Plugs — Olivia Špralja

L.A. food, drink, and leisure recs from the Silver Springs founder + LINKS

Plugs is The Angel’s recs column. Every week, you’ll get six picks—a restaurant, a bar, a shop, an ingredient, a person, and a treat—from someone in Los Angeles who knows what they’re talking about, plus a selection of Angel-curated links. (Plugs are for paid subscribers of The Angel only; upgrade your subscription to receive all six!)

#91 is Olivia Špralja, the founder of Silver Springs and easily one of the best fitness instructors in L.A. Olivia opened her dreamy hot pilates, yoga, and HIIT studio on Melrose in the spring of 2023, and since then, it’s become a cult-favorite workout destination for Angelenos on both sides of town. The teachers, the music, the structure of the classes—it’s all very fun, and very hard. I would know! Prior to Springs, she taught yoga and pilates at Modo, and before that, she was teaching in Toronto, where she’s from. Olivia knows food and has hospitality in her blood, having grown up in her family’s Croatian seafood restaurant in Toronto (more on that below). Luckily for me, she’s currently working towards opening a New York outpost of Silver Springs. Here’s Olivia with her Plugs.

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Restaurant — Joso’s

This answer is so annoying, and for that, I am sorry. I haven’t lived here for very long. I only moved here in Jan of 2020, and given the city and the number of restaurants I haven’t been to yet, this feels hard. Especially because of how sacred I consider these plugs, but mostly because of how deeply I care about restaurants. I grew up in one, and not only one, but the best one. So, to the city I’ve lived in most of my life — Toronto. The best is Joso’s, a Croatian seafood restaurant. My grandparents and parents have run this restaurant for 50 years in Toronto and it is my favorite restaurant in the world. Service and hospitality, food and ambiance. Not a lot of restaurants can do all of that. Everything I know is because of this restaurant and I feel lucky that I get to compare everything to it. A place that can only exist as a result of its people. Only them, only there. Perfect meal: Calamari & Shrimp Kornati, Arugula Salad, Octopus Schiavona, Risotto Milanese or Pescatora, Spaghettini alla Leonardo or Sicilana, Grilled Octopus or Spigola, and my favorite tiramisu and palacinke in the world. (Secret: ask for palacinke with lemon and sugar only.)

Photo by Olivia Špralja.

OKAY — since the above feels illegal, I would like to mention:

Cecconi’s

The restaurant is enclosed by a giant, lush, green fortress and it immediately takes the edge off the day. You go from WeHo to somewhere... better. We’re almost always the youngest people there by like 25 years, and we love it. Go-to order is the ricotta and honey crostini, crudité when I'm feeling rabbity (served in a silver urn), salami pizza, butter lettuce salad (ask them to chop it up, no one needs to be cutting their lettuce), and finish with profiteroles or cookies or tiramisu and fresh mint leaves with hot water aka tea for dessert! Cecconi’s has been there for us after many loooooong sweaty days at the studio, and they never judge us for looking like it. Service is always fantastic. They wear vests. The lighting's just right. Prego!