Gjelina Chef Travis Lett Might Be Leaving the Restaurant Group He Co-Founded

Rumors of a Gjusta Group split

An anonymous source tells the Los Angeles Times that Gjusta Group’s co-owners Travis Lett and Frann Camaj are in the process of ending their partnership. That same source cited “differences regarding the company’s priorities and future direction” as the reason for the split. If negotiations are successful, Camaj will buy Lett’s equity in their parent company, Gjusta Group. In 2008, Camaj and Lett grew Gjelina into the Westside restaurant powerhouse it is today, then opened Gjelina Take Away in 2011, Gjusta in 2014, then finally MTN in 2017. There’s no word on what’s happening with Lett’s West Adams building in historic West Adams, which the chef purchased a year ago.

South LA’s Taste of Soul Festival

Best categorized as South LA’s best kept non-secret, Taste of Soul is happening this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the heart of Crenshaw. It’s clearly LA’s largest street festival, and organizers tallied over 350,000 attendees last year. The free festival launched in 2005 with music, local businesses and plenty of food. Kim Prince’s forthcoming Hotville Chicken will make an appearance, along with long-established restaurants Bludso’s BBQ and Dulan’s On Crenshaw. Don’t skip on the deep fried dough from local food truck, What The Funnel.

Robot food delivery in WeHo

West Hollywood’s Public Safety Commission was less than enthusiastic as Postmates proposed a new idea this week. The restaurant delivery app wants to test an “autonomous delivery vehicle” in West Hollywood, according to Wehoville. The roving 50-pound delivery box on wheels is approximately 2.5 feet high. Commission members openly questioned its usefulness, especially in a area where some sidewalks are narrow, and the majority are renters living in apartment buildings. The faux blinking eyeballs are an especially creepy touch. Watch it move below.

WeHo’s version of Dine L.A.

West Hollywood’s Travel + Tourism Board launched its First Eat + Drink Week. A more localized version of Dine L.A., Eat + Drink Week runs from October 18-27, with 41 restaurants offering $15 to $65 tasting menus, including Tesse, Employees Only, and Gracias Madre.

Jaden Smith and Café Gratitude

Actor Jaden Smith joins forces with Café Gratitude to create a new dish called the “I Love You Bowl.” It’s not uncommon for Café Gratitude to bestow similar names to its dishes, and this one includes Brussel sprouts and butternut squash, forbidden black rice, and quinoa. The bowl is available at all Gratittude locations. Smith’s I Love You food truck also made stops throughout Skid Row last July, where he gave away food to the homeless.

Italian breakfast in central Hollywood

Hollywood’s L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele started a brunch and breakfast menu this week. Salerno-born chef Antonio Giordano developed a hearty spread that’ll turn Antica into an all-day affair, with house made pastry, omelettes with spicy Italian sausage, a porchetta and egg pizza, and a rich toasted tartine sourdough with almond butter, porchetta, egg, swiss cheese, and truffle cream.

Rossella Pisano

• Is Gjelina’s Chef Opening a Pastrami Sandwich Shop in West Adams? [ELA]