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News for Restaurants in Los Angeles
February 2018 Archive

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LOS ANGELES RESTAURANT NEWS - FEBRUARY 2018 Archive


OPENINGS

Melrose Avenue has a new destination to get your caffeine fix: Point Five Espresso Bar. There's also a breakfast/lunch menu serving eggs Benedict, buttermilk buckwheat pancakes and avocado and heirloom tomato toast, plus smoothies and coffee drinks. Point Five Espresso Bar, 7965 ½ Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046, 323-424-7723.
 
Breva has opened at Hotel Figueroa Downtown's Hotel Figueroa has re-opened after extensive renovations. Chef Casey Lane oversees the dining program, which includes the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant Breva. Breva, Hotel Figueroa, 939 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90015, 213-627-8971.
 
Pasadena’s family-owned Chamo Venezuelan Cuisine offers new, authentic Latin food options on Colorado Boulevard. Look for a selection of arepas, Venezuela’s iconic stuffed sandwiches, with stewed pork cracklings, shredded beef, chicken and avocado salad or Gouda cheese, and a variety of empanadas and hallacas (Venezuelan tamales on plantain leaves). Chamo Venezuelan Cuisine, 950 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91106, 626-639-3339.
 
All-day eatery The Gables will open April 18, 2018, on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica. Menus from consulting executive chef Vicki Fan Matsusaka (Beacon, Superba Food + Bread) will focus on seasonal fare and upscale bakery goods. The Gables, 331 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90401, no phone.
 
French-inspired Barbette will emerge this spring in West Hollywood’s former Tinto space. Owners Jared Meisler and Sean MacPherson (The Pikey, Jones) are bringing on an April Bloomfield protégé, NY chef Robert Flaherty (The John Dory), to create a casual, seasonally driven bistro menu. Expect a noteworthy bar with craft cocktails, too. Barbette, 7511 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90046, no phone.
 
In Virgil Village the short-lived Hot Hot Food has flipped into a hip new plant-based restaurant called Jewel, an ideal match for the neighborhood. The menu, based on California produce, with the exception of eggs is free from all dairy and animal products; it's also gluten-free. Look for the Black Diamond pizza made with spinach-artichoke “cheese” and a charcoal crust; hearts of palm and chickpea “crab cakes” with preserved kumquat aïoli; and forbidden fried rice with kimchi and gochujang. Breakfast & Lunch daily. Jewel, 654 N. Hoover St., Los Angeles, CA 90004, 323-522-6927.
 
Hock + Hoof has opened in DTLA on Spring Street, featuring a contemporary American menu driven by French technique, Asian ingredients and global inspirations from Patina Group alums Kat Hu and Justin Yi. Look for the likes of bacalao Scotch eggs, beef heart tartare, Hokkaido scallops with winter melon and osmanthus foam, and a cowboy rib-eye with pink peppercorn béarnaise. Hock + Hoof, 517 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013, 213-279-9983.
 
The Nixon Chops & Whiskey, a modern, upscale steakhouse and whiskey bar in uptown Whittier, is the latest restaurant from Top Chef star Katsuji Tanabe (Mastro’s, Mexikosher). Red booths, chandeliers and sultry lighting from the bar set the scene for high-end classics including a 32 oz. chef’s cut bone-in rib-eye, Colorado Wagyu flat-iron steak and broiled lobster with chipotle butter. The Nixon Chops & Whiskey, 13033 Philadelphia St., Whittier, CA 90601, 562-698-3355.
 
Silver Lake’s new hipstery Jewish deli, Freedman’s, vamps on old-school classics like matzoh ball soup and latkes, and updates its menu accordingly. Look for the likes of chopped liver, veal tongue and cress on rye for lunch, and for dinner a trout roe popover, sweetbread schnitzel with red cabbage and quince, and mutton chop with anchovy and mint jelly. One specialty is glazed brisket and smoked bone marrow (for three or more). Freedman's, 2619 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026, 213-568-3754.
 
Montrésor presents French fare in Studio City Montrésor aims to bring a romantic slice of France to Studio City, courtesy of actress/restaurateur Lisa Long and designer and partner, Ann Booth Luly. Executive chef Paul Shoemaker has created a menu of French classics distinguished by innovative techniques and seasonal produce. Montrésor, 11266 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604, 818-760-7081.
 
Chef Aitor Zabala, who collaborated with chef José Andrés on Somni Somni, a fine-dining concept from chef José Andrés and chef Aitor Zabala, will open in March 2018 at SLS Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills. The culinary journey of 20-plus courses will draw inspiration from the chefs' childhoods in Spain, as well as the epicurean experiences they've collected in Los Angeles and on world travels. Tickets are available via Tock. Somni, SLS Hotel Beverly Hills, 465 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048, 310-246-5543.
 
As part of Beverly Center’s ambitious gastronomic upgrade, Eggslut has opened on the ground level, on the corner of 3rd & San Vicente. It brings its breakfast sandwiches, burgers and the celebrated “slut” – coddled egg on potato purée in a glass jar. Breakfast & Lunch daily. Eggslut, Beverly Center, 8500 Beverly Blvd., Ste. 101, Los Angeles, CA 90048, 310-975-3822.
 
Rappahannock has a number of East Coast locations (Richmond, Charleston, Washington DC) and its first West Coast sibling will land at the ROW DTLA complex downtown in May. Chef Nick Erven (Saint Martha, Erven) will be at the helm, so expect a menu beyond the raw bar, as well as cocktails and wine. Rappahannock Oyster Bar, ROW DTLA, 787 S. Alameda St., #154, Los Angeles, CA 90021, 323-435-4004.
 
Triple Beam Pizza has opened in Highland Park, thanks to a collaboration between Nancy Silverton (Mozza), Matt Molina (Everson Royce Bar) and Randy Clement (Silverlake Wine). Look for five-foot-long Roman-style pies ranging from a margherita, patate and salame to nettle and sausage --- order squares by length and pay by the ounce at the counter. Italian-inspired sandwiches with Silverton’s magic touch are also on offer. There’s wine by the glass, a store and tasting room, and a patio for socializing. Triple Beam Pizza, 5916 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90042, no phone.
 

NEWS BYTES

Canter's Late-Night Dine-In Restaurant Service Change
Night owl stalwart Canter’s deli has announced the end of an era – it will cease its dine-in restaurant service weekday late-night hours from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. Sunday through Thursday. Customers can still order food in the front deli and bakery areas for takeout, and around-the-clock delivery will continue. Canter's, 419 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036, 323-651-2030.
 
Ari Taymor Offers Spring Brunch Pop-Up in Santa Monica
For the near future former Alma chef Ari Taymor is offering a brunch pop-up on Saturdays and Sundays (9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) called Little Prince, on Main St. in Santa Monica. Look for dishes including wood oven baked eggs with spring alliums, labne and flatbread; smoked salmon hash with seaweed hollandaise, crispy potatoes and a slow cooked yolk; a cast iron pancake with market preserves, cultured butter and smoked maple; and green chia pudding with sorrel, coconut, and market toppings. Cocktails come from Shane Murphy (Zinque) like a yuzu kosho michelada and Mezcal Cactus Cooler made with Yola mezcal, nopal, aloe, jalapeño and worm salt. Reservations must be made in advance at the official website. Little Prince, 2424 Main St., Santa Monica, CA 90405, no phone.
 
Surfas Culinary District Relocates
LA’s beloved and unique culinary mecca for cookware, equipment and gourmet goods, Surfas, is resurfacing in Arlington Heights on Washington Boulevard, not far from the old Culver City location. The store also plans to reopen the former popular Café Surfas, and they have even moved their beautiful coral tree to the new address. Look for a spring opening. Surfas, 3225 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90018, no phone.
 
BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood debuts new vegan menu BOA Steakhouse Debuts Chic New Vegan Menu
BOA Steakhouse in West Hollywood is launching a globally inspired menu of new vegan, plant-based dishes, with French, Asian and Italian influences. Look for beet poke with jalapeño, ginger and root chips; Nidi Bolognese with almond ricotta and mushroom Bolognese; stuffed savoy cabbage leaves with butternut squash dates, pecans and black garlic; and a wild mushroom burger with arugula aïoli and truffle on a potato bun. BOA Steakhouse, Luckman Plaza, 9200 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069, 310-278-2050.
 
Scratch Bar & Kitchen Transforms with Renovation, Cocktail Bar & Tasting Menu
Scratch Bar & Kitchen has unveiled a transformed dining room, newly designed cocktail bar and progressive tasting menu experience. For Scratch Bar & Kitchen 2.0, chef-owners Phillip Frankland Lee and Margarita Kallas-Lee offer a 20-plus-course, $145 per person tasting menu that includes dishes like wild mushroom meringue with truffled chanterelle mousse and absinthe-cured foie gras; diced jellyfish with soy, ponzu, yuzu kosho and black truffle; and desserts by Kallas-Lee highlighting a cheese course of Triple-Crème Camembert Iced Cream drizzled with smoked honey. Liquid courses showcase classic distillation techniques utilizing double-globe glass infusers and vacuum siphons, while an eclectically expanded wine list curated by sommelier Gavin Humes emphasizes small-production vintners from California and hard-to-find bottles from around the globe. Tailored beverage options range from a $125 Grand Tasting featuring bespoke cocktails, beers, spirits and wine to a lighter $85 pairing. Scratch Bar & Kitchen, Encino Place, 16101 Ventura Blvd., Encino, CA 91436, 818-646-6085.
 

CHEF SHUFFLE

Check back soon for more news.

CLOSINGS

Chef Eric Greenspan’s lively modern kosher spot on Beverly Boulevard, Fleishik’s, has sadly closed. No news yet on the space’s next incarnation. Look for Greenspan’s newest Chino-Latino delivery-only sandwiches (including orange chicken burritos and carnitas banh mi) from Chino, available on Uber Eats and Postmates. Fleishik’s Sandwiches, Nosh & Whiskey, 7563 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036, no phone.
 
The flagship of Rick Bayless’ popular Mexican eatery Red O has closed. The Santa Monica, Newport Beach and La Jolla locations remain open. Red O, 8155 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046, no phone.
 
The Santa Monica Pier’s three-story Italian restaurant Ristorante Al Mare has closed, and will transform into Seaside On The Pier. Ristorante Al Mare, Santa Monica Pier, 250 Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA 90401, no phone.
 

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