Brentwood’s Jemma di Mare transforms into Italian-American hotspot Ospi

Chef Jackson Kalb looked at the data and couldn’t deny the truth: The menu items he most wanted to serve at Jemma di Mare in Brentwood weren’t the ones people were ordering. Kalb will close Jemma di Mare — which opened in May 2023 — next week and reopen it in early September as the Brentwood branch of his Venetian restaurant Ospi.

“Of the top 20 best-selling dishes, only two were seafood. I was scratching my head and wondering, ‘What the hell is going on here?'” said Kalb, who noticed that only fritto misto and sole piccata were frequently ordered. It seemed clear to him that the restaurant — part of its name is the Italian word for “sea” and its menu is peppered with grilled fish, fresh oysters, crudo, spicy grilled shrimp and an intriguing platter of lobster fettuccine large enough for two — was not fully catching on in the neighborhood. And this is Brentwood, a chic area with no fewer than 11 Italian restaurants, not counting pizzerias — a neighborhood that loves Italian food of virtually every kind, region and specialty.

Kalb said he spent a lot of time developing the fish dishes for Jemma di Mare and invested in, among other things, a dry-aging refrigerator for the fish. “I just had to make a business decision and start over,” Kalb said. “I can’t have an ego anymore – that would be detrimental to everyone. People have been asking for Ospi, and it’s going great. People want what they want, so I’d rather just give it to them.” The fritto misto will remain on the menu when the space is converted to Ospi.

Ospi opened in Venice at the height of pandemic-related closures and stunted reopenings in September 2020. Located in the former Canal Club space, Opsi’s globally-inspired Italian-American menu was served only in outdoor sidewalk seating before the dining room was allowed to open months later. Kalb took part Top chef in 2022 and said he lost his sense of taste for a while due to COVID-19.

Ospi

Ospi started with a Southern Italian focus, but with thin-crust Roman-style pizza. It has become a popular restaurant in Venice and is regularly listed as one of the city’s best Italian restaurants. The Butter Chicken Parmesan, originally a specialty dish, became a bestseller; Kalb also took other liberties with the menu, including with the Hapa, a pepperoni, pineapple and jalapeño pizza that would likely annoy purists. “Ospi evolved into a more creative take on Italian-American food,” Kalb says. “It’s meant to be like a fun dinner party where people just have fun and don’t have to think too hard about the food.”

Ospi Brentwood will have a similar menu but will offer some dishes of its own, including hand-pulled mozzarella from Los Angeles-based cheesemaker Di Stefano, served simply with olive oil and flaky sea salt from Mexico. Kalb also plans to serve a chickpea e-tria from Puglia, the recipe for which he shared with StarChefs, and set up a spritz cart that will likely make the rounds at brunch.

Jemma di Mare’s dining room will also see some adjustments, but due to budget constraints, the layout will remain mostly the same. Most of the seating will remain, but with new artwork and wall accents that deviate from the nautical theme. Kalb said all Jemma di Mare employees will stay as long as they want after the week-plus closure. The last day of operation will be Aug. 26, with Ospi Brentwood opening in its place the first week of September.