Work at Rustic Canyon, Pok Pok Inches Closer to Opening in Chinatown, and More A.M. Intel

A Downtown blow-out

A huge explosion ripped through the basement of a Downtown high-rise late last night, causing extensive damage but no serious injuries. The blast originated with a generator, but caused the entire building — including Takami Sushi and Elevate Lounge — to be evacuated, says ABC7.

Orange County gets two Michelin stars… for a night

OC’s Clay Oven in Irvine is turning 30 years old, and to keep the party going they’re teaming up with great chefs from around the globe. The next event is a planned six-course dinner with maestro chef Mauro Colagreco from Mirazur in France, and will run $160 a pop, plus optional wine pairings. The dinner isn’t until October 8, but tickets go on sale today at Clay Oven’s website.

More street food fights

The fourth iteration of Downtown’s ongoing street food battle at Border Grill is next Tuesday, pitting Peruvian cuisine against Argentinian. There will be ceviche, choripan, drinks, and more, with the winner of the head-to-head match squaring off against previous cuisines from Spain, Colombia, and El Salvador.

Wanna work at Rustic Canyon?

One of Los Angeles’ best overall restaurants is hiring. Chef Jeremy Fox ‘grammed out a photo of garbanzo beans last night with a caption asking for motivated shuckers, cooks, and more. Want to apply? All you’ve got to do is email and impress the chef himself.

At Rustic Canyon, we're looking for cooks who can shuck fresh garbanzo beans good, and who want to learn to do other things good too. Please send resumes IN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL to jeremyfox@rusticcanyonwinebar.com, and maybe even tell us something about yourself. Thank you.

A photo posted by Jeremy Fox (@chefjeremyfox) on Aug 20, 2015 at 12:10pm PDT

The history of food in Watts

KCET goes in on the food scene in Watts in this photo essay, showing the history of change within the proud South L.A. neighborhood.

Crazy cocktails for a cause

Mad cocktail scientist Matthew Biancaniello and other big bar names like Darwin Manahan (Osso) are teaming up for CRAFT at the Gabba Gallery in DTLA on August 29, bringing cocktails, wine, snacks and more to the evening-only party. The $150 all-in tickets benefit the California Fire Foundation, which helps families of fallen firefighters.

Longer lunch breaks

Now that Ohana Seafood Co. is up and running inside the bisected former Black Hogg space, it’s time for their ongoing lunchtime sandwich operation, Sopressata, to expand as well. Serving casual high-quality sandwiches, snacks, and drinks, the longtime lunch pop-up is now staying open until 4 p.m. Good news for all you late-day eaters out there.

Pok Pok's gleaming kitchen looks ready for prime prep time

All clean and tight and chilly, awaiting our health plan inspection at Pok Pok LA. One of the last hurdles to getting us legal to open. If we pass, the long hard work of opening a restaurant begins.

A photo posted by Andy Ricker (@pawkhrua) on Aug 20, 2015 at 1:41pm PDT

Andy Ricker Instagrammed this photo early yesterday to show that the health department approval process is nearly complete and that his Mandarin Plaza Pok Pok flagship is nearly ready for action. That should mean the opening is a few weeks out at this point.

Oh beautiful Blue Bottle

Sprudge takes a longer look at the new Echo Park Blue Bottle Coffee from a more industry perspective. Check out the speakers next time you go in (they're audiophile quality) while the espresso equipment is top notch. That means a Kees Van Der Westen Spirit three-group machine that pulls some sweet, sweet shots.