Two Major New York Restaurants Are Months From Opening in Hollywood

Grade A New York Restaurant Concepts

While Vegas already has them both, Tao and Beauty & Essex, two premiere New York City concepts, are on the verge of opening in Hollywood. It’s major news for anyone that hasn’t already heard of them. Tao is one of the highest grossing restaurants in the country, and its refined pan-Asian cooking has been imitated the world over. Beauty & Essex is probably the restaurant that inspired Faith & Flower, among other places, but that modern take on glorious Art Deco or Gilded Age restaurants? It’s from this place. The trompe l’oeil entrance with a pawn shop up front? Also from Beauty & Essex.

Right now the projected opening dates for both restaurants, which will be located adjacent to the upcoming Dream Hotel in Hollywood, is winter 2017. That probably means the first quarter of 2017, a quick turnaround since it was first announced earlier this year. Designed by Rockwell Group, both will have classic dishes from their New York and Vegas counterparts, but with some unique dishes to LA as well.

Both signal a major shift in thinking of New York restaurateurs, with places like Catch, Serafina, Dean & Deluca, and Rao’s coming to the West Coast within the last few years. It means L.A. as a market is big enough to support these concepts. They’ll likely become celebrity and “influencer” destinations as well, which makes perfect sense in burgeoning Hollywood.

It’s so sweet for poke

Gaelen Casey

Larchmont gets its own Sweetfin Poke as of yesterday, with full 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. hours. Taking over the former Coffee Bean, the unique thing about this location? They’ve got a kids menu so you can indoctrinate the young tykes early.

More love for Santa Monica

Main Street Santa Monica gets some love in the L.A. Weekly today, with a highlight of everywhere to eat on the block from M Street Kitchen and Chaya Venice to Stella Barra Pizzeria and Hinterland. The place has become a bona fide dining destination after years of languishing.

A very special chef guest at Animal

Dano Heinze, formerly a chef at McCrady’s in Charleston, South Carolina, is cooking next Monday evening, November 21, at Animal. The $75 five course dinner is served family style, with an optional $45 wine tasting. Call the restaurant at 323-782-9225 for what should be a great Southern-inflected and seasonal menu.

The wave of the Cava Grill future

LA Magazine’s Josh Scherrer pens a lengthy piece on why he thinks Cava Grill is the fast-casual restaurant concept of the future. Like many modernized Middle Eastern restaurants, Cava Grill serves a Chipotle-style lineup of bowls and wraps, with sustainable ingredients and even an array of non-soda soft drinks. Heck they pay $13 to start if you work there. It’s a place eat healthy, eat deliciously, and eat with a clear conscious. Why isn’t every fast-casual concept like that?