Zach Pollack

The Path

Brown University was the academic starting point before Zach Pollack moved into professional kitchens, where the work became more specific and less theoretical. He went on to work as chef at Sotto, then stepped into chef-owner roles at Alimento in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, and later at Cosa Buona in Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles. Across those rooms, the same discipline carries forward: Italian flavors handled with attention to sequence, pacing, and how a meal is received, not just how it is plated.

The Work Today

Italian cuisine remains the center of the work today, shaped by named kitchens and by an attention to the room as much as the food. Pollack’s approach tracks the full setting of service: what lands on the plate, the company at the table, and the sense that eating together can be both practical and ceremonial. That idea is not treated as decoration. “In Italy, food isn’t a thing to be consumed; it’s an experience to be had in the company of others.” For Zach Pollack, the point is clear: the plate matters, but so does the gathering around it. Flavor, in that frame, is use, company, and the act of sharing.

Signature

Zach's signature dishes include Paper Plane, Butternut Squash Bruschetta With Pomegranate, Amaro-Spiked Mocha with Caramelized Brioche, Fava Bean Bruschetta with Chicory and Red Onion, and Fresh Pasta with Clams and Hot Italian Sausage. Read together, they point to a kitchen working through contrast and balance: bitter against sweet, richness against brightness, starch against herbs, vegetables, and seafood. The names also place Italian tradition in active use, elastic enough to hold both precision and play.

In Their Words “Italian food is as much about what’s on the table as it is about what’s around it: friends, family, community.”

Acclaim

Zach's honors include James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef of the Year semifinalist (2015), GQ 25 Most Outstanding Restaurants (2015), Forbes 30 Under 30, and Los Angeles Magazine Top 10 Best New Restaurants. Taken together, those recognitions place Pollack in kitchens that were noticed for more than technical control alone: the work also built a room, a mood, and a reason for people to stay.