Jessica Koslow

Born and raised in New York, sometimes Tad Yenawine wanted was a good slice of pizza. It was the main reason he opened Purgatory Pizza in the area that he refers to as Boyle Flats, the red-headed stepchild of Boyle Heights.

“In 2000, I bought the building because I was doing construction projects and I also have a bad habit of collecting cars and motorcycles,” Yenawine began. “The neighborhood still had no density, so if you wanted to start a retail business, this is the opposite of where you should do it. There was a restaurant in the front and it served Chinese food, but when you sell a literal mountain of Chinese food for $3, you’re relying on volume, and when there are no people, you don’t get that volume. I wanted to preserve the use and the value in the building, and I couldn’t get a good slice of pizza to save my life, so in 2007, I got together with a buddy, and we redeveloped recipes — and that was that.” . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

Celebrated director Gore Verbinski and accomplished screenwriter Matthew Robinson have more in common than their Hollywood careers. They both love NORMS, which has served Californians as a 24/7 iconic neighborhood diner since 1949.

Most recently, Verbinski (“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”) and Robinson The Invention of Lying”) teamed up on the film “Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die,” which hit theaters Feb. 13. NORMS played a feature role in the film: “It had about 20-25 minutes of screen time,” said Ingrid Martinez, VP of Marketing at NORMS.

Love for NORMS runs deep for both filmmakers. Gore frequented NORMS on La Cienega while at UCLA School of Theater, Film and television, and Robinson conceived the narrative while dining there. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

On Sept. 12, 2025, the Hoxton Hotel debuted a new Mediterranean-themed restaurant, Inanna Bar, on its 34th floor. One of its best offerings is off the menu: panoramic skyline views of Los Angeles.

Darryl Jenkins, director of food and beverage for Inanna Bar, joined the team in August and was tasked with opening the concept that the owners had created.

“For the start of the project, we were serving mostly dips and snacks, and now we’re leaning into more entrees using our wood-fired grills,” Jenkins said. “We have grilled lamb chops on the menu, a beautiful branzino that’s cooked on our open fire. We’re doing roasted chicken breast and using the wood-fired grill to push the spring menu with lighter eats but still offering the hummus and dips. We’re making the menu a little more versatile and dinner forward.” . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

North Italia is located right across the street from Garage 6 on Second Street in Santa Monica. In this part of town, directions are often given by where people can park. The authentic Italian restaurant is also just around the corner from the Promenade, which is nice, according to Regional Chef Sammy Sleman, “because we’re kind of tucked away, it makes us feel a little bit more neighborhood-y versus in a busy touristy spot.”

“The cool thing about Santa Monica is it’s a mix of everything,” he explained. “We have local residents who live close by, and we have a lot of tourists. They’re coming in from all over the world. We love that mix. It keeps us on our toes because we have new clientele that comes in often, a lot of first-time guests. We really like to wow them and make sure they have an awesome experience.”

Next year marks a decade that North Italia in Santa Monica has been open for business. Sleman joined the brand 13 years ago when it included just six restaurants. Today it consists of 50 nationwide. . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.