To those of you that are obsessed with Meizhou Dongpo comes this welcome news: The Beijing-based Sichuan restaurant is slated to open today (Dec. 2nd) on the second floor of the Century City Shopping Center. meizhou.com.cn
Update: They are currently shooting for a December 17th opening. Read more here.
I’d like to take this moment to thank all my dedicated readers and everyone who visits this site and wish all a very Happy Thanksgiving. You make the writing of this blog a very gratifying experience. May you Holiday be filled with great food, family and friends, fun, and all manner of deliciousness!
I happened to notice this notice of non-responsibility posted in the window at 301 N. Camden Dr. Suite R06 (according to the notice, the number on the storefront is 319 Canon) in Beverly Hills announcing the impending arrival of a bakery and dessert shop named Voila Meringue. Not much information out there except a Facebook page that you can check out here.
Sheesh… Did that take a long time or what? After what seems like years of development (Well, actually it was years), Groundwork Coffee will soft open on December 9th, with an official opening on Dec. 16th, on the corner of 16th and Montana Ave. in Santa Monica. On Sunday, locals were treated to samples of coffee and Breadbar pastries…
Workers were hard at work on Tuesday scrubbing the last traces of diminutive Italian restaurant Osteria Latini the off the space at 11712 San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood. Osteria Latini closed on Sunday after, rumor has it, the rent nearly doubled. Wasting no time whatsoever, a new venture called Adoteca is set to take over the space. Eater is has more information about the new venture, that you can read about here.
Previously located on 3rd St., Infuzion Café has been moving into the space at 1241 5th St. in Santa Monica for a long time now. Their didn’t quite make their predicted Spring 2013 opening, hardly surprising for SM. But signs are now up in the window announcing that they will officially open their doors on December 7th. infuzioncafe
The space at 368 N. Camden in Beverly Hills has seen a number of businesses come and go, the most recent being the now-defunct salad joint Choppe Choppe. Looks like the latest to try their hand at the location will be Liquid Nutrition, a Canadian-based smoothie and juice chain looking to make inroads into the US. With a strong emphasis on health and wellness, LN serves up specialty drinks with names such as zen, bliss, and glow, with protein, herbal, or vitamin supplements. No word on an opening date yet, but until then you can read more about the company here.
It’s official: The highly anticipated Brickworks Roasthouse and Grill is poised to open its doors on Monday November 18th in the old LA Food Show space in the soon-to-be redeveloped Manhattan Village Mall at 3212 N. Sepulveda in Manhattan Beach. The menu of burgers, salads, sandwiches, steaks, and fish is served in a casual setting that includes a dining room, communal tables, full bar, and even a display kitchen. “Roasthouse” refers to the fact that their food is prepared in an almond wood burning stone oven, a cherry wood smoker, or a mesquite burning wheel grill. Read more at: brickworksroasthouse.
Going into the old Ummba Grill space near the food court in the Westfield Century City Shopping center, Meizhou Dongpo, the Sichuan chain based in Beijing is predicting a November opening according to signs that recently covered over the original announcement for a now-past Summer opening. As to an exact date, we’ll just have to wait and see. In the mean time, you can try to decipher what I believe to be the website for the company: meizhou.com.
A few weeks ago, I told you about the planned November opening of a public restaurant attached to the private 41 Ocean Club in the old Bamboo Izakaya space at the corner of Ocean Ave. and Colorado in Santa Monica. Defying all Santa Monica odds, 41 Ocean Restaurant officially opens to the public today (Nov. 12th). Look for a menu of ceviche, crudo, salads, raw bar, and surf and turf. Here’s a glimpse at what you can expect from the Monday night launch party… 41oceanclub
Not long ago, I told you about the plans to turn a part of supplement and nutrition expert LA Urban Fitness at 3015 Main Street in Santa Monica into a café. LA Urban Fitness Café is now open at 7am daily. Look for a menu of smoothies, cold-pressed juices, Groundwork coffee, and snacks. laurbanfitness.com
For whatever reason, things have always moved slowly at Ferrarini, the charming little Italian deli at 9622 Brighton Way in Beverly Hills. When it eventually opened in 2012, it had been under construction for over two years. So it comes as no surprise that they are finally getting ready to offer beer and wine to accompany their menu of sandwiches, panini, and salads highlighting specialty regional products from Italy, as evidenced by their ABC application in the window.
Has your existential search for the meaning of it all gotten you down? The promise of “Life Fulfilled” is just around the corner at the upcoming branch of Sweet XO, the yogurt, candy, bakery concept coming soon to Plaza El Segundo (next to The Counter) at 3700B Allied Way in Manhattan Beach. With one location in Agoura Hills and three others slated for SoCal, The chain offers a stupefying array of treats from “xogurt” with 175 different toppings, to desserts, cupcakes, candies, and vegan and sugar free items in a bright, cheery environment. They also carry gifts and accessories. No word on an opening date, but until then, you can check out their website here.
Looking for more evening dining options on Montana Ave. in Santa Monica? Cozy little neighborhood newcomer The Courtyard Kitchen recently started serving dinner at 1211 Montana Ave. Their current hours are 8:30am until 10:00pm daily. Look for a Mediterranean-inspired menu of salads, large plates, and pasta and they allow you to bring your own wine. Check out their Facebook page here.
Looks like things are rolling right along on the joint effort by Brant Ng (The Spice Table) and Josh Loeb and Zoe Nathan (Rustic Canyon, Huckleberry, Milo & Olive) going into the impressive and enormous deco Verizon building at 1314 7th St. in Santa Monica. The space will apparently become two different projects. One will be a café and retail space seating 49 indoor and 37 outdoor and the other a restaurant seating 242 indoor and 72 outdoor according to The Santa Monica Daily Press. The names listed on the ABC licenses are 7th Street Bistro and 7th Street Wine, but I’m told these are simply working names for the lease and may not be what they’re called in the end. They are shooting for a Summer 2014 opening.
What’s going into the old Campos Tacos space at 12201 Santa Monica Blvd. in West LA? Our only clue is the red banner hanging above the door that reads Another Burger Joint and promises a welcome to both carnivores and vegetarians. Whether this is the name of the new restaurant or a teaser, we’ll just have to wait and see…
A brand new venture, Santa Monica Merchant is coming soon to the slowly revitalizing The Market at Santa Monica Place. Although there’s not a lot of information out there yet, they appear to be a go-to for community supported agriculture and are billing themselves as a “curated source for a daily selection of organic local meats, cheeses, and produce”. Read more at their still-developing website here.
This Tuesday and Wednesday, October 22nd and 23rd at all California locations, Veggie Grill is bringing back its “VG Virgin” days. Specifically, if you bring in someone who has never been before (the virgin), Veggie Grill will comp their entrée when you buy yours. All virgins must be accompanied by an “experienced” VGer and no solos. Read more at: veggiegrill.com.
Remember when there was an outpost of David Meyers’ macaron paradise Boule on Bedford Dr. in Beverly Hills? Well, that space at 413 N. Bedford Dr. has sat idle for a really long time, but that is about to change. Signs have gone up in the window announcing a new venture with a curious name, Comoncy is about to take over. According to the signs, we can look for a menu of espresso, pastries, salads, and sandwiches.
Longtime Third Street Promenade frozen treat fixture Angelato Café has closed down this week due to a lost lease after 10 years at 301 Arizona Ave. in Santa Monica. But all may not be lost for the little gelato shop as indicated by the sign in the window: They are promising a new neighborhood location soon…
Toddrickallen 