Yesterday, Eszett, a beloved natural-wine bar on Sunset Blvd, poured its last glass. Eszett was famous among locals for its subversive food menu, natural wine selection, and let’s not forget their hot sauce. But don’t despair– in its place, The Ruby Fruit, a lesbian wine bar, will open in mid-February.
The Ruby Fruit is the love child of some of Eszett’s staff, and so the spirit of the space will certainly live on, and clientele can expect the same level of excellence.
“There is no denying that this is a hard task — a really tough act to follow,” Mara Herbkersman, the former general manager of Eszett and one half of the Ruby Fruit’s ownership, told the LA Times. “It’s been highly emotional.”
The idea for The Ruby Fruit happened quickly. One day, Herbkersman asked if her co-worker, server Emily Bielagus, would ever want to open a lesbian bar together. Bielagus didn’t hesitate to say yes. The Ruby Fruit will be LA’s first permanent lesbian bar since the Oxwood Inn’s closure in 2017.
Women will run the kitchen at The Ruby Fruit. Herbkersman will run the general back-of-house operations, while Bielagus will manage the front of house. “Having a space for women to work and to feel comfortable is one of my biggest goals,” Herbkersman told the LA Times.
The duo hope for the space to feel like home. “Like a Cheers, but for lesbians,” Bielagus says.
