News for Restaurants in Los Angeles
September 2012 Archive

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LOS ANGELES RESTAURANT NEWS - SEPTEMBER 2012 Archive

OPENINGS

Slater's 50/50, a burger/sports bar concept with locations in Anaheim, Huntington Beach and San Diego has opened in Old Pasadena, in the space previously occupied by Vive. In addition to a regular menu of gourmet burgers (some with a signature 50/50 beef and bacon patty), customers can also create their own renditions, à la The Counter, as well as custom-made mac and cheese dishes. Slater's 50/50, 61 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, CA 91103, 626-765-9700.

Ocho Taqueria and Tequila House spices up the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance with Mexican cuisine and a tequila bar featuring more than 62 types of tequila. Find a variety of tequila flights and signature house margaritas that include strawberry-cucumber and fresh watermelon-jalapeno varieties. Expect ceviche, asada brochettes, pork shank, chicken tequila pasta, a wide array of tamales, and flan. Lunch & Dinner daily, Brunch Sun. Ocho Taqueria and Tequila House, Del Amo Fashion Center, 21424 Hawthorne Blvd. Ste 1B, Torrance, CA 90504, 310-802-7960.

Gordon Ramsay has opened The Fat Cow at The Grove

Gordon Ramsay's latest venture, a neighborhood gathering place called The Fat Cow, has opened at The Grove. With a rustic industrial aesthetic, the restaurant offers communal tables and leather booths amid reclaimed wood and vintage hardware. Executive chef Mathew Woolf (FIG, WEST Restaurant & Lounge) oversees a menu that includes lobster mac and cheese, a short rib-and-Kobe-style burger, specialty sandwiches, salads and pizza from a wood-burning oven. A full bar highlights fresh juices to create specialty cocktails; as well, there's a selection of craft beers from local California breweries. The Fat Cow, The Grove, 189 The Grove Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90036, 323-965-1020.

3Dog Cantina, a stylish, Mexican-inspired restaurant designed by Spacecraft Group, is now open in the Cahuenga Corridor. Chef Efrain Cuevas hails from Chicago, and his contemporary twist on traditional Mexican fare features menu items like oysters with chipotle mignonette, crispy pork belly tacos, goat tacos, mole poblano wings and spiced chocolate cake with prickly pear sauce. Also find signature margaritas and cocktails, a taco bar, and a dog-friendly back patio. Lunch & Dinner Daily, Brunch Sun. 3Dog Cantina, 1615 North Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028, 323-465-1750.

Chefs Kris Tominaga and Brian Dunsmoor --- known for their pop-up Wolf in Sheep's Clothing --- have opened their new restaurant The Hart and the Hunter at Palihotel Melrose Avenue. Rustic grub includes "potted provisions" ranging from collard greens marmalade to ham hock rillettes; other plates include warm squid and butter bean salad, venison carpaccio, chopped steak with marrow, and sand dabs meunier. Breakfast & Lunch daily, Dinner Tues.-Sun.. The Hart and the Hunter, Palihotel Melrose Avenue, 7950 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90048, 323-424-3055.

Blue Plate Taco, a sister restaurant to Santa Monica's Blue Plate and BP Oysterette, has opened in the eco-friendly Shore Hotel in Santa Monica. The casual, beach-oriented Mexican concept offers lobster truffle tacos wrapped in house-made tortillas and other Mexican specialties with inventive salsas. The restaurant seats approximately 90, with a full bar, and is open for lunch and dinner daily. Blue Plate Taco, Shore Hotel, 1515 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90401, 310-458-2985.

Across the street from Château Marmont, 9 Olives Chaplin House has opened. The bar, a modern setting with traditional accents, is ideal for cocktails and gussied up comfort food, such as a lamb burger with duck fat/truffle frites. In the rear of the space is a handsome dining room and a hidden courtyard. Chef Kevin O'Connell, Jr., turns out starters like shrimp and grits and beef tartare, followed by a filet mignon, rack of lamb, veal chop and Hawaiian tuna with wasabi foam. Dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday, with brunch on Sundays. 9 Olives Chaplin House, 8210 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90046, 323-848-2100.

The former space of La Seine has been reborn as The Phoenix. The focus is on beer and specialty cocktails. The Phoenix, 14 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211, 310-289-5925.

XEN Lounge, a new restaurant, bar and lounge, has opened in Studio City. A venture of actor, writer and producer Duane Martin, XEN features a contemporary American menu and specialty cocktails in a chic interior conceived by celebrity designer Nikki Chu. Chef Neil Shuman's menu offers mac and cheese cupcakes; a dry-aged rib-eye topped with bone marrow butter; and little neck clams, mussels and house-made chicken sausage served in beer broth. Dinner is served nightly, as well as lunch on Sunday, with brunch to follow. XEN Lounge, 10628 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, CA 91604, 818-505-3513.

Spago Beverly Hills, Wolfgang Puck's celebrity-favored flagship restaurant, has re-opened after closing in July for a major makeover. The restaurant is currently serving dinner Monday through Saturday; lunch service begins on October 8, 2012. Read more about the new look and menu on GAYOT's blog. Spago Beverly Hills, 176 N. Canon Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210, 310-385-0880.

The former Bastide will soon become the latest global satellite of Mari Vanna, a high-end Russian restaurant that has locations in New York; Washington, D.C. and London. Beneath chandeliers and nostalgic Russian décor, expect caviar, sturgeon, pierogi, chicken Kiev, and a menu of infused vodkas. While it was scheduled to open this summer, look for a late fall premiere. Mari Vanna, 8475 Melrose Place, Los Angeles, CA 90069, no phone.

In Venice, FEED Body + Soul will soon offer haute health food to denizens of Abbot Kinney Boulvevard. Matthew Dickson (Malo) will be executive chef, and mixologist Marcos Tello is creating an organic cocktail program. FEED Body + Soul, 1239 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice, CA 90291, no phone.

The Arts District in downtown Los Angeles is home to Bestia, a sprawling trattoria from restaurateur Bill Chait (Rivera, Sotto, Test Kitchen) with former Angelini Osteria chef Ori Menashe at the helm. Bestia, 2121 E. 7th Pl., Los Angeles, CA 90021, 213-514-5724.

Casey Lane (The Tasting Kitchen) is opening a second restaurant on Melrose in October called Itri, in the old Angeli Caffe space. Look for an Italian menu, with some rotisserie items. Itri, 7274 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90046, no phone.

Following on the success of Bäco Mercat, Josef Centeno is planning to open another downtown L.A. restaurant, Bar Amá, on Fourth Street in November. The Tex Mex concept is inspired by his grandmother's cooking and Centeno's San Antonio roots. Expect a menu with upscale tacos, many grilled and roasted dishes, and a long tequila list. Bar Amá, 118 West 4th St., Los Angeles, CA 90013, no phone.

Artful fare can now be found at the Hammer Museum's new AMMO at the Hammer. This little sibling of Hollywood's popular farm-to-table restaurant AMMO features a seasonal café menu ranging from heirloom tomato soup with burrata to orecchiette with summer squash, asparagus and squash blossoms. There's wine and beer and a weekday happy hour menu from 4 p.m.-7 p.m.; brunch is also available weekend afternoons. Lunch Tues.-Sun., Dinner Tues.-Fri., Brunch Sat.-Sun. AMMO at the Hammer, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90024, 310-443-7000.

A new bar, The Famous, has arrived in downtown Glendale, ensconced in a 1926 building and exuding the spirit of the era, with rich wood, exposed brick and dim lighting. Classic films are shown on a screen, and piano soothes the mood, aided by an extensive list of premium whiskeys, including some pricey single malt Scotches and small-batch bourbons.
Open nightly. The Famous, 154 S. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91204, 818-241-2888.

Reza Roohi has opened a luxe Hollywood hipster cocktail lounge, Vignette, on Melrose Avenue. Expect champagne bottle service, sexy dancers and a very difficult-to-cross velvet rope. Open for cocktails Wed. & Fri. Vignette, 8623 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069, 310-289-8623.

Restaurant group BRG (Brick + Mortar) has opened Smoke in West Hollywood. The menu features classic American steakhouse fare with California-inspired twists, such as day boat scallops with carrot risotto and napa cabbage or roasted Hudson Valley duck with stone fruit confiture and confit parsnip batons. Steaks can be accompanied by sauces like chimichurri or blue compound butter. Smoke, 9010 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069, 310-385-2222.

Gorge, a charcuterie house and wine bar, is now open on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. Executive chef and owner, Elia Aboumrad, of Bravo's "Top Chef" fame and protégé of Joel Robuchon in Paris and Las Vegas, teams up with partner and pastry chef Uyen Nguyen (Guy Savoy). Menu items include smoked oyster mousse, pig ear tartine, fromage de tete, scallop and red snapper terrine, and house-made sausages. Five seasonal flavors of St. Honoré, a classic French dessert is made with cream filled choux puffs are for dessert. The beverage program is overseen by master sommelier Darius Allyn. Dinner Mon.-Sat. Gorge, 8917 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069, 310-657-6328.

Los Feliz welcomes MessHall in the completely reimagined former Louise's Trattoria. Chef Keith Silverton (Chez Panisse, Water Grill) helms the stoves and offers a menu of regional American comfort food with dishes such as iced oysters with smoked cocktail sauce, a steak tartare taco, and a center-cut pork chop served with white cheddar grits, mustard greens and Tabasco butter. MessHall, 4500 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90027, 323-660-6377.

1933 Group opened Sassafras in mid-September. This Southern-themed bar serves up barrel-aged cocktails and homemade ginger beer. Sassafras, 1233 N. Vine St., Los Angeles, CA 90028, 323-467-2800.

Chef Suzanne Goin and Caroline Styne (Lucques, A.O.C., Tavern and The Larder at Maple Drive) have announced another Larder concept to be located at developer Rick Caruso's new luxury residential development at the gateway to Beverly Hills, 8500 Burton Way. The Larder at Burton Way is scheduled to open in December 2012. Los Angeles-based designer Jeffrey Alan Marks will design the space, which will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, including full bar service and takeaway items. Delivery throughout the Beverly Hills area will be provided. The Larder at Burton Way, 8500 Burton Wy., Los Angeles, California 90048, no phone.

Terroni, the popular trattoria/pizzeria on Beverly Boulevard (the original locations are in Canada), will be opening a 6,000-square foot L.A. flagship restaurant in downtown's Fashion District, in a historic bank building. It is expected to open by the close of 2012. Terroni, 810 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90015, no phone.

NEWS BYTES

What's Old Is New Again at Hotel Bel-Air
Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air has brought back a number of old favorites on the lunch menu, including a dish beloved by former first lady Nancy Reagan. Read more on GAYOT's blog. Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air, Hotel Bel-Air, 701 Stone Canyon Rd., Los Angeles, CA 90077, 310-909-1644.

Cousins Maine Lobster in the Kitchen at Live Mixx
Live Mixx, a lounge in Old Pasadena, just got more interesting for lobster lovers. The crew of Cousins Maine Lobster truck, which specializes in fresh Maine lobster flown in daily, has taken over the kitchen of the lounge. Among some of the items on the new menu are Maine lobster roll (with mayo), Connecticut lobster roll (with butter), lobster tacos and lobster ceviche. It's the lobster truck without the truck. Dinner Thurs.-Sat. Cousins Maine Lobster at Live Mixx, 115 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91105, 626-793-6544.

Oktoberfest Specials at BierBeisl
BierBeisl is celebrating Oktoberfest with specials, including a five-course sausage and beer pairing menu. Also on offer are Austrian holiday dishes such as Eisbein, salt-cured pig knuckle with sauerkraut. In addition, a traditional "weisswurst" breakfast is served from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. BierBeisl, 9669 Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210, 310-271-7274.

New Cocktail Program Debuts at The Churchill
The Churchill has launched a new cocktail program headed up by Mia Sarazen (SoHo House, Harvard & Stone, The Tasting Kitchen). Her concoctions feature fresh fruits, herbs and local homemade syrups, in cocktails such as the "Hyde Park fizz" with Nolet's gin, Bonal Quina, honey, lime, cucumber, basil, and soda. The Churchill, 8384 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90048, 323-655-8384.

CHEF SHUFFLE

Former Top Chef contestant Alex Reznik has left his position as consulting chef at downtown's FigOly in the Luxe City Center Hotel. FigOly, Luxe City Center Hotel, 1020 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90015, 213-748-1291.

For nostalgic Ricardo Zarate (Mo-Chica) fans who miss the homey charm of his original little spot in downtown's Mercado La Paloma, the Peruvian chef is reviving his original space with a new, yet-to-be named Mo-Chica concept set to open in October. Mo-Chica, 514 W. 7th St., Los Angeles, CA 90014, 213-622-3744.

Kyle Schutte, formerly of Vu in Marina del Rey, has taken over the old coffee shop at the Dixie motel on Hollywood Boulevard and opened 54Twenty. This stylishly revamped diner seats 32, and is currently serving an all-day breakfast/brunch menu, with dinner to follow in October. Menu items include stuffed French toast with cinnamon cream cheese and strawberry and thyme jam; egg white frittata with fennel, caramelized onion, charred tomato, and spinach gremolata; a corned duck reuben and a short rib burger. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner daily. 54Twenty, 5420 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90027, 323-464-1570.

Bruce Kalman, formerly of Urbano Pizza Bar and The Misfit, is now the new executive chef at The Churchill. The Churchill, 8384 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, CA 90048, 323-655-8384.

CLOSINGS

Pasadena's Bistro 45, acclaimed for its modern French cuisine and world-class wine list, is currently closed for remodeling. It is expected to open in the fall with a more moderately priced concept. Bistro 45, 45 S. Mentor Ave., Pasadena, CA 91106, 626-795-2478.

Small plates eatery Allston Yacht Club has closed in Echo Park. The owners are planning to open a different restaurant concept in the same space in the near future. Allston Yacht Club, 1320 Echo Park Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90026, no phone.

Chef Mark Peel's Campanile will soon close its doors. At a point, the keys will be handed over to restaurateur Bill Chait (Rivera, Sotto, Picca, Short Order), who will remodel the space and open a fine dining restaurant with chef Walter Manzke. Meanwhile, Mark Peel will retain the name Campanile. We look forward to his next venture on the Los Angeles dining scene. Campanile, 624 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036, 323-938-1447.

CULINARY EVENTS
Want to learn to cook? Try new dishes? Meet a foodie friend for fun? Check out our compilation of culinary events in your area.

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News for Restaurants in Los Angeles September 2012 Archive

News for Restaurants in Los Angeles
September 2012 Archive