Another sad closure on Montana Ave… Le Macaron burst onto the scene at 1301 Montana Ave back in 2017. At the time, this was LA’s first branch of the Florida-based chain and they introduced The Westside to their excellent selection of pastries, breads, chocolates, and coffees. Shocked readers have been writing to tell me they have now closed up shop after a truly valiant effort. If you’re missing their signature classic macarons, you can find other LA locations here.
A reader recently asked me what was going on at Savida, that opened only last year at 1303 Montana Ave. in Santa Monica. So, I went by the raw seafood bar that got a mention in the most recent Michelin Guide to have a look. Their parklet on Montana has been dismantled and the space appears lifeless with mail piling up inside. While I don’t have confirmation, for all intents and purposes it appears closed. Let me kniow if you have more information.
(Thanks Narayan!)
Sadly it appears that after about a year, local fave Blossom Vietnamese has quietly slipped out of the space at 1121 Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice. There’s no official statement, but the space is dark and gutted. A local was passing by and, noticing my interest, explained to me that this location is notoriously tricky for restaurants because it’s not easily seen from the street. Previously the space had been home to 3 Square Cafe. Whatever the reason, you can still visit Blossom’s Santa Monica location at 2821 Ocean Park Blvd. for their signature noodles.
I’m hearing from startled readers that popular gluten-free organic bakery and lunch spot Breadblok has abruptly closed all its locations including their first brick-and-mortar on Montana Ave in Santa Monica. An announcement on Instagram explains that “the combination of the impact of COVID as well as the inflationary pressure on our costs” is the culprit behind the sad news. We wish them the best of luck for their next chapter. (Thanks Tara and others!)
Century City if full of little gems that us mere mortals know nothing about. Tucked in amongst the tall buildings are a number of rarified eateries and bars that cater to the finance and industry crowds that inhabit the offices. One such place that was completely off my radar has quietly closed up shop. A reader (Thanks Tony!) wrote to tell me that The Cellar Bar & Grill, at 1880 Century Park East # 102, is no more. A blunt notice on the front door proclaims them as permanently closed.
A beloved neighborhood lunch spot, tucked away just off Ocean Park Blvd. appears to have shuttered. A reader wrote to tell me that he noticed Mrs. Winston’s at 3150 Ocean Park had closed. Mrs. Winston’s has been a beloved part of the neighborhood for quite a while and was well known for their popular salad and juice bar. But don’t worry, you can still get “LA’s Best Salad Bar” at their Century City and Santa Monica Water Garden locations.
A longtime provider of healthy juices to the yoga crowd in Downtown Santa Monica has mysteriously closed its doors. There’s a note on the front of Nekter Juice Bar, at 1422 2nd St. that says they are “currently not open to the public”, whatever that means. But don’t worry, Nekter has a number of other locations across SoCal, and the US.
A concerned reader (Thanks Lisa!) took the time to let me know about some recent blows to the Mid-City food scene. Korean eatery Genki Grill is now closed at 6355 Wilshire. A little farther East, gastropub Spare Tire Kitchen & Tavern has completely disappeared from its erstwhile location at 5370 Wilshire. I’m not sure what this portends, but there do seem to be an awful lot of empty storefronts along Wilshire Blvd.
I’m hearing from readers that Brentwood’s beloved icy treat shop Yogurtland appears to have vacated its longtime location at 11706 San Vicente Blvd. I’m not sure what happened, but as real estate prices rise, the busy retail and food section along San Vicente appears to be undergoing a transformation. Kreation recently skedaddled, and so did Hollywood old school fave Vicenti, both with big splashy replacements on the way. I’ll keep my eye on the space to see what may develop.
(Thanks Stephen!)
I’m hearing from many of you who are really not that surprised that Santa Monica’s branch of Fox Restaurant Concepts‘ Flower Child appears caput at 1332 Second Street in Downtown Santa Monica. You may recall, Flower Child started spreading their good vibes back in 2016 with a sunny menu aimed at the health conscious. I’m not sure what may have gone wrong, but I’ll keep my eye on the space to see what will develop.
A sharp-eyed reader (Thanks John!) noticed that beloved local institution Bud’s Deli has closed up shop at 2727 Ocean Park Blvd. The hole-in-the-wall breakfast and sandwich shop had been on the go for 35 years. The unassuming space is currently being gutted and there is a hand-written sign in the window thanking fans for years of patronage and blaming “issues with the lease” for the closure. I’ll watch the location to see what may develop.
A popular Mediterranean dining option has vacated its location in the shopping center at 400 N Sepulveda Blvd in El Segundo. Sabra Beirut Mix has closed, and the space is currently being gutted. Not sure what happened, but as you know, El Segundo is an important lunch dining scene for the local aerospace and military workers so I’ll keep my eye on the address to see what may develop,
I’ve been hearing from shocked readers that after 25 years, under-the-radar Brentwood powerhouse Vincenti Restorante has closed up shop at 11930 San Vicente Blvd. Vincenti dazzled The Westside for 25 years with its combination of inventive Italian food created by Chef Nicolo Mastronardi and its sophisticated setting. The hard-working woman behind Vincenti, Maureen Vincenti, would greet you with a hug at the door and inquire about your life as she led you into the elegantly appointed dining room studded with old-school Hollywood A-listers and industry execs. And while the luster may have dulled a tad recently, it’s easy to forget that Maureen’s late husband, Muaro Vincenti, along with Piero Salvaggio and others, revolutionized the way Los Angeles and America experienced Italian food. Its closure feels like the end of an era of classic Italian fine dining. Read Maureen’s and Chef Mastronardi’s parting message here.
Wasting no time whatsoever, it appears that Telefèric Barcelona will be throwing their hat into the ring of the recent tapas craze by taking over the space. Telefèric Barcelona hails from Spain and has a smattering of locations in NoCal. They offer a “truly authentic Spanish Tapas concept and experience”. Check out their menu here.
Erratum: This story was originally published with the misspelling of Vicenti instead of the correct Vincenti. My apologies.
I must confess, I never entirely understood the concept of Pudu Pudu, the pudding specialists brought to you by German megabrand Dr. Oetker. Apparently, I wasn’t alone. After opening only in February of this year, they have thrown in the towel at their second-floor location inside the Westfield Century City Shopping Center. And that’s not all. They have closed all of their LA locations, as indicated by this sad good-bye notice on their website.
On a tip from a reader, I went by to check out what was going on at Santa Monica’s branch of healthy California-cuisine minichain Fresh Corn Grill. It was over two years ago when I first told you about their arrival to the space at 720 Wilshire, formerly home to a branch of Baja Fresh. Sadly, this location is ceasing operations after today (Friday 09//23). It was explained to me that the company is being restructured by the owners. The other two locations (Westwood, West Hollywood) are to remain open.
(Thanks Jonny!)
It appears that juice and cleanse experts Kreation Organic has cleared out of its location at 11754 San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood. That leaves another gaping hole in a block that used to contain many eateries. I’ll keep my eye on the location to see what may develop. And yes, I’m still watching the former Pizzicotto space which appears to have been leased. (Thanks Eric!)
While no one was looking, the tiny branch of massive sandwich chain Subway quietly slipped out of its long-time location at 625D Montana Ave. And why does this matter? While this may be welcome news to some, this particular branch served as one of the very last quick and inexpensive lifelines for employees on a street that has been completely taken over by expensive restaurants, high-end delis, and fourth-wave coffee joints. I’ll keep my eye on the space to see what may move in.
I’ve been hearing from shocked readers that everyone’s favorite grab-and-go burrito joint has abruptly pulled up stakes at 475 N Beverly Dr. A notice on the front door informs us that Chipotle has unceremoniously quit the space that was previously the longtime home of a Baja Fresh. Wasting no time, something has already leased the location so I’ll keep watch to see what may be taking over.
I’m a little late in reporting this, but I’ve been hearing from shocked readers that Chin Chin has closed its doors at 206 S Beverly Dr. in Beverly Hills. I’m not entirely sure what happened, but the Asian-ish eatery has been a staple of the Beverly Hills dining scene for 25 years. One reader (Thanks Steve!) claimed it was due to leasing issues, and noted that the nearby branch in Brentwood is getting a much-needed scrub-up so don’t count Chin Chin out yet. It appears that the space is already leased, and as always, I’ll keep an eye out to see what may develop.
Update: While I have not confirmed this, a reader (Thanks Robin!) reports that this will be a branch of San Diego’s own Parakeet Cafe.
There’s one question that I literally get asked daily: “When will Izzy’s Deli reopen?” You may recall that Santa Monica’s storied Izzy’s, at 1433 Wilshire, closed back in 2020 for what I reported at the time was an earthquake retrofit. Soon afterwards, a cheery “We’ll be back” was painted on the windows and Santa Monicans let out a collective sigh of relief. Well… you may want to sit down for this: Those cheery signs have been taken down and replaced with for lease signs. So even though their website still promises a June return, The Santa Monica Observer has confirmed the sad news that after almost 50 years, Izzy’s Deli is permanently closed. My condolences…
Toddrickallen 