Day One at Goldie’s

An occasional series takes in the scene at new restaurants on opening night.

“I like the polka dots,� a diner mentioned to her server as she took a seat at one of the numbered wooden tables at Goldie’s, the West 3rd Street restaurant that opened for dinner on Thursday. “They dressed you well.�

But everyone at restaurateur Nick Mathers’ second Los Angeles venture was dressed well. This is 3rd Street — a microcosm of L.A.’s trendy dining scene and even trendier diners.

The small plates that left Goldie’s bustling open kitchen featured familiar ingredients: cauliflower, kale, sea bass, clams. The scallop ceviche came with green apple and green beans; the grilled squid, with almond milk, lemon jus and garlic chives. Chef Thomas Lim’s plating of this modern California cuisine matched the aesthetic of its diners — tidy but casual.

And small plates being what they are (as in small), the men in scarves and model-esque women in floral prints didn’t have to worry about expanding their waists.

Typical Hollywood industry chatter drowned out the barely audible music, but maybe the high ceiling with wooden beams helped keep the noise at a comfortable volume.

Mathers made his rounds around the cozy space and eight-seat bar, making sure to speak to those who hugged him upon entering.

Just as every table filled with eager diners sipping cocktails crafted by Brittini Rae Peterson, formerly of ink., three guests arrived prompting people to simultaneously start whispering. Comedian Jimmy Kimmel and actors Dax Shepard and Kristen Bell scooped up the largest table in the corner.

Once the crisp night air blew into the restaurant, the rolling door that separated the indoor dining room from the outdoor garden patio was closed. You knew you were in L.A., but it took Goldie’s to make you feel like you arrived.

8422 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, (323) 677-2470, goldiesla.com.

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