Formerly in Culver City, Choppe Choppe, is now open at 368 N. Camden (the old Vive Le Crepe! space) in Beverly Hills. The fresh lunch spot follows a concept of “5 proteins done 2 ways” in the forms of salad, sandwich, or wrap. Check out their menu board below, or read more at: choppechoppe.com.
Stop the presses! A big hats off to reader Evan, whose keen eye spotted the real story about why the Broadway Ale House was closed by ABC. Apparently, according to the Santa Monica Patch, there is an accusation of selling drugs (cocaine and marijuana) from behind the bar, which the holder of the licence, Eden Beloved Noe, blames on an employee. Due to the charge and a previous May charge of underage selling, as of December 6th, she can no longer retain the license and it must be transferred to a new owner, Mark Jason Marquez, which can take up to 100 days. Read the whole sordid story with further details here: http://santamonica.patch.com/articles/alehouse. Read where Ms. Noe defends herself here: http://santamonica.patch.com/articles/ale-house-owner-paints-herself-as-victim-in-drug-case.
Read my original post here: toddrickallen.com/2012/02/03/uh-oh-broadway-ale-house-closed-by-abc/.
Ok, so Cafe 360, the coffee shop at Jose Eber Salon at 360 Camden in Beverly Hills only just opened last month, right? Well I noticed this weekend that all signs were down and the door is closed. When I inquired at Jose Eber reception, I was told that they were closed for “renovation” and would re-open at some point. Upon closer inspection, it appears their “renovation” was not voluntary: note the small notice at the bottom of the door. Apparently, the state closed them down for a health and safety reason. Hopefully they’ll be up and running again soon…
I sure overlooked this one… local watering hole, the Broadway Ale House at 129 Broadway in Santa Monica has a big ABC (Alcoholic Beverage Control) suspension notice stuck on the door. It’s clearly locked and untended (notice the mail on the floor). While I don’t have the reason, (the notice states that they have violated the “Alcoholic Beverage Control Act”) the most usual ABC closure is for underage drinking. What’s curious is that the first day of the 30 day suspension was December 6th, but the sign states that the suspension could be “indefinitely until license is transferred”. Not sure what’s going on, but as you can see, the place appears abandoned. I’ll let you know as more develops…
Work is going on fast and furiously on the new BierBeisl going into the old short-lived Bottega Marino space at 9669 Little Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills. They didn’t make a mid-January opening as projected, but it shouldn’t be too long now. In the mean time, read more about the Austrian restaurant here: bierbeisl-la.com.
Only two weeks ago I told you about the demise of Vive Le Crepe! at 368 N. Camden in Beverly Hills. Wasting no time whatsoever, the ambitious Choppe Choppe soft opens (hopefully) today. Formerly in Culver City, the fresh sandwich shop follows a philosophy of “5 proteins done 2 ways” in the forms of salad, sandwich, or wrap. Read more at: choppechoppe.com.
Ok, this sounds way to good to pass up, but in celebration of the Superbowl, that oddly is next weekend, Native Foods Cafe is offering a special this weekend only (Jan. 27th-29th): the Cubano sandwich, that is described as a “traditional Cuban sandwich stacked with slow roasted cilantro-garlic seitan and smoky maple-glazed seitan, pickles, mayo, sweet mustard and a homemade swiss cheesy sauce on a grilled baguette. Served with chili con limon sweet potato fries and a sweet mango treat.” All for $9.95. My mouth is already watering…
In other Native Foods news, the Newport Beach location in Fashion Island opens next week on January 31st.
Read more at: nativefoods.com
Come on, admit that you’re dying to meet the cherubic superstar of Italian cooking, Mario Batali. I’ve seen you… waiting for hours outside Mozza, making pilgrimages to Babbo, and devouring every scrap of news about LA’s Eataly like a private detective. Well now’s your chance to corner the orange clog-clad dyanamo yourself. Mario Batali will be signing copies of his 483rd book, Motlo Batali: Simple Family Meals from My Home to Yours tomorrow, Friday (Jan. 27th). The book signing will take place at 1:00pm at Mozza2Go (corner of Melrose and Highland), and I’d arrive early if I were you…
Here’s a few first looks into Santa Monica’s newest, both of which officially opened yesterday, (Tuesday, January 24th). Spumoni Cafe and Authentic Italian Creamery, the little charmer at 715 Montana Ave, serves not only its proprietary house made gelato and baked goods, but breakfasts, crepes, salads, and sandwiches as well. Andrew Kirschner’s much anticipated dark and sultry vixen, Tar & Roses, sits at the corner of 6th and Santa Monica and boasts a tight and focused menu centered around a wood burning oven. Spumonicafe.com, facebook.com/TarAndRoses.
Spumoni Cafe and Authentic Italian Creamery
Tar & Roses
As you can see from the photo, Obika, the Italian restaurant focused on fresh mozzarella, is installing a stone pizza oven in their Century City Shopping Center location. They expect the pizzas to start rolling out February 12th (fingers crossed). Read more at: obikala.com.
Mr. C’s, the West Coast relation to the famous Cipriani family restaurant empire, is currently (at least through the end of January) serving a sunday brunch, complete with jazz and complimentary valet parking. Hours are 11:00am to 3:00pm. And of course, there’s the prerequisite classic Cipriani bellini included. Read more at: mrchotels.com.
More Camden news: Vive La Crêpe!, the chain that tried its hand at a West Coast location in Beverly Hills is now closed. Having opened in the space near Teuschers at 380 N. Camden on March 8th, 2011, the creperie failed to gain traction among the famously carb-phobic. Someone’s not wasting any time though, the store appears to be already leased. I’ll keep you posted as I learn more…
Located inside the new(ish) José Eber Hair Salon at 360 N. Camden in Beverly Hills, 360 Cafe is now (soft) open. With entrances from the street as well as directly into the tony salon, the petit, counter-only cafe offers a simple menu of Illy coffee and cafe items featuring baked goods from La Maison du Pain on Pico.
Obika in Century City kicks off a once-a-month evening focusing on various wine regions of Italy this Tuesday, January 17th. This month’s dinner will highlight the wines and cuisine of Le Tre Venezie (Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia) and will include a special 3-4 course menu with pairings. There will also be special guests and discussions about the regions. This would be a great way to familiarize yourself with the increasingly popular wines of Italy that seem to dominate every wine list lately. Read more or make a reservation at: obikala.com.
Come into the quickly spreading Native Foods (new locations coming to Boulder and San Diego) today and the socially conscious eatery will donate a portion of the profits to local charity Reading to Kids, when you purchase an entrée, side, and drink. Plus, you’ll receive a free dessert! Find a location or read more at: nativefoods.com.
Although the new signs have yet to go up, it’s confirmed: Via Dolce has officially replaced the old Valens Dolce at 1426 Montana Ave. #5 in Santa Monica and is now open for business, serving their usual menu of salads, sandwiches, pastries, coffees, and teas.
A lot of El Segundo news lately, there seems to be a mini-explosion of new casual eateries and sandwich shops. Next on the list: Which Wich Superior Sandwiches at 460B N. Sepulveda in the Gateway El Segundo shopping center next to the newish Five Guys burger joint. Which Wich already has a number of locations throughout SoCal and you can look for the latest incarnation to open sometime between the 7th and 12th of January. Read more at: whichwich.com.
The New Which Wich is under construction just to the left of Five Guys.
With tv shows, numerous books, vineyards, and restaurants to her credit, Lidia Bastianich is the irrepressible an undisputed matriarch of Bastianich empire. Once again, this Wednesday, January 4th at 7:00pm at Mozza, she returns to LA to discuss the companion book to her upcoming tv series, “Lidia’s Italy in America”. Lidia will be discussing how Italian immigrants brought a rich tradition of beloved recipes from the Old Country to America all accompanied by dishes from the book prepared by Matt Molina, Mozza executive chef. Cost is $150 plus tax and gratuity, and space is extremely limited, but why not try your luck by calling Nicole White just as fast as your fingers can dial at (323) 866-5290 to reserve.
Wishing all readers a healthy, abundant, and joyous New Year. Here’s a big Cheers! to all who come to these pages. I can’t wait to see what happens to the ever-changing LA food scene in 2012…
With one other location in Hermosa Beach, Sabra Beirutmix Mediterranean Grill is now open in the Gateway El Segundo shopping center in the old Ittou Bento space at 400 N. Sepulveda Blvd. in El Segundo. Open from 10am to 9pm Monday through Saturday, the Lebanese deli has a menu of traditional mezze, salads, soups, sandwiches, and wraps that you can check out here: beirutmix.com/menu.
Toddrickallen 