A few days ago, amidst a flurry of construction, a wall was freshly painted at 2218 Main St #100 in Santa Monica. This wall appears to name the new business as Punch Bowl Juice & Smoothie. I cannot locate any information on this business, so if you have any news, pass it on!
Congratulations Good People of Culver City, delicious frozen treats are heading your way! There’s window paper up on the space at 3849 Main St, formerly home to Monty’s Good Burger, announcing the arrival of Italian-born brand Bacio di Latte. The crazy/popular chain, known for its luscious gelato, is in major expansion mode with a new Montana Ave shop poised to open any day now.
(Thanks M!)
Yet more evidence of Westwood Village’s revival…. Apparently, the NY Times declared that “The best bagels are in California”, and squarely on that list was The Bay Area’s Boichik Bagels. Now Boichik Bagels is expanding into LA. While they already have two locations (Los Feliz and DTLA), and it looks like their third is moving into the space at 911 Westwood Blvd in Westwood Village. Boichik also has 10 locations in the Bay Area, and is the passion project of New Jerseyan Emily Winston, who’s story you can read here.
(Thanks Barry!)
After years of sputtering, the dining scene in Westwood Village appears to be roaring back to life. A sharp-eyed reader wrote to tell me about the recent ABC application that went up on the front of the space at 1061 Broxton Ave, most recently home to Happy Panda Kitchen Chinese Hot Pot. The new restaurant, LARACLETTE, is reported to be an Alpine concept with a focus on the famous Swiss melty cheese raclette. The restaurateur behind the project is Domenico Frasca, and you can read more about this exciting venture in this informative article on hoodline.
(Thanks Barry!)
A new, healthy lifestyle choice is landing on the first floor of the Westfield Century City Shopping Center. Plywood is up announcing the arrival of Pura Vida Miami. With 57 locations, including 5 in California, Pura Vida Miami is a stylish “premier wellness and lifestyle brand” with a chic and breezy vibe that focuses on high-quality ingredients and sustainability.
A new taco joint is coming to The Point, the shopping complex on the corner of Rosecrans and Sepulveda in El Segundo. Plywood is up announcing the arrival of “Texas Kitchen” HomeState. HomeState has eight other locations around SoCal and is known for breakfast tacos, migas, Frito pie, house-made flour tortillas, and margaritas. They are planning on opening next month.
Marina del Rey’s beloved New India’s Oven is set to move locations. A Rep confirmed that they will be vacating their longtime location at 13444 Maxella Ave (in the Villa Marina Marketplace shopping center) and moving to a new space in the Marina Collection shopping center at 13400 Washington Blvd. Expect the same extensive and authentic menu that has long served as a local favorite for lunch and take-away.
There’s a large banner hanging on the front of the space at 1181 Mindanao Way in Marina del Rey, once home to legendary Jerry’s Deli, and most recently Kalaveras. The banner lets us know that LUNA Bistro & Cafe are setting up housekeeping at the once illustrious address. LUNA Bistro & Cafe hails from Bakersfield, and according to What Now, who has the whole skinny here, we are promised a “fusion menu [that] features pasta, burgers, sandwiches, tacos, coffee, and Mexican classics such as carnitas”.
It looks like Westwood Village is getting a new sandwich shop. There’s window paper up at 901 Westwood Blvd in Westwood Village, formerly home to the UK grab-and-go sandwich chain Pret A Manger, announcing the arrival of Ghost Sando Shop. Ghost Sando Shop has a smattering of locations around LA (and one in Idaho) and offers a menu of proprietary sandwiches made with house-made specialty sauces.
(Photo credit: Barry Nelson Brams)
Yet another addition to the Westfield Century City Shopping Center food scene. There’s plywood up on a second floor space announcing the arrival of Hey Tea. Hey Tea began life in 2012 in Guangdong, China and offers a proprietary “New Style” of tea that uses “real milk, real fruits, real premium tea, and real cane sugar” with intriguing flavors such as “Longjing cheese milk tea“, “crisp grape boom“, and “supreme brown sugar bobo milk tea“.
There’s new window paper up on the space at 1348 3rd Street Promenade, previously home to a convenience store and Trimana before that. The new resident is BROT Doner Cafe Bakery. While I don’t yet have confirmation, there is another BROT in LA, on Hollywood Blvd., and I’m assuming that the two are related. The Hollywood BROT prides itself on the “authentic taste of Berlin street food”, and you can check out their menu here. This should be a welcome addition to Downtown Santa Monica’s rapidly evolving entertainment zone.
A fresh new drinks concept is landing in The Westfield Century City Shopping Center, and it’s brought to you by everyone’s favorite craveable fast food provider Taco Bell. There’s plywood up on one of the spaces in the food court announcing arrival of Live Más Café. And what pray tell is that? According to their website, Live Más Café serves the full Taco Bell menu, with the addition of specialty drinks served up by a “Bellrista”. Look for “Crave-worthy coffee, creamy chillers, light and fruity refreshers, bold energy drinks, and seasonal creations“. They are shooting for a Fall opening.
It looks like Westwood is getting a new bakery. There’s a banner hanging on the front of the old La Table de Sophie space at 1386 Westwood Blvd announcing the arrival of Tak Bakery. Tak Bakery has a location on Ventura Blvd in Tarzana and specializes in traditional Persian cakes, sweets, and coffee.
(Thanks B!)
If you’ve wondered about the construction at 523 Rose Avenue in Venice, most recently inhabited by Cinque Terre West, we now have answers. This will be the home of Sticky Rice according to their Instagram page. Billing itself as “your friendly neighborhood Thai kitchen”, Sticky Rice has four other LA-area locations and offers an extensive menu of classic curries, noodles, and rice dishes as well as signature dishes such as “crying tiger” (Grilled marinated skirt steak, papaya salad, sticky rice, and spicy jeaw sauce).
Ever since the implosion of erstwhile darling Umami Burger a while ago, the space at 235 Main St in Venice has sat empty. That’s about to change. A banner over the front of it lets us know that LA Urban Fitness is set to open a cafe and nutritional supplement shop. LA Urban Fitness used to occupy the nearby space at 3015 Main St in Santa Monica, just a few blocks away. If they follow their old model, we can expect a menu of smoothies, cold-pressed juices, Groundwork coffee, and snacks.
Recently, there has been a lot of activity in the old Overland Cafe location at 3601 S Overland in Palms. Construction has been fast and furious, and now we know what’s going on. Signs recently went up on the space with one stylishly lettered word: Starlings. As it turns out, this will be the home of the new Cafe Starlings. What is that? What Now has more information on the new eatery here.
There’s a giant banner hanging over the old Persian Gulf Restaurant space at 1389 Westwood Blvd in Westwood. It appears that a new venture, Vatan, is moving in. I can’t find a lot of information on the eatery, other that “modern Persian cuisine” will be on offer. If you have more info let me know…
Growing java chain Sana’a Cafe appears to be heading to Santa Monica. There’s a banner over the new build-out at 1302 Pico Blvd announcing the arrival. Yemen has a strong tradition of coffee, where it has been cultivated for over 500 years. Sana’a Cafe honors this heritage by “sourcing the finest organic beans from Yemeni highlands”. Sana’a Cafe has 7 other locations across California (and a new location coming to Westwood as well) and offers an extensive menu of Yemeni specialty drinks, espresso drinks, and teas.
(Thanks Rob!)
Cafe Zella quit their longtime location at 1531 Wilshire Blvd a few months back. Never a big splashy restaurant, the quiet little cafe served as a neighborhood breakfast and lunch staple, catering to the medical crowd on the other side of Wilshire. Now a new eatery is looking to fill in the gap. A window poster is announcing that Wellside Cafe is taking over the address. The poster is promising coffee, breakfast, and lunch, but you can get a much better idea of what is coming by checking out this Santa Monica Sun article.
(Thanks Sean!)
It looks like a new smoothie and tea purveyor is moving into the old Junbi location at 10967 Weyburn Ave. in Westwood Village. Specializing in ceremonial grade matcha, tea grown on their own plantation in Taiwan, and avocado and durian smoothies, Citeadrinks currently operates two other LA area locations, in Rowland Heights and San Gabriel. They are planning on an August grand opening.
Toddrickallen 