Scandal-Prone LA County Sheriff Says He Won’t Enforce Stay at Home Orders

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva tells Fox 11 Los Angeles yesterday that he will not enforce all aspects of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s likely upcoming stay at home order, adding his name to a growing list of law enforcement officials statewide to say they won’t push officers to tamp down on some gatherings and on non-compliant businesses, despite the surging coronavirus threat.

Villanueva, who has been beset with controversy and calls to step down for months now, tells Fox that he specifically “wants to stay away from businesses that are trying to comply the best they can. They bent over backwards to modify their entire operation... and then they have the rug yanked out from under them. That’s a disservice.” It’s worth noting that the recent round of outdoor dining shutdowns in LA County came from the Board of Supervisors, which is actively investigating Sheriff Villanueva’s possible removal from office, and that Gov. Newsom has repeatedly said that non-compliant counties could have critical state funds “redirected” to compliant counties instead.

In other news:

• There’s a whole lot happening for Hanukkah this year, which starts Thursday, December 10. The Skirball Center is selling to-go boxes of latkes, to be paired with some live workshops from author Amelia Saltsman — and the Holocaust Museum is doing a similar latke night with Akasha Richmond. Joan’s on Third has its holiday menu up, including latkes, matzo ball soup, beef brisket, noodle kugel, and more, and so does Birdie G’s in Santa Monica.
• The Hillstone Group is in hot water with a new lawsuit that alleges price gouging over a 15 percent takeout fee, reports the LA Times.
• Rustic Canyon in Santa Monica has flipped to an entirely new comfort food concept called Grin & Bear It during this latest round of lockdowns. The menu is below.

• Westside Italian chef Luigi Fineo is doing pasta takeaway kits from Cloverfield restaurant in Santa Monica. They’re available each evening, and run $26-$30 depending on the sauce (pomodoro, basil pesto, etc.).
• Chef John Clark, who worked his way up through Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo’s restaurant group, is doing a chicken wing pop-up at Son of a Gun on Monday, December 7. Clark is serving wings, fried cauliflower, chicken strips, and more to help promote Clark’s Yes Chef Corp catering company. The pop-up runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• E Stretto sandwich shop set up a free sandwich situation at the group’s East Hollywood location, exclusively for restaurant workers who have been left without a job in this current moment. And while the sandwiches are currently all spoken for, it’s great to see local favorites like E Stretto step up to help those around them. The same is true for Employees Only in West Hollywood, which still has availability on 30 free industry meals for those in need, available daily through the weekend.
• Iconic LA deli Langer’s has reopened for curbside pickup. And what’s more, the company is now shipping its food nationally via Goldbelly.