Besha Rodell's Review Hiatus, Teavana Closes in Beverly Hills, and More A.M. Intel

Besha Rodell temporarily steps away from reviews at LA Weekly

With her upcoming book leave on the horizon, Rodell today penned a note to Weekly readers about largely stepping away from the review side of things (minus one starred review per month). In her stead Garrett Snyder will be leading the review charge, while other freelancers and staffers step in to offer non-starred takes on new or emerging places around town. Rodell will return full-time in October.

Teavana Beverly Hills has closed

Starbucks has shuttered their Teavana location in Beverly Hills, ostensibly as part of a wider plan to bring more square footage to the adjacent coffee shop. If it comes to pass, the move should enable Starbucks to pivot into one of their Evenings concepts, just like what's being done over on La Brea.

Taste of the Eastside returns

With more fantastic dining options than ever before, there's never been a better time to jump on board the charity food event Taste of the Eastside. Money goes to benefit a variety of charities, and this year everyone from G&B Coffee to Lemon Poppy Kitchen to Momed will be in attendance. Tickets for the May 1 event are on sale now, and run $40 at the moment ($70 for VIP).

Jose Perez in as exec chef at Little Beast

Longtime chef/owner of Eagle Rock staple Little Beast Sean Lowenthal is stepping away from the stoves to focus on some upcoming new projects. To that end, he's brought up Chilean-born Jose Perez to become the executive chef. Perez has been in-house for some time, but previously had stints with the likes of Brendan Collins at Waterloo & City.

On the sushi trail in L.A.

USA Today tackles L.A.'s sushi obsession head-on, walking through options like Q Sushi and exploring the Valley's vast array of fresh seafood restaurants. Ultimately, the paper says that Los Angeles is among the best sushi restaurants in the entire world, rivaling in some cases even Japan itself.

An early look at Kali on Melrose

Wine and food lover Andy Gavin (he of Crash Bandicoot fame, actually) ducked into Kali for a meal not long ago, calling the restaurant an 'apex' moment for chef Kevin Meehan. Overall, Gavin comes away impressed with the food, the service, and the very idea of providing such high-quality food in such a casual environment.

Farmboy Kitchen stays open for dinner now

Hollywood newcomer Farmboy Kitchen has launched their dinner menu, expanding from the casual lunchtime offerings with a wider variety of sandwiches and salads, plus options from their rotisserie. The full menu is below, with daily hours now runing 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Farm Boy Dinner Menu