Glendale Galleria Flipped Its Parking Structure Into a Distanced-Dining Setup

Unique times call for unique solutions, as evidenced by the new dining setup at the Glendale Galleria mall. With California governor Gavin Newsom once again shutting down indoor dining and shopping across the state, the longtime retail center has been forced to try to keep some of its restaurants alive by pulling out tables into the multi-level parking garage, reports KTLA. It’s far from an ideal setup, as cars pass in and out for curbside pickup and parking (for what limited indoor shopping is still allowed, including at Target), but for restaurants trying to hold on through these uncertain months, a few tables surrounded by orange cones may be better than nothing at all.

And in other news:

• Popular food and music podcast Snacky Tunes has a new book out. It’s filled with snippets of conversations from writers and artists across the years, as well as recipes of course.
• The annual LA Times Food Bowl event is going virtual this year, with online lists for takeout restaurants to support and a home cook-a-thon going down at the end of August. Award winners like the Jonathan Gold award and the Restaurant of the Year will be announced online as well.
• Ruth’s Chris has closed permanently in Beverly Hills, as a result of the ongoing economic slowdown and coronavirus pandemic.
• Akasha in Culver City is the latest restaurant to build a patio in the parking lot for outdoor, distanced dining. Meanwhile, Korean barbecue spot Kang Ho Dong Baekjeong in Irvine is doing the same.
• LAist checks in on the uncertain state of things at La Casita Mexicana in Bell. The famous Mexican restaurant is still surviving “for now,” says writer Erick Galindo, but that may not be the case come the end of the year.
• Someone stole the Happy Ice truck over the weekend. The wildly colorful rig didn’t stay gone for long, though, as tipsters quickly spotted the food truck and notified the owners as to its location.