Sqirl reopens after renovation, with a new coffee program

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A remodeled Sqirl cafe’s 1 & 1: a shot of espresso served alongside a macchiato. (Betty Hallock / Los Angeles Times)

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Sqirl cafe’s newly remodeled interior, now with seating. (Betty Hallock / Los Angeles Times)

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The Sqirl cafe patio, furnished with bright orange cafe tables and chairs. (Betty Hallock / Los Angeles Times)

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Sqirl cafe’s socca, a chickpea-and-carrot pancake. (Betty Hallock / Los Angeles Times)

By Betty Hallock

Aug. 19, 2013 5:03 PM PT

Sqirl, the cafe that grew out of Jessica Koslow’s Sqirl Confitures in east Hollywood, has reopened its doors after a few-week renovation. Now there’s more seating -- big news for anyone who has tried to balance a cappuccino and a bowl of sorrel-pesto-topped brown rice while waiting for one of the few stools on the sidewalk.

The new dining room features a communal table with stools, as well as a bar rail, with a total of about 20 seats. Bright orange cafe tables and chairs decorate the patio.

Behind the coffee bar at the back you’ll find Colleen King, who formerly worked for Intelligentsia and now is running Sqirl’s coffee program. King says she’s featuring a rotating roster of coffee, including Ritual, Heart and Sightglass and is reaching out to roasters such as Tim Wendelboe in Norway.

“I’m sourcing everything very carefully,” King says, “the same approach that Jessica takes with her food.”

In the meantime, she says, she’s conducting cuppings and working closely with baristas and chefs during “palate training” sessions.

Originally scheduled to open along with the remodeled Sqirl is Lou Amdur’s affiliated next-door wine shop. Neighborhood denizens are eagerly waiting for his selection of under-$20 wines, along with bread, cheeses, charcuterie and Koslow’s preserves.

720 N. Virgil Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 394-6526, sqirlla.com.

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Betty Hallock

Betty Hallock is deputy Food editor at the Los Angeles Times. She has co-written four cookbooks, including “Bäco: Vivid Recipes from the Heart of Los Angeles,” “Amá: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen” and “Baking at République.” She started her journalism career at the Wall Street Journal and Scientific American in New York, worked on the L.A. Times’ Business desk, and was interim food editor at Los Angeles Magazine. Hallock also helped launch a food and nutrition vertical for wellness app RoundGlass. She’s a graduate of UCLA and New York University.

Sqirl reopens after renovation, with a new coffee program

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