at 7953 Santa Monica Boulevard. Reservations are highly encouraged and can be made on Resy. Menu items range from $12 to $38.
See Also: 9 of the Best Restaurants for Ramen in Los Angeles
Photography by: Courtesy Employees Only & Sandita's