Goldman/Cox Join Belcampo; ChocoChicken West

SANTA MONICA— Guess who will head up the full bar at Belcampo Meat Co. in Santa Monica? Josh Goldman and Julian Cox of Soigne Group (Acabar). As required by the building's CUP, Belcampo will open by June for previews, then shutter and remodel and hopefully relaunch by the end of 2014. In other news, Goldman/Cox are also working on opening their own bar in Los Angeles. [EaterWire]

WEST SIDE— Umami founder Adam Fleischman's unfamiliar chocolate chicken mashup, aptly named ChocoChicken, will hit the old Corkbar space in Downtown by the end of March. The team is totally banking on a white hot hit (word on the street is that the New York Times is profiling the place) and they've already secured a second westside location predicted to serve this summer. [EaterWire]

VENICE— Those who dig new California-Italian bar and restaurant Scopa should note that weekend brunch kicks off next Saturday. [EaterWire]

VENICE— Gunpowder is a forthcoming "cafe concept launching flagship location" somewhere in Venice, and management is searching for "exceptional, educated, smart, friendly good-looking team members." The coffee shop has early plans of SoCal domination, adding, "Your face will represent a bold new brand that will soon be seen all over southern California and beyond." [Craigslist]

Photo by Elizabeth Daniels