Looking to create more family time in 2011? Then head down to the Santa Monica Williams-Sonoma this Saturday January 22nd, where Laurie David and Kirstin Uhrenholdt will be signing copies of their book The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time. The signing will start at 12:00 noon and you must have purchased your book from W-S.
Williams-Sonoma 1600 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, CA, 90403
While we’re on the subject of out with the old, in with the new, it looks like Leonidas, the Belgian chocolatier at the corner of Santa Monica and 4th in Santa Monica has called it a day and it didn’t take long for the store to be stripped to the bones. There is a sign on the door stating that Jamba Juice is renovating the space. As confirmed by an employee at the Jamba Juice almost across the street on Santa Monica Blvd, they will be moving into the new location sometime around the end of February.
It looks like Malibu’s old-school Italian staple, Tra di Noi is expanding into Beverly Hills. It didn’t take long for another old-school Italian, Prego at 362 N. Camden to clear out and make way for Tra di Noi’s spinoff La Focacceria, as per the sign on the door. No word on the menu yet, but I’m going to take a big leap here and guess old-school Italian. I’ll keep you posted… In the mean time, here’s Tra di Noi’s menu: http://www.tradinoimalibu.com/MENU.htm.
I snapped a photo of the progress on the Market At Santa Monica Place, the Ferry Building style fresh marketplace atop the new mall in Santa Monica. Still boarded up and wrapped in plastic, it’s difficult to get a glimpse inside. It looks like they still have a way to go, but you can get a sense of the individual stalls from the photo. I’ll keep you posted… Read more at https://toddrickallen.com/2010/10/04/the-market-santa-monica-place/
Overdid it a little during the holidays? M Café de Chaya has got the solution to too much figgy pudding and eggnog. Jessica Porter, author of The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics leads a “post-holiday detox” cooking demo at the Beverly Hills location. The menu includes carrot-daikon tonic, rice and avocado and corn salad, and purple passion stew and greens. The demo will be followed by a macrobiotics Q&A and booksigning. Cost is $45 per person. 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13. E-mail amy@mcafedechaya.com to reserve a space.
9433 Brighton Way, Beverly Hills; (310) 858-8459; www.mcafedechaya.com.
With four locations in California and others throughout the US, it looks like CrêpeMaker, a chain of restaurants that specializes in a variety of savory and dessert crepes is coming to the food court in Santa Monica Place. Check out their website here http://www.crepemaker.com/.
I just noticed the sign up tonight in the old Claypit Indian Restaurant space at 145 Barrington in Brentwood Village announcing that the fresh and cheerful restaurant Lemonade will be moving in. With four locations in LA and one in USC, it looks like the upscale lemonade stand in spreading out. Check out the menu here http://lemonadela.com/menu-ii to see what you’re likely to get besides sugary citrus beverages.
I haven’t been able to check this out because the store is closed until January 6th, but I noticed this sign in the window of L’Epicerie de Paris in Beverly Hills that clearly states that the store is moving out of its present location. I’ll post more info after I talk with Arnaud, the store manager. Read more about L’Epicerie at http://wp.me/pIwAN-7Q.
L’Epicerie de Paris 310 North Camden Drive in Beverly Hills, 90210
I noticed this bit of sad news in the form of a crumpled piece of paper taped to the door of Angelina’s Frozen Yogurt, a local favorite at 430 N. Bedford Dr. in Beverly Hills. In an apparently heartless move, Santa by way of the sheriff’s department issued a “writ of possession of real property” (otherwise known as an eviction). The date of the eviction was 12/21 and Angelina’s had to be out by the day after Christmas! Needless to say, it probably wasn’t a joyful Christmas for the people behind Angelina’s.
Toddrickallen wishes everyone a joyful, prosperous, and delicious 2011! I’ll be toasting all my readers at midnight tonight as we look forward to a new year of fantastic eating, and perhaps a few changes at Toddrickallen as well… Cheers!
Susan Feniger’s Street is throwing a New Year’s Eve bash complete with a special menu that promises to “explode all five” of your senses… plus one more!? (Hmmm) Actually the sixth sense is a surprise to take home with you. Entitled Essence of the Senses, the themed night boasts a 5 course menu of exotic bites from around the globe including such enticing treasures as ear of corn tamale with fresh corn, roasted poblano chiles, pumpkin, and huitlacoche and Indian sev puri crisps with spiced potatoes, two chutneys, yogurt and cilantro water. See entire menu here http://www.eatatstreet.com/pdfs/nye10.pdf. And, you can soothe your aching head at their brunch the following day provided you can get out of bed. For more info or to make a rezzie, call 323.203.0500 or check out www.eatatstreet.com.
Mark Wahlberg and his beautiful family enjoyed the Christmas brunch at the Four Seasons at Beverly Hills on Doheny on Saturday. Dining at the Four Seasons must be a Christmas tradition for the Wahlberg family as he was seen there last year as well.
Toddrickallen is grateful to all who visit this blog and wishes all his readers a very Happy Christmas filled with laughter, joy, and of course, delicious food! (The diet can start Monday…)
So I got a chance to pop into the new Veggie Grill at 2025 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica for a Santa Fe Crispy Chickin’ sandwich (which I love) and chatted with the manager. Besides telling me that they expect their liquor license to arrive any day (Thank God!), he informed me that they are opening two new branches. One in Rolling Hills Plaza on the corner of PCH and Crenshaw in Torrance, and the other will open in late May in Farmer’s Market at Fairfax and Third. Go Veggie Grill! http://www.veggiegrill.com/
Toddrickallen appreciates your patience. The rain had knocked out my phone lines and my internet. I was only able to communicate via iPhone. I felt as frustrated as Irene Virbila at Red Medicine. But things are remedied as of today, so you can expect more news and reviews…
If you’re a regular reader, you’ve probably noticed that I haven’t yet posted this week. That’s because the copious rain has knocked out all forms of communication at Toddrickallen. Repair crews are on their way and I should be back up and running soon…
On Tuesday Dec 21, from 6:00pm to 7:00pm, M Cafe de Chaya at 9344 Brighton Way in Beverly Hills will be hosting a vegan baking demonstration by Erin McKenna of Babycakes NYC. Included in the program will be a recipe for brownies, Q & A, and booksigning. Cost is $25. Sign up at amy@mcafedechaya.com. You can read more at http://www.mcafedechaya.com/or http://www.babycakesnyc.com/.
I got a chance to check out the new Bar Toscana in Brentwood. First read: this place is fantastic. The vibe was hip and cool with a beautiful crowd lounging and sipping signature cocktails to indie music. The decor was modern with a “New York-y” feel. A lot of attention has clearly gone into the details from the undulating bar shelves, well-thought out presentation of food, and the spectacular digital projection art by local artist Jennifer Steinkamp. Illuminating one wall and the floors of the front window, the images of plants and seasons constantly shift and change. The effect is mesmerizing. Service was snappy and cheerful. From the Italian tapas menu, we settled on the vegetarian choices which included an amazing Polentine which are small cubes of polenta that are then dipped into a cheese fondue with shaved black truffle. The dish was warm, satisfying comfort food at its best. We also loved the Stuzzichino Toscana that arrived as three small jars containing an earthy fava been puree, an artichoke spread, and a vibrantly flavored tomato jam. Toasted bread sits alongside. I love playing with different flavor combinations and this was a knockout. We also enjoyed the Zuppa di Carciofi (pureed artichoke soup with Parmigiano crisps), Insalata di Zucca (a roasted pumpkin salad with grilled chanterelle mushrooms, frisee, and goat cheese), an Italian cheese plate (served on an olive wood board-a small detail I loved), and finally we finished with a Bonet Piemontese a luscious warm chocolate cake with amaretti and caramel sauce. The quantity was just enough and the timing of the service allowed us to pick and graze luxuriously over lively conversation the entire evening. Ever watchful Sauro and Roberto checked in with us a number of times to ensure that everything was perfect. They can rest assured that it was.
The bar
digital art by Jennifer Steinkamp
Breaking news! Just heard from the manager Sauro, that Bar Toscana is now open, next door to sister restaurant and Brentwood mainstay, Toscana at 11633 San Vicente Blvd. The cozy space features a menu of Italian tapas and an emphasis on mixology utilizing fresh herbs, fruits, and other fresh ingredients. I’ll post more shortly… Until then, read more at https://toddrickallen.com/2010/10/25/bar-toscana-brentwood/.
Thursday Night, I spotted reality star and KISS rocker Gene Simmons surrounded by a bevy of beautiful people at Westside Tavern. He smiled and nodded confidently in his red shirt to the crowds in the bar and he regally strode to the private back room.
Toddrickallen 