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Create some pastrami envy
Pico Boulevard icon Factor’s Famous Deli has turned 70 years young. To celebrate the restaurant threw a star-studded chef dinner on Tuesday night and is now opening things up to the general public with a series of big-deal giveaways. Starting yesterday and running through the end of the month, every in-store eater is entered into a raffle to win one of several daily $70 gift certificates, with one ultimate monthlong winner walking away with a card good for 70 free pastrami sandwiches. To enter the big contest, just show up and eat, which shouldn’t be hard to do considering the restaurant is also giving away free food, swag, and more all month long.
More goals
Dessert Goals, the Instagram-heavy two-day sweets festival, is returning to Los Angeles in early July. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, May 22.
Forgotten desserts
Great Big Story has an awesome new video out on Valerie Gordon and her love of lost desserts. From pulling old recipes to her modern recreations, the Valerie Confections owner just keeps on showing how cool she is.
Doughnuts galore
The first-ever DTLA Donut Festival is happening at Union Station on June 16. Expect eats from Trejo’s, Primo’s, and DK’s, plus chef demos and lots of other fun stuff.
Dialogue does it different
Santa Monica fine dining restaurant Dialogue is switching up its employee pay structure, adding employees to a new profit-sharing situation that gives them a literal sense of ownership over their work. Employees aren’t capped or limited, they just get a piece of the final money that comes out of the place, instead of a standard wage with (or without) tipping.
Playa Mesa comes alive
A new Costa Mesa restaurant is getting ready to serve. It’s called Playa Mesa Mexican Kitchen, and it’s landing at 428 E. 17th Street in July. Expect an outdoor dining area with fire pits, lots of organic Mexican food, drinks, and more. Playa Mesa is the work of Mario Marovic and Andrew Gabriel, two names behind places like Matador Cantina, The Country Club, and Wild Good Tavern.
Buy a piece of ice cream lore
Sweet Lucie’s, which started almost ten years ago and had a shop on Mar Vista for a few years, is letting go of their adorable vintage ice cream truck on Craigslist. They’re offering the restored truck, which was featured in a Katy Perry music video, for $60,000.
The upstairs menu
Koreatown’s new 2nd Floor Restaurant is now running a nightly bar menu. Check out the $5 crostinis and seriously cheap drinks. The fun starts at 5:30 p.m. nightly.
