Jessica Koslow

Neil Syal and his father, Raj, haven’t always worked together. Raj is a chef and baker, and Neil started his career as an accountant. It was Neil’s growing love for health and fitness that pulled them together for their latest project, Bungraze, on Central Avenue in Little Tokyo.

“This is a culmination of what we’re passionate about,” Neil said. “We came together to create a burger with a flatbread focaccia bun. We make the dough every morning.”

The concept for freshly made bread for each burger began at Raj’s restaurant, Rockfire Grill, around 2014. During the pandemic, Neil started to make his own food, including bone broth and yogurt. Raj, being the chef in the family, asked his son if he could make the bone broth and yogurt, and in 2022, the two began to sell their newly created brand, Sungraze, at the Historic Downtown LA Farmers’ Market. As the two were setting up for the market each week, they noticed the signs for lease on doors. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

In late August, just over a month before Bianca Sicilian Trattoria officially opened in the Arts District in DTLA, chef and owner Michele Galifi fell off a ladder during construction. He broke his arm, wrist and elbow. Fortunately for Galifi, from a young age his family instilled in him the values of hard work and dedication.

“Whatever it is going on in your life or your health, you always have to understand that you have a business, and you need to carry the business forward,” he said. “It’s absolutely normal for humans to have days off. We have days that we don’t feel good, but at the end of the day, you need to make sure that you pull through and do your best at all times.”

Sure enough — falls, breaks and all — Bianca Sicilian Trattoria opened its doors in late September. . . .

Read the entire article at LA Downtown News.

Friends and business partners Richard Peters and Constantine Savvides have always been adventure junkies. Savvides rock and ice climbs; he tries to tackle Jiminy Peak every year or two and once scaled the Matterhorn. When they met, they were both riding fast Italian motorcycles.

“I think there’s definitely a propensity toward risk,” said Savvides. 

“I would agree,” Peters added. “It doesn’t have to be necessarily risky but new horizons, new places, exploring the world. My form of that exploration comes with hiking, rock climbing, camping and a lot of outdoor stuff. Constantine and I have enjoyed that together many times.” . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

The neighborhood was anticipating The Italian Deli Co. with bated breath. After The George closed on East Washington Boulevard, people asked when owner Gary Chaglasyan would open for business.

“It was amazing,” said Chaglasyan. “People were stopping by every day and asking when we would be open and if we could do anything for them. We have had amazing support from the community.”

Chaglasyan shared that people were sending cards congratulating them for opening. One lady in particular sent a postcard detailing how she was leaving for Ireland, but was hoping to be their first customer. . . .

Read the entire article at Pasadena Weekly.

First Hal’s Bar & Grill called the Runway space home, and then Neighbors, Misael Villa’s popular brunch spot, replaced it in 2022. Longtime restaurateur Chris Sessa and his nephew Frank Agnone, executive producer of “South Park,” both live in Playa Vista and have watched these eateries come and go. In February 2024, the two began to hatch their own plan for a sports bar concept on the Westside. 

The prospective building had to be the right height because they had plans to install 30 TVs, some as big as 85 inches. When Suite 140 on the Runway became available, Sessa and Agnone knew they had found their spot. Tony P’s Dockside Grill in Marina del Rey would soon be closing, and there were no sports bars within a 7 to 8-mile radius of Playa Vista.  

On May 1, 2025, they received the keys to the suite and went to work creating a welcoming lounge space. There was no architect involved and no plans or blueprints, just a vision etched in their minds. They changed the booth seats from brown to red to brighten it up. Sports memorabilia covers the walls, from Kobe Bryant’s No. 8 jersey — which is valued at $15,000 — to a photograph of Magic Johnson in flight and a portrait of Hank Aaron. The bar replicates stadium seating with TV screens viewable from every angle. . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

Hospitality veteran Abdi Manavi has opened and closed restaurants across Los Angeles, but when it came to grabbing a drink with his friends in his own neighborhood, he couldn’t find a comfortable hangout for his age group. That’s when the 10-year Venice veteran decided to open his own spot, Venice Beach Club, where Rose Avenue meets the Boardwalk.

He said it’s the perfect place for tourists, who number about 30,000 daily on the Boardwalk, and locals, who know they can still order favorites like wings and nachos, holdovers from the menu at Venice Ale House, which previously occupied the space for 15 years.

“Wings and nachos were the two most popular items, and they are very good,” said Manavi. “As a sign of respect to the regulars, I decided to keep them on a secret menu, so they can still order them.” . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

It might be hard to imagine, but Veggie Grill by Next Level’s new All American Vegan menu features Beyond Steak filet, Oshi salmon filet and Cosmic Bliss Organic Summer Strawberry ice cream — and they are all plant based, and they are available at all Veggie Grill by Next Level locations.

“Oshi is revolutionizing the experience of fish without the fish,” Next Level Burger founder Matt de Gruyter said. “We’re looking at 90-95% reduction in species that we assumed would last forever. They have come up with the process that uses real food and ingredients to create that salmon experience without the mercury, the microplastics and the overfishing.”

It is not just Veggie Grill’s menu that has expanded; in January 2024, Next Level Burger acquired Veggie Grill, adding 17 Veggie Grill restaurants to its 10 plant-based Next Level Burger locations. . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

In 2024, Carissa Wright and her fiancé, Dan Norville, became the proud owners of four locations of Paradise Bowls — with the Marina del Rey location launching in July and a fifth location in Westlake Village coming soon.

The bowls and smoothies are nearly 100% vegan and use organic ingredients as much as possible. The colorful menu is bursting with fruits and superfoods, and customers can choose from açaí and pitaya bowls, smoothies or the “mindful” section, which is the newest addition to the menu.

“This was something that I felt we were lacking because a lot of the bowls are geared more toward the younger crowd, and I was feeling that as a mother when I go in there, I want something a little less sweet and a little bit healthier,” said Wright. “I was always blending kale and spinach and protein into my bowls, so we added this menu for people like me that want the açai but want it to be a little less sweet.” . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.

Starting in January with the wildfires and continuing until present day with the ongoing ICE raids, Los Angeles eateries have been at the receiving end of a one-two punch. Like a superhero swooping out of the sky, Dine LA Restaurant Week launches this month to help foodies (re)discover what makes LA’s dining scene so special.

“Restaurants throughout the county have shown incredible resilience in recent years,” said Stacey Sun, executive director of Dine LA. “Our hope for Dine LA is that it offers restaurants a platform to increase visibility, attract new diners and boost business during what can otherwise be a slower season. For many, it’s an opportunity to showcase their signature dishes, or debut something new, at a price point that invites exploration. Beyond reservations, the program also generates social buzz, press coverage and real community support.”

For almost two decades, Dine LA has tempted and treated locals and tourists with new restaurants, menus and food. This year, 450 restaurants serving 33 global cuisines across 88 neighborhoods are participating, which is the highest number of participants since the program’s inception in 2008. . . .

Read the entire article at Pasadena Weekly.

The stories about Chez Jay, a beloved Westside restaurant and Santa Monica Historic Landmark as of 2012, are endless. There’s the one about the “Astro-nut,” the peanut sitting in the owners’ safe that Alan Shepard took with him to the moon on Apollo 14. Or the one about the secret meet-up between Marilyn Monroe and JFK, or the passing of the Pentagon Papers to a New York Times reporter at Table 10. The Beach Boys brawled here; Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Warren Beatty wrote screenplays; and The Rat Pack gathered. In fact, the name Chez Jay is a nod to Chez Joey, the supper club in Frank Sinatra’s film “Pal Joey.” 

Chez Jay is both a dive bar and classy joint where celebrities often hang. Located on Ocean Avenue across from the Santa Monica Pier, it is something of a celebrity itself since opening in 1959. Original owner Jay Fiondella hosted a circus elephant at the launch party, which snacked on peanuts — still the eatery’s signature free offering today. . . .

Read the entire article at The Argonaut.