Dinner, Drinks, and Chisme.
Picala is Culver City’s new gathering place, an energetic crossroads where paths, people, and stories come together. Rooted in the Spanish tradition of sharing food as community, it’s a restaurant designed for connection: a bar for a quick pintxo and vermouth, a patio for lingering with friends, or a dining room for a full wood-fired feast. Ingredient-driven, fresh, and welcoming, Picala is where West LA comes to eat, drink, and belong.
The name comes from a rarely used rural Spanish idiom for the meeting of paths, a crossroads where people gather, share, and delight in one another. That is the spirit we want to bring to Picala, our own crossroads in West Los Angeles.
OUR TEAM
Executive Chef Luis Sierra
Chef Luis Sierra brings a deep respect for culinary tradition to Picala, shaped by a career rooted in curiosity, craft, and place. His journey began not in a kitchen, but underground, studying ancient hearths across the American Southwest as an archaeology student. There, early cooking practices and regional ingredients sparked a fascination with how people cook and gather, a thread that would follow him into kitchens around the world. At nineteen, after a summer working in a Texas oil refinery, Sierra used his earnings to backpack across Europe and study in Málaga, Spain. The soulfulness of Spanish food, the ritual of shared meals, and the use of humble ingredients like cured meats, olives, and conservas left a lasting mark. As a Mexican-American in Spain, speaking with a different accent and lacking local cultural context, Luis often felt like an outsider. Instead of backing away, he leaned in, motivated to learn, understand, and find his own voice in a cuisine that wasn’t handed to him but earned through experience. In 2011, that passion became a profession. Sierra trained at the French Culinary Institute in New York and refined his craft in some of the city’s most respected kitchens, including Estela, Altro Paradiso, La Vara, Saint Julivert, and Dressler, all recognized by the Michelin Guide. Under the guidance of chefs like Ignacio Mattos, he developed a style grounded in restraint, seasonality, and intention. Before joining Picala, Sierra served as Chef de Cuisine at Lulu in Los Angeles’s Hammer Museum, founded by Alice Waters and David Tanis. At Picala, he channels that range into a wood-fired menu inspired by Spain and shaped by California, where every dish celebrates the beauty of cooking simply, eating communally, and gathering often.
GENERAL MANAGER LEHENA LEPLUS
Born in Biarritz in the Basque region of France, just thirty minutes from San Sebastián, Lehena brings a global sensibility and a deep commitment to hospitality to her role at Picala. After moving to the U.S. at age seven, she returned to France to study at La Sorbonne, laying the foundation for a career that blends culture, language, and service. Lehena began her hospitality journey at Pebble Beach Resorts, where she earned her Certified Sommelier accreditation. She went on to hold key positions at Four Seasons hotels in Texas and Boston, serving as a Learning Coach and guest experience leader. Most recently, she oversaw openings and operations for Saltie Girl in Boston and West Hollywood, where her leadership helped earn national recognition and a spot on the LA Times "Top 101 Restaurants." At Picala, she brings it full circle, sharing childhood favorites like the Basque torta featured on the menu. Her style is personal, intentional, and rooted in a lifelong love of food, culture, and connection.
