News for Restaurants in Los Angeles
May 2014 Archive

Openings / Closings / Chef Shuffle / News Bytes / Sign up for our free, monthly newsletter / News Archive

Get news for restaurants in Los Angeles. Learn more about what's going on in your dining community. From chefs to new restaurants, you'll get the most out of Los Angeles restaurants when you know what's going on.

LOS ANGELES RESTAURANT NEWS - MAY 2014 Archive

OPENINGS

In Malibu Tra Di Noi owner Antonio Alessi will open an Italian countryside eatery, Mangia, in Fall 2014, serving wood fire pizzas, casual Italian fare, wine and cocktails. Mangia, 30745 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90265, no phone.

Manifesto Café is a social enterprise market and café located in Hermon (off the 110 near Montecito Heights and Mt. Washington). The "social cafénterprise" features an original menu of Los Angelino-themed artisan sandwiches, salads and beverages, as well as fair trade coffee, teas, produce and healthy snacks all sourced from local, socially-conscious small businesses. Breakfast, lunch and dinner features dishes like a Portuguese burrito with zesty papaya slaw, salmon wrap with creamy curry sauce, and grilled cheese with organic kale and bacon. Also find a host of fresh juices and smoothies. Manifesto Cafe, 5526 Monterey Rd., Los Angeles, CA 90042, 323-739-9525.

Chef/owners Brooke Williamson and Nick Roberts (Hudson House, The Tripel) have opened Playa Provisions in Playa del Rey. The multi-purpose establishment encompasses the King Beach Cafe, Small Batch Ice Cream and Dockside Seafood Restaurant and Grain Whisky Bar. Playa Provisions, 119 Culver Blvd., Playa del Rey, CA 90293, 310-683-5019.

Pork Belly's is coming to Hollywood, opening their second location at the current District 13 restaurant. The space will be revamped before opening as Pork Belly’s with the same sandwiches and bbq menu as the flagship Venice location, but here with seating and beer and wine. Pork Belly's, 1556 North Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028, no phone.

Innovative restaurateur Adam Fleischman (Umami Burger, 800 Degrees) is at it again, with a concept that sounds completely weird but strangely delicious. ChocoChicken, serving fried chicken infused with chocolate, has opened in the downtown space previously occupied by Corkbar. House-made biscuits are among the side dishes, and a full bar is offered. A second ChocoChicken location is slated for Santa Monica. ChocoChicken, 403 W. 12th St. , Los Angeles, CA 90015, 213-403-1786.

BO-beau kitchen + rooftap has opened in Long Beach

San Diego’s Cohn Restaurant Group has opened BO-beau kitchen + rooftap on Pine Avenue in Long Beach. The restaurant serves a Cal-French menu with charcuterie, oysters on the half shell, flatbreads from a wood-fired oven, various moules frites preparations, pastas and bistro entrées like steak frites and beef bourguignon. BO-beau kitchen + rooftap, 144 Pine Ave., Long Beach, CA 90802, 562-983-0056.

The Malibu Pier Restaurant and Bar has opened with chef Jason Fullilove (Da Vinci, The Tar Pit, LACMA) helming the stoves, offering a seafood-centric menu that includes crudo, small plates and larger entrées. Malibu Pier Restaurant and Bar, 23000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90265, 310-456-8820.

Scarpetta has opened its courtyard-side kitchen’s lunchtime sandwich concept, Paninoteca by Scarpetta, Monday through Friday, serving made-to-order sandwiches, salads, sides and sweets. Expect porchetta, grilled eggplant and house-made roast beef sandwiches (on bread made in-house by Scarpetta), grilled chicken and arugula salad, fingerling potato salad and vanilla budino. Drinks include iced coffee and kale apple juice. Guests can nosh in the courtyard as an informal al fresco café, or avail themselves to a lunchtime grab-and-go. Lunch Mon.-Fri. Paninoteca by Scarpetta, Montage Beverly Hills, 225 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210, 310-860-5832.

"The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Lisa Vanderpump (Sur Restaurant & Lounge) has opened a new venue called PUMP Lounge in West Hollywood. PUMP Lounge, 8948 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069, 310-657-7867.

Koreatown will soon be host to a new restaurant from Gary Menes, Le Comptoir (which means “the counter,”) in the refurbished Hotel Normandie. The modern, intimate space will seat just eight diners for a chef’s tasting menu five nights a week, and is expected to open in late November 2014. Dinner Tues.-Sat. Le Comptoir, Hotel Normandie, 605 S. Normandie Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90005, no phone.

Former Noe executive chef Glen Ishii has opened JiST in Little Tokyo, a breakfast and lunch cafe with a menu of haute egg options (like pork belly chashu with two six-minute eggs) and chocolate banana crème fraiche pancakes, a tonkatsu sandwich, kale salad with apples and pecans, and daily specials. Drinks include a soju Bloody Mari, mimosas and Stumptown coffee. Breakfast & Lunch Tues.-Sun. JiST, 116 Judge John Aiso St. , Los Angeles, CA 90012, 213-792-2116.

Bar 20 has opened at The Grafton on Sunset. The lounge features a selection of craft cocktails, microbrews and California wines. Bar 20, The Grafton on Sunset, 8462 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069, 800-821-3660.

The 1933 Group (Sassafras, Bigfoot Lodge, Thirsty Crow) has opened Harlowe in West Hollywood. Luxe vintage interiors evoke the 1900s-1940s; the cocktail program comes from former New York mixologist Dushan Zaric (Employees Only, Macao Trading Co.) with a menu that marries house-made bitters, tinctures and shrubs with seasonal purées and infused spirits to create cocktails like the Yellow Jacket with tequila, yellow Chartreuse, elderflower, orange bitters and candied lemon peel. Elevated bar fare from consulting chef Eric Greenspan includes roasted beets and carrots paired with goat cheese, clementine and mojo verde; “fish and chips” of fried smelts in an IPA batter; and a caponata bruschetta made with Di Stefano burrata and heirloom tomatoes. Harlowe, 7321 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90046, 323-876-5839.

Saint Martha --- named for the patron saint of cooks and servants --- offers refined fare in the unassuming setting of a Koreatown strip mall. Executive chef and partner Nick Erven (current executive chef at Tart, formerly of MessHall), teams up with general manager and sommelier Mary Thompson (db Bistro, Spice Market, Rivera.) The dinner menu consists of small plates, seafood and raw bar items, and mains such as lamb loin with buckwheat mole and braised chicken thigh with griddled figs and vadouvan. There are also five- or seven-course chef’s tasting menus. A beverage program features more than 50 wines by the glass, alongside a collection of sake, soju and seasonal craft beer. Saint Martha, 740 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90005, 213-387-2300.

Now open near UCLA in Westwood, Panini Cosmopolitan Café features dishes inspired by Mexico’s Cabo coast and the Mediterranean sea. Dishes include the house special, caramelized carnitas, as well as Puerto Nuevo lobster tacos, stuffed eggplant, freshly marinated charbroiled chicken and filet kabobs. A variety of hand-muddled mojitos, margaritas and sangrias are with made with fresh fruit, and the bar is stocked with a wide selection of tequilas. Lunch & Dinner daily. Panini Cosmopolitan Café, 1553 Westwood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90024, 310-477-0089.

Tanzy Restaurant is now open in Westwood. Designer Karen Hanlon creates an airy, inviting space featuring natural materials like hand-hewn reclaimed wood sourced from 100-year-old barns and factories in the Midwest. Executive chef Bryan Podgorski (The French Laundry, Bouchon in Las Vegas) crafts an artisanal Italian menu featuring raw bar offerings, house-made charcuterie and dishes like wild white seabass panzanella with Tokyo turnips, shaved red onion, wilted spinach, salsify and brown butter vinaigrette. Expect desserts to include an amaretti crumble and torta di cioccolato with dark chocolate cream, salted caramel and banana gelato. Sommelier/mixologist Adam Seger helms the beverage program of select wines and handcrafted cocktails. Lunch & Dinner daily. Tanzy Restaurant, 10840 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90024, 310-307-7004.

A Spanish restaurant named smoke.oil.salt. has opened in the Melrose Avenue space that formerly housed Angeli Caffe. A venture of Adam Fleischman, Stephen Gelber and Jason Berkowitz, it features the cooking of Perfecto Rocher, who cooked briefly at Lazy Ox Canteen. smoke.oil.salt., 7274 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046, 323-930-7900.

Terrazza, a new café and lounge in Casa del Mar, has opened. The restaurant overlooks the ocean and features a market-driven menu from chef Sven Mede. Guests can expect seasonal salads, pizzas, housemade pastas and a rotating selection of seafood, including crudo. Terrazza, Casa del Mar, 1910 Ocean Way, Santa Monica, CA 90405, 310-581-5533.

L&E Oyster Bar owners Tyler Bell and Dustin Lancaster have opened El Cóndor, a Mexican restaurant and bar in the former El Conquistador space in Silver Lake. Chef/co-owner Spencer Bezaire (Café Stella) dishes up Mexican fare ranging from ceviche and huitaloche tacos to enchiladas, quesadillas, tortas and a whole fish in guajillo broth. Ellen Rehak, formely at Bottega Louie, has created a cocktail program of elegant margaritas alongside a fine selection of mezcal and tequila. There’s an upstairs bar and a patio, and it’s open until 2 a.m. every day. Dinner nightly. El Cóndor, 3701 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026, 323-660-4500.

Madera Kitchen is the latest creation from Loyal Pennings (Las Palmas) and Solar de Cahuengas owner, Milton Sznaider. The 5,000-square-foot space boasts a modern-minimalist, rustic interior designed by brother and sister duo, Jake and Vanessa Hooper. It features indoor and outdoor seating, two communal tables, an outdoor fireplace and a large mosaic tiled bar. Chef Kirk Plummer offers a modern twist on New American cuisine with the likes of buckwheat chitarra with poached egg, black garlic, thyme and brown butter, and slow-roasted pork with Brussels sprouts, dates, oregano and cider vinegar. Expect a full cocktail list. Dinner nightly. Madera Kitchen, 1835 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028, 213-261-3587.

Oliver’s Prime Steakhouse is now open in The Grafton on Sunset. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the restaurant’s design features stylish circular leather banquettes and wood accents amid atmospheric lighting. The menu features seafood and steaks including hamachi tataki, lobster Caprese, filet of bison and Creekstone Farms Prime Black Angus steaks. Also expect handcrafted cocktails and a high-end wine list. Oliver's Prime Steakhouse, 8462 West Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069, 323-491-9003.

Marc Kreiner (The Morrison) and designer/partner Kristofer Keith (Spacecraft Design Group) opened Ball & Chain, a beer and “meatballery,” in the Cahuenga Corridor. The restaurant features a gourmet meatball-centric menu and chef Michael Ruiz (Cobras and Matadors) offers ever-changing daily specials including a beer battered Turducken. To drink, expect craft brews on tap and unique beers by the bottle. Ball & Chain, 1643 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028, 323-465-2255.

Flores has relaunched as Ladies' Gunboat Society at Flores, featuring a Southern-inspired menu from chef Brian Dunsmoor (The Hart & the Hunter). Ladies' Gunboat Society at Flores, 2024 Sawtelle Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025, 424-273-6469.

NEWS BYTES

Café Röckenwagner Offers New $5 Pretzel "Happy Hour" Menu
Tuesdays through Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Café Röckenwagner offers a "pretzel (happy) hour" menu of $5 items, including pretzel burgers, pretzel pizza, pretzel grilled cheese, pretzel dogs and pretzel twists with dip. There are also $6 beer and $7 wine specials. Café Röckenwagner, 1168 S. Barrington Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90049, 310-478-6313.

Umami Burger’s “Artist Series” Continues with the José Andrés Burger
The latest creation in Umami Burger’s “Artist Series” is the José Andrés Burger, a ground pork and cured ham patty topped with piquillo pepper confit, caramelized onions and Manchego cheese. It costs $15, with $1 from each burger donated to World Central Kitchen, a humanitarian organization launched by José Andrés and focused on solutions to hunger and poverty. Andrés has also designed a tapas and pintxos menu with options like patatas bravas (twice cooked crispy potatoes), dates wrapped with ham, and green olives with piquillo confit and anchovy. For more information, visit www.umami.com. Umami Burger, Fred Segal, 500 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90401, 310-451-1300.

Newly Renovated X bar Re-Opens with New Burger-Centric Menu, Craft Beers and Cocktail Program
Century City’s Hyatt Regency Century Plaza’s X bar celebrates a renovation and reopening, complete with a new burger-centric menu, a craft beer bar and a new cocktail program featuring a combination of classic and contemporary drinks. The renovation boasts new furnishings, art, décor and the addition of communal tables. Luxe burgers include the “Oooh-Mommy” comprised of Wagyu beef, caramelized shallots, hoisin-glazed shiitake mushrooms, Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor goat cheese and kimchi aioli on butter-toasted brioche. Also, expect crab cakes and mini-sliders. The cocktail program consists of “Throwbacks” and “New School” creations, such as an Aperol Smash with Hudson Manhattan rye whiskey, Aperol, mint, lemon and simple syrup. X bar, Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, 2025 Avenue of the Stars, Los Angeles, CA 90067, 310-551-3332.

Nancy Silverton was named Outstanding Chef at the 2014 James Beard Foundation Awards

2014 James Beard Foundation Awards Honor Nancy Silverton
Nancy Silverton (Pizzeria Mozza, Osteria Mozza, chi SPACCA, Short Order) was named Outstanding Chef at the 2014 James Beard Foundation Awards. Read GAYOT's coverage of the annual awards ceremony. Pizzeria Mozza, 641 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036, 323-297-0101.

Willie Jane Introduces New Daytime Bites
Just in time for summer, Willie Jane’s Ryan Costanza creates takeaway lunch items at the new Willie Jane’s Lemonade Stand, pairing housemade lemonades with a bountiful sandwich menu, as well as with salads and sides for pick up. Sandwiches include a grilled cheese with ale-braised short rib, onion marmalade and smoked gouda on sourdough; salads feature collards and kale tossed with preserved lemon, garbanzo beans, wheat berries and Parmesan vinaigrette. The Lemonade Stand is open Wednesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Willie Jane, 1031 Abbott Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291, 310-392-2425.

Find out where to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Los Angeles

Where to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Los Angeles
With Cinco de Mayo falling on a Monday this year, some of LA’s best eating and drinking spots have upped the ante with a three-day weekend full of deals, drinks and Mexican food. Specials on tacos and margaritas are just the start. Read more on GAYOT's blog

CHEF SHUFFLE

Former executive chef Kris Morningstar has left Ray's & Stark Bar at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. No details have been announced about his next move. Taking his place is Viet Pham. Ray's & Stark Bar, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036, 323-857-6180.

CLOSINGS

In Hollywood, gourmet sausage spot District 13 will close to make way for a second location of Pork Belly’s. District 13, 1556 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028, 323-957-1313.

One of GAYOT's 25 Best Los Angeles Restaurants for Spring 2014, Allumette, will be closing June 28, 2014. Owners Charles Kelly and Bill DiDonna will likely open a new concept in the Echo Park space, and wunderkind chef Miles Thompson has future projects in the works. Allumette, 1320 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90026, 213-935-8787.

Haven Gastropub, a Pasadena favorite, has closed. The Orange County flagship in Old Towne Orange remains open. Haven Gastropub, 42 S. De Lacey Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105, no phone.

Popular Beverly Hills haunt Kate Mantilini will be closing June 14, 2014, after 27 years, due to a lease dispute. Kate Mantilini, 9101 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210, 310-278-3699.

The Beverly Hills branch of monsieur marcel closed in late April 2014. Wally's, the wine and spirits shop, is in talks to take over the space. monsieur marcel, 447 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210, no phone.

CULINARY EVENTS
Want to learn to cook? Try new dishes? Meet a foodie friend for fun? Check out our compilation of culinary events in your area.

View our calendar of Wine Dinners & Tastings in Los Angeles

Discover the top restaurants in Los Angeles for various cuisines and categories like sushi, steakhouses, pizza, happy hours, romantic dining and even gourmet food trucks. Find the best restaurants in LA here!

BEYONCE INSPIRED LIBATIONS

Try these whiskey cocktails inspired by Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter album.

Check the recipes.

BOURBON IN YOUR AIOLI

This cashew aioli recipe gets a kick with bourbon.

Get the recipe.

GAYOT'S RESTAURANT AWARDS

Over the years, we have been electing restaurants to be on GAYOT's Yearly Restaurant Awards.

Check the list.

News for Restaurants in Los Angeles May 2014 Archive

News for Restaurants in Los Angeles
May 2014 Archive