Sadly, it appears the reign of mint mojito coffee is coming to an end in Downtown Santa Monica. There’s a gracious notice on the front door of the Philz Coffee at 525 Santa Monica Blvd. that states their last day will be April 30, 2024. Not sure what happened to this branch of the Bay Area third wave coffee darling, but if you’re desperate for a cup of minty caffeinated goodness, check out their other locations here.
(Thanks Ely!)
It looks like a new java joint is poised to caffeinate the sleepy students at SaMo High. Window paper us up on the easily overlooked corner spot at 707 Pico Blvd. announcing the arrival of Little Bean Cold Brew. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of information out there, and there are other coffeeshops that use the term “little bean” in their names, but this one will offer “specialty small batch cold brew”. Let me know if you have more information…
Tucked into a corner space at Found Santa Monica, at 12311 Santa Monica Blvd, is a build-out on a new Mexican restaurant. Promising “lobster tacos” and “beach vibes”, The Cliffdiver appears to be settling in. The Cliffdiver has a location in Thousand Oaks and boasts a menu of favorites (and a good happy hour) in a chill setting.
The entire Westside heaved a sigh of relief when I reported that bakery darling Sweet Lady Jane had been saved from oblivion. (Read the story of how that happened here.) But, after a triumphant opening of some locations this week, Santa Monica’s newly opened branch has apparently hit a snag. There’s an LA County notice of closure affixed to the front door. There’s also an explanation from the current owner, who places the blame squarely on “ex-owners who didn’t request permits for their remodels”. They are apparently scrambling to make things right as soon as possible. The drama of the triple berry cake continues…
As I’ve been telling you, sleek Montana Ave in Santa Monca is becoming quite a food destination. New eateries are popping up all over the stylish street. Le Cafe de la Plage recently opened. Van Lueewen and Oakberry are on the way. Now it looks like the space right next to Oakberry will soon be home to a new bakery. Window paper is up on 709 Montana announcing the arrival of Fōnuts. The self-described “enlightened donut” purveyor has a location on West 3rd and a location in Studio City and offers a menu with a variety of healthy baked options that are gluten-free and vegan.
Despair no longer Good People of Santa Monica, Triple Berry Cakes may be returning! On a tip from a reader (Thanks Missy!), I went by the very empty former location of beloved bakery Sweet Lady Jane at 1631 Montana in Santa Monica. You may recall they recently abruptly pulled up stakes, much to the shock of fans. Sure enough, as you can see, there is a hopeful note attached to the front door that promises they will be “opening again soon”. I don’t have any information on the other locations. There’s obviously more to this story so I’ll keep watching this surprising development.
Update: Here’s the complete skinny on Eater.
Montana Ave, Santa Monica’s preeminent shopping/dining street, is becoming a sweet destination. Rori’s Artisanal Creamery, Pinkberry, and Frozen Fruit Company are just a few of the places to score a frozen treat. And now one more is on the way… Window paper is up on the space that used to be home to Erin Mckenna’s Bakery, at 1415 Montana, announcing another ice cream spot. Van Leeuwen, which started out in 2008 in New York as a food truck, will soon be bringing their signature artisan ice creams, vegan ice creams, sundaes, vegan chocolate chip cookies, and shakes to the tony neighborhood.
(Thanks Sara!)
The troubled space on the corner of Wilshire and 4th in Downtown Santa Monica has had its share of issues. For a long while, it was a sputtering branch of P.F. Chang’s. That disappeared in 2021. Then a new contender, Lotus Dim Sum Dumpling House, gave the spot a chance and opened about a year and a half ago. Sadly, it now appears they too have given up the ghost. I’ll keep watching to see what may give the commodious location a go.
Santa Monica is about to get its second branch of international acai experts Oakberry (the first location is on the corner of Berkeley and Wilshire). There’s window paper across two storefronts at 705 and 707 Montana Ave announcing the news. Oakberry offers acai that is 100% natural with no food coloring, artificial preservatives, or guarana syrup. They operate a number of locations in Brazil and continue an impressive international expansion.
It was back in September of last year that I told you about an exciting new sandwich shop taking over the old Greens Up! space at 912 Montana Ave. in Santa Monica. The window paper has finally come down, and B&T’s Deli will officially soft-open on Saturday, February 3rd at 11am. While there’s no online menu quite yet, here’s a glimpse of the plant-based sandwich options listed on their menu boards. We wish them the best of luck…
The space at 1315 Third St. Promenade has had a tumultuous history. In the past, it has been the home of The Gallery Food Hall, and hosted such luminaries as Falafel King, and Dave Beran’s elegant Dialogue, and STRFSH by The Voltaggio Brothers. Hopes were high when ghost kitchen Kitchen United MIX took over the tricky location last year with a fresh spate of eateries. That hope appears to have been dashed on the rocks as evidenced by the note taped to the front door stating that they are “closed until further notice” (and offering some stern bathroom advice). I’ll keep watching to see what’s going on…
A happy new food choice is coming to Santa Monica soon… There’s window paper up on the space at most recently occupied by Luna Grill at 3001 Ste 103 Wilshire Blvd. announcing the impending arrival of Jin Cook. Promising “Authentic Korean Soul Food”, Jin Cook has locations in Glendale and Santa Clarita and offers an exciting menu of soups, “hot stone” dishes, pancakes, and katsu.
Update: Jin Cook is now open.
Well, I can’t exactly say this was a surprise… While other locations of Mexican party spot Kalaveras are quite popular, Santa Monica’s branch has long struggled to attract crowds. Perhaps this was because of the cursed location (it was previously the doomed home of Belcampo), or its proximity to perennially popular El Cholo across the street. But whatever the reason, Kalaveras has abandoned this location at 1026 Wilshire Blvd. I’ll keep watching the tricky space to see what may develop…
There’s a small now hiring sign in the window of 1447 Ocean Ave in Downtown Santa Monica, a tiny space most recently occupied by Earthbar. The notice names the new business as Coffee With Creme & Sugar. The website lists a menu of coffee, tea, signature drinks, and sweet treats. 
And just like that, a new bakery has appeared in Santa Monica. Modern Bread & Bagel has moved into the old Breadblok space at 1511A Montana Ave. Modern Bread & Bagel currently has two locations in New York, and one in The Valley. They specialize in breads and famous bagels that are organic and gluten-free, and also offer a menu of bagel sandwiches, salads, bowls, and breakfast items.
This is a public service announcement: This isn’t exactly news (It happened a short while ago), but people are shocked and still writing me to let me know that Del Frisco’s Grille has vacated their prominent corner spot on the corner of Ocean and Colorado, across from The Santa Monica Pier. With its stunning view, and catering primarily to tourists, Del Frisco’s Grille was known for their good happy hour and for special events. I’ll keep watch on the tricky location to see what may develop.
(Thanks Jonny and others!)
Known for their over 100 flavors of ice cream and yogurt that are made fresh daily at each location, Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream has been quietly expanding recently, with locations in Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach, as well as others. Now there’s one more. Readers have been letting me know that there’s a new branch at 4130 Sepulveda Boulevard in Culver City.
(Thanks Andrew!)
This from my inbox:
Tara’s Himalayan Cuisine threw open their doors in July of 2019, at 262 26th St. in Santa Monica, just across from the Brentwood Country Mart. At the time, the introduction of Himalayan food to the tony neighborhood caused quite a stir. Sadly, readers are reporting to me that Tara’s has since disappeared from this location. Apparently, fans can still order from the Venice location.
I must say, this is a bit of shock… Riding the cupcake wave of the early 2000s, Vanilla Bake Shop burst on the scene 16 years ago and quickly became Santa Monica’s go-to spot for baked treats. Sadly, they have quit their longtime location at 512 Wilshire Blvd. A gracious note in the window thanks their customers and introduces a new bakery to take over: The Butter End Cakery. Apparently, the LAX location of Vanilla Bake Shop is still up and running.
Update: The Butter End Cakery is now open at this location. (09/2024)
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