Jessica Koslow

Always on the lookout to innovate, the award-winning Tiato Kitchen + Garden just launched a Friday brunch.

“Post-pandemic, a lot of businesses haven’t required their employees to be back in the office full time,” said owner Catherine An, daughter of chef Helene An.

“Remote workers often take half days on Fridays, and that’s why we started brunch Fridays with live music. People who work from home might wake up later, so they’re having later lunches, so our Friday brunch/lunch works well.” . . .

Read full article at The Argonaut.

Jenny Engel wants to help people shine from the inside out with her business Hey, Sunshine Kitchen.

On Aug. 5, Engel and her sister, Heather Golden Ray, opened the plant-based eatery in the Culver Center between Pet Supplies Plus and Pampas Grill on Overland Avenue.

“When you say namaste, you are recognizing the spirit that is inside someone,” Engel said.

“We are recognizing that everyone has their own personal shine and individual gifts to give to the world and planet, and when you eat food that is lovingly prepared, we feel it will enhance your ability to shine and spread your gifts. Our whole purpose is to help you be your best.”

After more than 15 years of running Spork Foods, Los Angeles’ first vegan cooking school in West Hollywood and publishing two cookbooks, Engel and Golden Ray temporarily closed shop a few months ago to pursue a bigger dream: opening a restaurant. …

Read the full article at The Argonaut.

Nick the Greek, which opened its doors in Marina del Rey in the beginning of August, is the brainchild of not one but three cousins named Nick, including “Baby Nick,” Nick Tsigaris.

“It’s silly, but when all three cousins are at an opening, we love to watch people’s reactions when we introduce ourselves,” Tsigaris said.

“One at a time, we’ll say, ‘Hi, my name is Nick,’ and the reactions we get from people when they think we are messing with them will never get old.” …

Read the full article at The Argonaut.

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.