Recently, popular Bay-Area purveyor of coffee, Philz Coffee announced that it was intending to ride the Silicon Beach wave right into the heart of Santa Monica. And now we know where: Signs have gone up on the brand new building at 525 Santa Monica Blvd. (between 5th and 6th, north side of the street) announcing the impending arrival. Promising “Rock Star Talent”, you can read more about the passionate coffee company here.
About this time of year, do you find yourself waxing nostalgic when the grand European Perigord Truffle season is but a distant memory? Did you know that since the 1990s, Australia has been cultivating these culinary gems and that their season, the opposite of its European counterpart is about to begin? To celebrate, Melisse in Santa Monica has invited Chef Peter Gilmore from Quay Restaurant in Sydney, Australia to help host a “celebration of the commencement of Australian Perigord Black Truffle Season” on Friday June 13th. There will be two seatings; one at 5:30pm and the second at 8:15pm. Cost is $185 and reservations are bound to go like hotcakes, so secure yours by dialing (310) 395-0881 just as fast as your little fingers can or click here.
After over two years of having its “coming soon” sign in the window at 452 Canon Dr. in Beverly Hills, Encino-based Israeli restaurant Itzik Hagadol has abandoned its plans at this address as evidenced by the replacement of their “coming soon” signs with new “for lease” ones. Hope is not lost however. A spokesperson explained that they have had difficulties at this location and are currently searching for a new one in the area.
This week…
February 2012…
Only just a few weeks ago I told you about a new venture taking over the Maya Japanese Food space in the tiny strip mall on the corner of Yale and Santa Monica Blvd. in Santa Monica. The brand spankin’ new Mahi Mahi Seafood Grill is now open, serving fish in a variety of ways including: grilled, sandwiches, pasta, burritos, tacos, even Hawaiian and teriyaki plates. Hours: 11:00am to 9:30pm (8:30pm Sundays).
Open since only late last year, signs are up in the window of Shophouse Southeast Asian Kitchen on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and the Third Street Promenade declaring that the Santa Monica branch of the fresh Asian chain is temporarily closed for a kitchen refurbishment. And while a notice originally stated that they would be open by Tuesday (May 20th), clearly things did not go as smoothly as they imagined because it remains closed, and the part of the note saying they would being open by Tuesday has been blackened out and replaced with a scrawled promise of opening “as soon as we can”. Hopefully they’ll be up and running again shortly.
National sandwich and bakery chain Panera Bread continues its steady expansion. The latest branch appears to be going into the space at 1145 Westwood Blvd. in Westwood. Until then, check out their menu and read more about them here.
Remember Wild Oats? Long before a certain other large chain burst on the scene, Wild Oats was the go-to grocery store for organic, healthy foods in sharp contrast to what was being passed off as edible at regular supermarkets. All those cozy, neighborhood markets disappeared almost over night due to dubious circumstances and all of you who were dedicated to the pioneering cult brand thought all was lost, right? Wrong! Wild Oats is once again back on the SoCal grocery scene with a limited line being carried by Fresh & Easy grocery stores at local locations. Check out Wild Oats’ cheery new image and learn more about the company’s philosophy here.
A “preview” of the upcoming Belcampo Meat Co. Restaurant and Butcher Shop, the Belcampo Farm Kitchen is now open for a trial run Tuesday through Saturday 5pm to 10pm at the corner of Wilshire and 11th in Santa Monica. You can check out a sample of their menu that features meats that are grass-fed, organic, and humanely raised at their farm in Northern California and learn more here.
In the mercurial world of the Century City dining scene, things seem to come and go quickly. Sadly, one that has outlasted many, Kichi Grill, recently closed in the food court of the Westfield Century City Shopping Center. Plywood is up around the space, however there’s no indication of what may take its place.
If you’ve been wondering what’s taking over that choice piece of real estate that used to house Starbucks at the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and Wilshire in Beverly Hills that is currently under construction, wonder no more. Signs recently went up announcing that a new branch of tea purveyor Teavana will soon inhabit the space. Until then, read more about Teavana, that not-so-coincidentally is owned by Starbucks, here.
For some inexplicable reason, a whole lot of you have been closely following the progress of the latest custom-built pizza restaurant to enter the ring, The Ugly Pie Company at 2161B El Segundo Blvd. (next to Farmer Boys) in El Segundo. So here’s happy news: The Ugly Pie Company officially opened over the weekend. Promising a personalized pizza ready in 90 seconds, this is the first outpost in a (hopefully) fledgling chain. Check out previous coverage here.
After two years of valiantly attempting to peddle artisanal pizza and pasta to the Pilates and yoga set on Montana Ave. in Santa Monica, BricoLA has finally given up the ghost. Originally conceived by the folks at Villetta in Brentwood, it appears they’ve wasted no time clearing out the space at 1518 Montana. No word on a replacement, but I’ll keep my eye on it…
Popular vegan chain Veggie Grill is getting into the spirit of Spring by adding a few seasonal items to their menu. Included on the list are: strawberry arugula salad with almond ricotta, grilled asparagus, and strawberry parfait. Check out their entire menu and read more here.
I’m willing to bet that if you’ve ever been to Napa Valley, you probably carried back armloads of jars of irresistible tapenades, flavored olive oils, and bruschetta toppings made by Olivier Napa Valley. Now you no longer have to visit their flagship Provence-themed store on Main St. in St. Helena to get their signature line of specialty foods, cookware, and body products. Olivier Napa Valley recently opened on the first floor of the Westfield Century City Shopping Center, making it only the second location for the purveyor of Napa lifestyle. Described as a “test run mini-store”, the CC branch will close down after a year for a remodel and reassess, with the goal of expanding the brand to other locations as well. Check out their website and read more here.
The Kreation mini-empire continues its inexorable expansion… The latest branch of Kreation Juicery opened last week on the corner of Main and Pine in Downtown El Segundo. Read more and find other locations here.
I recently noticed an ABC application for a new “beer and wine eating place” posted in the papered-over window of 8736 (unit C) South Sepulveda in Westchester, right next door to the newish Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Company. While the name of the future restaurant is listed as “to be determined”, the parent company is the Lucky Scoops Corporation, about which I’ve had little luck finding any information. So, I’m afraid we’ll just have to wait for details and as always, I’ll keep my eye on it…
Update: Two Men Chew gave us a bit more information: Lucky Scoops has its headquarters at 8325 Lincoln Blvd. Los Angeles, and is listed online as an ice cream business although there’s a chance the new place will be a sushi restaurant.
Looking to reboot the New Year’s health resolution that you abandoned January 2nd? You’re in luck… This Saturday, April 26th at 1:00pm at the Williams-Sonoma (1600 Montana Ave.) in Santa Monica, “blendaholic” and Vitamix guru Tess Masters will be on hand to give demos of the surprising array of vegan and gluten-free recipes (not just juices) from her new book The Blender Girl, which she will also be signing. Until then, check out her popular blog and find recipes here.
Having completed its relocation from Westwood Blvd., Taha Hookah Lounge and Café opened over the weekend in its new digs at 12340 Santa Monica Blvd. (near Bundy) in West LA. As well as the smoky treats implied by the name, Taha will also be serving a menu of casual Middle Eastern and is open until 4:00am. Check out their Yelp page here.
Here’s what I know for certain: The Laemmle Theater at 1332 Second Street in Santa Monica is about to undergo a (long overdue) remodel and the gussied-up new picture house will contain a restaurant just inside the lobby. Here’s what I’m less sure of: I’m told by theater staff that the new restaurant will be named La Dolce Vita as indicated by the rendering of the new building below. La Dolce Vita would be a fitting name as it is a nod to the famous Fellini film, however the staff told me the new restaurant would be French influenced. Hmmm… Since it seems highly implausible that a French restaurant would be called La Dolce Vita, I’m afraid we’ll just have to wait for more details. The theater will close down in mid-May and plans on re-opening in December.
I just noticed that the outpost of Yummy Cupcakes at 220 26th St. in Brentwood/Santa Monica, across from the Brentwood Country Mart has closed down and is boarded over to make room for a branch of the designer swimwear store Everything But Water. If you can’t bear the thought of living without their signature cupcake in a jar, find other locations and read more here.
