The Hearth & Hound, April Bloomfield's Hollywood restaurant, to close

The Hearth & Hound, April Bloomfield’s Hollywood restaurant, to close

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Charred chicories with citrus, pistachios and forage blanc. In addition to a lively bar, the Hearth & Hound offers a wine list pulled together by Beastie Boy Mike D.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

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Pork with quince and verjus

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

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Octopus with celeriac

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

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Hiramasa with vegetable escabeche

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

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Cabbage with oyster emulsion and meat drippings

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times )

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Chicken with green peppercorn jus and Trumpet Royale mushrooms

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

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Black cod with orange sauce and fennel

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

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April Bloom is the chef behind Hearth & Hound in Hollywood, in the old Cat & Fiddle space. Her aesthetic: simple yet full-flavored small plates. Though known for her meat dishes at places like New York’s Spotted Pig, she puts vegetables forward here and employs a lot of Middle Eastern flavors.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

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The bar at the Hearth & Hound.

(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

By Andrea ChangStaff Writer

Jan. 19, 2019 8 PM PT

After just over a year, the Hearth & Hound, the Hollywood restaurant by chef April Bloomfield, is closing.

“It is with a heavy heart I announce that the Hearth & Hound will serve its last supper tonight,” the restaurant said in an Instagram post Saturday night. “I thank our guests, friends and supporters for the warm welcome during a tumultuous last year.”

The New American restaurant opened in December 2017 and never seemed to find its footing in Los Angeles. Although Bloomfield arrived from New York as a well-regarded chef behind the Spotted Pig and the Breslin, her L.A. debut was quickly marred by sexual harassment allegations against her business partner, Ken Friedman.

Although Friedman stepped away from the Hearth & Hound and the duo ultimately severed their business ties, accusations that Bloomfield knew about his behavior and didn’t do enough dogged her short tenure in L.A. She responded to the criticism in a lengthy interview with the New York Times in October.

Despite strong reviews, the restaurant, in the heart of Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard, was often largely empty at night.

In the Instagram post, Bloomfield wrote that she loved L.A. and hoped “one day to cook here again.”

Times staff writer Jenn Harris contributed to this report.

andrea.chang@latimes.com

Twitter: @byandreachang

Instagram: @byandreachang