OUT AND ABOUT— It. Just. Doesn't. Stop. Apparently everyone's jumping on the bandwagon, even fast fooderies. The latest, with potential plans for CA: a mobile restaurant by Johnny Rockets . [OCR]
PASADENA/WEHO— If you missed the food-flavored documentary, Food, Inc., Chipotle is sponsoring two free screenings. On July 14, 7:30p Pasadena's Laemmle's Playhouse 7 Cinemas will hold screening numero uno, with the second on July 16, 7:30p at West Hollywood's Laemmle Sunset 5. [EaterWire]
MID-CTY WEST— Those craving healthy eats can appease the palate and the stomach at newly opened Muma on Melrose. The casual cafe offers vegetarian fare and has received five stars from its first two Yelp reviews, with the falafel as an early standout. [Quarrygirl]
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According to Jonathan Gold, the "it" dish of the moment is pescado Zarandeado aka snook fish, and is apparently quite hard to find in the US. In LA the fish is brought in weekly from Mexico at Mariscos La Chente on the Westside, where they serve it "butterflied, lathered with oil, garlic and spices, fixed into a kind of wire basket, and placed over a hot fire." Once cooked, the fish is served alongside "hot tortillas, limes and an umami-rich marmalade of onions," resulting in what Gold describes as a " bone-intensive but sublime" meal. Other greatest hits include the "wonderful" cocktails of shrimp and fresh octopus, and the "shrimp cucaracha, fried with appendages and head intact." [LAW]]]>
CYBER WORLD— Join foodie author Michael Pollan tomorrow from 3-6p on Facebook for a live chat to discuss his participation in Food, Inc. Option #2, share your queries via Twitter. [EaterWire]
Venice: Take a gander at Hash & High located inside and atop the Hotel Erwin in Venice. As has been noted around these here parts (and elsewhere), the opening of Hash is slated for breakfast on July 3 and dinner on July 7, while High the upstairs lounge, has already commenced service. Though the hotel hasn't completely finished its remodel, the ground-floor restaurant, Hash, will occupy two separate dining areas. The colorful room above will serve as the main dining space, with an additional al fresco patio steps away by the hotel driveway. Chef Micah Fields (Gordon Ramsay, Patina Group) describes his menu as "twisted comfort food," with breakfast dishes like Green Eggs & Ham and Cap'n's French Toast, and slightly more traditional dinner offerings like a Kobe Beef Burger and Fish n' Chips. By creating a moderately priced ($8-$18) and approachable menu, he hopes Hash will attract Venice locals in addition to hotel guests. 
Merely five days after officially opening the new Marco's location, Chef Matthew Gladstone has already thrown in the towel. Matthew states that he "blew up [his] knees and feet" after overworking himself, and due to these physical limitations, he is stepping back from his role as Executive Chef. Matthew is no longer affiliated with the restaurant, and the menu will revert back to its original more basic version from the old eatery. [EaterWire]]]>
Bottega Louie seems like the spot to be. First Jonathan Gold reviewed the restaurant/cafe/bar/marketplace last week, now Irene moves in to grant 1.5 stars. Right off the bat she describes some of the interior design elements as a "collaboration between Louis XV (Louie?) and Gianni Versace," but her biggest gripe is the noise level which is "punishing" in the huge space. As for food, BL serves "generous portions at moderate prices" of all-Italian fare, and though "it's not the best Italian food in town...it's generally fresh and pretty good." Thin crust pizzas are "not particularly inventive but fine," and some salads tend to be overdressed. SIV was not a fan of the pastas either, which she described as "workmanlike," "stodgy," and sometimes devoid of sauce. On the bright side, "fried calamari is beautifully crunchy and not at all greasy," and the osso buco is huge and "quite delicious," with extra tender meat and a sauce with some complexity. By Gold's standards, Bottega Louie "aims to be all things to all people" with its large space and varied dining options. However, according to SIV, the restaurant's potential success lies in its price point. "The place looks expensive, but it isn't." [LAT]]]>
ELSEWHERE ON THE REVIEW CIRCUIT: Locallecture tries market-driven small plates at Gjelina, The Find scopes ethnic specialties at Russian Dacha, LAmag samples eclectic offerings from Chaya Downtown, Food, She Thought also catches a bite at Bottega Louie, Sinosoul gives tips on how to street food at Don Chow, Pleasure Palate chooses Filipino at Noi, and Potatomato treks down to Nickel Diner.]]>
BRENTWOOD— Starting this week Tavern now serves breakfast Mon-Fri 8-10:30a. Butter-crumbed eggs with arugula and soft polenta, anyone? [EaterWire]
AK abruptly shuttered a week and a half ago to many diners' surprise. Conny Andersson claimed to be taking the AK concept elsewhere due to "creative differences" with financiers, but back on Abbott Kinney a new chef plus restaurant concept has taken over. The Tasting Kitchen, headed by Chef Casey Lane, will feature an experimental dining concept over the next eight weeks. Starting tomorrow, the restaurant will open for dinner amidst interior and exterior modifications, and serve a paired down local, market-driven menu with 8-12 dishes. During the two month period Chef Casey will take diners' feedback and continually tweak the menu, and the kitchen and dining room will emerge with a new menu, new look, and new name this Fall.
It's been quite a while now since Vinoteque, the wine/tapas bar on Sepulveda, closed its doors. Owner/Chef Jose Maceira took over the space months back and has now opened Green Peas, which had its official debut today. The organic cafe offers bagels, oatmeal, omelets, plus an espresso bar that uses fair-trade beans, in addition to the full lunch regalia: sandwiches, salads, paninis, quesadillas, pizza, and soups. Breakfast is served 6-10a, and lunch/dinner until 10p. Free wi-fi is also available, and in about two weeks the outdoor patio will open for al fresco dining. 4437 Sepulveda Blvd. [EaterWire]]]>
More economy woes, looks like everyone is feeling the hurt. On to, The Must. Owner Coly Haan once described her menu as "white trash food with a twist," apparently now it's erring more on the "trash" side. Per a tipster:
Looks like the economy is taking its toll on Yealang Smith. It's been close to two years since signs appeared in the windows of 7046 Hollywood Boulevard where Soul was slated to open in the 6,000 square foot space last June. The restaurant was supposed to be a take on healthy Southern food, but judging from the signage a tipster recently spotted in the window, looks like someone hasn't been paying her bills. Per the notice, "You have defaulted in the payment of rent," and the hefty owed amount is $75,563.25. OUCH. 
DOWNTOWN— It's just about time for AltaMed Health Services' Fourth Annual East LA Meets Napa par-tay, which will showcase local Latin cuisine plus vino from Latin-owned wineries in Napa. On July 10 Union Station shall serve at the backdrop for over 40 food and wine purveyors like Frida Restaurant, Palate Food & Wine (?), and Rivera, to display their wares. Tix are $125, best to reserve in advance. [EaterWire]
Back again with round two of To Catch A Critic. A very blurry unconfirmed photo was posted last year of the Los Angeles Times food critic S. Irene Virbila as she dined at Animal on Fairfax. Commenter #8 on last Thursday's Week In Reviews shared that he/she had found a photo of the elusive critic, while another commenter contended that photos do not exist. And while we are on the subject of SIV, commenters also suggested that her husband might be a part owner in several local restaurants, however this speculation was quickly dismissed by LA Times food editor Russ Parsons. Thoughts, comments, have a photo or three? Do Share. [EaterWire]]]>
Coffee cupping, aka the wine tasting of coffee, seems to be the new hot ticket. Intelligentsia Venice offers tastings at $2 per cup, while Laguna Coffee Co. hosts cuppings quarterly. Sipology at 448 E. Broadway in Long Beach has also jumped on the boat presenting free weekly samplings Thursday nights from 6:30 to 8:00p. [EaterWire]]]>
The restaurant brought to you compliments of Greg Link and Hunter H. Hensley has set a soft opening date of this coming Thursday, July 2. Essex will be opened for dinner, with its official debut post July 4 weekend. Also around the corner, lunch coming full force July 22. [EaterWire]]]>
CULVER CITY— Per local buzz, signs for a new Samosa House location in Culver City have popped up at the intersection of Washington and Overland in the vacated space that once housed Winchell's Donuts (and, inexplicably, signs for a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in the interim which never came into fruition). The new space will simply house a restaurant, as opposed to the restaurant and market in Mar Vista, and will remain vegetarian/vegan. Brace for an opening mid-August. [EaterWire] —YI
Brentwood: Kazunori Nozawa's new sugarFISH outpost has begun preparing for its soft opening this coming Monday, June 29, with the official grand opening in late July. The menu and concept closely resemble the Marina del Rey location, though the Brentwood space will be larger with more seating and decorative wood embellishments, conceived by Glen Bell of Venice's Studio DEX (Hudson House, Alibi, sugarFISH MDR). In true sushi style the restaurant is situated in a mini strip-mall-esque space on San Vicente, just east of Barrington. Hours: Mon-Sat, 11:30a-10p and Sunday 12p - 9p.
OUT AND ABOUT— The modern home magazine, Dwell, hooks up with Los Angeles' fleet of food trucks to host a Night at the Movies this Saturday. The double-feature (Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman and The Greening of Southie) will be preceded by the creme de la creme of mobile dining: Let's Be Frank, Barbie's Q, Cool Haus, Sprinkles, Locali, Green Truck and Tacos Ariza. Rumor has it that Kogi will make an appearance, but this is still unconfirmed. Tickets start at $15 and the event takes place at The Geffen. [EaterWire] —YI
It's no surprise that the confused multi-cuisine child, Hidden, created by restauranteur Paolo Cesaro (Ado, Via Veneto), has said good bye. And, in its place comes Cache, opened by some of the same investors behind Hidden, with a fresh new look and simply one cuisine. American. The group was able to score Executive Chef Josiah Citrin, known for his French fare at Melisse, in addition to his protege, Nyesha Arrington, as Chef de Cuisine. The pair created a market-based menu of contemporary American dishes, and they plan to feature a changing menu of six wood-fired flatbreads. Bar/lounge items will be served in Mason jars, and a garden with fresh herbs will exist in the restaurant's lounge. As far as construction, the space is being renovated by design firm Shubin & Donaldson to create a more open and casual indoor/outdoor California lifestyle feel with a garden patio, mahogany paneling, and stone accents. The remodeled Cache is expected to debut at the end of June. [EaterWire]]]>
For the past few weeks rumors swirled around Top Chef's Stefan Richter and the location of his new Santa Monica restaurant. Speculation ranged from the Abode space to L.A. Farm to a spot on Abbott Kinney, and we just got confirmation that as of June 12, Stefan Richter officially co-owns L.A. Farm (with original owner Alex Winitsky), making the new name Stefan's at L.A Farm. Even though he took over the kitchen last Friday, Stefan plus Chef de Cuisine and longtime friend Leo Bongaro have been serving the restaurant's old menu. However, starting tomorrow, June 26, the restaurant will close for renovations, and Stefan will host a garage sale spanning this weekend, selling items from the "old" L.A. Farm.
Jonathan Gold takes a break this week from the dives to try the newish Bottega Louie in downtown. He declares that the restaurant/cafe/bar/marketplace "aims to be all things to all people," and "its ambitions tend to be more cultural than culinary." Nonetheless, he still deems the restaurant a "more or less" success, despite the fact that "many of the dishes lack the detail or two that would transform" them. [LAW]]]>
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RANCHO PALOS VERDES— Terranea Resort recently opened, incorporating eight different dining options within its 102-acre property. From fine dining to a casual cafe its restaurants include: mar'sel, Nelson's, Catalina Kitchen, The Terranea Grill, Lobby Bar, Living Room & Terrace, sea beans, Spa Café, and Cielo Point. The resort's signature restaurant, mar'sel, is headed by Chef Michael Fiorelli who serves a market-driven California menu. [EaterWire]
Making his debut tonight on Top Chef Masters, LA-based "Ludo" Ludovic Lefebvre faces off against Rick Bayless, Cindy Pawlcyn, and Wilo Benet in a quick-fire challenge where each must create a dish based on a color. Later in the episode, the four compete in an offal-cook off, but who will win? Reminder: Tonight, fans can follow Ludo's tweet-by-tweet commentary on the show as he watches straight from the LudoBites kitchen. On to the interview...
Per a tip in May, Susan Feniger has moved on from Street to a create a mobile Border Grill taco truck that started traversing the streets two weeks ago. This weekend catch the truck at the CA Boom design show in Bev Hills. [Tasting Table]]]>