Plus permit issues for Tenants of the Trees, and other morning news
Pasta and pinot make a great pair
The Belvedere restaurant inside The Peninsula Beverly Hills knows what’s good (read: pasta and wine), so they’ve launched a new pasta and pinot series out on the restaurant’s terrace. The evening includes a triptych of pastas paired with pinot noir wine, and runs $48 a head for both lunch or dinner.
Dance hall woes for Tenants of the Trees
There’s a Silver Lake Neighborhood Council meeting tonight to discuss, in part, the dance hall future of bar Tenants of the Trees. The hip space on Hyperion continues to come under fire from the neighborhood, with a recommendation from the Council last summer suggesting to not allow the space to operate under a Cafe Entertainment/Shows P519 permit, which would allow dancing on site. The council has in the past chided the bar for "a complete disregard for city ordinances," and now neighbors get to weigh in on the discussion at the council meeting directly.
Ball out at Baltaire
The Observer tackles the pricey new Wagyu menu at Baltaire in Brentwood, all the while noting the proliferation of high-end beef across this fine city. It’s a meat-eater’s paradise at this very moment in Los Angeles, so there is certainly no shortage of ways to indulge, whether that’s at Gwen, Chi Spacca, or any izakaya in between.
Grain Lab Deli & Kitchen does cricket burgers
Burbank’s Grain Lab Deli & Kitchen is getting in on the cricket trend, partnering with the Valley’s own Coalo Valley Farms (a cricket harvesting operation) to bring cricket burgers to consumers for the next couple of weeks. So, should you feel like giving them a whirl, now’s your chance.
The biggest satisfaction of owning a restaurant
Roy Choi sat down with Nation’s Restaurant News to talk about his dining empire recently, and ended up discussing his proudest accomplishments to date. Among them is the fact that Choi is able to employ lots and lots of people, especially after he himself was let go from a job within the Hilton Hotel chain after ten years, thus prompting the rise of Kogi BBQ.
Get to know Matthew Kaner
The Desert Sun has an amazing profile on Matthew Kaner, the LA-based sommelier known for the award-winning Bar Covell, and Palm Springs newcomer Dead or Alive. The Q & A is a fun read, and touches on Kaner’s decision to partner up in Palm Springs with Anthony Coiffi and Christine Soto to bring wine bar vibes to an area not otherwise known for it.
Cava Grill grows and grows
Mediterranean fast casual chain Cava Grill is continuing to grow, with paper now up on their location in the thick of downtown Santa Monica. Toddrickallen is all over it, with the next iteration coming to the Chelsea apartment building along 2nd Street. Further outposts in Venice, Irvine, and Culver City are expected as well.
Brunch begins at Catch
New hotspot Catch in West Hollywood is already attracting crowds, and to keep the boom going they’re expanding into weekend brunch as of this Saturday, with weekend-only hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The weekend burger is shown above, with the full menu listed below.