A Colorful New Poolside Contender Has Opened in West Hollywood

The Boujis Group behind Olivetta on Melrose and the Draycott at Palisades Village is certainly staying busy. This week the team has also opened Issima, the first phase of their eventual total takeover of the food and drinks across the La Peer Hotel. And while this early version is centered around the open-air pool, with light bites, a raw seafood section, and drinks to match, future plans include a full remodel of the interior of the building as well, where the former Viale dei Romani was. Check out the opening menu from group chef Michael Fiorelli below, and head over for dinner service at 627 N. La Peer Drive between 6 p.m. and midnight, Wednesday through Saturday.

In other news:

• Los Angeles County’s 18 to 29-year-olds now have the highest COVID-19 case rates of all age demographics, reports KNX1070 reporter Claudia Peschiutta.
• Marin-based Equator Coffees is set to open a storefront at Ivy Station, the mixed-use development in Culver City, reports What Now LA.
• Los Angeles Times food critic Bill Addison calls attention to writer Adrian Miller’s new book Black Smoke, saying the deeply-researched retrospective on Black barbecue is as (or more) relevant and important now than ever before.
• More and more LA neighborhoods are getting their own upscale markets, says Los Angeles Magazine. The spaces, like Wine + Eggs in Atwater Village and Open Market in Koreatown, often feature local products and are encouraging customers to spend their money in their own neighborhoods, instead of at box stores and chain grocery retailers.
• Sonoritas Prime Tacos has officially opened in the former Broken Spanish space in Downtown Los Angeles, keeping lunch through dinner hours from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.