It was almost three years ago that I first noticed that a branch of Caffe Primo was intending on moving into the corner space at 7th and Arizona in Downtown Santa Monica, across the street from wildly popular Cassia. But all that appears to have changed. Recently, all the window announcements were pulled down, and a for lease sign has gone up on the vacant space. It looks like the West Hollywood location is gone as well. I’m not sure what happened, but I’ll keep watching to see what develops.
Bowls, those complicated combinations of über-healthy ingredients commingling in a container, remain hot commodities. The latest to try their hand at attracting the attention of the yoga set in Downtown Santa Monica is Backyard Bowls. With a smattering of locations across Santa Barbara and LA, they look fairly close to opening at 1317A 7th St. Expect a menu of açaí bowls, smoothies, hot porridges, and toasts, that you can read more about here.
It’s often been said that when God closes a frozen yogurt joint, he opens a fast food pasta restaurant… Here are the latest changes to the stumbling Santa Monica Place food scene. Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt has closed up shop just outside the food court. And plucky contender Z Pastabar has opened inside the food court, which is now completely occupied.
What was once a very quiet section of Downtown Santa Monica is quickly transforming into a restaurant destination. Just to the right of Cava and the upcoming HiHo, at 1320 2nd St. Suite A, a brand new handmade pasta joint calling itself Uovo Pasta will soon be joining the list. And it looks like they’re fairly close to opening…
Santa Monica Yacht Club closed its doors at 820 Santa Monica Blvd. a bit ago so Andrew Kirschner could focus his attention on Tar & Roses, his other restaurant a block away, at least according to the notice taped to the front door. Recently however, an ABC ownership change application has appeared and names the new restaurant as… Santa Monica Yacht Club. If you examine the application online, you can see that a familiar name is listed as an officer: Nyesha Arrington, who left Leona in Venice back in February to pursue other projects.
In a push to make banking more friendly, financial giant Capital One has been opening community cafés across the country. And now Santa Monica looks like their next target. Going into a brand new building on the corner of 4th and Broadway in Downtown Santa Monica, on what used to be an unsightly parking lot, the new Capital One Café will offer Peet’s beverages and “local pastry” in addition to internet and banking services.
Ever since the tragic demise of Santa Monica’s beloved branch of Border Grill, I’ve kept a careful watch on the space at 1445 4th St. I’ve been hearing whispers, and a design review mentioned something called Publique, but I couldn’t get confirmation. But then late last week the for lease signs came down, and an ABC application was posted on the front informing us the Le Zinc Bar (Zinqué) will be opening a restaurant called Publique. You can check out the design review, including plans for an open air patio, and an artist’s rendering here.
It takes a brave eatery to give it a go in the sputtering food scene that is Santa Monica Place. Apparently Westside Pavilion’s Z Pastabar believes it has what it takes. They are moving into the last open space in the food court. But that’s not all: The courageous carb purveyor is moving into the new Westfield Century City Shopping Center, and is opening locations across LA according to their website. As a grand opening promotion, the upcoming Santa Monica location is giving away free food if you download their app.
A great many of you have been carefully checking for information ever since I first told you about Santa Monica’s upcoming branch of North Italia, taking over the erstwhile Buca Di Beppo space at 1442 2nd St. in Downtown Santa Monica. You’ll be pleased to know that according to the notice on the door, North Italia will officially throw open its doors on May 30th. We wish them the best of luck.
It was back in February that I first noticed the plywood covering the old Seaside Grill space at 109 Broadway in Downtown Santa Monica. I was lucky enough to run into the owner, Marc Moubarak, who informed me that the name of the new restaurant was going to be Air Food, and the menu would be French. Air Food will officially open its doors on Wednesday, May 24th. Last Saturday night, I had an opportunity to have a look around during Air Food’s “VIP soft opening celebration”. The menu, designed by Chef Thierry, was still being finalized, but what was on offer on Saturday was decidedly French with some Asian influences. Scroll down on their Yelp page to read more information about the promising new restaurant. We wish them the best of luck.
It wasn’t that long ago that I told you about a branch of the rapidly expanding build-your-own Mediterranean restaurant Cava Grill was going to land in Downtown Santa Monica. Now they’re ready to open. And to celebrate, they’re giving away free lunches this Tuesday (5/23) from 12pm to 2pm at their new 1318 2nd Street location. Thank you Cava Grill!
I recently came across ‘now hiring’ notices posted on the papered-over windows of the erstwhile ShopHouse locations at 1401 3rd St. Promenade in Santa Monica and at 1059 Broxton Ave. in Westwood. The notices announce that both locations will be brand spanking new branches of Korean food chain Bibibop Asian Grill, headquartered in Columbus Ohio. According to LABJ, they intend on taking over all the old ShopHouse locations, including The Point in El Segundo, and West Hollywood’s branch as well.
Downtown Santa Monica is a flurry of restaurant activity right now: Wally’s is on the way, as is a new North Italia, and Carlo’s Bake Shop. Add to that list a new “All Day Eatery” going into a defunct jewelry shop at 331 Wilshire Blvd. There’s not much out there yet on The Gables, just an undeveloped website and Facebook page. It looks like they’re shooting for a Fall opening.
Update: The Gables opens Wednesday, August 22. Read Eater’s story here.
Back in March of last year, I noticed a small pending development permit taped to the front of the old Hennessy+Ingalls bookshop at 214 Wilshire Blvd. in Downtown Santa Monica. The permit listed the applicant as Santa Monica Farmhouse. Recently a teaser ad went up on the front the space taunting us with, “You will never guess what’s coming soon.” Last week, the ABC applications were on display spilling the beans. The future occupant will be another branch of the ridiculously popular oenophile paradise Wally’s Wine and Spirits. Wally’s expansion into Santa Monica came onto Eater’s radar back in late March, but no details were revealed. Because there are two applications, one for ‘on sale’ and one for ‘off sale’, I think its safe to assume that this Wally’s will be similar in design to the one in Beverly Hills.
It was about four years ago when I noticed that “fresh & healthy Mediterranean” restaurant Z Garden had opened a second branch at 313 Wilshire Blvd. in Downtown Santa Monica. I’m not sure what happened, but it appears that they have vacated this location. And wasting no time whatsoever, a hastily hung banner announces that Chou Chou French Pastries & Cafe have quietly slipped in. I’m not certain who’s behind this and there’s not a lot of information out there yet. If you’re missing Z Garden, their other location is still open on Pico.
Update: Read the comment below for more information…
The mystery continues… Back in June of 2015 renovation began on the shabby old food court The Gallery at 1315 Third St. Promenade in Santa Monica. Excitement heightened when it reopened and restaurants started trickling in. And then something went wrong. The restaurants that had opened moved out and The Gallery sat empty. Then, last week, the windows were papered over and a required construction sign has appeared in the window. If anyone has any information, let me know as this story has been keenly followed by a great number of you…
Sadly, it looks like retail shoe store Lorin is going out of business at 1354 3rd St. Promenade in Downtown Santa Monica. Why am I telling you this? Because if you look at the storefront carefully, you’ll see a notice of pending design review in the lower right corner. The notice informs us that “a new bakery” will be taking over. If we look closely at the artist’s rendering, the name of the new bakery will be Carlo’s Bake Shop. Apparently Carlo’s Bake Shop is another name for none other than New Jersey’s Carlo’s Bakery of TLC’s Cake Boss fame. This would be the chain’s first West Coast location.
It wasn’t that long ago that I told you that Buca Di Beppo had closed its doors at 1442 2nd St, sparking a conversation about the viability of any restaurant in the pricey and complicated Santa Monica and LA market. Now it looks like another national Italian brand is going to give it a try. A sign is up on the construction plywood at the old Buca space announcing that it will soon be the home of a branch of North Italia. There’s reason to hope that they will have a better run than their predecessor: They know a thing or two about Downtown Santa Monica. Within a block in either direction are two other restaurants from North Italia’s parent company Fox Restaurant Concepts, Flower Child and True Food Kitchen. We wish them the best of luck.
Walking around Downtown Santa Monica recently, I noticed plywood covering the front of the space at 109 Broadway that used to house defunct Middle Eastern restaurant Seaside Grill. I was lucky enough to catch one of the owners of the new establishment who informed me that the upcoming eatery will intriguingly be called Air Food, and the menu will be “French”, otherwise I don’t have any more information than that. They’re shooting for a mid-April opening, and this being Santa Monica I wish them the best of luck with that.
About a year ago, I told you about the expansion of a decadently rich yogurt shop to the tony space at 1431 Ocean Ave. (in the Pacific Plaza building) in Santa Monica. It took a while, but Go Greek Yogurteria recently opened and is dishing dairy to the good people of Santa Monica. Read more about their fresh yogurt bar and self-serve frozen yogurt here.
Toddrickallen 