The Frasers---that would be chef Neal and wife, co-owner and FOH guru, Amy---celebrated Grace's fifth anniversary with friends, fans and family last night, and there were definitely good times, food and drink had by all. But The Knife takes a moment to digest exactly what it means for a restaurant to survive five years in LA and why, and it's really quite simple: Confidence and conviction, being a restaurant and not a hybrid, comfort, Neal being a chef's chef, and Amy being Amy. By the by, the Frasers celebrate their fifth wedding anni, too; they tied the knot two weeks after Grace opened. Crazy kids. Oh, and just because you weren't invited to the party doesn't mean they aren't thinking about you: Grace has a special anniversary menu available throughout the year. [The Knife/ELA]
The opening of Jian Korean BBQ has been long and slow, just one of those places that's been on our radar for seemingly forever. There was demolition, Plywood, delays, delays, robots, delays and more delays. But now, confirmation that it will finally open soon: A Craigslist ad looking for all positions at the "new ultra modern Korean restaurant" that's opening next month.
MIRACLE MILE: From a hungry worker bee: "The long awaited opening of Samurai Sam's happened today. A line out the door of hungry diners were waiting for spicy tuna sushi and ultra spicy firecracker beef yakisoba bowls. Finally something different on the Miracle Mile." [EaterWire Inbox}
MID-CITY/BEV CTR: It's hard to believe, but Grace celebrates its fifth anniversary this year. To honor the occasion, chef Neal Fraser will offer a special five-course greatest hits menu for $55 throughout the year, starting in May. Dungeness crab salad with peas, sautéed skate with roasted cauliflower and raisins, bacon-wrapped saddle of rabbit, grilled leg of lamb, doughnuts for dessert. [EaterWire Inbox]
WEHO: What's up with the ID scanners at One? From a reader: "Was at that club across from Il Sole on Sunset, "One" on Friday night---and they were scanning everyone's driver's licenses into a handheld device. The Door Guy said this is how they keep a record of attendance, and they "always" do it, in case of "trouble..." Seems like the speedtrain to Identity theft, to grave violations of civil liberties...We go out A Lot and have never encountered this...have you? Is this a "Regular People"/velvet rope thing?" [EaterWire Inbox]
ECHO PARK: We mentioned yesterday that El Prado looked like it was open but there was really no telling what it was, when it was, or what it served. Turns out that's exactly what the owners want: "Everything — drinks, food, music, and even the tableau set with bags of apples and a vintage bike — is subject to change. There’s no telling when." For now, it's Belgian brews, radish and butter sandwiches, maybe some charcuterie and cheese. [Daily Candy
Whenever we call the Highland Doughboys to see what's going on with the original Third Street location (still under construction), the staffers don't really have the answers. Tracking the owners down or leaving a message that probably falls from an overcrowded kitchen corkboard is futile. But something's going on in Doughboysland, that's for sure. First, from Blackburn and Sweetzer, the awnings have been removed from the exterior of the Third Street building, and our sibling Racked says the rumor among shopkeepers is that retailer Madison is taking the space.
And then this from a reader: "What is going on at Doughboys on Highland? Normally I wouldn't go to a B-rated restaurant but I do love their food and it's always packed. First, they ran out of menus. This has to be a first for me. What kind of established restaurant runs out of their own menus? Second, they were out of two dishes I wanted to order and it was only 12:30. Third, they ran out of water glasses (which are actually hard plastic) and they started using plastic Solo cups. Did they run out of hot water? Did the dishwasher quit in the middle of his shift? What goes?" Indeed. What goes?
· Doughboys Demolition: "Still Renovating" [~ELA~]
· Rumor Has It: Madison Coming to West 3rd Street [Racked LA]
· Doughboys Going, Going... [Blackburn and Sweetzer]
BEV HILLS/VENICE: We heard rumblings about this last summer, but it's official: Conny Andersson left his exec chef position at the Beverly Wilshire hotel with plans to open his own place in Venice this summer. No specifics yet on the where or the what. Chef de cuisine Brian Moyers is now in charge at The BLVD. [EaterWire]
WEST HOLLYWOOD: The Wokcano on Third Street had a small fire today, noticed by the folks at Innovative Dining Group (who own Sushi Roku, etc.) who called the fire department. Wokcano staffer says there was some minimal smoke damage and they hope to reopen by tomorrow. [EaterWire]
SILVER LAKE: From a tipster: "Last night driving west on Sunset I saw that Cardone's Deli had newspaper on its windows. Seems that the scruffy Silver Lakers in this park of SL didn't provide enough business. I went there several times and was satisfied with my sandwich but parking was a pain and they were often out of ingredients. Hopefully another deli takes the space because we need it here in Silver Lake." [EaterWire Inbox]
What will the Cobras & Matadors' diners do for easy BYOB wine now? This here is Bicentennial 13, the tiny wine and beer shop next to Steven Arroyo's tapas-esque space on Beverly Boulevard. That sign plastered on the door (and again inside) is a "suspension of license" from the state Alcohol Beverage Control. Although the signs are very prominently placed for the public to see, according to an ABC rep, it's not public record as to why, at least not yet. It could be anything from tax reasons to serving minors, but just like a criminal record, they can't disclose. But because Bicentennial has been cited for "permitted consumption of alcoholic beverages in unlicensed portion of premises" twice before, let's assume this is the same situation. In case you didn't know, BYOB is illegal (yes, true). Arroyo owns both, but only the wine shop is licensed, not the restaurant.
Oh, New York's got nothing on LA when it comes to the froyo onslaught. No-thing. You thought you could escape the ooze? Silly, silly readers. Chalk it up to a winter hiatus. A no-froyo slumber, if you will. We'll never escape the sticky sludge. New shops continue to open across the land. Blue Mango via Yelp; Snowpod via Blackburn & Sweetzer
MID-CITY: We've had a couple reports of Snowpod opening at the Beverly Connection, and Blackburn and Sweetzer reports that the froyo is tangy, but sweeter than Pinkberry, and there are three Apple computers set up for free use. Sticky keyboards = no fun. (8489 W 3rd St.)
WEST HOLLYWOOD: Another newish entry: Blue Mango opened a couple months ago on the western side of the Sunset Strip, near Doheny (right across from the Wells Fargo). They bill themselves as the "organic" froyo chain and they have four flavors including "blue mango," unshockingly blueberry and mango blended together. Décor is just another variation of Pinkberry, but blue. (8961 Sunset Blvd., 310.271.8111)
This shot was captured at a time of night that's way too late to be peeking inside this soon-to-open restaurant on Beverly Boulevard, but the photographer just couldn't help it. It's completely dark inside, but we can make out at least one thing through the plant covering the front window: Robots. Virgin loving/hating warriors and robots mean what to Korean barbecue? We're stymied. The sign on the door says Jian Korean BBQ is "coming soon" in March.
· Post-Plywood: Jian Korean BBQ Next Month [~ELA~]
· Buzzword for 2008: Korean [~ELA~]
In September, Zen Grill on 3rd Streetlost its right to serve booze. In October, there was a "closed for remodeling" sign next to a health department "closed for vermin infestation" notice. Now an official eviction notice and For Lease sign were spotted just a few days ago. A commenter on the neighborhood blog Blackburn and Sweetzer suggests bad management: "He bounced several checks, was in trouble with virtually every vendor and basically ran this restaurant into the ground. Such a shame because the food was actually good here." We know of at least one chef who eyed the space for his own venture, but no word on where that stands. Maybe this needed to happen before that could. Stay tuned.
· Eater Hospice: Zen Grill Alive or Dead? [~ELA~]
· The Shutter: Zen Grill "Closed For Remodeling" [~ELA~]
· Eviction Notice at Zen Grill [Blackburn and Sweetzer]
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WEST HOLLYWOOD: The Wokcano on Third Street had a small fire today, noticed by the folks at Innovative Dining Group (who own Sushi Roku, etc.) who called the fire department. Wokcano staffer says there was some minimal smoke damage and they hope to reopen by tomorrow. [EaterWire]
