Pizza competition is stiff in student overrun Westwood. It’s the ideal grab-and-go for the academic set and bolthole pizza restaurants abound. A large for lease sign on the front lets us know that one casualty is Extreme Pizza at 1067 Glendon Ave. Not sure what happened, but I’ll keep watching to see what may move in.
We all know that Westwood has a fickle food scene. So we probably shouldn’t be surprised that mysterious The Poke, opened a little over a year ago at 935 Broxton, has thrown in the towel. And taking its place? A banner announcing Sharetea is hanging on the front. Sharetea is a massive boba tea brand from Taiwan with an astonishing 450 stores in 18 countries.
Considering the amount of time they spent on renovating the space, this is certainly sad news… D1 Café has unceremoniously vacated its location at 10959 Kinross Ave. in Westwood. I took almost a year and a half from the time I first noticed the extensive construction until their opening. The space is now gutted. I’ll keep watching to see what, if anything, moves into the tricky spot.
Update: A reader let me know that a fire took out D1 in August. Perhaps they’ll reopen…
It looks like the lucky students at UCLA are about to get a new eatery. An ABC application taped to the front of the space that used to be the home of Saks Teriyaki at 1121 S Glendon Ave in Westwood let’s us know that a new restaurant, Violet, is moving in. Not sure of an opening date, or much else for that matter including whether or not it is related to previous restaurants bearing the same name, but I’ll keep watching…
Update: Eater got the skinny of Violet. Read the details here.
Could this indicate a slowdown in the build-your-own pizza trend? On a tip from a reader (Thanks Joey!), I went to check out what was going on at Pieology Pizzeria at 920 Broxton Ave.in Westwood Village. As it turns out, it has closed down. A note taped to the front door confirms it. I’m a bit surprised by this. Even in pizza saturated Westwood, it’s hard to comprehend why ever-popular Pieology, of all places, would pull up stakes. I’ll keep watching to see what may develop…
It wasn’t that long ago that I told you about the sudden demise of Boba Loca in boba-laden Westwood. Wasting no time whatsoever, a new contender has arrived to the humble space at 10946 Weyburn Ave. It’s Bobatime is now up and slinging neon multicolored teas to the thirsty students of UCLA.
Years ago, if you went to a movie in Westwood (yes, people used to do that), chances are you stopped by Jerry’s Deli beforehand. Unfortunately, Jerry’s went extinct in Westwood three years ago and the iconic, cavernous space at 10925 Weyburn Ave. has sat empty ever since. I’ve been watching to see who would finally take down the decrepid for lease sign and breathe new life into an old classic. Well, signs did come down recently, and sadly, according to the notice of public hearing posted on the front, the old Jerry’s will be a future “financial service center”.
Selling pizza to hungry students in Westwood is like shooting fish in a barrel, but competition is stiff. Back in 2014, the build-you-own concept Open Oven Pizza opened its doors to the hungry masses at 1131 Westwood Blvd. While there is no clear indication of closure, it has sat idle for a while and Yelp is declaring it closed, so I’m calling it closed as well.
Back in August, I told you about “something big” that was moving into the old Le Pain Quotidien space at 1055 Broxton Ave. in Westwood Village. That something big turned out to be Nushii, who officially opened today (Monday). Their menu offers a choice of a sushi burritos or sushi bowls with a selection of items that includes ahi tuna, teri-racha chicken, curry lemongrass tofu, or hearty herb cauliflower.
Westwood Village has a notoriously capricious food scene. Only the bravest make a stand here, and not always with the best results. Sadly, Garlo’s Aussie Pie Shop has thrown in the towel at 1010 Glendon Ave. as evidenced by the for lease sign on the front. All may not be lost though: A message on their website states that they are “on the move” and promises big news soon…
This took a bit of digging… I recently noticed that an ABC application was pasted on the front of yet another big build-out just a short distance from the upcoming Nushii, at 1061 Broxton, the old Five Guys space. No business name is listed. Likewise, the online application lists no business name either, so I tried a search on the applicant. Turns out, Dignified Foods International LLC has another ABC application pending in Eagle Rock. And on that application they list the restaurant name as SpireWorks. A search for SpireWorks reveals a statement on LinkedIn that describes it as a build-your-own eatery with a focus on Turkish Döner, or spit roasted meats served with bread and toppings. Finally, their website doesn’t divulge much, but it does confirm that they are aiming to open this Fall in Westwood, and this Winter in Eagle Rock.
It looks like “something big” is coming to Westwood Village soon, to the old Le Pain Quotidien space at 1055 Broxton Ave. to be exact. What appears to be an extensive build-out will soon be the home of Nushii. The still developing website doesn’t give us much of a clue as to what type of restaurant Nushii will be, but The Daily Bruin informs us that sushi will be on the menu.
And while we’re on the subject of closures… Sadly, storied Westwood institution The Glendon Bar & Kitchen will be serving its last cocktail today (August 12th). Not sure what happened to end their six and a half-year run, but I’m willing to bet that the party tonight will be a good one.
It takes a great deal of courage to open a restaurant in capricious Westwood Village. Eateries come and go faster than you can find a parking space. Sadly, it appears that Barbacoa Mexican Grill has thrown in the towel and vacated its space at 1030 Glendon Ave. No word on a replacement, and if you’ve developed a craving for their healthy brand of Mexican fare, you might have to drive a while as most of their other locations are in Utah.
Not long ago, I told you about some upcoming new restaurants hitting the Westwood Village food scene. Since then, both establishments have opened. Asian dumpling experts Northern Café has thrown open its doors at 1064 Gayley Ave. Additionally, icy treat purveyors Frostalicious is now providing the good people of Westwood with Taiwanese shaved ice at 10967 Weyburn Ave.
Toddrickallen 