The Michelin Guide’s Stars Will Shine Again on Los Angeles Next Month

The Michelin Guide is officially back in California, with the next publication of the red book slated to come in late September. That’s good news for restaurants and diners who believe in the value of the stars doled out by the tire maker, particularly after a year-plus of pandemic uncertainty and the ongoing frailty of the restaurant industry at large, though not everyone is enamored with Michelin’s upscale and often Euro-centric perspective. The publication did not put out star ratings last year.

Up in San Francisco, the Michelin team has already teased out a few newcomers to its list, including Horn Barbecue and Routier; a preview of Central Coast restaurants dropped this week. As for Los Angeles in specific, expect a tease of some of the new and notable restaurants to be announced on September 1 (or September 15 for Orange and San Diego counties) per the New York Times, with the full book available on store shelves at the end of September.

In other news:

• For several years now, the team behind the CVT Truck has been dropping in standalone soft serve machines, branded with their own logos, to restaurants across Southern California. The ice cream machines, called CVTeenies turn out soft-serve using the food truck company’s proprietary mix. Well now, the first-ever CVTeenie has landed inside someone’s home, rather than a restaurant: none other than Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon and the world’s richest man. Yes, this is real.

• A small new jazz bar named Jojo’s Hideaway is opening in Tustin at the 17th Street Grill later this month. Expect specialty cocktails and lots of live entertainment.
• Meanwhile, over in Anaheim, the BluSky Restaurant and Bar rooftop restaurant atop the Radisson Blu is offering a seven-course al fresco tasting menu that focuses on the foods from the vast Basque country.
• Israeli vegan street food pop-up B’Ivrit had its entire setup stolen last week, but thanks to some kind customers who donated to the pop-up’s GoFundMe they’re now on track to return to service soon.
• The Somm TV folks are focusing a new episode on the growing (or, returning really) local wine scene around Los Angeles, with Byron Blatty at its center. Check out a preview of the deep-dive episode on LA’s once-booming grape-growing economy over at Somm TV.

• Kyle Jacovino of Savannah, Georgia’s celebrated Pizzeria Vittoria is popping up at Ronan on Sunday, August 22. Expect a full slate of antipasti, pizzas, and cannoli for dessert.
• Verve is opening in Manhattan Beach soon, landing at 451 Manhattan Beach Boulevard, next door to Nick’s.
• And in more coffee news, Constellation Coffee gets a nice shout-out in Barista Magazine. Check it out below.