After the Eaton fire, the Berne restaurant finally closed. This weekend it is born as Betsy

Despite all the chances of winning, the Altadena restaurant of Tyler Wells remains. Like around 10,000 houses and buildings in the area, many of the surrounding companies burned in January and changed the community of the mountain town and the landscape forever.

After the destruction of the neighborhood, his restaurant believed that Bernee – formerly called Bernee – will serve his rustic, seasonal cuisi again on Saturday. It becomes customers for the return of his heart -spread menu in what Wells hopes for so much pain, and a meeting point for Altadena.

Betsy-Near The corner of the Lake Avenue and Mariposa Street is flanked by the remains of the destruction of the fire: in the west, a hollowed-out brick structure, which, after the local hardware store, are still able to do its metal lights. In the south, a levelless that was once a Spanish-speaking school; And to the north there remains a pottery studio and a staled café de Leche and the Rancho Bar.

“Fire is an incredible thing and will also ruin an enterer and the life of people,” said Wells. “The attraction of it does not control it – and it becomes spiritual – but to find it out.

Bernee made his debut on December 7, 2024. The oven, burned by the main chef Paul Downner, through almond wood and Red Eiche, required day and brewing and roasted oven, fish, beans and copied Veansh night.

Wells had torn Himsellf into the room and built his own tables, shelves and slim wooden walls. Through personal coercion, including the Disses Marigage and its partnership in the popular restaurant Los Feliz All Time, he found hope and focus in New Altadena Restaurant.

On January 2, he moved to a new home, closer to what is now and is named after his own. “I don't know, man, I see that I am happy hay. It is shown a little crack with light. He had a morning full of revelation and optimism. That night was practically on the Eaton Canyon Trail, his new house was right on the way of fire.

Wells has never imagined the fire to reach the city. On January 7, he worked in the Close restaurant and helped leave the staff early and safer routes back to their houses.

“I said, 'The restaurant is doing well, you knock home,” said, “he said. “Like this restaurant, it is so far away from the mountain that a fire cannot burn all of this. I didn't know that these requests for grapefruits-standards download download the mountain.”

He evacuated some feeling that night. Everything is gone. “”

“I just thought: 'Ok, the restaurant is gone. My house is gone.” I just thought:' I am noticed that I would come back to la. '”

He began to introduce himself to start again, perhaps in another state, perhaps in Mexico. Note two hours later, Paola Guasp – owner of Amara Kitchen, who also Burnad – proclaimed: Wells' restaurant was still standing.

He drove to the Mariposa Street to meet one of events that had decided to visit the restaurant at that moment. They hugged each other, then Wells grabbed two coffers with the most researching wine in the building and drove north without a destination.

Wells had occasionally demolished Potter Victoria Morris and all the husbands, Morgan Bateman, in the Ceramics Studio House in the building behind Berne. It burned in January. Also your home.

In addition, Wells drove north, called a hotel in Ojai and booked a few nights there, then called Morris and Bateman, who have a home in Ojai. Morris told him to cancel the hotel. “I said, 'What? What do you mean?' “And there was a long break and she says: 'Tyler, f – you. You live with us now.'

The fire and fire for eight weeks. These meals and months with them, he said, are moments that he will appreciate for the rest of his life.

It is the Mexico city that comes to Mexico California in Mexico after Mexico City.

A call to the Ecology Center, a extensive farm and a market stall in San Juan Capistrano, changed its course. Could he help to re -shape the café on site, shape its menus and program closer to the bounty of the farm? No, he thought he was not ready. Wells travel to Colorado, but he couldn't. He cut how Trip briefly went back and Himsellf to the farm, his café and ticket evening dinner and events. Hein called reinforcements in Berne.

Joey Messina, a cook at Betsy, agreed to move temporarylay into the farm. Wells cleared the Airstream trailer on the property for him and a new residence in the yurt of the property. If necessary, they called Tom Oakes, also at Betsy. He walked to join them, and Wells moved again, this time a tent set up between trees. He stayed there for eight weeks. Other employees followed.

They called it “Dirtbag Summer Camp”, on the 18 -hour day and then cooked luxurious meals with products that were pulled directly from the ground. These dinner convinced to stay.

“La has some challenges that are really difficult for me as a business owner, but these are my people,” he said. “These are the greatest friends I've ever known in my life.

After his closure, most of Berne's employees found work in town restaurants. Some, like Server Courtney Johnson – the new curator of Betsy's wine list

“You made the decision that the reopening of the restaurant,” said Wells. “I just had to pull a few levers and like: 'Here is your restaurant back.' I can't believe it. “

The timing, he said, started to feel right. The first moths were terrible, full of trauma and smoke. In spring, the tree teams began to clear the land, he felt somewhat optimistic. Grass began to grow during the summer. The air felt cleaner. He saw signs of life that returned to the community.

“It just became clear to me: We are at the end of this ascent and it is a damn good climb and I want to be part of it,” he said. “That is when I take care of it.”

What kind of member of this community would he be, did he think if he only returned first, which the damage had met?

He renamed the restaurant and optimized the menu for seasonality, but almost everything remains as it was that it was Bernes Single Moon. He put this wood -fired stove back into operation. He landed the air channels and filtered deeply and filtered his kitchen.

On August. 3 he threw his first dinner with Betsy and cooked briefly for friends, family, neighbors and guests who started the fire in January. Wells gave the staff a preopech that was so unexpectedly emotional that it was stirred into tears in front of all tears.

“I just thought:” This restaurant is a restaurant, “he said.” This is a stupid thing, but what represents is something so much bigger and deeper and which for peaf in the community. “

On August. 24, During a further exercise of dinner, a customer approached the fountain in the dining room and gently knocked it on the shoulder from behind.

He didn't know everything, gently by the religion of the guests, but she lives in the Neighborhood. She said she had to tell him that the return of the restaurant like the beginning of the something new for Altadena felt, and she was so happy that it came back.

“Think that people see it as a beacon just to let in a little light,” said Wells later. “It will not only be us, obviously – I think we need another 1,000 examples of this – but for me it is so meaningful. That was what restaurants have always been for me, bute feels like a calling for all of us.”

Betsy Is open in the 875 E. Mariposa St. in Altadena, daily from 5 p.m. to nearby.