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Looks like another opening for Patina Group, which backs some of the strongest restaurants in the country already. The Los Angeles newcomer, called Maple, is going to be a bit different though.
First, it’s not exactly in the center of it all. Instead Patina will open up alongside the daily-dining Cafe Descanso, on the grounds of the Descanso Gardens in La Cañada Flintridge. Patina has kept Cafe Descanso as a simple place for a snack while traversing the grounds, alongside their prodigious catering business, but are hoping that Maple becomes a more exciting place for locals and tourists to dine.
Except not all the time. Maple will be a year-round weekend-exclusive restaurant only — that means food from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday only. Executive chef Mark Salazar plans to do egg favorites like benedicts and huevos rancheros, plus a burger and a bunch of healthier fare to boot. The full brunch menu is below.
Eventually Maple will turn to dinner hours for the holiday season when the Gardens unveils its annual interactive light show, from November 25 through January 8. Those nightly hours will last 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. And, if all goes well, the restaurant could expand into daytime weekday service for lunch and, possibly, dinner come 2017. For now, look for brunch to begin October 1, making Maple a great weekend spot to enjoy some scenery and Patina eats at the same time.
Update: An earlier version of this story had Maple replacing the current Cafe Descanso, but the cafe will remain in addition to Maple.
