Good people of Santa Monica, (more) carbs are heading your way! Main Street’s Sam’s Bagels has their sign up at 1305 Montana Ave. announcing the good news. Sam’s is replacing an earstwhile Gelato-Go at this location.
A new healthy food choice is coming to the second floor of the Westfield Century City Shopping Center. There’s window paper covering the space informing us that Oakberry is on the way. Oakberry offers acai that is 100% natural with no food coloring, artificial preservatives, or guarana syrup. They operate a number of locations in Brazil and continue an impressive international expansion.
Good people of Culver City, tacos are heading your way! There’s window paper announcing a branch of Teddy’s Tacos is moving into the space at 10601 Washington Blvd. #103 (corner of Overland). Teddy’s Tacos has locations in Pasadena and Industry.
It appears that a new healthy eatery is landing on a prominent corner in West Hollywood. There’s window paper up on the former optometry space at 8801 Santa Monica Blvd. announcing a new branch of Kale Me Crazy. Kale Me Crazy operates a number of outlets, mostly in The South but also another location in West Hollywood, and describes itself as a “super food cafe” offering “juices, smoothies, salads, and wraps in a sleek, upscale environment”.
Local java charmer Boulon D’Amour appears to be opening a branch in the Westfield Century City Shopping Center. There’s window covering on a free-standing kiosk on the first floor announcing the news. Boulon D’Amour operates a pretty spot on Washington Blvd. and is shooting for a Winter opening at this location. Expect various coffees, teas, signature drinks, and toasts.
When I let you know about the closure of iconic Stan’s Donuts at 10948 Weyburn in Westwood, I heard from many devastated locals who grew up eating the well-known sugary treats. Now it looks as though another old school donut shop is setting up housekeeping at that historic address on the corner. Window paper is informing us that Primo’s Donuts is taking over. Primo’s has been an LA institution on Sawtelle for over 60 years.
Readers have been asking me about Jonah’s Kitchen + Bar ever since I fist mentioned them back in September of last year. You may recall that Johah’s is replacing the short-lived LDH Kitchen The Robata at 2518 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica. Their website indicates that Jonah’s is still a part of the massive Japanese lifestyle brand LDH, otherwise there is little out there on the new eatery. The still-developing website gives clues: In a video, a bearded chef is preparing steaks with chimichurri over over a wood fire. We’ll find out more soon as paper over the front windows is now proudly announcing that the new restaurant will throw open their doors on Thursday June 24th.
It was back in November of last year when I told you about the disappearance of one of LA’s last branches of Italian mozzarella chain Obica. If you look carefully at the photo below you can see who’s planning on moving into their old second floor Westfield Century City Shopping Center location. Plant-based pioneer Matthew Kenney is bringing a outpost of his popular Culver City pasta bar Sestina to the good people of Century City.
It was back in December of last year that I noticed that Maradentro would not be returning to the space at 1168 S Barrington Ave. in Brentwood. A new eatery appears to be moving into the prominent corner location. A sign on the corner is letting us know that Evan Steakhouse and Grill is coming soon. There’s not much out there yet, just a still-developing website. Let me know if you have any information.
The space at 9531 Culver Blvd. has seem many restaurants come and go, including Sambar, AR Cucina, and Ford’s Filling Station. Now another eatery is giving the fickle address a go… There’s a now hiring banner hanging on the front announcing the impending arrival of Arth Kitchen + Bar. It looks like “modern Indian” is on the menu, which you can see here.
So… this may come as a bit of a shock to you so you may want to fix yourself a Manhattan, lower the lights, put on some Bill Evans, and sit down. One of the questions I most frequently get asked is if Bandera would be reopening. As you probably know, Bandera has remained shuttered, probably due to the fact that the majority of the space was a bar. Known for their mood lighting, stiff cocktails, jazz trios, and excellent Dover sole, Brentwood’s beloved branch of The Hillstone Restaurant Group was a popular nightlife spot for many years at 11700 Wilshire Blvd. I now have it on good authority that Bandera will not be reopening at this location. Better make that Manhattan a double.
About a year ago, I noticed an ABC application on the construction fencing at 930 Montana Ave. The application listed the new tenant as Bluestone Lane Coffee. Well, things seem to have changed. The application is gone, and window paper is announcing that Bluestone Lane is out and none other than creative coffee purveyors Go Get Em Tiger are moving in. This will be Santa Monica’s second branch.
The recent spate of new eateries on the horizon points to a renewed sense of hope in the restaurant business after a very dark time. You can add two more to the list. A sandwich board in the parking lot of the North Village shopping center at 150 S Pacific Coast Highway in El Segundo is announcing that the South Bay’s very own Poulet du Jour and Offset Coffee are moving in.
ISno Cafe closed its doors early this year, leaving the former Monsieur Marcel space at 1260 Third St. Promenade once again empty. But there’s a small now hiring notice hanging in the window that lists a new business, Kindred Spirits, is moving in. There’s not much out there about KS, except a job listing calling for bartenders, baristas, pastry cooks, and hosts. But the contact email on the notice references Cafe Demittase, which is the quiet neighborhood coffee spot just north of Wilshire on Third St. I have no clear understanding of what the relationship is, so if you have more info, let me know.
The 400 block of Santa Monica Blvd. in Downtown Santa Monica was hit particularly hard during the melee a year ago. Businesses were destroyed and the north side of the street has sat largely unoccupied since. Long-standing sushi restaurant Sake House by Hikari was set on fire and will not be returning, as evidenced by the for lease sign in the window. But there is a sign of hope: Bay area third wave fave Blue Bottle Coffee will be moving into the space at 415 Santa Monica Blvd.
The Runway in Playa Vista has been busy… Free Market recently opened bringing a fresh selection of eateries. Now you can add one more to the list. There’s window paper up at the former location of Hal’s Bar & Grill at 12751 Millenium Dr. #140 announcing a new restaurant called Neighbors. There’s not much info out there yet, but their Instagram page states that their goal is “a restaurant experience created with our neighbors in mind”. Looks like they’re shooting for a Fall opening.
Congratulations good people of Malibu! You’re about to get a new java joint. While there is no obvious sign, the windows of space #7 in the Malibu Country Mart at 3835 Cross Creek Road are blackened with the words “But first, coffee”. You might recognize this phrase as the tagline for the sleek third-wave purveyor of caffeinated drinks Alfred Coffee.
S Santa Monica Blvd. is a revolving door for restaurants. The space at 9527 S Santa Monica Blvd., most recently occupied by top-secret brioche breakfast place The Kind Ones, is no exception. But one plucky contender is going to give it a go. There’s paper in the windows announcing an upcoming branch of New York’s own Joe’s Pizza. We wish them the best of luck.
You know I’ve been reporting on the massive redevelopment of Manhattan Village, ostensibly transforming it into a major shopping and dining powerhouse. There has been an explosion of new eateries landing in the shopping center. You can add two more to the list. A banner is informing us that BOA Steakhouse and Sushi Roku are on the way. Both are part of the Innovative Dining Group or IDG.
It looks like El Segundo’s The Point shopping center, on the corner of Rosecrans and Pacific Coast Highway, is about to get a new eatery. I told you about the closure of buzzy Umi by Hamasaku back in October of last year. Window covering is letting us know that this location will be the future home of expanding Greek/Mediterranean restaurant chain CAVA.
Toddrickallen 