BierBeisl Chef Bernhard Mairinger Returns With New Pop-Up Dinner Series

The big man is back

Austrian chef Bernhard Mairinger is back in the kitchen, rocking a three-night pop-up in Pico-Robertson. The whole thing is going down inside Si Laa Thai restaurant Friday, September 29 through Sunday, October 1.

The meal is pretty classic for Mairinger, with five courses comprised of dishes like veal schnitzel, seared venison loin, and strudel for dessert. Tickets are $85 a head with a cap of 40 diners a night, and that doesn’t include drinks, tax, or tip.

A Bestia vet moves up

Bestia sous chef Maynard Llera is moving on up, landing a gig as the culinary director for the overall h.wood Group. That means Llera will be handling the big picture for places like The Nice Guy and Delilah, with openings under the group’s umbrella slated to happen in Aspen, Dallas, and Chicago in the coming months.

More Weird Wave

Boyle Heights coffee bar Weird Wave is making, well, waves again, this time for hosting a public conversation with police from the local Hollenbeck division on Thursday. The idea is to let cops chat with locals over a cup of joe about issues affecting the neighborhood, but many wary locals have taken instead to Instagram to accuse the coffee shop of alienating the larger immigrant community of Boyle Heights.

Coffee for West Adams

Unemployed Eater takes a look at some close-up renderings for the upcoming Alta happening in West Adams, and it seems the building will also now include plans for a cool coffee shop to boot. There’s a rendering with a barista doing pourovers and everything, plus shots of a future patio out back.

Cookbook for all

Echo Park produce and takeaway shop Cookbook is set to expand into Highland Park, with an opening reportedly happening next week. The Figueroa option hits just next door to Highland Park Bowl, right underneath some gorgeous new signage that’s just been installed. Expect takeaway drinks, sandwiches, and salads to go along with all the produce and products.

Going to grain school

Chef Michael Fiorelli is heading to Santa Monica on Sunday to talk heritage grains at the Gourmandise School. It’s part of a larger all-day grain conference happening at the school, and tickets are on sale now.

Whittier’s next move

Take a look at the official next location for Vaka Burgers in Whittier. The former Boyle Heights spot was acting as a bar pop-up in the southeastern city for a bit, but now has completely taken over The Real McCoys.