Pull to refresh
Logo
Silver Lake bistro Josephine secures beer and wine license

Silver Lake bistro Josephine secures beer and wine license

New Capabilities Los Angeles, CA local

French-Italian restaurant in a 1950s bungalow can now sell alcohol after three months without it

August 28th, 2026: Beer and wine license activated

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Josephine, the French-Italian bistro in a Silver Lake bungalow, can finally pour wine with its roasted chicken. California's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) activated its type 41 license on August 28, 2026 — a license that allows beer and wine but not spirits.

The restaurant opened in late May without alcohol service. The license ends that stretch and lets the kitchen pair its monthly changing menu. For a neighborhood spot, that typically means bigger checks and longer evenings.

Why it matters

Josephine can now sell beer and wine with its French-Italian menu, lifting check sizes and changing how Silver Lake diners experience the bungalow.

Questions about this story

Free account needed to ask — your question is kept and asked for you right after sign-up. Answers are public.

No questions yet — be the first to ask.

Key Indicators

Type 41
ABC license type
On-sale beer and wine license for a bona fide eating place; covers beer and wine only, not spirits.
~3 months
Time from opening to license
Restaurant opened late May 2026; beer and wine license activated August 28.
2
Co-founders
Childhood friends Marco Gagliardi (executive chef) and Anthony Dragotto (business) run the restaurant.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

Sign up to generate historical perspectives on this story.

People Involved

Organizations Involved

Timeline

May 2026 August 2026

2 events Latest: August 28th, 2026 · 3 weeks ago
  1. Beer and wine license activated

    Latest Regulatory

    California's ABC activates a type 41 on-sale license, letting Josephine serve beer and wine but not spirits.

  2. Josephine opens in Silver Lake

    Opening

    Lifelong friends Marco Gagliardi and Anthony Dragotto open the French-Italian bistro in a 1950s bungalow on Santa Monica Boulevard.

Scenarios

1

Josephine builds a wine program, expands service

Possible Resolves by Aug 1, 2027

Discussed by: The Infatuation and Eater LA, which track LA restaurant openings

With beer and wine rights, Gagliardi adds pairings and beverage-driven monthly menus. Higher checks draw more evening diners, letting the restaurant add brunch or later hours within a year.

2

Josephine becomes an LA dining-list regular

Possible Resolves by Aug 28, 2027

Discussed by: The Infatuation, which already put the steak frites among LA's best; Eater LA and LA Times critics who publish annual best-of lists

The license regularizes service and the restaurant keeps its small footprint and monthly menus. It draws repeat neighborhood diners and climbs into major citywide restaurant rankings beyond The Infatuation's Hit List, where it already appears.

3

Consistency issues stall Josephine's growth

Unlikely Resolves by Aug 28, 2027

Discussed by: The Infatuation noted uneven chicken, oversalted fries, and a tough ricotta tart crust

Reviewers flagged inconsistent cooking at the bungalow. If quality doesn't hold as beer and wine service brings busier nights, the restaurant stays niche, changes its concept, or loses its chef.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

July 1955

California creates its ABC (1955)

After Prohibition ended in 1933, California's State Board of Equalization handled liquor licensing. In 1955 the legislature created the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, a dedicated agency to issue and enforce alcohol licenses, including the type 41 category for eating places that serve beer and wine.

Then

The ABC became California's single alcohol authority, centralizing licensing under one agency.

Now

Its license types still govern alcohol sales today. Restaurants like Josephine need a type 41 license to pour beer and wine, and a broader license to serve spirits.

Why this matters now

Explains why a neighborhood bistro needs a state license before it can serve wine, and why Josephine's license covers beer and wine but not cocktails.

2010s–2026

Bowery Bungalow, the bungalow's prior kitchen (2010s–2026)

4156 Santa Monica Boulevard's 1950s craftsman bungalow hosted Bowery Bungalow, a Middle Eastern restaurant, before that business closed. Gagliardi and Dragotto took over the space for Josephine, which opened in late May 2026.

Then

Josephine replaced Bowery Bungalow in the same bungalow.

Now

The address continues its run as a neighborhood restaurant site in Silver Lake.

Why this matters now

Shows the site's restaurant lineage and the turnover common to LA's bungalow dining scene.

Sources

(3)