All stories about "The Shutter"

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Spotted on Melrose Avenue last night: Kumo papered up, a chunk of the front taken out by what we assume was a car (it must come in threes), and signage claiming this will soon be Hamasaku Melrose. Kumo only opened in September, we got an inside view in October, and it wasn't but a few weeks ago that The Hills filmed a scene at the restaurant. But the high price tag and little substance didn't seem to wow Miss Irene nor many others. It never looked like a packed house.

Sometimes a restaurant changeover happens faster than you can say "jambalaya." Several tipsters sent word this weekend that soul food favorite Aunt Kizzy's Back Porch on Glencoe Avenue is moving to the recently vacated Killer Shrimp (523 Washington Blvd). And it's happening fast: Killer Shrimp just closed a few weeks ago, and Aunt Kizzy's will open for dinner on Thursday. The current location will close on Wednesday. Still no word on if or when Killer Shrimp will find a new location.
· EaterWire: Killer Shrimp Closing [~ELA~]

Got a tip for the EaterWire? Drop us a line.

WEST HOLLYWOOD: A reader tips us off that Izaka-Ya Kiichi, which only opened on SMB a year ago, closed: "We really enjoyed having such a good a local 'kaya, but it just didn't catch on. Food was really good, great sake, friendly service, and a Taka was super-nice manager, but once he left for his father's funeral in Japan, it just wasn't as good. Something jinxed about the location, nothing ever seems to stick there." [EaterWire]

HOLLYWOOD: Looks like the Le Pain Quotidien rumored for the former Victor's Deli space (not the restaurant, which remains open) at the bottom of Bronson Canyon isn't happening after all. Not sure what fell through, but The Oaks Gourmet Market is going in. We don't have full details yet, but we hear the owner is Greg Morris who also has The Belmont, Spanish Kitchen and Stone Fire Pizza on La Cienega. [EaterWire]

From an operative way out in the Valley: "The Valley institution Milano's has closed up shop without warning. Earlier, they had a sign up saying they were closed for the week of the Fourth of July but never reopened. The doors are chained shut but everything inside the restaurant remains untouched." The outgoing phone message suggests it's business as usual, but the somewhat teary signage says Milano's will reopen somewhere else. We'll call this one confirmed. We don't know much about the restaurant, but the chef page on the website made us chuckle: "This is Luigi. He’s our authentic Italian chef from Florence, Italy. He doesn’t understand why we keep calling him ‘authentic’. He doesn’t know there are other Italian restaurants around that don’t have authentic Italian chefs (and we don’t plan to tell him)." Hopefully Luigi found a good home.

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While new restaurants are busting open and others bursting at the seams in downtown Culver City, all signs point to bad times at Pacifico's---literally. From a tipster: "Walking back from M Chaya yesterday, I saw the Pacifico's with a double whammy. B rating on the door and a suspension of its liquor license. Maybe this place will finally leave, I never got why people dined there. It looked closed and I think it's supposed to be open on Sundays." Signage on the door says "closed for remodelation," but the phone and website are both disconnected, so this shutter sounds pretty permanent. The owner, Howdy Kabrins, closed his Howdy's Taqueria across the street a few months ago (now a brand-spanking new Chipotle), but Howdy's Malibu is still open. Maybe Howdy just had enough with Culver City or vice versa. On the plus side, there's potential for another new restaurant right on the main CC drag.

Folks, you're good. For the second time in a row, you played the Name That Restaurant game and not only were your guesses correct, but the restaurant is shuttering not too long after. This note just hit the inbox: "A friend who works at Celadon restaurant on 3rd Street told me that they are closing after Saturday. It is too bad because I thought that the restaurant was beautifully designed and that the food was great, certainly a huge improvement to the pathetic YI Cuisine. I do know that they constantly had management issues which proves even if you have great food and ambiance, if your front of the house doesn't know what the fuck they are doing it will be the death of the place!"

This is still unconfirmed since no one's answering the phone at the restaurant, but it's been a struggle for Celadon just as it was for Yi Cuisine before it. Miss Irene didn't hate it, but that's when it was still "Celadon Galerie Culinaire" and not "Celadon Global Tapas Lounge." And before the random tapas signage stuck on the front of the building that made people think Celadon was already closed. Maybe people just didn't know what to make of it. And if it is closing, maybe something interesting will replace it. Stay tuned.
· Name That Restaurant [~ELA~]
· Week in Reviews: Celadon, More [~ELA~]
· Eater Inside: Celadon [~ELA~]

DOWNTOWN: Lime Cafe didn't open too long ago, but it apparently wasn't prepared for the criticism the Downtownizens were ready to bring. The owners took the cafe "offline" to retool the menu, add some items, including vegetarian dishes. (Side thought: Is downtown veggie-central or something? Every place seems to get the same criticism. Equally odd, the restaurants automatically placate.) Owner Michael Franz tells Angelenic: "We are not trying to be totally authentic Mexican food, as there are probably a dozen of those within a mile of us. However, we need to execute our version better." The cafe reopens on July 17. [Angelenic]

PASADENA: This is one we'll follow up on to confirm, but the tip just came in: "La Luna Negra is closing in August. Lease issues." This is the tapas and Flamenco dancing restaurant on Green Street, open for several years. [EaterWire Inbox]

Vanilla Bake Shop, Yelp

SANTA MONICA: It might not be a free 1,000-cupcake bonanza a la Crumbs, but Vanilla Bake Shop turns one this year, and to celebrate they're giving away a free cupcake for ever $10 purchase on Thursday, July 10 all day (9am-7pm). The shop is at 512 Wilshire Boulevard. [EaterWire]

SANTA MONICA: During the GLOW event---an overnight art fair on the Santa Monica pier, Muscle Beach, Palisades Park and portions of Ocean Avenue---several restaurants will offer specials and some even stay open all night. Ocean & Vine at the Loews will have a pre-GLOW prix fixe menu; Bar Pintxo will have $5 Sangria after midnight; Mariasol Restaurant on the pier will be open 24 hours; and there will be other specials at Ye Olde King's Head, The Yard, Thai Dishes, Makai Lounge and more. The event starts at 7pm on July 19 and ends at 7am July 20. [EaterWire Inbox]

HOLLYWOOD: From a tipster: "The Thursday before Memorial day weekend, the club The Day After (aka Montmartre Lounge) closed. Well, actually the owners (who live in Mexico) hadn't paid the rent for months, so the landlord came and changed the locks." We also noted Montmartre Lounge on the DOH closure list, so there you go. Full explanation. [EaterWire Inbox]

Bob's on Wilshire (left) via Curbed; Bob's in Downey (right) via Downey Patriot

The restaurant circle of life is a beautiful thing. Please recall that the Bob's Big Boy on Wilshire, open since 1972, one of the last examples of the Chula Vista architectural style left, was toughing it out against a BMW dealership that wanted to raze the building for its new car lot. The manager and workers tried to get landmark status to save the diner, but according to the Larchmont Chronicle, that fight was lost. The restaurant is now closed, the building fenced, and the Beemers should move in sometime next year. But when one Bob's Big Boy dies, another arises. Bob's made it official today: New owners will finish demolition and clean up of Johnie's Broiler in Downey, which was illegal razed by an owner last year, to rebuild a new Bob's Big Boy in it's place. According to the Downey Patriot, the new Bob's will be built to Johnie's original design and specifications, down to the stone walls, wood trimming, and side-by-side carhop service stalls. Owner Jim Louder hopes it will open by January.
· BMW Moves to Wilshire in 2009 [Larchmont Chron]
· The Shutter: Bob's Big Boy Wilshire Closing [~ELA~]
· Bob’s Big Boy to the rescue [DowneyPatriot]
· GoogieWire: Johnie's Broiler Clean Up To Begin [~ELA~]