11 Most Anticipated Los Angeles Restaurant Openings This Fall

Part of Eater’s Fall 2018 Preview

Summer was solid but not quite as white-hot as the first six months of the year. Places like Tesse, The Fields, Dama, and Ma’am Sir grabbed plenty of headlines and Instagram attention this summer, but two highly anticipated restaurants remain for the fall: Simone from Jessica Largey and Nightshade from Mei Lin. They’re two fine dining veterans who are opening their first passion projects in the Arts District. Beyond those two big names, Chad Colby, formerly of Chi Spacca, will open a pasta-centric restaurant called Antico on Beverly Boulevard, while Slab BBQ from Trudy’s founder Burt Bakman should debut on West Third Street. Both represent two well-trod but highly popular genres in LA.

Finally, Michelin-starred dim sum spot Tim Ho Wan heads to Irvine while star bartender Matthew Biancaniello debuts his dream cocktail-cum-dinner tasting counter in Malibu. Here now, the 11 most anticipated restaurants that should open by this fall in Los Angeles.

Simone

Location: 447 S. Hewitt St., Arts District

Major Players: Jessica Largey, Bruno Bagbeni

The Situation: Former Manresa lead and James Beard Award winner for Rising Star Chef Jessica Largey is putting the finishing touches on her expansive Arts District space after much delay, and hopes to open up within the next few weeks. The construction process has taken much longer than anticipated, but once it’s ready to open, Simone should be one of the more impressive new restaurants in LA this year. When the expansive property does come online, expect a lively atmosphere in the main dining room, a coursed-out six-seat chef’s bar, and Duello, a fine cocktail bar tucked inside the whole thing.

Projected Opening: September 2018

Nightshade

Location: 923 E. 3rd St., Arts District

Cuttlefish with black garlic and radish flowers by Mei Lin

Major Player: Mei Lin

The Situation: Top Chef winner Mei Lin is hoping for a mid-fall debut for her first standalone project Nightshade in the Arts District. The expansive space, which goes into the former Cerveteca, will feature a pan-Asian menu infused with modern touches and California sensibilities, with Lin herself calling the experience “fine food in a casual setting.” According to Eater’s restaurant editor Hillary Dixler, it’s “perfectly LA — which of course makes it perfectly right now.” Think fine dining touches and plating with flavor influences from Italy, Japan, and China.

Projected Opening: October 2018

Slab BBQ

Location: 8136 W. 3rd St., Mid-City West

Major Players: Burt Bakman, H.Wood Group

The Situation: Trudy’s Underground Barbecue founder Burt Bakman is moving into a space of his own thanks to the newly restaurant-focused H.Wood Group team. This West Third Street property will be a home for all things brisket and ribs, with a variety of Texas-leaning sides to boot. Expect drinks, both indoor and patio seating, and long lines when it’s all finally revealed. Right now, signage is up on the property, which means this highly anticipated barbecue spot should be ready within a month or two pending permits.

Projected Opening: Early October 2018

The Manufactory

Location: 777 Alameda Street, Downtown LA

Major Players: Chad Robertson, Liz Prueitt, Chris Bianco, Bill Chait

The Situation: There’s a ton going on at this massive 40,000 square foot space at Row DTLA, starting with a full bakery and cafe setup from Chad Robertson and Liz Prueitt. The cafe portion will come in part from Phoenix’s Chris Bianco, who will be preparing his award-winning pizzas along with other dishes. Finally there’s a dinner destination called Alameda Supper Club that will fit upwards of 150 people with an Italian-style menu that should appeal to a wide swath of diners. Bianco, Robertson, and Prueitt will all oversee aspects of The Manufactory. The Manufactory won accolades when it opened in San Francisco a few years back, but this Downtown LA version looks like a pretty major evolution from that.

Projected Opening: Early November 2018

Alta

Location: 5365 West Adams Blvd., West Adams

An overhead shot of a wide, low plate with swirls of sauce at an upscale soul food restaurant. — Chicken from Alta in San Francisco

Major Player: Daniel Patterson, Keith Corbin

The Situation: LA’s first taste of Alta will come in waves. First up is the Adams Coffee Shop, a casual offshoot that will serve snacks, pastries, and drinks right next door to Alta proper. Eventually the main dinnertime restaurant will arrive by way of local chef Keith Corbin, working a soulful menu of South LA classics — and it’s all backed by the guidance and intelligence of Daniel Patterson, the overseeing owner who has turned Alta into a San Francisco dining legend. Already Corbin’s done some preview dinners and the early results are looking pretty positive for a part of town that’s still in development.

Projected Opening: September 2018

Mon Li

Location: 26025 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu

Major Player: Matthew Biancaniello

The Situation: Matthew Biancaniello, who may very well be Los Angeles’ most celebrate bar man, has long needed a place to flex his cocktail and food-pairing talents. Enter Mon Li, the very much anticipated omakase food and drink experience that will open at Calamigos’ beach club property. Biancaniello will finally get the on-property garden that will employ ultra-seasonal ingredients right into the food and especially the drinks. The twelve seat, three-night-a-week spot will certainly become a coveted ticket, and with Biancaniello’s track record of truly innovative cocktails, it certainly should become one of the city’s most unique places to eat and drink.

Projected Opening: Late September 2018

Konbi

Location: 1463 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles

Major Players: Akira Akuto and Nick Montgomery

The Situation: The opening chefs behind the relatively short-lived Arts District restaurant Osso are at it again, this time with a casual, Japanese-style sandwich shop that will open in Echo Park. The design-influenced cafe will maintain 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours daily, and will also serve coffee, tea, and a smattering of other vegetable-focused dishes. With the popularity of places like Katsu Sando, it seems like the right time to debut milk bread-based Japanese sandwiches in LA.

Projected Opening: October 2018

Easy’s

Location: 8500 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles

Major Player: Jeremy Fall

The Situation: Jeremy Fall is back with Easy’s, the expanded daytime diner option he’s keen to open inside the Beverly Center. Originally conceived as a pop-up burger window in Chinatown, Fall has now taken the idea to a whole new level with room for a bar, diner staples, and (yes) burgers. While others compete for ground floor dining dominance at the reborn mall, Easy’s will largely own the inside, upstairs eating options — at least for a while.

Projected Opening: September 2018

Tim Ho Wan

Location: 2700 Alton Parkway, Irvine, Orange County

Major Player: Tim Ho Wan Group

The Situation: The only thing that needs to be said here is “Michelin-starred dim sum.” That’s right, this highly-regarded Hong Kong offshoot is landing at the Diamond Jamboree plaza in the heart of Irvine, and the expectation is that hours-long weekend waits will be the norm. Signage is already up, and an official opening date is just around the corner.

Projected Opening: November 2018

Fiona

Location: 339 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles

Major Players: Nicole Rucker, James Starr, Jason Bernstein

The Situation: Nicole Rucker is ready for her big reveal, landing Fiona as an all-day restaurant project right along Fairfax. The sunny space will of course have pastries and pies galore, but also look for savory-side stuff like soups and beyond, with help from longtime friend Shawn Pham, formerly of Simbal. James Starr and Jason Bernstein (Cofax, Golden State) are of course on board as partners as well.

Projected Opening: September 2018

Antico

Location: 4653 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles

Major Player: Chad Colby

The Situation: Chad Colby has been working hard since leaving Chi Spacca. The chef spent time working with Curtis Stone and April Bloomfield, and is now ready to roll out on his own with a rustic Italian offering right along Beverly Boulevard. There will still be plenty of grilled meats on the menu, but Colby is focusing Antico on the Italian classics, set against a mix-and-match menu backdrop that lets groups of diners scale their meals up or down as needed. That means pasta tastings, shared meats, and plenty of wine.

Projected Opening: November 2018

All Fall Preview Coverage [E]

11 Most Anticipated Fall Restaurant Openings in Los Angeles

Simone

Nightshade