Beacon Cafe Ending Its Run in Culver City, Prego and Alex Say Good Bye Too

1) Culver City: Following a seven year stint on Helms, Beacon has announced its January 16 shutter: "After a successful seven-year run, Beacon an asian café, one of the key restaurants to redefine Culver City’s dining scene, is set to close their doors on January 16, 2011. Owned and operated by husband-wife team, executive chef Kazuto Matsusaka and general manager Vicki Fan Matsusaka, the neighborhood restaurant received rave reviews from its inception, largely due to Chef Kazuto’s profile as a pioneer in the Asian fusion movement, as well as his unique approach to the menu. Using contemporary ingredients to update traditional Asian dishes, his signature dishes include such favorites as the Miso-Marinated Black Cod with Sesame Green Beans, Grilled Hangar Steak with Wasabi Relish, Five-Spiced Chicken Salad, Ahi Tuna Pizza, Kaki Fry and Kakuni Udon.

In a joint statement, the Matsusakas said, 'Sharing the success of the restaurant with the neighborhood and making new friends along the way has really made every minute worth it. It’s unfortunate, but these tough economic times have had a heavy impact on our entire industry, and we feel that it is time to move on. We are proud to have contributed to the restaurant boom in Culver City, and are grateful to all our loyal patrons over the years for their support. We look forward to serving LA diners in a different capacity as we move on to new horizons.' After January 16th, the Matsusakas will continue to offer catering services under the Beacon name. For catering inquiries, contact vicki at Vicki@beacon-la.com. [EaterWire]

2) Beverly Hills: Per door signage, Prego on Camden has shuttered and will be replaced by La Focacceria, yet another Italian concept. [EaterWire]

3) Vegas: As of January 15, Alex, the Forbes five and Michelin two starred restaurant within the Wynn, will close its doors. Chef Alessandro Stratta remains as the executive chef of his other self titled outlet, Stratta. — DM