It looks like The Golden Triangle is about to get a lot sweeter. There’s window paper up on the space that has housed many businesses, but most recently John Kelly Chocolates, at 9523 S Santa Monica Blvd. Hey Tea began life in 2012 in Guangdong, China and offers a proprietary “New Style” of tea that uses “real milk, real fruits, real premium tea, and real cane sugar” with intriguing flavors such as “Very Grape Cheezo”, “Very Persimmon Crystal”, and “Roasted Brown Bobo Milk”.
It was only back in 2020 when I first told you about Amirah Kassem‘s famed New York bakery Flour Shop landing in the space at 9495 S Santa Monica Blvd. Sadly, they have abandoned the cavernous location. But for those devotees of their famous “explosion cake” all is not lost: A note on the door promises that they are moving to a new yet-unnamed LA location.
(Thanks Tony!)
Since 1967, Beverly Hills’ destination for fine cheese and luxury foods and gifts has been The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills. In a somewhat surprising move, they are changing locations from their charming and cozy current home at 419 N Beverly Dr. to new digs at 9705 S Santa Monica Blvd, across two storefronts. Perhaps those searching for the perfect white truffle will bring more foot traffic to this sleepier part of The Golden Triangle. According to the note on the door, they are currently closed at both locations and will be open (at least for online orders) after July 9.
It saddens me to see Westside time-honored institutions close. It can feel like the end of a classic era. Sadly, it appears that Da Pasquale Trattoria has left their commodious home at 9749 S Santa Monica Blvd in Beverly Hills. A gracious note on the front door doesn’t give a reason but expresses gratitude and love to its loyal customers for the last 35 years. Thanks for the memories…
(Thanks Eric!)
An eagle-eyed reader (Thanks Deryck!) wrote to tell me about a new ABC application on the cavernous build-out at 433 N Camden in Beverly Hills (corner of S Santa Monica). While the plywood prevents us from seeing what is going on inside, the application lists the name of the new eatery as Gravitas. I don’t have any more information than that, but I’m sensing a big story here. Let me know if you have any answers…
I’ve been hearing from shocked readers that everyone’s favorite grab-and-go burrito joint has abruptly pulled up stakes at 475 N Beverly Dr. A notice on the front door informs us that Chipotle has unceremoniously quit the space that was previously the longtime home of a Baja Fresh. Wasting no time, something has already leased the location so I’ll keep watch to see what may be taking over.
This is one of those stories that mystifies me. For some reason, a whole lot of you have been tracking this story since I first told you about it back in July of last year. To all those people needing answers, this news is for you: La Ong has opened their doors this week at 9632 S Santa Monica Blvd. Expect a solid Thai menu with such favorites as papaya salad, crab fried rice, and green curry all served in a sleek modern and airy space.
S. Santa Monica Blvd. is notorious for being a revolving door for restaurants, so it takes a brave contender to give it a go. One courageous eatery is about to try their luck. There’s window paper up on a former jewelry store space at 9529 S Santa Monica Blvd. announcing the arrival of something called Lorenzo California. According to the announcement, Lorenzo will be introducing a “Florence style schiacciata sandwhich” to The Golden Triangle. As near as I can tell, a schiacciata sandwich is a Tuscan sandwich composed of a specialty regional bread with various cuts of meats and cheeses. I don’t have much information on Lorenzo other that this, so if you know more, please send it along.
There’s a new ABC application up on the old Sfixio Ristorante space at 9737 S. Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills. The application lists the name of the new business as Velverie Cafe and Tea House. There isn’t a great deal of information out there yet. The website is still under construction, but I’ll keep watching to see what develops.
I recently noticed paper covering the windows at 9632 S Santa Monica Blvd. You may recall that this space was most recently inhabited by a branch of Danish lifestyle brand Joe & The Juice. It looks like Joe has moved on and something called La Ong is moving in. I don’t have any information on La Ong, except that “Thai cuisine” will be on offer.
There’s a new ABC application recently posted to the front of the space at 9705/9709 S Santa Monica Blvd (formerly Il Forno Caldo). It names the upcoming restaurant as Demonico’s. I don’t have much information on the upcoming eatery. There is already a Domenico’s that offers Italian products at local farmers’ markets, but I don’t have any confirmation that the two are connected. If you know more, let me know…
S Santa Monica Blvd. is a revolving door for restaurants. The space at 9527 S Santa Monica Blvd., most recently occupied by top-secret brioche breakfast place The Kind Ones, is no exception. But one plucky contender is going to give it a go. There’s paper in the windows announcing an upcoming branch of New York’s own Joe’s Pizza. We wish them the best of luck.
It appears LA’s premier and exclusive destination for pricey deep-fried nibbles is about to change hands. There’s an ABC application on the front of Tempura Endo, at 9777 S Santa Monica Blvd. in Beverly Hills, indicating that the Japanese restaurant that caused quite a stir when it first opened is changing owners. While it remains COVID-closed, at least we can rest assured that a restaurant will be reopening at the location. I guess we’ll have wait and see what it will look like… (The new owner, Peace Dining, appears to be a big player in sushi.)
I recently heard from a devastated reader who had just discovered that The Halal Guys had quit their West Hollywood location at 8919 Santa Monica Blvd. (They actually closed in June). But I went by to check out the space anyway. As it turns out, there was an ABC application posted on the front. No business name is listed, but the online license information states that the name of the new establishment will be Gym Sportsbar and Grill. You may recall that LA’s branch of Gym Sportsbar operated a location for 10 years at 8737 Santa Monica Blvd., but closed down in June due to challenges related to COVID-19. Gym Sportsbar bills itself as “the first and only gay sports bar in Los Angeles”. We wish them the best of luck.
The Golden Triangle in general, and S. Santa Monica Blvd. in particular, have long been tricky locations for restaurants, but the current COVID crisis appears to be accelerating the departures. Panini Kabob Grill stood like a sentinel on the corner of Camden and S. Santa Monica, and was a popular lunch destination. But sadly, a large for lease sign now indicates that they have indeed permanently thrown in the towel at this location.
Amorino Gelato brought a certain frisson to The Golden Triangle when it opened late in 2014 at 9605 S. Santa Monica Blvd. Sadly, it appears the Parisian superstar of icy treats has vacated the cavernous location. A large for lease sign confirms the news that is sure to be a blow to its devoted fans. I’ll keep my eye on the space to see what develops.
As you know if you read this blog, coffee shops are getting hammered right now. Peets, The Coffee Bean, and even Starbucks have all been closing locations recently. And now it looks like the newish Bluestone Lane is leaving its location at 9523 S. Santa Monica, in the Golden Triangle. The large for lease sign in the window appears to confirm it.
Amirah Kassem is a superstar of confectionary creations, most notably, her legendary explosion cake. And now it looks like LA will get a chance to sample the legendary baked treat. Window paper is up on the spot that used to be the home of Sugarfina, at 9495 S Santa Monica Blvd, announcing that Ms. Kassem is planning on bringing a branch of her famed New York bakery Flour Shop to the good people of Beverly Hills.
It looks like Beverly Hills wasn’t so kind to them… Back in October of last year, I finally figured out from the teaser campaign that The Kind Ones was moving into the notoriously tricky space at 9527 S Santa Monica Blvd. If you recall, The Kind Ones had roots in Kuwait and was focused on specialty breakfast sandwiches with top-secret brioche buns. But apparently that wasn’t enough to pull people in: The Kind Ones is now closed.
(Thanks Anthony!)
The space at 9465 S Santa Monica Blvd., set squarely in a notoriously tricky stretch of The Golden Triangle for restaurants, has seen its share of eateries come and go. The latest to go? It was back December of last year that I told you about the new pressed juice joint, Organica, that had recently opened. Unfortunately, they didn’t make it a year. A reader was quick to point out that they have now vacated the address. I’ll keep watching to see what other brave contenders may attempt the space…
Toddrickallen 