José Andrés Has Big Plans for His Modern Spanish Restaurant The Bazaar

Back in the saddle

Chef José Andrés has taken complete control of The Bazaar, one of his most well-recognized restaurant brands. The micro-chain was previously held as a collaboration of sorts between Andres’ ThinkFoodGroup and SBE, with Andrés name attached but SBE determining things like expansion and marketing strategy. Now he’s taking the restaurant completely in-house, buying out SBE for an undisclosed sum. The move will allow Andrés to do what he wants with The Bazaar, including moving the restaurant to locations outside of the SBE hotel portfolio, says Nation’s Restaurant News.

Best new restaurant nominees

Bon Appetit has released its long list of possible Best New Restaurants for this year, and six LA spots have made the list: Bavel, Majordomo, Felix, Freedman’s (now without Liz Johnson), Travis Lett’s MTN, and of course Vespertine.

Wine resource

Silver Lake’s newest natural wine shop is here. It’s called Psychic Wines, and it opens today at 2825 Bellevue Avenue, keeping daily hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. moving forward. Expect small producers and lots of knowledge from owners Zach Jarrett and Quinn Kimsey-White.

Goodbye Culver City

OOAK Kitchen has closed in Culver City. Multiple tipsters report that the restaurant’s signage is now gone from the main drag, and the vegetarian-leaning Chinese restaurant has scrubbed the address from its website. The restaurant lasted less than 5 months.

Baking lessons

Gustavo Arellano shares the incredible history of Jewish Boyle Heights bakers and their socialist ways over on L.A. Taco. The story is meant to be a pointed reflection of the public outcry against Boyle Heights restaurant Asher Caffe.

Big dates

Good Measure in Atwater Village has turned one. The wine-focused restaurant is celebrating with a slew of food and drink deals all month long, including a particularly special blowout tonight.

Kato eats

West LA hit Kato is looking to expand into casual lunch full-time, and to get started they’re running a few days of limited daytime service soon.