Well that didn’t take long… A remarkable thing in red-tape Santa Monica. It was only back in September that I noticed that longstanding local fixture DiDio’s Italian Ices had given up the ghost at 1305 Montana Ave. Then in October, a small now hiring sign was placed in the window informing us that Miami’s Gelato-Go was soon on the way. Wasting no time whatsoever, as of this week, Gelato-Go is now open and dishing icy treats to the good people of Santa Monica.
Is there room in Los Angeles for more poke shops? They seem to be everywhere lately and you seldom have to walk more than 500 feet to find some form of raw fish. With all that competition a new contender, Poke Club, is about to give it a go. They are close to opening a new restaurant at 463 S. La Brea Ave. in Los Angeles. We wish them luck…
WeHo’s Continental Kitchen is expanding. Signs are up on the space at 8300 Wilshire Blvd. (corner of San Vicente) in Beverly Hills, that used to house BrewDog Pub, announcing the impending arrival. And it looks like they’re fairly close to opening. Expect a large and varied menu of smoothies, salads, breakfasts, burgers, wraps, bowls, and more.
Wishing all readers a joyous holiday filled with good food, family, and dear friends. I’m very grateful to all my dedicated readers for giving me the inspiration and support to keep exploring the excitement of the LA food scene. Happy Thanksgiving from Toddrickallen!
With locations in Beverly Hills and LA, it looks like purveyors of healthy, organic Mediterranean food Soom Soom are living up to their website’s promise to expand “across Los Angeles and beyond”. Paper is covering the window at 11704 South Barrington Court announcing their impending arrival. I’m not sure how far along their progress is, but I’ll keep watching.
To all those in El Segundo who have been eagerly awaiting a taste of their wildly popular food comes this welcome news… Shake Shack is now open in the Apollo Landing development at 2171 Rosecrans Ave. Expect a long lines and a whole slough of other openings in this development soon.
Self-described “healthy supply company” Earthbar appears to be expanding rapidly. With one location just over a block away in Equinox, they are opening a storefront at 1447 Ocean Ave. in Downtown Santa Monica, facing the beach. Find out if you are an “Earthbar Earthling“, and read more about their proprietary supplements, herbal formulas, and sports nutrition here.
It was back in June when I first noticed an ABC application on the front of the erstwhile Santa Monica Yacht Club at 820 Santa Monica Blvd. While the app didn’t give us many clues as to the name of the new restaurant (it listed the name as Santa Monica Yacht Club), it did inform us that Top Chef and former Leona chef Nyesha Arrington was going to be in the kitchen. Since then, I’ve been watching carefully and can now report that the new restaurant’s name is Native. They opened for friends and family over the weekend, but Native will officially throw open its doors on Tuesday, November 14, at which time they will begin accepting reservations. Look for a California inspired menu with such things as chestnut capellini with forest mushrooms, snow peas, and buratta; honey mustard black cod with cauliflower apple puree and mizuna; and rabbit sugo with semolina spatzle, pickled green tomato, and sauce diable.
Moo Greek Yogurt burst onto the scene back in July of 2016, riding a popular yogurt mini-wave. Things seem to have slowed a bit, and Moo has been closed down for a while in their location at 11753 San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood. Since then, I’ve been watching to see what develops. Their Yelp page promises a return in 2018, and their website doesn’t offer many clues, but the place is essentially gutted. I’ll keep my eye on things, but it doesn’t look good…
With one other location in Sherman Oaks, self-described superfood café The Harvest Bar is now up and delivering the goods in their new location at 8601 Lincoln Blvd. in Westchester. Look for a menu of smoothies, bowls, and breakfasts comprised of a variety of fruits, proteins, and acai. Check out more and read their menu here.
I recently came across plywood covering a space in the Malibu Lumber Yard announcing that something called Shelby’s Sugar Shop was moving in. As it turns out, SSS is the brainchild of Washington Prime Group Inc., and is part of an overall plan to breathe life into struggling retail shopping malls, at least according to Bloomberg. It looks like other locations are opening across America, but this will be the LA area’s first and very own.
Like many of you, I too have been captivated by the glamorous transformation of the Westfield Century City Shopping Center… (As you probably know, the much-anticipated Eataly opens today.) From time to time, I’ve been posting photo essays of the developments. I hadn’t been in for a while, so I recently dropped by for a gander. Here is the latest round of new eateries…
And while we’re on the subject of openings… It was back in March when I discovered that Carlo’s Bake Shop, of Cake Boss fame, was opening a branch at 1354 3rd St. Promenade in Downtown Santa Monica. So, for all you who have been eagerly awaiting a chance to get your hands on their confectionary creations, it is my pleasure to tell you that Carlo’s Bake Shop threw open their doors on Monday. Again, you’re welcome.
Toddrickallen 