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LA’s Wild New Indoor Circus Bar Opens Downtown Next Week

Plus craft beer ownership changes, and pizza’s time in LA

Two Bit Circus
Two Bit Circus
Two Bit Circus
Farley Elliott is the Senior Editor at Eater LA and the author of Los Angeles Street Food: A History From Tamaleros to Taco Trucks. He covers restaurants in every form, from breaking news to the culture, people, and history that surrounds LA's dining landscape.

The circus is here

It’s almost time for Two Bit Circus to arrive. The long-awaited Arts District playhouse has been in talks since last summer, and only just started to nail down an official opening date of September 7. That’s per TimeOut, which has a big look at the expansive space, which comes filled with virtual reality equipment, arcade games, an escape room, and plenty of lounge areas. What’s more, Two Bit Circus will offer a full bar, complete with snacks like flatbreads, in hopes of keeping gamers playing all night long while drawing in the local community at the same time. Two Bit Circus can be found at 634 Mateo Street in the Arts District.

Solutions

The Ringer’s Danny Chau has a fun piece up on the changing pizza culture in Los Angeles, and how two different folks are trying their best to make it work. First up is the pop-up La Morra, and second is the recently-rebranded Hail Mary Pizza, operated by chef David Wilcox in the former Journeymen space.

Carriage news

South Bay craft beer favorite Phantom Carriage is switching things up. Co-founder Martin Svab will no longer be helping to run the spooky show as of the end of the month, as he and partner Ryan are heading off to run their own bar instead.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Due to a combination of reasons, the leader and brains behind Phantom Carriage will be departing this Friday, August, 31st. Anyone that wishes to say farewell is welcome to join us for this sacred day. And now a message from all that remain; . Martin, Thank you for being an inspiration to all of us, and to so many people in our industry. You paved the way for countless industry professionals and beer lovers alike. You created a place for the oddballs and outcasts to feel apart of something that they were passionate about. Your hard work, creativity, and generosity go unmatched. . Thank you for bringing your vision to life, from the start of your notepads filled with sketches and notes on what Phantom Carriage would soon become. The gathering of our team (family) and supportive guests is something truly special. We wish you the best in your future as the journey is not over. . Ryan, as you also depart, we also want to wish you the absolute best. Your continuous support for this project has been magical. Martin would never have been able to pull off countless, sleepless (Phantom Carriage) nights without you. We cherish every bit of you, your insight into our beloved craft beer world and the personal interaction you put on every team member and loyal guest who walk through that door. . We bid you both an honorable farewell. . At this day in age, we crave meaning; we crave something that is not mass produced. Respectively, something unique and full of life. Phantom Carriage is here to stay and will live on for many years to come... . For additional info on this story please visit https://thefullpint.com/beer-news/phantom-carriage-co-founder-martin-svab-transitions-out-of-company/.

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The goods

Life & Thyme dives deep into LA’s longstanding concha culture, checking out a number of the old school Eastside bakeries with pastry chef Leslie Mialma of Winsome.

Danny Trejo’s friends

Trejo’s Tacos is partnering up with FX and Postmates to promote the new show Mayans M.C., offering exclusive menu items across all of its cantinas and takeaway spots, including the doughnut shop on Santa Monica Boulevard. Additionally, food from Trejo’s will be free for delivery on Postmates from this Friday through Thursday, September 6, with some extra swag thrown in for good measure.

Philly pretzels

Food GPS has dug up some Philadelphia-style soft pretzels to know and love. They’re from a delivery-only company called West Coast Pretzels operating out of Studio City, and they’re apparently very worth the find.

The turnaround

Last weekend’s Smorgasburg barbecue event was so popular, they’re immediately doing it again. Moo’s Craft Barbecue had a line hundreds of people deep, and now they — along with Bartz’s, Bludso’s, Ray’s, Ugly Drum, and more — are rolling it back for one more week in hopes of actually being able to serve everyone this time.