Readers have been writing to tell me that Venice’s popular Southern grilled meat spot Baby Baby Blues BBQ has been closed due to a fire. As you can see, operations have ceased and the front is boarded up at 444 Lincoln Blvd. Their website promises a rebuild and says they are looking for another location while that happens. We wish them the best of luck.
Since like many locals in Summer I avoid Venice Beach, I appreciate a reader (Thanks Billy!) taking the time to let us all know that a sandwich shop that inspires cult-like devotion is opening a location there. Fat Sal’s Deli is replacing burger joint Simmzy’s at 37 Washington Blvd, near the corner of Pacific Ave. Fat Sal’s has 6 other locations (including Saudi Arabia) and appears close to opening this location, which means that beachgoers will soon be lined up for deep-fried mozzarella sticks on top of mouth-watering sandwiches.
There are notices in the window of the two spaces at 1330 and 1380 Main St. in Venice that let us know that coffee is coming soon. The notices also tell us that this is a new project from @superdomesticcxc. Super Domestic Coffee is a coffee and cyclery concept that has a location in Culver City and a location in LA. Besides coffee, tea, and kombucha, Super Domestic offers a menu of pastries, bagels, burritos, tartines, and cycle accessories.
I must confess that I’m a just a little unclear on the concept here. Apparently pudding is on offer at the newly-opened Pudu Pudu, on the second floor of the Westfield Century City Shopping Center. For some reason, it took almost a year to open, but you can now step inside a “pudding gallery” brought to you by German megabrand Dr. Oetker to sample pudding that is made with “high-quality ingredients, health-boosting superfoods and toppings so incredible they could be works of art.” They also have a branch on Abbot Kinney in Venice.
A large painted sign has popped up on the space at 326 Lincoln Blvd., previously home to a branch of CAVA. The new resident will be vegan specialist Honeybee Burger. With two other outposts in LA, Honeybee Burger offers a menu of 100% plant-based sandwiches, burritos, and breakfasts that have made multiple “best of ” lists including VegNews‘ best LA vegan burger.
The space at 235 Main St. in Venice has sat vacant ever since Komodo moved out. But that’s about to change… Window paper is covering the location announcing a new branch of Umami Burger. Umami caused quite a stir when it burst onto the scene at its flagship LA spot in 2009 and has since spread to San Francisco, Chicago, New York, The Bahamas, and Japan. And they are offering “free burger days” when they eventually open, so you may want to keep a look out.
The neon cow has been spotted in Century City. It’s covering the second floor space in the Westfield Century City Shopping Center, next to HaiDiLao Hotpot, and is assuring us that pudding experts Pudu Pudu are moving in. It looks like they’re planning on a Summer opening. No idea what Pudu Pudu is? Read my post about their location in Venice for more information.
It looks like a sunny new coffee joint is ready to charm Venice from their location at 50 Brooks Ave. (corner of Pacific). While they’ve been working on it for a while, there’s now a neighborly hand-written note on the front door of Little Lunch Coffee + Snacks saying that they will be opening, well… now. Apparently they are waiting on their permits. We wish them the best of luck.
They’re on a roll… It was only last month that Zinqué opened a location in Century City. And now, as Lincoln Blvd. in Venice continues its gentrification, it looks like the increasingly buzzy street is getting its own branch of the cheery French charmer. Plywood is covering the front of the space at at 1440 Lincoln, informing us that a new Zinqué is coming soon.
If you’ve been wondering about that neon pink cow-like creature covering the window at 1432 Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice, it appears that your wait is about to be over. Pudu Pudu looks like they’re close to opening and is promising us a “flavor adventure to transform pudding into edible art” using “locally sourced organic milk and health-boosting superfoods”. Yes, pudding… But wait, this pudding comes with a pedigree. Pudu Pudu is a project of the Dr. Oetker Hospitality Group. Does the name Dr. Oetker sound familiar? Dr. Oetker is the German megabrand that is on those baked goods mixes in Cost Plus World Market, as well as other stores. It has been supplying bakers since the late 19th Century, so there are some serious dessert bona fides here. We wish them the best of luck.
There’s an ABC application hanging in the window of the erstwhile Bowl Kitchen at 2127 Lincoln Blvd. in Santa Monica. The applicant is listed as Mure Black Inc. If the first name sounds familiar, it’s because its the name of “Michelin awarded” chef Antonio Mure, the man behind Barrique in Venice. And sure enough, the name of the new restaurant is listed as Piccolo by Barrique. Very exciting.
Sushi experts Wabi-Sabi have certainly survived their fair share of challenges. And now there’s a prominent “available” space hanging over the front. Does this mean the end?
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When landmark Kifune Sushi Bar closed up shop at the end of last year after 34 years due to the owner’s retirement, it left a giant hole at 405 Washington Blvd in Venice. Now it looks like a new venture is giving the prominent corner a go: An ABC application taped to the front door informs us that something called Beach & Brew is moving in. I can’t seem to find much on B&B, so if you have information let me know…
The recent turnover in the food court of the Century City Shopping Center is breathing new life to into the dining scene there. Plywood is up on the space that used to house Bibigo Kitchen (which has moved locations in the mall) announcing the impending arrival of Bok Bok Mediterranean. And that’s not all: According to their website, they will be opening a location at 235 Main St. in Venice as well. Look for a menu of panini, pitas, and plates of shawerma, falafel, rotisserie chicken, with other Mediterranean specialties.
Having opened in 2013, Kippy’s! Non-Dairy Ice Cream Shop had high hopes when they moved their location from Lincoln Blvd. to 245 Main St. in Venice. Last week, however, a sad note was taped to the front door pronouncing Kippy’s! as closed. A more detailed notice on their website graciously thanks their customers and promises a comeback. We wish them the best of luck.
Construction is fast and furious on a new Greek restaurant landing in the strip mall on the corner of Rose and Lincoln in Venice. A new sign lets us know that ELA Greek Eats is well underway. ELA is a project from the man behind the erstwhile Waterloo & City in Culver City and Inotheke in Santa Monica, Carolos Tomazos. We wish him the best of luck.
I’d been hearing whispers (Thanks T!) that Montana Avenue’s perennially-busy fave Italian joint Forma was expanding into the cavernous hole left by the abrupt closure of Chaya Venice at the corner of Navy and Main St, but I had no evidence. Now there’s proof. An ABC application recently went up in the window confirming that the good people of Venice will soon be getting a Forma of their very own.
Poplar hip Venice caffeine joint Menotti’s Coffee Stop is continuing to expand. Recently they appeared on Sunset in Hollywood. Now, according to the new signs, it looks like that they are opening another location in an old hardware store at 12450 W Washington Blvd. in Los Angeles (Or is it Culver City? It’s confusingly written both ways on-line.) I’m not sure when the flat whites and cortados will start pouring, but it looks like they’re not too far off…
Creative, plant-based superstar chef Matthew Kenney continues to expand his empire. A small piece of paper on the side of the space at 1700 Lincoln Blvd., in an increasingly fashionable stretch of Venice, lets us know that Double Zero will soon be inhabiting the erstwhile Italian deli. And what is Double Zero? With its flagship store in the East Village in New York, Double Zero will soon deliver to Venice vegan pizza from a custom wood burning oven, small plates including their proprietary plant-based cheeses, and desserts with sustainable European wines served in a “warm casual environment”.
After opening in Santa Monica earlier in the year, Bluestone Lane is expanding to Venice. I followed up on a tip from a reader (Thanks Barbara) and went snooping around the old Cerveteca location. I was able to confirm that 523 Rose Ave. will indeed soon be home to a branch of the Australian chain.
Toddrickallen 