I applauded last year when B.H. Poke courageously threw open their doors on a particularly tricky stretch of Beverly Hills (9527 Santa Monica Blvd. to be exact). Then something went south… A note was hastily affixed to the front door saying that they were taking a “little break”. Now, after sitting idle for a few months, a large for lease sign officially confirms their demise. I’ll watch to see what might move in.
Ever since I first told you about a new restaurant moving into the old Panini Kabob Grill space at 10861 Lindbrook Dr. in Westwood, I’ve been fielding questions about an opening date. Well, Grilliant is now open for business. Look for a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern menu of kabob, salads, smoothies, and flat bread wraps.
The cavernous space at the top of Brentwood Gardens, at 11677 San Vicente Blvd., has had a troubled history of turnover. It has sat empty ever since Elaine’s Bakery moved out in 2014. Recently however, paper has covered the windows, and now a poster has been affixed to the front that appears to indicate a new eatery called Guyi Restaurant is intent on moving in. There’s not much information out there. The only other Guyi that I can find is a much-lauded Hunan restaurant in Shanghai China, but I’m unclear if they’re related. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see…
And now here’s me thinking the whole poke thing was beginning to slow down… Paper is up on the window of the space at 4020D Lincoln Blvd. (corner of Washington) in Marina Del Rey announcing that a branch of Aloha Poke Co. is moving in. I’m not sure when exactly they’ll be dishing raw fish, but I’ll keep watching.
If you follow this blog, you know how competitive the food scene in El Segundo is. Case in point: Once popular Mexican restaurant La Sirena Grill has closed up shop at 710-D Allied Way as the hungry aerospace crowds have moved on to Apollo Landing and The Point. I’ll keep watching to see what develops.
On a tip from a reader (Thanks Dean!), I went to check out what was going on on the corner of Barrington and Pico. It looks like a new Vietnamese restaurant is going into the space at 2404 Pico. I’m not sure when Pho Ever will be opening, or if it’s related to any of the other “Pho Ever” restaurants out there, so we’ll just have to wait and see…
Perhaps you’ve been missing the old Gate of India restaurant that disappeared from its location at 115 Santa Monica Blvd. That space has been (slowly) transforming into something called Tumbi Bar. However, GOI has resurfaced as Rita’s Gate of India in its new location at 1450 5th Street in Downtown Santa Monica.
I recently noticed an ABC application pasted to the front of the space at 340 N Canon Dr. in Beverly Hills that used to house the erstwhile Canon Club. The application lists the business name as Estiatorio Louka. I’m not sure if this is the final name of the new restaurant or not. There doesn’t seem to be much information out there yet, but it does seem curious that it’s only about a block away from what Eater is reporting about AVRA Estiatorio landing in the old Hakkasan space.
It wasn’t that long ago that American Tea Room at 401 N. Canon Drive in Beverly Hills underwent a major renovation and triumphantly reopened. Recently, however, I noticed a for lease sign on the space. A letter posted on the front door explains that they have made an “incredibly tough decision to close” all three of their locations (Beverly Hills, the Arts District, Newport Beach). They are continuing to offer teas on their website.
It looks like a branch of the popular Koreatown seafood restaurant EMC Seafood & Raw Bar is on its way to the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance. A major build out is underway on the front of the busy shopping complex. No word on an opening date, but it looks like they’ve a way to go…
Tucked underneath the Santa Monica Pier, Big Dean’s Ocean Front Cafe has long been a favorite watering hole with locals and the beach crowd, and has remained largely untouched since the 1970s. But that’s all about to change… According to a spokesperson, they are expanding into the space just to the north, adding more patio, bar, and kitchen space. And at the other end of the building, a brand new Starbucks is moving in, bringing a much different vibe to this little hidden corner of Santa Monica. Check out the artist’s rendering below to get a taste of how things will look.
It was back in June of 2013, when I first noticed a new Italian restaurant gearing up to cater to the hungry tourist trade on the Santa Monica Pier. Sadly, it appears that Ristorante Al Mare has closed up shop… Making haste to replace it will be Seaside On The Pier, at least according to the plywood covering the remodel. Looks like they’re installing a grill, sandwich shop, and a rooftop lounge.
This week I heard from a reader (Thanks FG!) who told me about the closure of O & O Sicilian Kitchen & Bar at 1705 Ocean Ave Suite #111 in Santa Monica. I went by to check it out… While there is no notice posted and their website is still functioning, Yelp is reporting them as closed and the space is being gutted. Courageously opening in a challenging location back in 2016, it appears the foot traffic simply wasn’t on their side. Sad to see them go…
A sign hanging at 225 Main St. in Downtown El Segundo informs us that a branch of the much-lauded Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery will soon be opening. With over 200 locations, and appearances on Cupcake Wars, The View, and in USA Today, the sweet shop is sure to bring a lot of attention to the laid-back beach community. Look for a menu of 18 signature cupcake flavors as well as 15 flavors of small batch ice cream made fresh daily.
Smallcakes Cupcakery and Creamery bringing celebrated confections to Downtown El Segundo.
What’s going on behind those imposing wrought iron gates at 246 26th St. in Santa Monica that used to hide L’Ami, and before that The Little Door, and before that Villetta? It has sat empty and idle ever since L’Ami disappeared sometime in 2017. But a carefully tucked away ABC application reveals that there are signs of life. The app lists the applicant as Operation Success LLC and gives no business name. A search reveals few clues. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what develops…
Back in September, I first noticed that something new was moving into the erstwhile Polish deli space at 1128 Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica. The paper covering the window listed the new business as First Spoonful. They have since opened as Citizen Sprout and offer home delivery meal services and school lunch programs, as well as in-store selection of sandwiches, salads, and snacks.
A while ago, I noticed that Panini Cafe (now Panini Kabob Grill) had vacated their space at 10861 Lindbrook Dr. in Westwood. Now it appears that a new restaurant will be moving in. With locations in Culver City and Burbank, Grilliant will soon take up residency. Look for a Mediterranean/Middle Eastern menu of kabob, salads, and flat bread wraps. We wish them the best of luck.
It wasn’t that long ago that I told you about a new boba shop going into an erstwhile juvenile hair salon at 1328 Wilshire Blvd. Wasting no time whatsoever, Boba Tea & Me has thrown open their doors for business. This is apparently their first storefront, after having operated for a while as a truck. Look for a menu of milk teas, smoothies, and all manner of brightly colored treats.
I recently noticed that purveyors of modern comfort food Lyfe Kitchen have pulled up stakes in their Runway Playa Vista location at 12746 W Jefferson Blvd. A sign on the door confirms the sad news. Lyfe Kitchen has a rocky history to begin with, but I wonder if the bigger news is the Runway itself. With a captive audience of residents in the Playa Vista developments along Jefferson, you’d think that the Runway would be teeming with hungry patrons. And yet, since opening, they have never been able to fill all of the empty new storefronts. A great many still remain unoccupied. And now Lyfe Kitchen pulls out… Could this be an indication of trouble for the newish shopping/dining district?
The food scene in the flashy new Westfield Century City Shopping Center continues to evolve… Plywood covering one of the spots in the still developing food court reveals that it will soon be the home to a branch of La Vaca Brazilian Grill. With a location in Canoga Park and another in Glendale, La Vaca serves a menu of traditional churrasco, salad bar, and various “hot dishes”. Look for a May opening.
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