Torrance-based Ramen Yamadaya is expanding into the Westside. Looks like they are on track to open their newest restaurant in Culver City on Washington Blvd., one block east of Sepulveda at the corner of Commonwealth Street. The pace of work is fast and furious as they push to make their deadline of an August 27th (this Saturday) opening. Read more at www.ramen-yamadaya.com/.
If those frothy hearts, leaves, and swirls at the top of your latte fascinate you, then this Tuesday, August 16th head down to Caffe Luxxe at 925 Montana Ave. in Santa Monica for The Battle of the Baristas, a “latte art competition”. Starting at 6:30pm, this teeth-clencher promises multiple rounds of baristas showing off their flashiest milk-foam skills. http://www.caffeluxxe.com/
M Cafe de Chaya has a special deal on for summer: dinner for two for under $20. For $18.95 you get 2 Big Macro Burgers, 2 large M Fries, and 2 ice teas. Not bad. Offer available at both locations (Beverly Hills and Melrose). Check out www.mcafedechaya.com for more info.
On Thursday, August 25th from 7pm until 9pm, Susan Feniger’s Street will be hosting a pop-up party in the lot behind the restaurant featuring two sets by the cult-fave band Ozomatli. KCRW’s Liza Richardson will be dj-ing as well. Special food stations will be set up throughout the restaurant offering a unique array of food designed by Susan that reflects the “culture of Ozomatli”. There will also be special cocktails, espresso, and all guests will receive a re-issue of Ozomatli vs. KCRW Soundclash. Cost is $85 and space is limited so act quickly by calling (323) 203-0500 for reservations.
Susan Feniger’s Street 742 N. Highland Los Angeles, CA 90038
This isn’t exactly news since they’ve been open since May, but La Focacceria Tra di Noi at 362 N. Camden in Beverly Hills is now hosting their official grand opening celebration. Here’s a peek…
http://www.tradinoimalibu.com/index.html
The first annual Toast & Taste Santa Monica will be held this Saturday, August 6th from 2:00pm until 6:00pm at 1238 Lincoln Blvd. (just south of Wilshire) in Santa Monica. The charity affair benefits the Boys and Girls Clubs in the LA area and will feature wine and beer tastings as well as local restaurants and food trucks, and a silent auction. Some of the participants are: BRÜHAUS, Pourtal, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Blue Moon beers, and Cheeseball Wagon. The kid-friendly event costs $29. Go to http://www.smbgc.org/toasttaste/ for more info.
Work is underway on a new cafe at 360 N. Camden in Beverly Hills. Located inside the new José Eber Hair Salon, 360 Cafe will be opening “very soon”. (Or so I was told.) With entrances from the street as well as directly into the tony new salon, the petit cafe will feature a simple menu of coffee and cafe items featuring baked goods from the new-ish La Focacceria Tra di Noi next door. (While investigating the new cafe, a kind receptionist at the salon let me look around unescorted until I stumbled into the station of José Eber himself, who dropped his scissors and stared at me as if I were a janitor stumbling into surgery. I was promptly walked out.)
This week, Bouchon Bistro Bar (the bar upstairs) in Beverly Hills launched a new happy hour. Look for reduced prices on beer, house wines and spirits, and a $9.00 Bouchon Cocktail. The new hors d”ouvres menu includes tarte aux tomates (heirloom tomato tarte with dehydrated nicoise olive crumble, burrata and petit basil), pommes frites (french fries with truffle aioli), as well as fried oyster, steak tartare, and ceviche. The fun lasts from 5:30 until 7:30 Monday through Friday.
La Gourmandise School, the culinary school in the Market at the top of Santa Monica Place is offering an array of upcoming vegetarian and vegan classes. On Monday, August 1st, there will be a “vegetarian Indian basics” class at 6:30pm taught by Kaumudi Marathe of Un-Curry, the Indian pop-up (http://www.un-curry.com/Un-Curry_Website/home.html). Then, on August 14th, there will be a “vegetarian BBQ” class from 10:00am to 2:00pm. There is a “rewiring to vegan” class on Friday, August 23rd. “Indian vegan” will be the subject on Thursday, Sept. 8th at 6:30pm. Check out http://thegourmandiseschool.com/index.php for prices and more info.
395 Santa Monica Place The Market, Santa Monica CA 90401
310-656-8800
The old Alexandria Cafe, next to Joe’s Pizza at 109 Broadway in Santa Monica has changed ownership. The new restaurant is now called the SeaSide Grill. The Middle Eastern menu remains mostly the same as before.
Work continues fast and furiously on the new Urban Fresh going into the old Mr. Kicco’s Coffee space at 9679 Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. As you can see from the photo, they are currently hiring and are looking to open August 15th. Look for a menu of organic coffees and teas, juices, farmer’s market-driven salads and sandwiches, and breakfasts. Read more at https://toddrickallen.com/2011/06/03/urban-fresh-taking-over-the-mr-kiccos-coffee-space-in-beverly-hills/ or at http://theurbanfresh.com/.
Looking for something to do tonight? Yearning for the Spanish coast? Josiah Citrin, Raphael Lunetta and Jonathan Moulton are hosting a special happy hour at their restaurant Lemon Moon this evening (Thursday July 21) titled “Tapas, Tempranillo And Sangria” featuring Spanish tapas and wines from 5:00pm until 7:00pm. Lemon Moon is at 12200 W. Olympic Blvd. in Los Angeles. http://www.lemonmoon.com/
Today, (Wednesday July 20th) is Veggie Grill Virgin Day at their Rolling Hills Plaza location. If you bring in someone who has never been before (the virgin), Veggie Grill will comp their entrée. But they have to be accompanied by an “experienced” VGer (that’d be you, you tramp), no solos and only at this location. http://www.veggiegrill.com/
They made their deadline and Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza And Grill is now open in El Segundo Plaza. Read more at https://toddrickallen.com/2011/06/27/sammys-woodfired-pizza-and-grill-el-segundo-update/.
To soothe the jangled nerves of the upcoming Carmegeddon, Susan Fenger’s Street is offering $4.05 beers and free kaya toast if you mention “Carmegeddon” when making a dinner reservation. (Trust me, you’ll want the kaya toast!) Deal only available Saturday and Sunday, July 16th and 17th.
Susan Feniger’s Street
742 N. Highland Los Angeles, CA 90038
Phone: 323.203.0500
It looks like they’ve quietly changed the sign shielding the construction on the upcoming Charley’s Grilled Subs in the Westfield Century City Shopping Center. As you can tell by looking at an older photo, the previous opening was scheduled for July 1st. That has been pushed back to September 1st.
Before…
After.
If you haven’t come across the name Yotam Ottolenghi yet, you’re just not paying attention. He seems to be everywhere lately. Despite four London restaurants and constant contributions to the food press there, the chef and restaurateur has been extremely busy promoting his popular vegetarian cookbook Plenty, and has finally arrived in Los Angeles. He’ll be cooking a four course veg meal at Animal this Thursday, July 14th (see http://la.eater.com/tags/yotam-ottolenghi for info). But if you can’t make that, you can get a chance to meet him on Friday, July 15th from 12:00pm to 2:00pm for a book signing at Anthropologie at 1402 Third Street Promenade (corner of Santa Monica and Third). Refreshingly, although they encourage you to buy your book there, the manager assured me that you’re not required to purchase it there in order to get your copy signed. I’ve had a chance to make a few things from the book already. His technique of preparing individual components of a dish separately and then layering the flavors to create a complex yet unified whole produced some amazing results. This is a great opportunity to check out the future of vegetarian cooking. Read more at http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/
With the recent explosion of new food places in the Century City Shopping Center, here’s one I overlooked. It looks like a new Yogurtland will be opening on August 1st right next to the incoming Vanilla Bake Shop on the first floor.
The busy folks at Veggie Grill have just added a new item to their menu: buffalo wings. Made from their proprietary “chillin’ chickin’ “, house-made buffalo sauce, and served with ranch dressing, these spicy little vegetarian numbers would be the perfect TV snack…
Bread and Porridge, the Santa Monica institution at 2315 Wilshire Boulevard where people line up on a Sunday morning, is now serving dinner. Their new hours are 7:00am to 9:00pm. http://www.breadandporridge.com/
Toddrickallen 