Today only (Tuesday September 30th), when you purchase an entrée, side, and drink at Native Foods, you’ll get a free cookie. But not just any cookie… It’s two chocolate oatmeal cookies sandwiching a creamy mint filling that they’re calling the “Mint for Mercy” cookie. Why the curious name? Because part of the proceeds today go to help the charity group Mercy for Animals which works to prevent farm animal cruelty and raise awareness of food policy.
Starting this weekend, mozzarella-specialist Obika in the Century City Shopping Center is launching its first ever brunch from 11:30am until 4:00pm Saturday and Sunday. Promising a menu of “Old World and New World” dishes, they are upping the ante on the classics with a few new twists including pancakes as prepared by the ancient Romans, and French toast in the manner of Sardinian tradition. And to kick off their inaugural weekend, they are pouring complimentary mimosas. Make your reservation by calling (310) 556-2452.
After anchoring the corner of Broadway and 2nd in Santa Monica for six years, casual Asian eatery Buddha’s Belly has now closed. According to a letter posted in the window, the space will soon be inhabited by a new venture from the same people, The Independence Tavern. Look for an opening of the new “rebranded” restaurant in about two months.
I’ve been keeping my eye on the colossal The Point development on the corner of Sepulveda and Rosecrans in Manhattan Beach/El Segundo, right next to Plaza El Segundo. Still mainly in the construction phase, their website promises a multitude of retail and restaurant spaces. There’s no official word on what companies will inhabit The Point, but if you scour the online brochure, the one restaurant that they mention by name is the Fox Restaurant Concepts’ True Food Kitchen. Job boards appear to confirm that the healthy/fresh chain is looking to open this branch in early 2015.
Update: True Food Kitchen is now open. Read more about The Point here. (07/30/2015)
This Wednesday September 24th from 6pm to 8pm, Obika in the Century City Shopping Center is hosting a special dinner giving you a chance to rub elbows with those behind the scenes. The “Meet the Maker” event will include a mozzarella making and tasting, special menu, and chef demo. Guaranteed to fill up quickly, RSVP immediately to CenturyCity@westfield.com.
This Friday, September 19th you’ll have a chance to meet local food scene darlings Zoe Nathan and Josh Loeb (Rustic Canyon, Huckleberry, Milo & Olive) as they present their brand-spanking new cookbook Huckleberry. They will be signing books and doing a cooking demo at the Santa Monica branch of Williams-Sonoma. W-S is at 1600 Montana Ave. and the event starts at 1:00pm, but you’ll def want to get there early…
And here again we find ourselves in the midst of “Closure Season”, when the end of Summer beach crowds begin to dwindle and restaurants disappear right in front of our eyes. There have already been a fair number of recent closings: Elaine’s, Daily Grill, and Manchu Wok. The latest to join their sad ranks? Chick ‘N’ Ribs is now closed in the troubled food court of Santa Monica Place.
Knowing all that goes into opening a restaurant, it is never happy news to report a closure. Sadly, it appears that after being open almost one year, Elaine’s Bakery & Café is now closed at 11677 San Vicente Blvd. Suites 315 & 317 at the top of Brentwood Gardens. And they wasted no time clearing out by the looks of things. This leaves two big empty spaces in the Brentwood Gardens, the other being the old Daily Grill space. (A reader informed me that rumor has it the Daily Grill space will be inhabited by a Mendocino Farms, but I cannot confirm this…)
Mosey on over to the Beach this Sunday, September 14th for the Taste of Venice from 3:00pm to 7:30pm. Benefiting P.S. Arts and art education, the event gives you an opportunity to rub elbows with various local chefs and sample their wares for a good cause. Check out the full list of participating chefs and restaurants on the flier below or head on over to the website for tix and more info…
Voted by Family Circle magazine as one of the World’s best, chocolate chip cookies baked by Jacqueline Kamin are apparently favored by Saudi Kings. And now you can get your hands on some of the sweet treats yourself: Jackie’s Cookie Connection has opened a kiosk on the first floor of the Century City Shopping Center. Check out their Facebook page here and read more about the fresh-baked-daily cookies as well as those Saudi Royals…
Interesting how, in Santa Monica, a restaurant can languish for sometimes years awaiting city approval, but a coffee shop opens in minutes… It was only in mid-July, when I first reported that a new Starbucks was landing on the corner of Main and Olympic in Santa Monica. The big news here was the new “Starbucks Evenings” concept: at night, there would be a menu of beer and wine with nibbles. Wasting no time whatsoever, the new Starbucks is already up and running. However, they are not serving beer and wine just yet. They are awaiting approval after the City review hearing last week. So you’ll just have to wait a bit longer for your flatbread and glass of Ferrari-Carano…
Looks like the local branch of Hong Kong-based Manchu Wok has closed up shop in the food court of Santa Monica Place. If life has now lost its meaning without their signature brand of “fast and fresh Chinese”, you can locate another branch here, although it appears that the nearest one is in Las Vegas. No word on what may replace it yet…
It’s official: According to the signs posted in the window over the weekend, LA’s very own Dunkin’ Donuts is set to open at 5:00am on Tuesday, September 2nd at 1132 Wilshire Blvd. (corner of 12th) in Santa Monica. This will be the first outpost of what appears to be a major expansion into the West Coast. Look for a menu of breakfast and lunch sandwiches, fetish-inducing coffee, and, well… donuts.
Updates:
By 8:00pm Monday evening a line began to form…
And by 7:00am Tuesday morning, panic breaks out…News cameras, traffic jams, lines around the block!
Toddrickallen 