Ready, set…fly! …It’s been an imaginative, artistic and wondrous, journey. Now, the veil has lifted and the gates have swung open at The Witch’s Cottage in North Hollywood, revealing its long-awaited, community-centered fantasy cotagium. “Witch, Witch, Hooray!”
“We built this cottage …”
By creative ingenuity, sheer will, and a lot of plain-people-support (like, more than a hundred volunteers), a WeFunder campaign, and an angel investor, founders Danielle Ozymandias and Celina Lee Surniak have turned the former Federal Bar into an all-things-witchy-and-wonderful haven.
“Merry Ye Meet”
Two stories of food, festivities, fairies and vaporous cocktails ushered in official press guests last Friday evening for a pre-launch peek, and a bit of entertainment. As a preview, featured menu edibles (designed by Mitch Rosander) circled the first floor restaurant/bar as delectable hors d’oeuvres. All the while whimsical, winged creatures roamed the room leading guests to tea and tarot readings, live music, spontaneous storytelling and generally happy thoughts.
Immersive Glamour
The dramatic moment however is the first step inside. And it is an embrace like no other. Guest are met by an intentional, immersive and sensory environment. Constellations, mermaids, symbols, (more) and a general, low lighting scheme create an ambiance of exceptional enchantment. This, thanks to the extensive and breathtaking interior remodel and design by Jennifer DeRosa.
After a giant congratulatory hug to Ozymandias, the founder disappeared for her interview with the Los Angeles Times. Ozymandias had personally invited me late last Summer to participate in a community event for designing chair backs which are now seated all over the restaurant and bars. And so, I wandered off in search of my personal creation as well as the upstairs tour and a drink. What I discovered was another bar plus staging for live entertainment. For the tour we were ushered into a live Dungeons and Dragons, audience assisted-themed performance.
Back downstairs, a delicious, non-alcoholic, Veil of Venus concluded my visit. As a perfectly balanced, gin-like, lavender brew, I couldn’t have asked for more. Except to calendar my return. There’s a lot to explore at The Witch’s Cottage, along with an already filling up calendar of revelries. All magical and non-magical folk are welcome. See you there!
Located at 5303 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA, 91601 (At the corner of Weddington and Lankershim). Follow THE WITCH’S COTTAGE on their social media.
Photos and videos by Tracey Paleo
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