Michele StuevenFanny’s, the much-anticipated and talked about restaurant and café at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, will soft open its daytime café in conjunction with the museum’s grand opening today, September 30. To start, it will offer a limited menu of quick-serve small plates and prepared food options, overseen by Executive Chef Raphael Francois, from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Francois and his team (which includes legendary barman Julian Cox) will launch lunch service later this month, followed by a more formal dinner service in early November.
Debuting in stages, Fanny’s is being brought to life by restaurateurs Bill Chait and Carl Schuster, with support from the Fran & Ray Stark Foundation. Named after Fanny Brice, the legendary movie, vaudeville, theater and radio star portrayed by Barbra Streisand in her Oscar-winning role in Funny Girl. The elegant two-story, 10,000-square-foot space was conceptualized by late architect Osvaldo Maiozzi.
Cafe at Fanny’s (Wonho Frank Lee)
In this first phase, guests can either enter through the restaurant’s patio (off of Fairfax Avenue) or the museum’s lobby to order from a menu of espresso drinks, freshly made baked goods, salads, sandwiches like a beetroot tartine, natural wine and beer. Adjacent to the patio entrance to the café is a glass case filled with prepared items that can be ordered at the counter and be eaten at one of the area’s communal tables or outside. Once dinner debuts, the restaurant will take on a more formal ambiance than its daytime counterpart, switching to a different menu and captain-based service.
Designed by L.A.-based Commune Design, Fanny’s features a spacious main dining room and an art deco-style bar and lounge, in addition to the daytime café area. The aesthetic blends contemporary style with old Hollywood inspiration, as embodied by iconic restaurants like the Brown Derby and Perino’s, as well as studio backlots and the 1939 Streamline Moderne architecture of the museum’s Saban Building. The space also features work by local artists, including custom light fixtures by Atelier de Troupe and Pojagi-inspired sheer curtain panels by textile artist Adam Pogue. A specially commissioned wraparound mural by L.A. artist and illustrator Konstantin Kakanias celebrates film and music legends from classical Hollywood to present day.
The café at Fanny’s will be open daily from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information and to be updated regarding the launches of lunch and dinner service, visit www.fannysammp.com or follow along at @fannysammp.
Fanny’s dining room (Michele Stueven)
Cafe at Fanny’s Hamachi Crudo (Wonho Frank Lee)
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