Fred Wilson (artist) and Mh Zh

Fred Wilson, yes the other Fred Wilson, is an artist that we obviously have followed. He happens to be an incredibly warm smart man who has created meaningful thought provoking art for decades.

We went to the opening of his show at Maccarone in Los Angeles. This area is filled with old warehouses and I am sure it is only time that they all find themselves filled with more art. This show is called Afro Kismet. Wilson went to Istanbul over seven times researching the history of black people living in the region. These pictures are etchings from Istanbul antique stores where he has highlighted the black figures in the etchings overlaying a white piece of paper and cutting out a hole for the figure to stand out. I love these.

As always his Murano glass chandeliers and black mirrors are his signature pieces. The dark mirrors are reflective but you really can’t see yourself. Fred was there and we got to hear about his journey in Istanbul. Really wonderful.

Afterward we made our way to Silverlake to have dinner at Mh Zh. No resys so we put our name on the list and had a drink at the Bar at Cliffs. What a great spot. The food looked good too. I wish this bar was down the street from us in LA or even in NYC.

Back to Mh Zh. The majority of the seats are outside circled around the restaurant which sits on a corner. Only in LA! The menu is simple and definitely made for sharing.

The high points were the special rice and lentil dish. Could not stop eating it.

The fennel caesar salad with crushed crispy anchovies on top. Definitely making this at home sans garlic.

Beets were also insane. I don’t remember what was in those beets but they were soft, spicy, sweet, crunchy and melted in your mouth. We ordered 2 dishes between the 3 of us and could have had another one.

Kind of a perfect LA evening.