Having opened in 2013, Kippy’s! Non-Dairy Ice Cream Shop had high hopes when they moved their location from Lincoln Blvd. to 245 Main St. in Venice. Last week, however, a sad note was taped to the front door pronouncing Kippy’s! as closed. A more detailed notice on their website graciously thanks their customers and promises a comeback. We wish them the best of luck.
Once a darling with posing celebrities, Pinkberry lead the pack in the frozen yogurt explosion a number of years back. Could this be an indication that times and tastes have moved on? I was surprised to see that Pinkberry has vanished from its prime location at 1456 Third Street Promenade. I’ll keep watching to see what may take over the space.
If you follow this site, then you know that Toddrickallen is your trusted Westside food news source. In order to keep as clean as possible, you will never see reviews, and I generally don’t do endorsements… except for one time a year. This is an organization I thoroughly support and is worthy of your consideration. Proceeds will go toward bringing the PS Science program to children in schools where science is otherwise rarely, if ever, taught. AND there’s excellent food and drink as well…
Window paper is up on one of the ground floor spaces in the mixed-use One Culver complex that sits between Washington and Culver Blvd. announcing a branch of innovative coffee purveyors Go Get Em Tiger. This branch will be their farthest west to date and sits on the Culver Blvd. side of the property, in space 104. GGET began as a pop-up in the Sqirl Café in 2012 and has currently expanded to seven locations. No word on an opening date yet.
I’ve been watching the commodious space at 1413 5th St. in Downtown Santa Monica ever since its longstanding tenant, Wokcano, disappeared about a year ago. It finally looks like a new venture is moving in. An ABC application recently went up announcing the impending arrival of NC’s Jazz Shack. I can’t seem to find much information out there on NC’s, but I’ll keep watching…
Here’s some eyebrow-raising news… Beverly Hills’ branch of chic Parisian patisserie Ladurée, in an astonishing feat of vegan ingenuity, has recently gone 100% plant based! The collaboration with plant-based superstar Matthew Kenney has produced Ladurée X Matthew Kenney, the first of its kind in the world. On the menu? Standards such as Ladurée benedict, French onion soup, croque monsieur, and salade niçoise. And in case you’re wondering, the pastries, viennoiseries, cakes, and macarons (now including hemp flavor) are all there in full glory. According to the website, the collab is being extended to other locations throughout the world as well.
Plywood recently went up on a big chunk of Runway Playa Vista announcing the arrival of something called Free Market. The retail and restaurant scene in Playa Vista has been sputtering for some time now. According to this LA Times article, in an effort boost the area, Runway will soon be closed to cars and turned into a pedestrian mall. Free Market is being described as a complex that will include a “mix of small stores and restaurants”. I’ll keep watching to see what develops…
You may know that Manhattan Village, the shopping center on the corner of Rosecrans and Sepulveda in Manhattan Beach, is undergoing a major over-haul including adding new buildings and outdoor walkways… and new restaurants as well. I’ve already told you about Mercado (already open), and upcoming Urban Plates. But as you can see at least three more are announced: A branch of Edoardo Baldi’s coffee and nibbles bar Edo Little Bites, Dan Modern Chinese (which still hasn’t opened in Westwood), and Joey Restaurants are all on their way.
A reader (Thanks SG!) sent me concerns about Sawtelle’s cavernous temple to shabu-shabu Mizu 212. A hastily written note taped to the front door says they are closed for remodeling. Nothing has been touched inside for a bit now, and… well, hopefully I’m wrong, but we’ve seen this before. I’ll let you know if anything changes.
With locations scattered across the US, it looks like an upscale seafood restaurant is making its first inroad into LA County. Banners are up on the fencing surrounding the renovation at 2101 Rosecrans in El Segundo announcing the impending arrival of Eddie V’s Prime Seafood. If you recall a while ago, the location used to be home to a branch of McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks. Eddie V’s is a brand of parent company Darden Restaurants Inc. whose other brands include Olive Garden, The Capital Grille, and Yard House as well. Expect the “finest seafood and steaks”, “world-class wine”, and live jazz all served with “unmistakable elegance”.
If you follow this blog, then you know about Westwood Village’s recent alarming deluge of restaurant closures. Add two more to the list: El Pollo Loco has vanished from its location at 1081 Gayley, and for all intents and purposes Coco Fresh Tea & Juice has stopped functioning. If you have any information on why the sudden exodus of eateries, let me know…
(Thanks Ivy for the tips!)
I went by to check out what was going on at 12222 Venice Blvd. after I got a tip from a reader (Thanks Ivy!). Sure enough, Top Chef Brooke Willliamson’s artisanal ice cream shop Small Batch has closed up shop. You can still get their proprietary icy treats at Playa Provisions in Playa del Rey.
Well this came as a bit of a shock… After what seems like, well… forever (in reality, 26 years), it appears that Santa Monica’s branch of retro diner Swingers has thrown in the towel at its 802 Broadway location. So what happened to the neighborhood’s fave late night hang out joint? A note affixed to the front door cites rising labor and food costs, and operating expenses as the culprits.
While it can take months (or even years… Hello Honeymee?) for some shops to open in the Westfield Century Shopping Center, some arrive almost overnight. One that snuck in while no one was looking is a branch of Taiwanese chain Wushiland Boba, which is now open on the second floor near Petros. Expect a menu of various teas and sweet or savory waffles. Oh, and that flying fish with a cup on its back logo? Eater reported a few years ago that his name is Larry.
I can’t take credit for this uncovering this, but people have been curious about the old Native space on the corner of 7th and Santa Monica Blvd. in Downtown Santa Monica ever since celebrity chef Nyesha Arrington pulled the plug, so I’m passing this information on… Just this week, the Santa Monica Daily Press reported that longtime neighborhood fave pasta joint Fritto Misto will be moving into the aforementioned erstwhile Native location. Apparently, their old cozy corner spot at 601 Colorado will be demolished to make way for a new eight story apartment building. That means that their neighbor, sushi restaurant Ninjin, will also be moving out. If you don’t know about Fritto Misto, it is an under-the-radar Italian cafe with a fiercely loyal fanbase and a second location in Hermosa Beach. We wish them the best of luck.
The recent closure of Blockheads Shavery left a hole in the busy shopping center on the corner of Sawtelle and Mississippi in West LA, the same one that houses superstar Tsujita. But that’s about to change… Window covering is promising that Somi Somi will soon be arriving to the space at 11311 Mississippi Ave. Somi Somi apparently is known for ah-boong (a fish-shaped bun filled with various sweet fillings, “Korean-inspired” soft service ice cream, and toppings), and taiyaki (Japanese pancake filled with various sweet and savory fillings). With locations throughout SoCal and one in Texas, their website is promising a massive expansion soon. No word on an opening date…
It looks like poultry purveyor Chick-fil-A is continuing its relentless conquest of LA. A massive space is being cleared for the new restaurant at 740 N Sepulveda in El Segundo. According to the Daily Breeze, the planning documents reveal that the new “single-story 4,996 square-foot restaurant will seat up to 118 people and include an outdoor patio”. The article also reports a new Chick-fil-A location in Redondo Beach as well…
Westwood has been a whirlwind of openings and closings recently… but mostly closings. Paper is now covering the windows of two more eateries: Westwood’s branch of Ike’s Love and Sandwiches has unceremoniously darkened 1151 Westwood Blvd. Yelp is reporting them closed, but they’re describing themselves as “temporarily closed”. And paper is covering the windows of House of Meatballs at 1076 Gayley. A note posted on the front door says they are “freshening up”. A reader (Thanks Mark!) pointed out to me that they don’t answer the phone, and they haven’t posted anything in social media for months. We’ve seen this before. All too often, “temporarily closed” means “permanently closed”. We wish them the best of luck.
The space at 9465 S Santa Monica Blvd., set squarely in a notoriously tricky stretch of The Golden Triangle for restaurants, has seen its share of eateries come and go. The latest to go? It was back December of last year that I told you about the new pressed juice joint, Organica, that had recently opened. Unfortunately, they didn’t make it a year. A reader was quick to point out that they have now vacated the address. I’ll keep watching to see what other brave contenders may attempt the space…
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