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Pawn Shop: The Hollywood sports bar with a James Beard chef
Pawn Shop's pickle-brined fried chicken and a glass of beer.
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Shelby Moore
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World Cup Pub Crawl: Pawn Shop refurbishes longtime Melrose business into a sports bar
Guests: Tony Messina, executive chef and partner of Pawn Shop, a New England-inspired sports bar in Hollywood, and Diego Torres-Palma, partner and CEO of Pawn Shop
You won't find resale items at the Pawn Shop in Hollywood. Instead you'll find TVs, menu items like pickle-brined fried chicken and caviar and a James Beard chef.
The new sports bar, which opened at the end of June, got its name from the long-running pawn shop which used to be at the location.
Chef Tony Messina, along with fellow Pawn Shop partner Diego Torres-Palma, sat down with Austin Cross, who hosts AirTalk every Friday, to explain what makes their new establishment stand out.
Chef Tony Messina (left) and business partner Diego Torres-Palma.
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Shelby Moore
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About the food
Tony Messina began his culinary journey in Boston, starting as a caterer and cook at age 14. Since then, he's received multiple James Beard award nominations, and the organization recognized him in 2019 as the best chef in the Northeast. He made his way to Los Angeles in 2021.
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With the beer flowing and multiple flat-screen TVs, you could assume it to be a standard sports bar. However, Messina elevated the menu, blending his fine-dining experience with his New England roots.
"You can come to a fun night with the family or a date night even," Messina said. "Be all-encompassing with the restaurant aspect, as opposed to just being pub grub."
The best Pawn Shop experience
Messina says to have to ultimate experience in the space, you should sit at their bar or booths that have a good view of of the games on TV. If you want a more premium experience, you could reserve a private suite to watch games with friends and family.
As for food, he says to prioritize their small plates and shareables (like their New England-Polynesian Pu Pu Platter) and get a main dish if you're still hungry.
Restaurant details
Interior of Pawn Shop
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Shelby Moore
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- The building was originally home to Brothers Collateral Pawn Shop, which closed in 2019 after 40 years.
- One of its partners, Diego Torres-Palma, also helped develop Benny Boy Brewing through his real estate-investment firm, Ventana Ventures.
- Investors include Dodgers executive Andrew Friedman and Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban.
Menu items we tried
Pawn shop's Pan con Tomate
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Shelby Moore
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- Pan con Tomate (smoked tomato, boquerones, urfa, toasted bread)
- Fried chicken (pickle-brined)
- Italian sandwich (capicola, mortadella, prosciutto, salami, schiacciata bread)
How to visit
- Address: 5901 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles
- Hours: Monday–Wednesday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Thursday–Friday 11 a.m. to midnight; Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight; Sunday 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Cost: Pan con Tomate costs $18; an 8-piece bucket of Fried Chicken costs $68, while a 16-piece bucket costs $110; an Italian sub costs $22.
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