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Huntington Beach Restaurant Tells Vaccinated Diners to Stay Away

Plus, a new Mexicali-style taco spot near USC, and a pretty new rooftop hangout in Beverly Hills

An anti-mask billboard along La Cienega Boulevard from the Huntington Beach restaurant Basilicos Pasta e Vino
An anti-mask billboard along La Cienega Boulevard from the Huntington Beach restaurant Basilicos Pasta e Vino.
Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Matthew Kang is the Lead Editor of Eater LA. He has covered dining, restaurants, food culture, and nightlife in Los Angeles since 2008. He's the host of K-Town, a YouTube series covering Korean food in America, and has been featured in Netflix's Street Food show.

A local restaurant reaches for worldwide infamy by having a “zero-tolerance policy against treasonous anti-American stupidity” and requiring diners to be unvaccinated to enter the restaurant, which is already a “mask-free” zone. Huntington Beach restaurant Basilico’s Pasta e Vino has been trying to gain publicity with this stunt since last year, when it posted a billboard all the way up on La Cienega Boulevard, dozens of miles from its location with a sign that said “leave the mask, take the cannoli,” a reference to the Godfather movie. The question is ... how does one prove they’re unvaccinated?

Owner Tony Roman was quoted in the LA Times as saying his policy was to defend American liberty and freedom. He says this, of course, as cases and hospitalizations in Orange and Los Angeles County have risen sharply due to the delta variant and unvaccinated people. Roman’s stance comes amid bars that have said they will not allow patrons to enter unless they have proof of vaccination.

In other news:

Rooftop lounge with pool and cabanas with people inside.
Umbrella Club at Sixty BH.
Sixty BH
  • Uovo in Marina del Rey is open as of yesterday and while the pastas produced by hand in Italy — like the off-menu tagliatelle with truffle sauce, or the incredible ricotta-filled ravioli with pomodoro — are as delicious as ever, this newest location comes with a great view of the waterfront from its bar and outdoor patio. And on the part of the restaurant facing the parking lot, there’s a very cool word search wall.