A sign above the space at 4254 Lincoln Blvd. in Marina del Rey is announcing that a branch of rapidly expanding Greek chain Nick The Greek is settling in. Nick The Greek operates a number of locations, mostly north of here. Look for a menu of, you guessed it, souvlaki and gyro, as well as falafel, burgers, salads, and soup. New locations in Huntington Beach and Long Beach are also in the works.
Long Beach’s Saint & Second is expanding North. A sharp-eyed reader (Thanks Sher!) noticed the plywood on the front of one of the cavernous interior spaces in the new addition of the zhuzhed-up Manhattan Village on the corner of Sepulveda and Rosecrans. For those who don’t know, Saint & Second is run by the Hofman family, who has been operating a restaurant at their Belmont Shore location for over 70 years. Expect a “a chef-inspired, come-as-you-are destination with creative, locally-sourced seasonal cuisine, organic cocktails, hundreds of curated whiskies, works by California artists and a spirit of community and hospitality“.
Cantina Urbana Kalaveras is sure having a moment. They recently opened their location in Santa Monica. Now a reader spotted a banner up on the old Jerry’s Deli in Marina del Rey that says they are taking over the long-troubled space at 13181 Mindanao. And that’s not the end of the story: They are planning a major expansion across SoCal. Besides their current eight outposts, their website lists no less than 13 new locations in the works including Burbank, North Hollywood, and Long Beach. Kalaveras offers an immersive El Dia de Los Muertos celebratory fast/casual concept with “Latin American culinary classics” and a focus on mixology. (Thanks Jennifer!)
Beverly Hills lost its branch of international gelato brand Amorino during the Pandemic. Now it looks like another icy treat company is moving to the space at 9605 Santa Monica Blvd. The address was recently rented, but no signs have appeared. There is, however, a small legal notice taped to the front door. It lists the new tenant at Ample Hills Sub LLC, the company behind Ample Hills Creamery. Ample Hills make their ice cream from scratch in their Brooklyn “plant” where they actually pasteurize their own dairy and bake their own mix-ins. They have locations in New York, New Jersey, and in Long Beach CA.
Note: I do not yet have confirmation on this story.
Ever since the Belcampo closed down at 1026 Wilshire due to a spot of trouble, I’ve been keeping my eye on the commodious space to see what would move in. The mystery is now over. Signs went up this week announcing a branch of Kalaveras. Kalaveras offers an immersive El Dia de Los Muertos celebratory fast/casual concept with “Latin American culinary classics” and a focus on mixology. They have locations across LA County, with a serious expansion in the works including Long Beach, Silver Lake, Newport Beach, and others.
As you know, I’ve been watching the food scene materialize at the Elevon development in El Segundo. So far, there’s a Bowlology, and upcoming Petros Kafe, and a Lisa’s Café & Bakery. And now we can add one more to that list. An ABC license application in the window of the space at 735 N. Douglas St. lets us know that a second location of Long Beach’s Ocean Market Grill will soon be moving in. It looks like we can expect a menu of tacos, salads, and… fish.
Toddrickallen 