Muy Salsa Hospitality’s latest venture pairs an Italian-Latin menu with a 170-inch rooftop movie screen
Muy Salsa Hospitality’s newest concept, CineOpera, celebrates its grand opening today on a rooftop in the Arts District, transforming the space into an all-day restaurant, pastry counter, cocktail bar and bottle shop, centered around a 170-inch LED movie screen.
The venue previously housed LA Cha Cha Chá, another Muy Salsa Hospitality eatery where CineOpera’s executive chef, Francisco “Paco” Moran, served as chef de cuisine before the group converted the space into a cinephile’s dream.
Credit: Yewon Perry
The concept comes from Muy Salsa founder Alejandro Marin, whose portfolio already includes L.A. favorites Loreto, Za Za Za and Santa Canela. CineOpera is designed to function as a kind of neighborhood living room — a spot for coffee and work during the day, then wine and a movie under the stars come evening.
“A place that keeps things really easy, relaxed and convenient,” Marin said.
For the menu, Moran, a second-generation Salvadoran American raised in Watts and Koreatown, found an unlikely source of inspiration: Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona’s years playing for Napoli in Italy’s Serie A.
Blending that Italian influence with his own Latin roots, Moran built a menu around housemade pastas, empanadas and grilled meats, anchored by a steak sandwich called Maradona’s Schiacciata, a clam-forward bucatini alle vongole and grilled provolone finished with Calabrian chili oil.
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Credit: Yewon Perry
Beyond the kitchen, the 170-inch screen grounds CineOpera as a communal gathering point, with a full calendar of programming in the works. Upcoming screenings include Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon on July 10 and Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo on July 11, as well as plans for series viewings, themed movie-and-dinner nights and sports watch parties.
Credit: Yewon Perry
Rounding out the offerings, executive pastry chef Ellen Ramos stocks a rotating case each morning with her renowned Santa Canela pastries, while the attached bottle shop pours an affordable, quality-focused wine selection that diners can take home or enjoy on-site for a $10 corkage fee. A small market stocked with dried pastas, salsas and other packaged goods is also in the works.
CineOpera is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 812 E. 3rd St., with no reservations offered.