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Why Grace Rocks
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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]
EaterWire: Samurai Sam's Opened, Grace Five-Year Anniversary, One's ID Scanners
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]
Eater Inside: Coles Construction Update
Photos by jercl cat, Flickr
Here we have some inside shots of the construction at Coles P.E. Buffet downtown, the 100-year-old French-dip eatery that Cedd Moses swooped up last year to renovate. The outer Plywood came down just a couple weeks ago, but that doesn't mean it's any closer to opening: Initial plans were to reopen this May, now it's pushed to fall. Grace's Neal Fraser, still consulting on the menu.
Another look, more construction, next >>
