Plus a Guerrilla Tacos video, and love for Sidecar Doughnuts

Over-caffeinated Highland Park

Is there such a thing as an entire neighborhood being overcaffeinated? You’d think so, if not for places like Los Feliz where speciality coffee shops populate just about every corner, and still more spots like Alcove offer coffee as part of a larger service package.

Highland Park may well be on its way to that level of saturation, at least on the Figueroa side of things. The Eastsider reports that a new “cycle-inspired” coffee shop is coming to the stretch, just steps from the likes of Kindness & Mischief and Civil Coffee, with Mr. Holmes Bakehouse around the corner. It’s called à bloc, apparently, and is pretty close to opening up, with an aesthetic similar to what you’ll find at Wheelhouse in the Arts District — another highly caffeinated part of the city.

Sidecar Doughnuts are life

Chef Brooke Williamson can’t get enough of Sidecar Doughnuts, it seems, a fact she willing shares with pop culture site The Ringer. Seriously, listen to how she waxes poetic about her love of doughnuts.

Even more rooftop vibes

There is yet another rooftop drinking option coming to Downtown, as Urbanize LA hints at a big new deck landing at the Milner Hotel in South Park. The plan is for an overhaul of the entire property, with a posh new light snacks and drinking space up on the top of the building. Not 73 stories up, by tall nonetheless.

Battle of the baos

LA Weekly chimes in on the growing battle of the baos in Downtown, between SF expat The Chairman and Eddie Huang’s own Baohaus. Apparently there has been some historical tussling between the two over the Chairman name (which was for years a signature item at Baohaus in NYC, and predates the SF spot), but tensions have since cooled off. The winner? Everyone in LA who likes bao.

Preorder report

You can now officially preorder the upcoming Starry Kitchen cookbook by Nguyen Tran, though the actual tome won’t drop until June. Still, head to Amazon to at least check out the cover, and get a bit of a teaser on the upcoming 88-recipe strong book.

The perfect Taco Tuesday

Bon Appetit is back with another video installment on LA food icons, this time shining some love on Wes Avila of Guerrilla Tacos. He takes the team through the process of making a hard-shelled ground beef taco, and along the way details his family’s history in Southern California.

It’s called Luchini Pizzeria and Bar

Tao Group is making major inroads into the Los Angeles market with its upcoming New York City concepts Tao and Beauty & Essex hitting the heart of Hollywood in the coming months. But the first shot across the bow is a nifty concept done in conjunction with Alvin Cailan (Unit 120, Eggslut), who is consulting on a by-the-slice pizza restaurant called Luchini Pizzeria & Bar.

The casual spot will open by mid-March if everything falls into place. Tao Group’s chef partners Ralph Scarmarella and Chris Santos will be collaborating with Cailan, who had been quietly serving Detroit-style pizza at Unit 120 on Monday evenings.

In addition to New York style by-the-slice pizza, Luchini plans to serve everything from mushroom lasagna and alfredo fries to crispy prosciutto chips. There’s a full bar, which will be great for anyone looking for a nightcap. The place will open daily at noon and serve until late night, which works perfectly for anyone coming out of clubs or lounges in the area.

If you look at Tao Group’s current L.A. website, you can also see two new additional concepts slated for the block: Avenue, an expansion of the New York City nightclub, as well as Highlight Room, a massive rooftop bar and lounge that will join B&E and Tao Asian Bistro as part of the entire city block-sized Dream Hotel.

Luchini Pizzeria & Bar
6565 Sunset Blvd #140
Los Angeles, CA 90028, USA

• The Most Anticipated Restaurants in Los Angeles [ELA]

Coming soon to Glenoaks Boulevard

Spicy fried chicken favorite Gus’s World Famous is expanding, this time landing in standalone building off Glenoaks Boulevard in Burbank.

Per some city paperwork, it looks like Gus’s will take over the shuttered Momotaro restaurant space, just off the main chain restaurant drag there and not far from the massive new IKEA. The corner space comes with plenty of parking and great access for folks in the Valley and all points south and east who don’t feel like schlepping to Pico Boulevard for their Memphis-style spicy chicken fix.

If you’re not already familiar with Gus’s, get excited. The restaurant chain is among the most popular fried chicken names in all of America, and has already reached great heights from their corner spot at Pico and Crenshaw. Jonathan Gold loves the place, and with hot chicken of all sorts become more and more popular, it’s a perfect time to expand. Plus the Valley continues to thrive thanks to its business-friendly outlook and lower rent prices, so expect more great concepts from around Los Angeles to start heading that way soon.

Gus’ World Famous Fried Chicken Burbank
509 S. Glenoaks Blvd.
Burbank, CA

• The Most Famous Hot Chicken in the World Just Came to LA [ELA]

Wild & Free wants to rethink the yardbird

Don’t look now but there’s more rotisserie chicken on the way, this time operating under the name Wild & Free. The concept comes from Terry Heller, the founder of Plan Check, and represents a new fast casual shift for his company Clever Hospitality.

Whereas Plan Check remains a burger operation with lots of fried chicken love on its menu, Wild & Free will operate primarily as a roasted chicken spot. Guests will be able to choose from a collection of different spiced birds, sides, and sauces, though the final details on the menu are still being worked out. Also expect beer and wine for the space along Van Nuys Boulevard.

The arrival of Wild & Free should help Heller branch out from his first big sit-down restaurant success with Plan Check. That company now has four stable outlets across Los Angeles, and recently inked a deal to take the brand to the Middle East as well.

The move also puts a renewed focus on rotisserie chicken in all its forms, especially in the crowded fast casual market. Parisian bird option Mon Petit Poulet is just now up and running in Venice, and you can find quality rotisserie chickens everywhere from Republique on down. There’s no firm opening date for Wild & Free, but expect something late spring or early summer.

Wild & Free
4550 Van Nuys Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA

Seriously, they’re hiring — here’s what to expect

What is Jordan Kahn up to today, and how far along is his new high-end dining experience Vespertine? Let’s take a look. This is KahnWatch.

Jordan Kahn needs your help. The quiet, intense chef has big plans to open his new high-minded tasting menu restaurant Vespertine this spring, but he’s looking for some quality kitchen and front of house staff (as is the rest of the industry in Los Angeles at the moment).

To find out a little more about the hiring process, Eater emailed over a couple of questions for Kahn:

– What do you look for most in new kitchen talent?

– Cooks are in short supply everywhere in Los Angeles, so how will Vespertine deal with finding talent in such a thin field of candidates?

– Immigrant restaurant workers are a hot-button issue right now: What’s your stance on creating a diverse, inclusive restaurant kitchen?

– What was your hiring process like for Destroyer? Is there a ‘type’ that fits best for that restaurant?

– Vespertine is slated to be a very high-minded, technique-driven restaurant that could draw a lot of attention from ambitious young cooks. Are you willing to hire and train cooks and chefs who maybe don’t quite have the skill set you need yet, but are eager to learn?

Here is the response, reprinted in full:

Vespertine is hiring up very soon, and you can actually apply to careers@vespertine.la if you’d like to be considered. It’s easy to see this will be a high-intensity gig that relies on precise techniques and an exacting eye — no physical resume required.

If all goes well, Vespertine should open this spring.

• LA Weekly Says Jordan Kahn’s Ambitious New Restaurant Could Be Just What LA Needs [ELA]

And JiRaffe chef Raphael Lunetta is involved

Last we left the former Josie space in Santa Monica, a few new faces had emerged with plans to bring something fun to that stretch of Pico Boulevard. The primary players were none other than Raphael Lunetta, the longtime Westside chef responsible for such big spots as JiRaffe, and the Divid + Conquer, Inc. team (Daniel Weinstock, Mike Garrett) from Maple Block Meat Co.

Since then, the corner has been given a thorough makeover, and is being prepped to open as two simultaneous spots: Lunetta, and the more casual Lunetta All Day. Here’s what to expect.

At Lunetta All Day, look for something casual and fun for the whole family. Guests will enter through the back (there’s a big parking lot, don’t worry) and step into line during the day to order sandwiches, salads, AM pastries, coffee, you name it.

The open, bright room features a ton of tempered glass up front against Pico Boulevard, with the effect of letting in light without congesting customers with the slow crawl of traffic beyond.

In the evening, service will transition into more of a sit down model with on-tap craft beer and wine. There’s a long marble bar for lounging, space for the kids to play, and high ceilings so you won’t feel hemmed in.

On the Lunetta side, chef Raphael Lunetta himself will be cooking up modern classics from an open kitchen. Gold touches, tile, and generous dark wood make for a sexy interior more suitable for a proper dinner, while a small bar and fireplace in the back keep things extra cozy. Lunetta All Day will open in just a couple of weeks, while Lunetta the dinner spot is a little ways behind that.

Lunetta/Lunetta All Day
2424 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA

Plus Curtis Stone makes a burger and a new taco player hits the Valley

This is how it happens

For anyone who has grown up in Los Angeles, the return of Downtown as a thriving cultural center must have seemed all but impossible just ten short years ago. Notwithstanding the rise of Staples Center in 1999, the area was from the 1990’s through the late 2000’s a place that emptied out after the workday, with only small collection points of places for diners and drinkers to enjoy.

Of course that’s all changed now, with Downtown Los Angeles becoming one of the hottest culinary neighborhoods in the entire United States. American Way Magazine dives into the driving forces behind it (particularly on the food and beverage side), talking to Cedd Moses about opening Golden Gopher in 2004, and Roy Choi about what it meant to park his Kogi BBQ truck in the area just five years later. Now, Bill Chait says, Downtown and the Arts District are hubs for creative activity, and there are no signs of slowing down. What a difference a decade makes.

Curtis Stone makes a burger

The next chef to collaborate with the NoMad truck is Curtis Stone, which means he’s doing his take on a chicken burger. This one’s got smoked bacon from Gwen, sauerkraut, mustard, and Swiss cheese, and retails for $10 with proceeds going to Chrysalis. Follow along with the truck’s next location here.

More Mexican seafood for the Valley

There’s a new taco player in North Hollywood, as Bajacali Tacos gets things going. Ventura Blvd. Magazine has all the pertinent details on the three month old restaurant, including shots from their seafood-focused menu.

Lao Tao is here

Lao Tao Taiwanese Street Food gets the LA Downtowner treatment, with the upstairs Far East Plaza spot earning raves for its beef ban mien and other Taiwanese favorites.

Light and airy

Apparently there’s a new French concept coming to Broadway in the thick of Santa Monica, and it’s called Air Food. Toddrickallen says that’s all there is to know after talking to one of the owners, but regardless look for the lofty spot to arrive sometime this spring.

It’s a craft beer party

Want to be driven around the city while sipping on some of the best craft beers available? It’s as easy as signing up for this LA Beer Hop tour with certified Cicerone Hal Mooney, where you’ll get to duck into the new Verdugo West, plus Eagle Rock and Mumford Brewing, plus food pairings from Baldoria. It’s going down this Saturday, starting at 1 p.m.

Teenage bakery dreams

Clara Polito is a busy young woman these days. The teenage founder of Clara Cakes just got a profile in LA Weekly, and is hosting a cookbook release party this Saturday on the Eastside.

Inside the neon madness at Universal CityWalk

It’s time to set sail for Margaritaville, the colorful new daiquiri and fish taco destination by way of Jimmy Buffett. The colorful new casual chain has officially dropped its first California location at Universal CityWalk just above Hollywood, which means you can swim in any time for a drink, a cheeseburger, and a song.

Fans of Jimmy Buffett will find a lot to love at the freewheeling, neon-lit spot, from the endless sand and surf decor to the year-round Christmas lights and nautical/aviation mashup themes. And yes, there are lots of stuff parrots, vague nods to pirates, and tons of faux thatched roofs inside.

The brand new Margaritaville only soft opened recently, and is expected to host a an invite-only grand opening event at the end of the month. That bash will actually feature a performance by Buffett himself, backed as always by the Coral Reefer Band.

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville is currently open at Universal CityWalk, keeping hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, with an extension to 11 p..m. on Friday and Saturday.

Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA

• Dongpo Kitchen Delivers Casual Sichuan Favorites to Universal CityWalk [ELA]

The upcoming Mama Lion is almost ready to roar

Still-bustling Koreatown is getting yet another major power player, this time in the form of noted chef Michael Hung. He’s stepping in as chef/partner along with owner Robert Kim to debut Mama Lion right at the corner of 6th Street and Western.

If you know that corner, you’re aware of its prowess. Around any given corner is Here’s Looking at You, Beer Belly, and Frank N Hanks, with Terra Cotta and the iconic Wiltern Theatre just steps to the south.

There’s no word yet on what exactly Hung will be cooking, but his time at Viviane, Faith & Flower, and La Folie in San Francisco suggest upscale Continental cuisine. Star beverage director and GM Aidan Demarest (Seven Grand, The Spare Room, Neat Bar) steps in to run the floor and the drinks as well.

The Kelly Architects-designed space is still wrapping up, but expect an opening by the end of the month. That’s great news for Koreatown, and even better news for anyone who can walk to 6th Street and Western.

Mama Lion
601 S. Western Ave.
Los Angeles, CA

• Terra Cotta Stuns Koreatown With One Seriously Gorgeous Dining Room [ELA]

It was a delicious madhouse

Massive Southern California restaurant hit Porto’s Bakery officially opened in Buena Park, and the lines were predictably bonkers. In fact, some folks waited up to four hours for a taste of the restaurant’s Cuban cakes and savory bites — and at least one put their job on the line to be first.

As you can see from the below CBS Los Angeles video, thousands lined up for a chance to dine at the new Orange County restaurant, which only just opened this week. The new location is the biggest for the Porto’s brand, which has other outlets in Downey, Burbank, and Glendale. A West Covina outlet should arrive by next year as well.

The entire history of Porto’s is worth a read, as the place has emerged from humble beginnings in Silver Lake to become one of the most highly-trafficked eateries in all of Southern California. The chain is still family-run, and employs over 1,000 people across all of their locations. This latest iteration is some 25,000 square feet, and includes acres of available parking.

• The Fascinating History of Porto’s, A Southern California Cuban Legend [ELA]

Much more than green beer

St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner, which means it’s high time to start planning your festivities. This year the holiday falls on a Friday, which means there’s no excuse not to partake in an excess of green-tinged beer and soak it all up with an order or Irish nachos.

Thankfully, you don’t need the luck of the Irish to find a fantastic spot to keep you entertained on any day of the year, as Los Angeles is the home of plenty a pub. For those looking for more authentic options, one LA’s oldest restaurants Tom Bergin’s is quite the place to sip a signature Irish coffee under its shamrock-adored walls. If more jovial spots fit the bill, we have plenty of options from the Valley on down to Long Beach.

Without further ado, here are 15 Jameson and Guinness-fueled bars in Los Angeles, presented in no particular order.

The Proud Bird is still under construction

Slowly but surely, things are coming along for The Proud Bird. The aviation-themed sit-down restaurant near LAX has been undergoing a complete transformation into a more casual food hall-style eatery, complete with some decommissioned planes and lots of space to sit. Things might look messy now, but if all goes well the Proud Bird could be flying high by April.

To catch up anyone not familiar with the project: The Proud Bird is a longstanding Los Angeles restaurant that actually dates back to the mid-1950s. Last year though, it was reported the place would be getting a total makeover, transforming the plot into a 50,000 square foot complex with a variety of fast casual vendors all under one roof.

Now those plans are tantalizingly close to coming true. The restaurant’s own website lists an April opening, and there’s a full gallery of renderings showing off a vision for the finished product. Still, more recent construction shots like the one below, from the company’s Facebook page, show there’s still plenty of work to be done.

Facebook

Reached for comment, reps for The Proud Bird would only say the on-site Food Bazaar has plans to include an untold number of “different types of global food,” adding that the finished building will also have room for six full banquet rooms to be used as private event spaces.

Still, flipping through some of those renderings should be enough to get aviation geeks and food hall aficionados excited. And while other massive food hall projects have been announced since the Proud Bird news first broke (and some like Michael Mina’s change-up of the food court at the Beverly Center are well underway), the arrival of the aviation-themed experience should still be a welcome one for Westsiders.

• LA’s Next Massive Food Hall Lands in the Center of Beverly Grove [ELA]

Plus a Jessica Koslow party and a new Downtown brunch

Inside the new-look Katsuya

Take a wander around inside the new-look Katsuya in Hollywood, which only revealed itself yesterday after a major interior overhaul. The long-running restaurant — it’s been a mainstay in the area since 2007 — is now gleaming with lots of modern touches thanks to designer Philippe Starck.

The Katsuya revamp reveals a lot about Hollywood’s sudden turn as a newly minted dinner destination worth getting dolled up for. There’s already the staggeringly beautiful Gwen, with the slick and modern Birch anchoring Cahuenga. Meanwhile the Redbury hotel is turning into an upscale private club, and April Bloomfield’s forthcoming restaurant is sure to be the best patio in town soon enough.

Melisse is a five-star beauty

The only Forbes Travel Guide five-star restaurant in all of Los Angeles is Melisse, according to the recently-released guide. The hospitality guide and luxury travel companion calls it a “favorite spot for Westside gourmands,” with the restaurant landing above Patina, Providence, and everyone else.

Sqirl’s seed party

Jessica Koslow is screening the documentary Seed at her upcoming Westside restaurant location this weekend. The film documents the loss of seed diversity in agriculture, and will also include a workshop and Q&A session.

Jazz it up

Get your Downtown nightlife on with an upcoming jazz night at Garcons de Cafe inside the Spring Street Arcade. The gorgeous wine bar is tucked away but will be making big noise on Thursday, March 16 with a live music event in the back.

Making March Matter

The latest Make March Matter campaign raises funds for children’s health in Los Angeles via Children’s Hospital LA, and this year Southern California’s collection of nearly three dozen California Pizza Kitchens will be doing fundraisers every Monday where guests can mention the promotion and 20% of their entire check will go to the hospital. STK, Panda Express, and others are getting in the mix too.

Nicole Rucker returns

If you’re missing Nicole Rucker at Smorgasburg, you can once again find her popping up with a pie and pastry get-down in Culver City. The event is happening tomorrow, so make your plans accordingly.

Beer’s big party

Select Beer Store is turning five, and to celebrate the Redondo Beach bottle shop and taproom is hosting an all-day party on Saturday, March 11, starting at noon. Expect a back patio beer garden, food, rare taps, and more.

Badmaash launches brunch

There’s a new weekend brunch option coming to Downtown, thanks to the folks at Badmaash. Check out their soft opening menu below, then head in for a meal starting at noon.

Opening next week right by the water

What is a British-born Hollywood chef doing down in Hermosa Beach? Consulting on a sunny new spot called Tower 12, of course, where guests can dive into wood fired shrimp and cedar-plank salmon just steps from the surf.

The arrival of Tower 12 should be a boon for Hermosa Beach. The Pier Avenue space sits on the second story and offers prime views of the ocean beyond, with the extra bonus of having one of Los Angeles’s most hardworking chefs in Brendan Collins manning the stoves. Tower 12 will be a super casual option for the area, adding two standalone bars inside the space that offer plenty of local craft beer, as well as cocktails from John Fox.

The Vanrooy Creative Group-designed build-out will offer a surf and sun vibe, with cozy mixed seating, lots of photos of the beach, and an overall clapboard and brick appeal. There are surfboards hanging around, some nice outdoor space, and a general chill vibe to the place.

Tower 12 opens March 9, keeping hours Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Tower 12
53 Pier Ave.
Hermosa Beach, CA

• The Essential South Bay Restaurants, Winter 2017 [ELA]

The poke shop gets sunny in all the right places

There’s a lot to like about the spiffy new Sweetfin poke shop, which landed yesterday along West Third Street. The mid-city west arrival is all blond wood and light touches, which is perfect for the elevated seafood fare found inside.

Step through the rounded front of the former Olio and into a comfortable, casual wraparound space that’s filled with light. There’s room along the thin marble bar looking into the kitchen, but most of the eye candy is meant for outside, with two-tops keeping tabs on West Third beyond. There’s ample patio space as well in the Brett Nestadt-designed buildout, right off the sidewalk.

The menu is the same as always, coming from chef Dakota Weiss, who has helped expand the brand into a poke powerhouse with plans for a national expansion. Their most recent effort up in Woodland Hills carries much the same tone as this latest iteration, and soon enough you could see Sweetfins all across the country.

Sweetfin West Third Street is open now, keeping daily hours from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sweetfin
8075 W. 3rd St.
Los Angeles, CA

• Weekend Fire Takes Out Bianconi Along West Third Street [ELA]

The South Gate shipping container is the chain’s first

Had a hankering for some Taco Bell while driving through South Gate lately? Then there’s a good chance you’ve swung through the corporate franchise’s latest location, a boxy new shipping container store dropped unceremoniously onto a busy intersection.

The curious new 1,000 square foot taco stop was actually picked up and moved from its original location, as a brand installation for Austin’s South By Southwest festival back in 2015. After that run ended, the company decided to keep their handiwork and drop it down in South Gate, of all places. There’s a drive thru, some outdoor patio seating, and a walk-up window for ordering.

It’s a pretty cool SG Blocks-designed building, actually, but a head-scratcher of a location given the relative lack of walkability there. Still, a small parking lot and the cantilevered drive thru make for brisk business throughout the day, and there’s certainly a fair amount of visibility at the intersection in question.

The new South Gate shipping container Taco Bell is the company’s first, and shows their desire to continue to expand into different looks as a way of staying relevant. No word on if more are planned in the future, but this current version is up and running daily now, just like a regular Taco Bell.

Taco Bell
13601 Garfield Ave.
South Gate, CA

• Taco Bell Wouldn’t Exist Without San Bernardino’s Mitla Cafe [ELA]

A new suit involves chopstick assault

Rumors have been swirling around the man behind LA’s most expensive sushi restaurant, chef Hiroyuki Urasawa, ever since the phone line to his eponymous restaurant was seemingly disconnected at the end of last year. A shutter of the $400-a-head omakase spot wouldn’t have been all that surprising, as the two Michelin-starred chef couldn’t seem to keep himself out of legal trouble, first being ordered to pay nearly $70,000 in penalties and unpaid wages back in 2013, then being hit by a lawsuit by former sous chef Tom Nonaka that alleged some pretty alarming behavior.

The Hollywood Reporter dove in to find the latest update on the situation, as the lawsuits haven’t stopped for the sushi master. At the end of last year, prep cook Emil Yi sued the chef, claiming Urasawa not only verbally abused him but also assaulted him with chopsticks. Nonaka followed with yet another shocking suit, contending that the sushi master threatened to kill him if he didn’t hand over $14,623.50 to finance the initial labor-related lawsuit.

The legal battles didn’t stop at the restaurant, as Urasawa was also sued by his downstairs neighbor at his residence at the 1100 Wilshire Blvd complex. Apparently on two separate occasions, an intoxicated Urasawa passed out in his running bathtub, causing some pretty serious water damage. Now that’s some hot water.

With all these court filings, it would be reasonable to imagine that his Two Rodeo Drive restaurant would shutter. Even amidst the rumors of its demise, however, it seems the restaurant only closed for a short period of time, and is very much back in business, according to the writer who personally visited the restaurant at the end of February.

Only time will tell if LA’s legendary sushi mecca will survive the legal storm that very much has not yet come to an end. At least for now, Urasawa is still slicing impeccable slabs of flesh, but only time will tell for how long.

• Michelin-Starred Sushi Temple Urasawa in Hot Water With Another Lawsuit [ELA]
• LA’s Most Expensive Sushi Restaurant Might Be Gone for Good [ELA]
• Labor Violations, Chopstick Assault and a Death Threat? The Fishy Legal Battles of L.A.’s Priciest Sushi Bar [THR]

A style timeline points towards the future

What is Jordan Kahn up to today, and how far along is his new high-end dining experience Vespertine? Let’s take a look. This is KahnWatch.

With resumes (well, maybe not resumes exactly) heading into Jordan Kahn’s inbox these days, it’s only a matter of time before Vespertine starts to staff up in a big way. And when Kahn’s high-minded Hayden Tract tasting menu restaurant comes online this spring, the folks working in the kitchen are going to need aprons to wear. The question is: which aprons?

The early money would seem to be on Hedley & Bennett, given their place in the market as a fashion and design-forward company. That’s in fitting with the Vespertine vibe, and considering there’s no shortage of other hip restaurants around America rocking the ampersand, it seems an easy sell. But not so fast: after reaching out, the company tells Eater that they have so far not been contacted by Kahn.

A quick Google image search also reveals Kahn’s apparent hesitance about wearing an apron with a logo of any kind. Most of the time it’s a simple all-black affair, like what’s pictured below:

Tomostyle

In fact, you’ll find that same look as far back as 2010, when Kahn cooked a dinner at Test Kitchen on Pico Boulevard.

Kahn’s staff at Destroyer also seems to have a penchant for the muted black look, as you can see from an image (below) of staff early on at the breakfast-and-lunch restaurant across the street from the upcoming Vespertine.

Matthew Kang

And so you’d think that would settle it, but no. A blog post from NJinLA at the end of January regarding Destroyer shows a completely different apron look — this time a soft denim. And it’s not like staff has a policy of just wearing what they want (hard to imagine Kahn would let that fly), so these are definitely uniforms.

So what will Kahn be wearing when he struts into the kitchen on night one? No “apron” at all, it seems. Kahn calls the kitchen uniforms he’ll be handing to staff “garments” instead, and will have designer Jona Sees handling production there. For a little intro into what sort of tone that clothing will take, check out his Instagram mood board.

Are any of these looks, pulled from the Jona Sees website, a possible peek into the finished design you’ll find at Vespertine? Nothing is confirmed just yet, but know it’s probably not far off.

Jona Sees

If all goes well, Vespertine should open this spring.

• LA Weekly Says Jordan Kahn’s Ambitious New Restaurant Could Be Just What LA Needs [ELA]

Plus an update on Petit Trois and a new Orange County taproom

A fish focus

There’s a cool new series out from the Foodbeast team, this time showing the complicated ins and outs of the long-running San Pedro Fish Market. An iconic spot deep in the South Bay, the family-run organization gets the reality show treatment, with lots of twists and turns along the way. You can watch the trailer for the series here.

The show is a fun twist for not only the Foodbeast team, but for localized food coverage in greater Los Angeles. The San Pedro Fish Market has been around in some form since 1956, and showing off the property in a fun, engaging new package is good for all the other longstanding businesses around the area that might need the love, too. Sometimes the best, oldest spots are just hidden away, ready to be re-explored, and shows like this can go a long way towards bringing in not just eyeballs, but customers.

Brentwood’s next coffee option

Bardonna has officially opened in Brentwood, representing the next option for coffee drinkers and pastry lovers in the area. Much like their Silver Lake location, this outlet carries a casual and airy charm along Barrington Court.

An update on Petit Trois in the Valley

Chef Ludo went over to KCRW’s Good Food to talk about Mind of a Chef and ended up getting into some big details on his next iteration of Petit Trois in the Valley. Expect 70 seats, breakfast-through-dinner service, alcohol, a patio, and an expanded menu that gives the place a more true brasserie feel.

Kato does lunch

Feel like getting some of West LA’s most inventive new food … for lunch? Head to this pop-up lunch option from Kato, slated to go down on Sunday, March 12. It’s a good look at what’s (likely) to come down the line.

Lunch at Esters

New chef de cuisine Chris Ono has launched a fully revamped lunch menu at Esters Wine Shop in Santa Monica, which now includes a ton of salads and dinner favorites like the corned brisket. You can also get a $15 half sandwich and salad combo, or bump to $25 and get a glass of wine, some cheese, and salad.

New stadium dining to know

Indian Wells Tennis Garden is getting some big new culinary partners for the upcoming BNP Paribas Open later this month. In fact, it’s among the strongest collection of LA-area chef names around, including Wolfgang Puck, Nobu Matsuhisa, Josiah Citrin, Ray Garcia, and Christian Page. So if tennis, the desert, and great food is your thing, there you go.

The Dudes brew it up

There’s another taproom location of The Dudes Brewing coming soon, this time right at Pacific City in Huntington Beach. The space is under construction now, as you can tell from the cheeky video below.

Superhero chef Josef Centeno unmasks his latest fast casual project

It’s almost time for Bäcoshop, the long-awaited downtown Culver City offering from chef Josef Centeno. The star restaurateur is known for owning a particularly busy block of Downtown with his restaurants Ledlow, PYT, Orsa & Winston, Bar Ama, and Bäco Mercat, but is now spinning off those bäco sandwiches with their own standalone casual space well to the west.

Bäcoshop stands in the former Chop Daddy location right around the corner from the movie theater in Culver City, with lots of frontage and a bunch of natural light. The Bells and Whistles-designed location is slim but comfortable, with some casual seating up front and a long, open counter that shows off the kitchen and all those sandwiches beyond. The kitchen will actually be firing off their daily bäco bread for all to see, while also serving a burrito version, plus salads and some grab and go items, including the well-known sodas Centeno makes called bäco pops. You can catch an early iteration of the full menu here.

The counter service model is one Centeno is embracing here, given the laid back nature of the neighborhood. That should help keep costs manageable in a part of town that can sometimes struggle with new concepts in the high-rent corridor. But if all goes well, Centeno tells the LA Times he could foresee Bäcoshops expanding into New York City, San Francisco, Nashville, and beyond. For now, the first Bäcoshop officially opens Thursday, keeping lunch through dinner hours daily.

Bäcoshop
9552 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA