Jessica Koslow

Three concepts with origins in Boston have landed at Kitchen United Mix Santa Monica: Gogoya, Mr. Roni Cups and Ms. Clucks Deluxe Chicken & Waffles.

“We were originally approached by Time Out Market in Boston to go into their food hall,” said restaurateur Nancy Cushman, the founder of all three along with her husband Tim, a James Beard Award-winning chef.

“We took it as an opportunity to develop two new concepts: Gogo Ya, a casual offshoot of O Ya, the sushi restaurant we’ve owned and operated for 16 years ago in Boston, and Ms. Clucks Deluxe Chicken & Waffles. Those two concepts opened in 2019, and we were eventually approached to bring them to Santa Monica. …

Read the full article at The Argonaut.

Salsa and bachata enthusiasts swivel and spin around the dance floor on any given Thursday night at The Victorian on Main Street until the lights turn on at 1:30 a.m.

The curated good times are part of a row of themed days at The Victorian, a thriving nightspot near the corner of Ocean Park Boulevard founded in 2010. It branched out two years ago to include outdoor dining. 

Popular with students from USC, UCLA and LMU, The Victorian also features Wine Not Wednesdays with happy hour specials from 5 p.m. onward. Friday’s Weekend Kick Off boasts three floors of fun with DJs on each level from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Read full article at The Argonaut.

Superfine Playa’s electric blue building and bright red letters near the roof boldly announce its arrival at Silicon Beach’s RUNWAY Playa Vista. The playful structure is energizing and eye-catching. What used to be The Bull and Butterfly Steakhouse transitioned to a casual California osteria on January 1 and officially opened its doors on March 22.

It was a quick turnaround, explains owner Dina Samson, who shares that her team had to hit the ground running, repurposing and refinishing.

Although they kept much of the prior restaurant’s design, the place was given a chic makeover. They added wooden planters outside handmade by Victory Gardens and filled with native plants, many of which were transplanted from the nearby Ballona Wetlands.

The bespoke wallpaper in the bathrooms is beautifully illustrated with the same plants popping out of the outdoor boxes; it’s brightly colored in the women’s bathroom and more muted in the men’s. …

Read the entire article at Playa Vista Magazine.

Neighbors was the first word that popped into Misael Villa’s head when he looked at the space formerly occupied by Hal’s Bar & Grill.

The Venice institution once flourished on Abbot Kinney and opened its second location on Runway Playa Vista before closing in 2018.

“When the space was offered to us, as I walked around the neighborhood and ran things in my head, I realized that our clientele was going to be all those directly around us,” says Villa, who opened his restaurant’s doors in November 2022. “Our neighbors were who we wanted to cater to.”

That’s exactly who he’s catering to with Neighbors, a brunch and dinner spot in Playa Vista. In a few months, customers count among their favorites the crispy chicken sandwich; the Neighbors burger with Swiss, bacon, arugula, caramelized onion, and aioli on a brioche bun; pesto pasta; chicken piccata; and their breakfast items, which range from a breakfast burrito to French toast with seasonal berries, orange zest whipped cream, and hibiscus bourbon reduction. …

Read the full article at Playa Vista Magazine.

When Sean Martin received the keys to the former Spitfire Grill, he was nervous. It was a week before the first lockdown.

That uncertainty gave way to the dedication of reopening a spot where everyone felt welcome, and the landscape buzzed with activity from planes from Santa Monica Airport, a playground and dog park. The Cloverfield was born. 

“We took our time with renovations to ensure that we were meeting people where they were and their level of comfort and needs for safety,” said Martin, who follows the Spitfire Grill’s owner who tired after 30 years. 

The outdoor patio is accommodating. It’s expansive, with seating for almost 100, umbrellas for shade, and twinkling string lights for nighttime dining. 

The indoor dining area soon followed. 

“The location is just fantastic,” Martin said. …

Read the full article in The Argonaut.

Venice is now home to Willie Mae’s first brick-and-mortar location to offer a full-service dining experience outside of Louisiana. The iconic New Orleans eatery has been serving since 1957, thanks to a flurry of Angeleno tourists who convinced Kerry Seaton-Stewart, Willie Mae’s great-granddaughter, that they had to open a location in their hometown. 

“Over the years we have had a lot of visitors from Los Angeles asking us to open here,” Seaton-Stewart said. “So we kind of always knew that if we were to open outside of New Orleans, LA would be our first stop. Oh, and the weather is nice, too.” …

Read the full article at The Argonaut.

The meaning of the Treat Collective, a virtual bake shop launched by three Los Angeles–based besties in December 2020, has layers. First, as in, “It is a total treat to work together!” says cofounder Ari Vena ’94, who was freshman roommates with Betsy Seder ’94, and in the band Sidemouse freshman year with Diana Hyman Winters ’94. Then there are the actual treats, like delicious and inventive shortbread, Seder’s specialty, and tender Japanese milk bread from Winters. . . .

Read the full article at Brown Alumni Magazine.

Since opening the doors to its second location 10 years ago on Rose Avenue in Venice, Café Gratitude has been a consistent favorite for diners—and judging by its success, it’s not just vegans who enjoy the plant-based bites. 

Among the highlights are the eye-catching names given to every dish, such as I Am Bountiful or I Am Humble for mains and bowls, and I Am Illuminated or I Am Infinite for smoothies. Another is the huge variety of organic dishes, from sandwiches and salads and starters to smoothies and sweets. 

Fortunately, Café Gratitude pushed through the pandemic while plotting some impressive changes, the most recent being a new wine and beverage program courtesy of Los Angeles sommelier Taylor Grant, who is also the founder of Salutay Wine Club, leader of operations for TRESOMM Winery, and plays guitar in jam sessions with her friends, The Champagne Supernovas. …

Read the full article in The Argonaut.

One of the first things that diners will notice at Herbie Burger is that the vegan takeout joint’s picturesque burgers are made with mushrooms and black beans, a special recipe from founder Peter Williams.

“My wife [Erin Harnisch] and I noticed vegan menu items trending toward factory-produced meat replacements and away from house-made items,” said Williams of the inspiration to open his concept in a ghost kitchen in Culver City.

“While we have nothing against products like Impossible and Beyond, and we consume them from time to time, we found ourselves craving veggie burgers and plant-based ‘chicken’ products with fewer, less processed ingredients.”

Williams’ mini cooking space is at the very end of Selmaraine Drive, where a never-ending rotation of Grubhub, UberEats and DoorDash drivers saunter up to the window to grab their deliveries. Customers can also order at the window from a tablet, and Williams has seen his walk-up orders grow from one  when he opened on Aug. 1 to 10 orders in recent days.  …

Read the full article in The Argonaut.