Back in March, I told you about the impending arrival of cult coffee shop Alfred’s less-caffeinated offshoot Alfred Tea Room to the space at 11928 San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood. For all of you who have been eagerly checking for updates I have this happy news: Alfred Tea opened this week. Expect a menu of tea, milk tea, and matcha in a bright and cheery tiled setting with an outdoor patio.
On a tip from a reader (Thanks JP!), I went by to check out what was going on at Roast Deli & Market in Brentwood Village. The windows are papered over and the signs have been pulled from their space at 147 S. Barrington Ave. While their website is still up, Yelp is reporting them as closed, and so am I. I’ll watch to see what might move in.
It was back in November of last year, when I first noticed that healthy, organic Mediterranean restaurant Soom Soom was expanding into the space at 11704 South Barrington Court in Brentwood. After an extensive remodel of the space, Soom Soom Fresh will throw open its doors today, May 21st. This is the third location in an expanding chain. We wish them the best of luck.
Erratum: This is actually the chain’s fourth location.
Well that didn’t take long… It was only about two weeks ago when I deciphered that fishy eatery Big Catch had quit the space at 12009 Wilshire Blvd. in Brentwood. Wasting no time, dumpling specialist Northern Café has settled right in and is now open for business. Billing itself as “authentic Chinese Cuisine”, this is another branch of the original Westwood location that Eater once called a “standout”.
Brentwood’s branch of Big Catch Seafood House at 12009 Wilshire Blvd. appears to have gone off the deep end. They place appears gutted. There are still a few tables outside, otherwise the space is mostly empty. Yelp is not reporting it as closed yet, and the last review on was on April 16th, but the phone has been disconnected, there is no mention of this location on the company website, and when I went by last night after their usual opening hours to check things out, they were closed. I can’t report with any certainty that they are finished (or possibly restructuring), but things don’t look good… Let me know if anyone has more information.
Just a few weeks ago, I told you about the collective gasp from locals when Gaucho Grill quit its location at 11754 San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood. Wasting no time whatsoever, an ABC application taped to the front of the space indicates that Kreation Organic is moving in. Known for their “pressed juices” and “kleanses”, you probably wouldn’t automatically associate Kreation Organic with beer and wine. I’ll keep my eye on this one…
It looks like specialty coffee purveyor Alfred is expanding in Brentwood. Just a few storefronts away from their location on the corner of Montana and San Vicente, paper has gone up on the front of the space at 11928 San Vicente Blvd. announcing that a branch of Alfred Tea Room is moving in. Not sure when they’re opening, but I’ll keep watching…
What’s going on in Brentwood? Recently a widely popular Peet’s Coffee closed up shop, allegedly due to a jack-up in the rent, sending out shock waves among locals. And now, right next door at 11754 San Vicente Blvd , a perennially busy Gaucho Grill has pulled out as well. The melancholic letter on the door lets us know that the date of closure was March 12th. Even while taking these photos, stunned Brentwood residents who had come for dinner were expressing their disbelief and protestations to me. With cultish Pizzana, and upcoming Mendocino Farms and Jon & Vinny’s Italian, the Brentwood dining scene appears to be rapidly changing…
Well that didn’t take long… It was only last month when I noticed a small poster on the space at the top of the Brentwood Gardens, at 11677 San Vicente Blvd., inscrutably announcing a new restaurant. Wasting no time whatsoever, Guyi Restaurant is now in their soft opening. I had previously wondered if they were related to a restaurant in China, but have since discovered that this is their first outpost. Look for a menu of authentic Sichuan/Northern Chinese food in a bright airy setting. And, until March 14th, you get 30% off the check.
Quirky neighborhood hang-out spot Bar * Food has flown the coop at 12217 Wilshire Blvd. in Brentwood. The front is completely covered in plywood and their website has vanished. Not sure what happened or what may be taking over, but I’ll keep watching…
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…
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…
So this was a bit of a shocker… Ever popular local fave caffeine shop Peet’s Coffee has abruptly pulled up stakes almost overnight from its historically significant landmark location at 11750 San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood. Even while I was taking photos, locals were coming up to me and expressing shock at the loss of the neighborhood institution. Maybe competition from nearby Alfred Coffee has been taking its toll. I’ll keep watching…
Update: I’ve had lot of people ask why Peet’s has closed… I don’t have a confirmed answer, but a reader has heard that the lease renewal was too expensive, which is all-to-frequent in this neck of the woods.
The shopping center on the corner of Montana and San Vicente in Brentwood has seen a great deal of turnover recently. The latest to try their hand at the location will be farm-to-table sandwich/salad market Mendocino Farms. There’s an ABC license posted at 11911 San Vicente Blvd. announcing the impending arrival to the spot that once housed carb palace Noah’s Bagels. No word on an opening date, but the website promises sometime in 2018.
With locations in Beverly Hills and LA, it looks like purveyors of healthy, organic Mediterranean food Soom Soom are living up to their website’s promise to expand “across Los Angeles and beyond”. Paper is covering the window at 11704 South Barrington Court announcing their impending arrival. I’m not sure how far along their progress is, but I’ll keep watching.
Moo Greek Yogurt burst onto the scene back in July of 2016, riding a popular yogurt mini-wave. Things seem to have slowed a bit, and Moo has been closed down for a while in their location at 11753 San Vicente Blvd. in Brentwood. Since then, I’ve been watching to see what develops. Their Yelp page promises a return in 2018, and their website doesn’t offer many clues, but the place is essentially gutted. I’ll keep my eye on things, but it doesn’t look good…
It wasn’t that long ago that The Little Door Santa Monica turned into L’Ami in their sunny location at 246 26th St. in Santa Monica. Well, I don’t know what happened, or exactly when it happened, but I recently noticed that they have pulled up stakes entirely. The website says that they are closed for renovations, but that is all too frequently code for “permanently closed”, which is precisely what Opentable says. I’ll keep watching to see what develops.
I’ve been watching the diminutive space at 13050 San Vicente Blvd. suite 108 (corner of 26th) in Brentwood ever since Starbucks closed up shop there earlier in the year. Signs recently went up on the façade informing us that expanding über-hip roasters Blue Bottle Coffee will soon be inhabiting the address. And sooner than you think: According to their website, they’ll be handing out free coffee this Saturday for their pre-opening sneak peak “community day” starting at 9am.
International lifestyle brand Joe & The Juice continues its inexorable conquest of the hip juice scene in LA. First came news back in April that a location was landing on Melrose. Then I noticed window paper in Beverly Hills. And recently, yet more window paper has popped up on the corner spot of San Vicente and Montana in Brentwood, right next to Alfred Coffee at 11906 San Vicente Blvd., announcing the Danish company’s impending arrival. When will the “hunky guys” start pouring? We’ll have to watch and see…
Those of you looking for a quick sandwich fix in Brentwood might have to go a bit farther afield. It looks like quotidian sandwich chain Subway has vacated the space at 11762 San Vicente Blvd. Not sure what happened or what may take over the location, but I’ll keep watching…
Toddrickallen 