Jemma Hollywood opened late last month near the corner of Hollywood and Vine, bringing an unabashedly Italian-American flavor to the heart of Tinseltown. Jackson Kalb, a former Top Chef contestant, and his wife Melissa, now are behind four Italian restaurants in Los Angeles through their Memento Mori Hospitality, with Jemma joining Jame in El Segundo, Ospi in Venice Beach, and Jemma di Mare in Brentwood.
The seafood-focused Jemma di Mare opened in May, making the new Jemma the second extension of the brand in just six months. Jackson Kalb, a Los Angeles native, seems intent on building what the LA Times called “a growing red sauce empire.”
The latest Jemma focuses on tried-and-true classics such as spaghetti and meatballs and spicy rigatoni alla vodka. The pizzas, made with flours sourced from farms devoted to regenerative agriculture and employing sourdough, merge New York and Neapolitan styles, with seasonal ingredients and a puffy crust and sturdy undercarriage.
At all of the Kalbs’ restaurants, for each meal purchased donate, Memento Mori will donate a meal to someone in need through their partnership with the organizations Feeding America and No Kid Hungry.
Take a look at some of the Jemma Hollywood menu items and interiors below.
Jemma Hollywood, 1717 Vine St, Los Angeles, CA 90028, 323-450-9070, jemmarestaurants.com, @jemmarestaurants
