Echo Park’s Newest Development Saves Room For Ten Different Restaurants

Echo Park’s changing ways

Looks like another big development is coming for Echo Park, this one in the former home of A Grocery Warehouse on Sunset Boulevard. Though the popular Asian grocery closed down earlier this year to make way for the planned development, full details on what was to come have been rather scarce — that is, until the developer of the project showed off plans to add as many as ten restaurants and some retail to the property.

As The Eastsider shows, renderings allow for a kind of compound, with several buildings, patio space, and some parking. It’s not unlike the nearby Mohawk Collective further west on Sunset (or even the Echo Park Village closer to Downtown), with its mixed-retail model and relatively small restaurant square footage. Still, with plans still coming for Ostrich Farm to open their second restaurant practically across the street, plus all the development still slated for the eastern stretch of Echo Park, it’s a fair bet to assume this part of Los Angeles will start to look pretty dramatically different in a year or two.

A new fair look

There’s a new CEO at the LA County Fair Association, which means big things could be coming to the annual event east of Downtown. LA Times says inbound president Miguel Santana has plans to play towards a more millennial and teenage crowd, with lots of new food, music, and event nights — including many focused on the county’s growing young Latino population.

Venice grows, again

Who’s been in to the new Surfside in Venice? The restaurant took over for the defunct Danny’s Deli more than a month ago and has been turning out burgers, nachos, tacos, and other casual eats right by the water. Lunch through late night hours (11 p.m. to 1 a.m. weekdays, at 23 Windward Avenue.

The Gjusta move

LA Weekly critic Besha Rodell says that the secret move at Gjusta in Venice is to go at night. The place is often half-full (a far cry from the hour-long waits for brunch and, sometimes, lunch), meaning the patio is open for the taking, and the food is just as good.

The beauty of Tlayuda

Folks continue to keep ‘discovering’ Tlayuda LA, the unassuming (but very awesome) Santa Monica Boulevard restaurant that specializes in Oaxacan food. Far from being a purely traditional setting, the place is colorful, vibrant, fun, and rather delicious says Eat With Norma.

Seabirds don’t eat meat

There’s a new restaurant in Long Beach working the vegan angle. It’s called Seabirds Kitchen, says the Long Beach Post, and it’s actually an extension of a former food truck turned brick and mortar (the first location is in Orange County). This new option lands a minimalist space at 975 E. 4th Street, turning out vegan pizzas, salads, and lots of sides.

Paramount’s pancake party

There’s a big late-night pancake situation going down on Fairfax this Friday, when Paramount Coffee Project opens up their doors for an evening shindig that, yes, includes loads of griddled pancake stacks. The plan is to offer savory pancakes, traditional stacks, mocktails, and more, starting at 8 p.m. and running to midnight.